People love to talk about lyrics: punchlines, puns, double meanings, you name it. And no one is as fond of his own cleverness as one Shawn Carter. To that end, Jiggaman has reportedly inked a deal to write a book called Decoded, wherein he delves into his own inexhaustible arsenal of wit and wordplay to explain what he meant by many of his favorite lines. "I'm gonna pick the select ones," he told a radio DJ, "all the double entendres and things that people may have missed or may have gotten and want confirmation on it." Forgive us if we were a little skeptical at first, but it just didn't sound like anything we'd want to shell out $24.95 for ($9.95 for the Kindle edition—holla at us, Jeff Bezos!).
But as with so many times before, it turned out that we were wrong. We got a look at a preview of Decoded, and the shit is absolute fire! If you thought you knew what was going through Jay's mind when he penned his joints (without the pen), you had no idea. Even his not-so-incredible tracks are testament to his penchant for cryptic allusion and restless philosophical examination. Don't believe us? Peep the excerpt below* to see the thought process behind his 2003 hit "Change Clothes." And you thought it was just about girls and brand names...
"Change Clothes" featuring Pharrell, (2003)
Uh, uh, uh, yeah, uh, your boy is back
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(Sexy sexy) I know y'all miss the bounce
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Yeah ma, your dude is back, Maybach coupe is back
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Tell the whole world the truth is back
You ain't got to argue about who could rap
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Cause the proof is back just go through my rap
New York New York yeah where my troopers at
Where my hustlers where my boosters at
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I don't care what you do for stacks
I know the world glued you back to the wall
You gotta brawl? do that
I been through that
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...been shot at, shoot back
Gotta keep it peace like a Buddhist
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I ain't a New Jack, nobody gon' Wesley Snipe me
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It's less than likely, move back
Let I breathe Jedi knight
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The more space I get the better I write
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(Change clothes and go)
You know I stay, fresh to death I brought you from the projects
And I'm a take you to the top of the globe
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(Exchange numbers and go)
Uh huh yeah, uh
(Now girl I promise you, no substitute)
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It's just me
And I'm gon' tell you again let's get ghost in the phantom
You could bring your friend we could make this a tandem
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You could come by yourself and you could stand him
Best believe I sweat out weaves, give afropuffs like R.A.G.E.
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Haryouken If you could move it
Back it on up like a U-Haul truck
Then run and tell them ducks you heard Hovi knew shit
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He and the boy Pha-real make beautiful music
He is to the east coast what Snoop is to the west coast, what 'Face is to Houston
Young Hov in the house it's so necessary
No bra with the blouse it's so necessary
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No panties and jeans that's so necessary
Now why you fronting on me is that necessary
Do I to you look like a lame
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Who don't understand a broad with a mean shoe game
Who's up on Dot Dot Dot and Vera Wang
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Young Hov in the house it's so necessary
No bra with that blouse it's so necessary
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No panties and jeans that's so necessary
Why you fronting on me?
Let's go to my hotel cause this don't go well
With those S Dots, gotta stay fresh ma
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Ma, I don't shop what the rest buy
Oh no ma please respect my
Jiggy, this is probably Purple Label
Or that BBC shit
*Yes, this is a parody. You some type of lawyer or somethin', somebody important or somethin'?
