Why I Wrote An Unauthorized Biography Of Jay-Z: Part II

Empire State of Mind: Paperback released by Penguin/Portfolio on June 26th, 2012.

I almost deleted my first book long before I ever wrote it. Allow me to explain.

Three years ago I found myself at home on a steamy summer day, contending with a head cold as I sifted through a virtual mountain of unread email. As my finger descended upon the delete key to banish yet another message, I re-read the subject line, “Book Project Opportunity.” The email turned out to be from an editor at Penguin, askin...