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1. The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav
Is Jay-Z kissing some butt? We recognize this author’s name—he’s a regular guest on Oprah. After overcoming personal problems and addictions, Zukav discovered spirituality, and his words have touched many people. Jay-Z says he lives by this book. “If every single person felt the same way about karma and intention, then the world gets fixed tomorrow.”
2. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
This book is a little New Agey, but it’s written as fiction. A man journeys to Peru to discover and understand the principles on an ancient manuscript and undergoes a spiritual awakening. The message extracted is about life paths. For a mega success like Jay-Z, with each level he reaches, he’s constantly setting new goals for himself. “I tried to hire a guy once, and I said, ‘Don’t you have ambition to be bigger?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m good.’ I had to respect that, but for me that was the wrong relationship.
3. The Odyssey by Homer
Jay-Z admits reading a Greek epic (narrative) poem is no easy feat, but as someone who plays with lyrics, he appreciate the rhythm of the words. He also could relate to the main character’s rough journey to the finish line. “I got lost in reading about Odysseus’ struggle to get home and his longing for someone so strong, as his wife was, waiting for him. That’s like a dream—that kind of strength, love, loyalty.”
4. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
We’re huge fans of Gladwell, the modern sociologist who also writes for the “New Yorker.” All his books attempt to explain why and how various phenomenons happen in our lives and in pop culture. This one focuses on why certain people or things rise to the top. One example Outliers discusses is how winning hockey teams had many players with January birthdays as they had a year more practice time than those born in December. Jay-Z can relate to a little lucky fate—if he wasn’t born to parents with such a massive, tasteful record collection, his passion in music may not have come to fruition.
5. Purple Cow by Seth Godin
As an entrepreneur, it is no wonder Jay-Z loves this book on successful marketing. You need to know your brand and deliver something unique that you can stand by. Sounds like the rapper we know and love!
6. N---- by Dick Gregory
Though we’ll side with Oprah in not being advocates of any use of the N-word, we will give this book a chance. This autobiography penned by an influential comic and social activist who waxed philosophical on civil rights and appealed to both a black and white audience. “His sense of humor and the hardships he went through stayed with me—especially the scene where he started running home from school. It led to his joining the track team, which led to a scholarship to college. Running opened up a whole world for him.”
We always knew Jay-Z was more than just a talented rapper with a hot wife, but these book choices are really profound and thoughtful. We can’t wait to check them out!
