Alienation
Having achieved financial success and celebrity status, Jay-Z explores the unique isolation he experiences at the top of the social hierarchy. Although he expresses himself through his music, he communicates in his writing a distinct feeling of alienation. He doesn't feel like his fans can possibly understand what sort of pressure he experiences on a daily basis or the hatred he deals with from people who envy his success. He entrusts his readers with the very real fear that, even though everyone has heard of him, nobody actually knows who he is as a person. The particular brand of alienation which the rich and famous often experience has more to do with social solitude rather than actual physical loneliness. Chances are people line up to spend time with Jay-Z and would do anything for him, but these people don't care about knowing him as a person. He communicates a deep longing for intimacy, for somebody to take an interest in the real him, the guy behind the microphone.
Overcoming Difficult Circumstances
Jay-Z started life in difficult circumstances. Throughout his narrative, he switches between his present experiences and those of his childhood and youth growing up in the Projects in Brooklyn. While money was of course a concern for the young kid, personal, physical safety was even more important. He grew up with a constant fear for his life, often from circumstances which he couldn't do anything to prevent. He worked as a crack dealer for a while, although the lifestyle was desperate. Looking back, Jay-Z credits those difficult days with teaching him ingenuity and perseverance. Through his suffering, he started inventing rhymes and sharing them. He transformed his pain into something which other people valued. Unfortunately stardom didn't eliminate all his problems either. Jay-Z faced an entirely new set of challenges in the rap industry as a celebrity, which he handled as best he could. His rise to fame and prominence as a rap legend are entirely due to his resilience to set a goal and accomplish it despite overwhelming odds against him.
Self-Commentary
A large portion of the memoir is Jay-Z providing his thoughts about his own work. In addition to the plethora of song lyrics he includes, he adds his own explanations of the lyrics. Sometimes this means a simple definition of slang, but other times it means an entire explanation of his mindset and purpose in writing the song. The beauty of an autobiography is the individual offering insight into how they view themselves. Rather than falling into the trap of self-criticism, Jay-Z focuses on the transformative nature of his actions. He has come from the Projects to stardom. If ever there were a story to inspire fans, its the way Jay-Z narrate his life. Although he may be trying to live up to their expectations, he is also, in some way, attempting to craft this narrative for himself also. He writes in a way that defies anyone to argue that events transpired differently. He writes confrontationally, but only in defense of perspective. Looking back on his life, he is able to provide a self-commentary of what his success and failures mean to him, Jay-Z the person.
