How does Jay-Z feel about the projects in New York?

Jay-Z's memoir tells us what his life was like in the Marcy Projects in New York. The highly populated area was a breeding ground for drug addiction, gang activity, and violence.Jay-Z notes that he often wasn't safe as a child, and when he grew older, there was no way for him to earn money safely. His life started to involve a gang, who would hire him to sell drugs on the streets for some extra cash. This is a symbolic portrait of Jay-Z before he was famous, before there ever was a rapper by that name. In a way, this is the mythic past that led to the musical titan of Jay-Z.