This week the hosts are joined by friend of the show Byron to dive into Decoded by Jay-Z, a compelling blend of memoir, cultural commentary, and lyrical analysis. The book takes readers on a journey through Jay-Z's life, using lyrics from his iconic tracks to reflect on his upbringing in Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects and his rise to global fame. The discussion highlights how Decoded goes beyond personal storytelling, emphasizing hip-hop as a legitimate and often misunderstood art form. Jay-Z’s deep exploration of songwriting and lyricism intertwines with broader themes of race, poverty, culture, politics, and ambition in America. To add some fun, the hosts and guest test their knowledge with a  trivia game guessing famous Jay-Z lyrics. It's an engaging episode delving into the brilliance of Jay-Z’s work and highlighting the indesputable influence has on world wide pop culture. Cheers!!Dedication: Patrons!!! You da BEST!Moni:To my granny and her lost puppy!! (Update we found the puppy!) Kat:To my dad, Happy Birthday! @Brotha2daknight: To Calvin @iamkingkao, Happy Birthday, and shout out to Swoop aka the Wing Boss. Guest: Byron E. Vaugh III; @brotha2daknignt About the Book:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8425806-decoded?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dNPWwlygbZ&rank=1About the author:https://www.rocnation.com/music/jay-z/https://www.rocnation.com/music/jay-z/Book Stats: Spiegel & Grau, 2010. 317 pages Shout out to Mrs. Berry!! YouTube Audio reading of "Decoded"  https://www.youtube.com/@MrsBerryJay-Z QUIZ https://www.funtrivia.com/trivia-quiz/Music/Jay-Z-Lyrics-321550.html💜*Email us at thefabpodcast@gmail.com with your book suggestions and "Stranger Than Fiction" stories; we would love to share them on the show!! Please reach out and let us know how we are doing!! You can find us online by clicking here 👉🏾 https://linktr.ee/Fabpod Please subscribe to www.patreon.com/thefabpodcast.com to enjoy bonus content and weigh in on upcoming topics. Don't forget to follow, rate, review, and SHARE our podcast! Thank you!