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Before Decoded reached bookshops on 16 November 2010, its 300 pages were put up one by one in 15 cities around the world, in 600 advertising spots, including the Brooklyn neighbourhood where Jay-Z grew up, as part of a campaign with Bing. The book, published by Spiegel & Grau, explains the meaning behind some of his songs and the life and culture that shaped them, and went onto The New York Times bestseller list. Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter and raised in the Marcy Houses in Brooklyn, has won 25 Grammy Awards. This guide covers his one book: what it is about and where to begin.
By Lisanne Swart · 1 key books · 2010–2010 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Jay-Z has published one book: Decoded (2010), written with dream hampton, in which he explains the stories behind some of his songs and the world he grew up in. Start, and finish, there; the 2023 Book of HOV exhibition and the book made from it are tributes to him, not books he wrote.
Where to Start with Jay-Z
If you want the stories behind the songs
→ Decoded (2010) — the only book he has written.
If you want the world he grew up in
→ Decoded (2010) — the life that shaped the lyrics.
1 Jay-Z Book
Decoded
Published by Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House, on 16 November 2010, and written with dream hampton. The book explains the hidden meanings behind some of his best-known songs and gives a personal account of the culture that shaped his life and music. Before publication its pages were released one at a time in a Bing scavenger hunt across 15 cities. It reached The New York Times bestseller list.
How to Read Jay-Z
There is only one book, so start with Decoded. It works best next to the albums: the book explains particular songs, so listening as you go adds a great deal.
After it, the Brooklyn Public Library’s Book of HOV, a 2023 exhibition about his life and work, was turned into a tribute book; it is about him rather than by him.
A reading path
1. Decoded (2010)
2. The Book of HOV tribute book, adapted from the 2023 Brooklyn Public Library exhibition
The years · 1969–2023
Quick facts about Jay-Z
- Known for
- Jay-Z is known for a rap career that has won 25 Grammy Awards and for business ventures that made him the first hip-hop billionaire in 2019.
- 1969
- Born Shawn Carter in Brooklyn
- 2010
- Decoded
- 2023
- Book of HOV exhibition, Brooklyn
- Born
- 4 December 1969, Brooklyn, New York; raised in the Marcy Houses
- Real name
- Shawn Corey Carter
- Awards
- 25 Grammy Awards
- Halls of fame
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2021); first rapper in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
- Business
- Founded Roc Nation in 2008
- Book
- Decoded (2010), with dream hampton
The red mark is 2010: Decoded, his only book.
How Jay-Z Wrote Decoded
Decoded is not a straight life story. It sets out to explain what some of his songs mean, and through them the personal history and the culture behind them.
He wrote it with the writer dream hampton, who worked with him on the text; the book is published under his name.
The launch was part of the book: its pages appeared in 600 advertising placements in 15 cities and on Bing Maps between 18 October and 20 November 2010, five to ten a day, so readers could piece the book together before it was in shops.
Watch
Jay-Z on Decoded
Jay-Z talks to Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air in 2010 about Decoded.
Frequently asked questions about Jay-Z’s book
How many books has Jay-Z written?
One: Decoded (2010), written with dream hampton.
How many books has Jay-Z written?
There is only one, Decoded, published on 16 November 2010. The Book of HOV tribute book, based on the 2023 Brooklyn Public Library exhibition, is about him rather than written by him.
Where should I start with Jay-Z?
With Decoded (2010), his only book, which explains the stories behind some of his songs.
What is Jay-Z’s most famous book?
Decoded (2010), which reached The New York Times bestseller list.
Did Jay-Z write Decoded himself?
He wrote it with the writer dream hampton, who worked with him on the book; it is published under his name.
Is Decoded a memoir or a lyrics book?
Both. It explains the meanings behind some of his songs and gives a personal account of the culture that shaped his life and music.
What was the Decoded Bing campaign?
Before publication, Bing placed the book’s pages in 600 advertising spots in 15 cities, including New York and London, and on Bing Maps, from 18 October to 20 November 2010, as a scavenger hunt.
Who published Decoded?
Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, in November 2010.
Has Jay-Z written another book?
No. The Book of HOV is a tribute adapted from the 2023 Brooklyn Public Library exhibition about his life and work, not a book by him.
What was the 2024 lawsuit against Jay-Z?
In 2024 a woman identified as Jane Doe named Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, and Sean Combs in a civil lawsuit alleging that they had sexually assaulted her in 2000, when she was 13, at a party after the MTV Video Music Awards. Jay-Z denied the allegations and called them false. On 14 February 2025 she voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled. In March 2025 Jay-Z filed a lawsuit in Alabama against her and her lawyers, including Tony Buzbee, alleging defamation, malicious prosecution and abuse of process.
Footnotes
- Jay-Z — Wikipedia
- JAY-Z and Bing change the game with “Decoded” — Microsoft News, 2010
- Jay-Z’s ‘Decoded’ hits New York Times best seller’s list — theGrio, 2010
- Jay-Z memoir ‘Decoded’ due in November — Rolling Stone
- Jay-Z files defamation lawsuit against former accuser, her attorneys — ABC News, 2025
Bibliography last verified 9 October 2026. Where sources give different first-publication years, this page uses the year in library catalogues or the publisher’s own record.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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