Blog Post #4

" The shadowy bench lined inner pathways that connected the twenty seven six story buildings of Marcy Houses were like tunnels we kids burrowed through. Housing projects can seem like labyrinths to outsiders, as complicated and intimidating as a moroccan bazaar" Jay Z uses this to describe where he grew up and the confusion non locals might feel. Too them these projects were a simple connection of pathways, but to an outsider, Marcy was a confusing and scary place to wander. In the world i live in today i'm confident Jay Z would thrive in the life i lead. Under more intense circumstances he was able to grow into a top rap mogul and partial owner of a basketball. In terms of the future, he would handle the future with optimism. Jay Z is an intelligent man who thinks past himself and for the betterment of others. As time continues to pass he will adapt and help change the rap culture.

In the book Decoded, the characters and events relate to the movie Notorious. The movie Notorious is about the life of deceased rapper Biggie Smalls. In both stories Jay Z and Biggie are both aspiring rappers who deal rocks on the streets of New York. Biggie, who is a few years before Jay-Z's time paved the way for hustlers turned rappers. Both of these rappers wanted to express themselves through music, while also getting away from the streets. They both lived for this lifestyle, the fame and recognition was intoxicating. The author is trying to show how much work it takes to break into the rap game. Both of these artists started small and had to work for it. Each of them also had to deal with beef's with other rappers. It's all just part of the game.

Blog Post #2

A character that i love in my book is Jay-Z. He is a modern hustla who came up through the projects of New York. I like the fact that he was persistent in his attempts to be a rapper. He views the rap game as more than just money but a way to express himself lyrically. He came up slingin rocks on the block and now is a rap mogul. If he found a $100 he would keep it. Based on his age in the book so far, odds are he'd invest it in some crack and then turn a profit or some fresh clothes. The streets is where he learned to be a thrifty business man. The picture i chose above represents the crack addiction i've read about. Jay- Z has personally seen crack ruin families on the streets. Tyrone Biggums is a fictional character who's addicted to crack. In the picture he's making a peanut butter crack sandwich.

I choose this independent reading book becuase I'm very interested in the rap game. This book follows the exploits of one of the most influential rappers of our time. Jay-Z is a globally known rapper and entrepreneur. I considered the topic of hustling and rapping to be very interesting so I chose the book. It was written by Jay Z which added to my interest in the book. I generally dont read this genre and its not part of a series but I decided to give it  a try. It has a really cool book cover with gold designs on it and I couldn't resist reading it.