Such Dummies, or Why I Didn’t Have To Decode Jay-Z Like Y’all Did
Jay-Z's "Decoded"
I finally got around to reading Jay-Z’s Decoded after reading Kevin Nealon’s voyage towards fatherhood in Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me? Rather than examining the contrasts of my literary interests, I prefer we discuss the last month of controversy I may or may not have sparked on the Interwebs with certain pieces I’ve written about the former (here, here, and here). Let me be clear: I usually don’t engage in conversations about pieces I’ve guest written. I learned that maneuver from my days blogging at the often murky Huffington Post. I uncovered this gem in my reading not-so-coincidentally:
“99 Problems” is almost a deliberate provocation to simpleminded listeners. If that sounds crazy,