Decoded – DELIVERED!

Jay-Z aka Young Hov aka Young Yacht aka Illuminati Step-Son (j/k Jay) released his long-awaited book, Decoded about a month ago. It has to be the best-selling book by a rapper of all time… I can’t even hate! We wrote about this book last year, when it was thought that he would reveal private details about wife, Beyonce Knowles.

As far as content is concerned, the book itself is visually stunning. Designed by Rodrigo Corral Design, each page brings you into the world Jay-Z is trying to recreate for the reader. Along with his rich language, the break-down of lyrics really is a treat for hip-hop fans that have probably been listening to him since the Hawaiian Sophie days of yore.

Short of actually sitting down with Shawn Carter and having a conversation, this was an intimate affair. I enjoyed it! Check it out and get your copy, if you haven’t already!

PEACE

On The Line – New Memoir by Serena Williams

Serena could not have chosen a better time to release her new memoirs entitled On The Line. After such a controversial weekend and following a big win with her sister, Venus, Serena’s name is buzzing from blogs to television.

On The Line documents Serena’s rise from the litter strewn public tennis courts of Compton to the glamorous U.S. Open. She talks about her victories and defeats and about being one of the best tennis players in the world. We are so very proud of Serena for her accomplishments!

One thing – didn’t you love how she put that line judge in her place? I guess dating a rapper can rub off on you…

PEACE

Essence September Best-Sellers

HARDCOVER FICTION

1. Midnight by Sister Souljah (Atria, $26.95) (2)
2. Single Husbands by Honey B (Hachette Book Group, $19.99) (5)
3. A Mercy by Toni Morrison (Knopf, $23.95)*
4. Life Is Short But Wide by J. California Cooper (Random House, $24.95) (1)
5. Up To No Good by Carl Weber (Dafina, $25) (3)

PAPERBACK FICTION

1. Queen B—- (Part 4) 1. Queen B—- Part 4 by Deja King (A King Production, $15) (1)
2. True To The Game by Teri Woods (Teri Woods Publishing,
$14.99)*
3. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah (Pocket Star, $7.99) (3)
4. The Someday List by Stacy Hawkins Adams (Revell, $12.99) (5)
5. Obsession by Kayla Perrin (Spice, $13.95) (4)

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey (Amistad, $23.99) (1)
2. Letters to a Young Sister by Hill Harper (Gotham, $22.50) (2)
3. Life Overflowing by T.D. Jakes (Bethany House Publishers. $24)*
4. The 4 Day Diet by Ian Smith (St. Martin’s Press, $24.95)*
5. Hope on A Tightrope: Words and Wisdom by Cornel West (Smiley Books, $19.95)*

PAPERBACK NONFICTION

1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (Vintage, $7.99) (1)
2. Change We Can Believe In by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press, $13.95) (3)
3. Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press, $25.95) (2)
4. How to Succeed in the Publishing Game by Vickie Stringer (Triple Crown Publications, $20)*
5. The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson (Wilder Publications, $9.95) (5)

**High five to Teri and Sister Souljah for still being on the Essence list over a decade after their books were published. This goes to show – every book is new if you haven’t read it yet!**

PEACE

The 50th Law – 50Cent and Robert Greene

Ever on the move, 50Cent teamed up with Robert Greene (48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction) to create the long-awaited The 50th Law – a handbook on what it takes to be a success in life and work.

I think it’s safe to say that 50 has become almost irrelevant in the rap game of today, so it is fitting that he moves on to other ventures such as author, actor, entrepreneur. Although, the buzz around The 50th Law has not been so loud, I am sure it will end up on the New York Times bestsellers list if Mr. Greene has anything to say about it.

Recently, 50Cent has publicly announced the dissolution of his rap persona. Well, Mr. Curtis Jackson, III – welcome to the world.

PEACE

UPDATE: Jay-Z’s ‘Decoded’ May Be More Than Expected

New reports are stating that Jay-Z has expounded on the contents of his forthcoming first title in an anticipated three book series.

“It’s going to cover everything from his days on the streets as a drug dealer to his fairytale wedding to Beyonce. He’ll also be revealing his rapping secrets.”

The extremely hush-hush relationship between Hov and Beyonce will supposedly be exposed on the pages of his new book,  not only the meanings behind his lyrics, as was earlier reported. Although neither one has gotten into detail when it comes to their marriage, it will be interesting to hear the story from the reclusive Jay-Z who doesn’t dish on anything at all, especially not his woman.

I have a hunch this will be a very sugary tale, no dirt to uncover at all…

PEACE

Essence July Best Sellers List

HARDCOVER FICTION

1. Midnight by Sister Souljah (Atria, $26.95) (1)
2. Up to No Good by Carl Weber (Dafina, $24)*
3. Street Judge by Judge Greg Mathis (Strebor, $24)*
4. Pecking Order by Omar Tyree (Simon & Schuster, $24)*
5. Who’s Loving You by Mary B. Morrison (Dafina, $24)*

PAPERBACK FICTION

1. Queen B—- (Part 4) by Deja King (A King Production, $15) (1)
2. Dutch 3: The Finale by Dutch (Real Live Publishing, $15)*
3. Going Down South by Bonnie Glover (One World/Ballantine, $14)*
4. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah (Pocket Star, $7.99)*
5. Push: A Novel by Sapphire (Vintage, $12.95)*

