teeawgo's review
4.0
I was hoping for more material about Jay specifically, but I still appreciate Dyson's view on America and its other black icons reflected through Jay's music.
steel_city_peach's review against another edition
3.0
I think I used all of my brain power for 2020 trying to keep up with Dyson's remarkable vocabulary. I loved the concept of the book. I didn't love the execution of it.
mattbutreads's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
4.75
I think some of the elements of the conclusion belong in the introduction, postulating the book as an overarching approach to the phenomenon rather than the quasi-biography it set itself up to be. But the conclusion may be flawless, and the King section genius.
sandygoldstein's review
4.0
I love jay Z so this book was so interesting, the break down of some classic lyrics was especially cool to read about
shannanh's review
5.0
Although I'm not a rap fan, nor can I name the title of a song by Jay-Z, I thought this was a very well written and interesting book about Mr. Carter. It's very informative about his life, as well as some other's in the rap community. I surprisingly really enjoyed reading this book.
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All Thoughts and opinions are my own
I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All Thoughts and opinions are my own
marvindbooks's review
3.0
Michael Eric Dyson is a master wordsmith, brilliant scholar and provocative cultural critic. Being a longtime fan of both Dyson's work and Jay-Z, picking up this book was a no-brainer. That said, I expected a lot more from this book. Nothing here felt particularly new or groundbreaking, it almost felt like something that could've been condensed and published in an online essay. I will say that I've read and learned a lot about Jay-Z over the years, so maybe this book wasn't intended for me. Also, I've read some of Dyson's writing's on other public figures like Marvin Gaye, Tupac and Martin Luther King were I found his analysis fresh and his critiques bold and new. Much of this book felt like an overview of things I already knew and lyrics I already analyzed. I think it would have been more engaging to see Dyson dive deeper and talk a bit more perhaps be a bit more critical of Jay Z. However, I think a conflict of interests exists because unlike, Tupac, Marvin Gaye and MLK, Dyson actually has a relationship with Jay Z, and I'd argue that it makes him a bit softer in his critiques. Overall, it wasn't a bad book, Dyson's analyses are on point, his social commentary is well-informed, it's just that this book felt more like an echo of things we've learned about Jay throughout his career.
justinj42's review
informative
4.0
Less critical of capitalism than I would've preferred but a strong case for Jay-Z as the GOAT rap icon and America as the source of all evil
zhanacox0920's review
4.0
If your looking for a biography, this is not the book…. If you read the synopsis than you can see this is political and details JAY Z’s growth from ‘Reasonable Doubt’ to ‘Everything is Love’… Moving forward, enjoyed learning some new facts about one of the greatest to ever do it. However, the MLK portion was dragged out. Still an enjoyable read.