Historically a rather private man, Jay-Z really opens up in his memoir Decoded. Whether inspired by his fans or his own motivations, he writes in a manner which serves both as confrontation and inspiration. He uses real life experiences, tracing the course of events in his life according to topic rather than chronology, to demonstrate what has made him the successful man of today. Rarely does the public receive such personal insight into a celebrity.
Jay-Z's writing is confrontational by nature because he makes bold statements about authenticity. He expresses a general distaste for the arrogance of fans who think they understand him. Just like all people his life has been characterized by complexity and suffering. Although the haters blame him for being so wealthy and famous, he reminds them that he overcame some serious obstacles to earn his money and fame. In fact he started as a drug dealer in the Brooklyn projects, but he found solace in his rhymes which he eventually started to share with people in the hopes that they would understand. Jay-Z's confrontational tone doubtless stems from his alienation. Now that he's made it to the top, people resent his success and seem to forget where he's come form and just what his success really signifies -- years of hard work and persistence.
The inspiration comes from the true events of Jay-Z's life. He's writing for his fans and for those aspiring rap artists out there. With them in mind, he recounts the long journey of his career from drug dealer to celebrated artist. He has bounced back from many challenges along his way, determined to share his music with people. More importantly his art is inspired by those very challenges. Without the suffering he would have nothing to write, but it is only his persistent commitment to success, to a longterm goal, which enabled him to be successful and to find an audience with whom to share his music. Jay-Z very life is an inspiration. He's a model of success and perseverance.