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey (Amistad, $23.99) (1)
2. Hiding in Hip Hop by Terrance Dean (Atria, $23) (2)
3. Michelle: A Biography by Liz Mundy (Simon & Schuster, $25)*
4. Before You Do by T.D. Jakes (Atria, $25)*
5. Letters to a Young Sister by Hill Harper (Gotham, $22.50)*

PAPERBACK NONFICTION

1. Change We Can Believe In by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press, $13.95)*
2. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (Vintage, $7.99) (2)
3. Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press, $14.95) (1)
4. On the Road to Freedom by Charles E. Cobb, Jr. (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, $18.95)*
5. It Happened in Church by Patti S. Webster (Kensington, $12)*

Source: Essence.com

Karrine Stefans Plays Herself in Promotion of “The Vixen Manual”

Karrine “Superhead” Stefans did some radio promo this week for her new book “The Vixen Manual” on the Power 92.3 morning radio show in Chicago. During the interview, she flips on the host for no reason at all – they were asking questions in a respectable manner – unlike the interview below where the jackass tv reporter approaches her in a disrespectful manner:

News Reporter Goes In On Karrine ‘Superhead’ Steffans

Don’t really like Superhead. She definitely rubs a lot of people the wrong way (obviosuly she rubbed a lot of men the right way, but that’s a different story), and she needs to know that if she wants to sell sex, stick with it. You can’t all of a sudden be high and mighty like you didn’t do what you did to get where you are.

Your thoughts?

PEACE

E. Lynn Harris – Popluar Black Fiction Author Passes at 54

Sadly, I just learned of this news and am not so sure about how true it is – but the Arkansas Times has just reported in their Arkansas blog that African-American fiction author E. Lynn Harris has passed on today due to unknown health issues, as released by his personal assistant. He was an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas, his Alma mater, and continued to be closely involved with the cheerleading squad, of which he was the first black cheerleader at the school.

E. Lynn Harris was an openly gay black writer who often wrote about the angst and drama that he has encountered in his life. He transformed these into major works of fiction and has over a dozen titles, including his latest – Basketball Jones, the story of a basketball player secretly having an affair with a gay lover.

His voice will definitely be missed in the book community. Many blessings to his family and friends.

PEACE

Prodigy from Mobb Deep Writes Autobiography from the Pen

Prodigy wrote in his blog yesterday that he plans to release an autobiography about his life and the trials and tribulations he has encountered during his prison stay.

I HAVEN’T BEEN WRITING A LOT OF BLOGS LATELY OR SHOULD I SAY I HAVEN’T BEEN RELEASING MY BLOGS LATELY CAUSE THE BLOGS THAT I’VE BEEN WRITING LATELY ARE VERY PROFOUND AND REALLY HIT THE SOUL. I HAD TO CONTROL MYSELF FROM REVEALING MY HAND TOO MUCH TOO EARLY. I HAVE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY COMING OUT THE SAME TIME THAT I GET OUT AND I DECIDED TO SAVE MY BEST KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION FOR MY BOOK. IF I LET IT ALL LOOSE IN THESE BLOGS THEN IT WOULD LEAVE LITTLE TO NOTHING FOR MY BOOK TO REVEAL.

A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY PUT OUT AUTOBIO’S BUT ONLY A HANDFULL ACTUALLY WRITE THEM PERSONALLY AND ACTUALLY HAVE INFORMATION TO SHARE THAT IS WORTH ANYTHING AND THAT WILL LAST AND BE RELEVANT FOR MANY GENERATIONS TO COME. I CAN GUARANTEE THAT MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY WILL BE RELEVENT 100 YEARS FROM NOW CAUSE ITS NOT SOME BULLSHIT WRITTEN JUST TO SOUND GOOD. PEOPLE WILL LEARN FROM MY BOOK AND CAN EVEN SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH THEIR CHILDREN. WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE SOUL AND WELL BEING OF YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN, YOU BETTER BELIEVE YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH REALITY AND PURE, GOOD, CLEAN INFORMATION THAT IS ACCURATE. BLACK PEOPLE DON’T READ? NO, IGNORANT PEOPLE DON’T READ. MY BOOK IS FOR ALL PEOPLE…

Being in the building affords one a lot of time to thing and contemplate issues of the world, and relying on P’s early blog entries, I’m sure he has some profound things to say.

Like he said, the book should be released around the same time as he is. Good to see Prodigy is not losing his head and is staying busy! See you soon, P!

PEACE

Ghostface locked in ‘Cell Block Z’

Ghostface, staying the most relevant Wu-Tang member since the late 90’s (maybe neck and neck with Method Man), has now followed in the footsteps of fellow Wu member, Meth in writing a tripped out comic book story in the way only Ghostdini could do it.

The comic, released by Hatchette Book Group, will hit stands on July 29th.

To his fans, Cole Dennis is a heavyweight contender with a devastating right hook. To a city being held hostage to chaos and terror, Dennis has a grit and charisma that make him the shining hope for justice–until he is arrested for a brutal murder. Framed for a crime he did not commit, he finds himself captive in a foreboding high-tech superprison whose masters secretly conspire to turn inmates into tomorrow’s most terrifying bioweapons–with Cole Dennis as the intended prize specimen. But Dennis is nobody’s lab rat. Reborn as a towering engine of destruction, Dennis will prepare for the fight of his life. He will rename himself Ghostface Killah. And his cry of righeous rage will echo beyond the cold steel walls of Cell Block Z.

PEACE