Showing posts with label Decoded. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Decoded. Show all posts

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Jay Z’s ‘Decoded’ ghost writer dream hampton has cancer

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Noted author, filmmaker and cultural critic, dream hampton, has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

hampton made the startling announcement tonight on her Twitter page in between promoting her new film covering “Black August,” the yearly tribute concert benefitting political prisoners.

“I’ve been battling thyroid cancer all year. When I’m ready, I’ll write about it,” she tweeted this evening. In a follow-up tweet she wrote, “And I love Aretha more than alla ya’ll rolled up in one,” referring to the legendary soul singer who has pancreatic cancer.

In addition to making a name for herself as the first female editor at The Source magazine, hampton was also editor in chief of RapPages Magazine, and a contributing writer for Vibe, The Village Voice, The Detroit News, Harper’s Bazaar, Essence, among others.

Often described as “your favorite rapper’s, favorite writer,” hampton’s most recent gig was as ghost writer of Jay Z’s NY Times bestseller, Decoded.

In interviews addressing rumors that hampton was upset about Jay Z hogging all the credit, hampton humbly pointed out that Jay Z briefly mentions her in the acknowledgement section of the book.

dream hampton was born in Detroit and lived most of her adult life in Harlem and Brooklyn where she once filmed a young neighbor named Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace for a documentary class.

The two became close friends and Biggie named his only daughter, Tyanna Dream Wallace, after her.

…he was more my smoking partner, my buddy, my best friend. He talked me into having my daughter when I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted to do. It was a great relationship. He agreed to be my daughter’s godfather. He named his daughter after me, Tyanna’s middle name. And [Tyanna] recently asked me to be her friend on Facebook. I almost cried, and I looked at her info and it’s like Tyanna Dream Wallace and her little interests…skateboarding and bright colors. She’s having a suburban life over in the Poconos. He would be so happy to see his children right now.

hampton publishes her name in lower case letters as a nod to feminist author bell hooks, an early influence. [link]

Related posts:

  1. Kanye West’s Ghost Writer is One of the ‘Privileged Few’
  2. Medical Minute: Ovarian Cancer
  3. Jay Z’s ‘Decoded’ debuts at #3 on NY Times Bestseller’s List
  4. ‘Kelly Bundy’ diagnosed with breast cancer
  5. Medical Minute: Stomach Cancer

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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Jay Z’s ‘Decoded’ debuts at #3 on NY Times Bestseller’s List

Monday, November 29, 2010

It looks like the over-hyped, over-the-top sales marketing plan worked for rapper Jay Z and former VIBE editor Dream Hampton, who goes uncredited as the actual author of Decoded.

Decoded, Jay Z’s autobiography slash memoir of his days hustling drugs in the Marcy Projects to his current gig hustling for cred in corporate boardrooms, debuted at #3 on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover non-fiction books.

This is not a big deal when you consider that the aging rapper is trailing behind 2 books that have been on the bestseller list for weeks: Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken (#2) and George Bush’s memoirs Decision Points (#1).

Jay Z’s rhyme tome didn’t even crack the Top 10 on USA Today’s bestseller list, which is actually based on overall sales and not who you know at the NY Times. Decoded landed at #18.

Photos by Sandra Mu/Getty Images AsiaPac

Related posts:

  1. Michelle Obama Tops Vanity Fair 2008 Best Dressed List
  2. LA Times article on Tupac Quad studio shooting
  3. Is Obama Ignoring Terrorist Watch List Put in Place By Bush?
  4. Fantasia’s Comeback Album, ‘Back To Me’ Debuts at #1
  5. Controversial reporter who wrote Tupac article ‘let go’ by the LA Times

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