Jay-Z Decoded book reveals the life behind the lyrics

Jay-Z says decoding his old lyrics was a strange experience

Jay-Z says his debut book Decoded, released in the UK this week, is a book of many layers.

Instead of writing a regular autobiography, the rapper explains the meaning behind his lyrics as a way to tell the tale of his rise to megastar.

The book also features plenty of photos and private thoughts on his career so far.

He said: "It's a bit of memoirs versus breakdown of lyrics, versus socio-economics. It's all these layers.

"I used stories of things that I went through growing up to lead to these songs."

'Rap is poetry'

The star, reportedly worth about worth £280m, has plenty of experiences to talk about, from being abandoned by his father, to becoming a drug dealer and surviving an attempt on his life.

He admitted that one of the biggest challenges was actually remembering the lyrics.

Many are years old and the star didn't write them down.

He says the process of decoding some of his old lines was a strange experience, but good fun.

The rapper's also imprinted his unique style on the book's marketing campaign.

All 305 pages were hidden, in a scavenger hunt style, around 200 locations important to his life story.

The person who eventually pieces together all the clues will get entry to every Jay-Z show on earth for the rest of their lives.

The 40-year-old, who's recently been in the UK recording an album with Kanye West, also says he wants his book to reveal the beauty of hip hop.

Decoded goes on sale in the UK on 18 November.