Last night I was visiting one of my favorite websites, BlackElectorate.com when I saw an article that grabbed my attention. Apparently, Michael Eric Dyson, author, television political/social pundit and college professor is teaching a sociology course at Georgetown University about the social and cultural significance of Jay-Z’s music and career. Of course, when I heard about this I literally fell out of my chair. It’s quite remarkable to see just how far Hip-Hop music and culture has come. For much of its history, Hip-Hop has gotten very little respect but now it’s being studied in the halls of higher education.

Jay is not the first MC to have his work critically analyzed and lectured in universities (I heard about courses being taught about Tupac), but clearly Jay has reached a level not seen by any other MC and his music is arguably the most deserving of dissection by Dyson at Georgetown University. I’m a fan of Dyson. I’ve read a few of his books (I’m a big fan of Marvin Gaye and Dyson wrote a book about the legendary soul singer’s life).

Dyson is critical but also very fond of Hip-Hop culture. He’s often in the media defending Hip-Hop from the critics and educating the mainstream about the genius within the culture. I have a lot of respect for him and his work. He’s probably most qualified professor in the world to teach a course about Jay-Z. But, if there’s a course about Jay-Z’s music and career being taught anywhere in the world, my question is: Why isn’t ‘The Book of Hov’ on the required reading list?

Jay-Z’s Decoded, Greenburg’s Empire State of Mind and Bradley’s Book of Rhymes are on the required reading list for students taking Dyson’s course. I read Jay-Z’s and Greenburg’s books and they both are excellent. I’m sure Bradley’s book is a good read. With that said, I hate to do a ‘shameless plug’, but…my book, I Will Not Lose! and writings published on this very blog would be a valuable contribution to the coursework about the impact of Jay-Z. Hey, Professor Dyson: Like we used to say back in the day…”Holla at your boy!”

On the song This Can’t Be Life Jay-Z rhymes about his struggles to turn his life around and at the end of his verse he says, “Don’t worry. If it was meant to be, it’ll be-soon.” I’ve always believed this in my own life. I’ve struggled, and not just financially, to turn things around. I’ve relied heavily on my own faith and optimism and from a variety of sources of inspiration such as the lyrics of Jay-Z, to keep me focused and on track despite experiencing painful setbacks. The lyrics of a rap superstar and businessman may be inspiring-but they won’t change your condition-only you can.

A business-focused biography about Jay-Z was released March 17: Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went From Street Corner to Corner Office. Of course, I bought the book because I’m a big Jay-Z fan and a student of business and entrepreneurship. The book is a quick and fascinating read. The author, Zack O’Malley Greenburg, goes into detail about Jay’s business moves in the streets and in the corporate environment (I found the chapter “Champagne Secrets” particularly intriguing). Greenburg’s book, Empire State of Mind digs deep into the business mind of Jay-Z while my book, I Will Not Lose! show how Jay’s mindset (revealed through his song lyrics) can influence and inspire your mentality and hustle.

After reading Greenburg’s Empire State of Mind I’ve become even more inspired by Jay-Z, the businessman, just as I’ve been inspired by Jay-Z, the MC. His lyrics have been a strong source of inspiration for me, evident by the book I wrote. Make no mistake about it- the breakdown of Jay-Z’s lyrical genius found in my book and the intricate details of Jay-Z’s hustle found in Greenburg’s book can have an impact on your life but the choices you make and the hustles you take on-are yours. When I first heard Jay-Z, he “told” me, that I Can’t Knock the Hustle, well, that’s true, but you also have to take ownership of your hustle and its results, both the successes and failures.

Jay-Z’s words or actions may inspire but it’s your words and actions that bring about change.

I’m sure many of you have noticed a dip in the frequency of published posts on the blog in the last month or so. The reason for this is because I’m writing a book (and working on several projects in my Internet marketing career). I won’t reveal too many details yet but it’s a self-help book inspired by the lyrics of Jay-Z. My posts will be less frequent (about once or twice a week) until I complete the book. The book will be published and on sale online by the first of the year, 2011. My last handful of posts and everything I post on the blog from now on until the publication of the book will essentially be sneak peeks inside the book.

The book:

I Will Not Lose!
The blueprint to achieving greatness for those who got next.
*Inspired by the song lyrics of Jay-Z

I encourage you to keep reading “The Book of Hov” and please feel free to contact me with any feedback. The blog is not going anywhere! Send me an email sharing your thoughts on how specific lyrics by Jay-Z have inspired you. If you give me permission to, I may include your personal experiences in the book. In the next few weeks, I’ll be inviting readers of The Book of Hov to sign-up to be added to the pre-notification list so that those interested can buy the self-help book early and at a discount before its official release date.