Defsounds

It looks like after over ten years in the rap game, one of the best rappers to ever grace the stage, has decided  to release a book.

Brooklyn rapper Jay-Z is close to finalizing a book deal with the Spiegel & Grau imprint of Random House.

Although many fans will be expecting an autobiography or a memoir of some sort, Matthew Guma, the agent for the written work, says that the book will be Jay explaining the concept of his rhymes and telling the stories behind them.

The original three book deal proposed would have seen the release of a memoir, a business guide, and lastly the lyrical commentary. However, only the last of the three was approved.

If the deal is finalized, this would be Jay-Z's first official book.

Jay was rumored to be releasing a book during his first retirement but got cold feet at the very last minute, due to privacy issues. With Blue Print 3 on the way, the buzz for the book is sure to have plenty of time to grow.

The book deal comes as Jay faces when can only be described as a bitter sweet financial year.

In related news, the Hip Hop mogul once again topped the list as the number one most profitable artist in Hip Hop, but he did so making 47 million less than he made last year, with only 35 million dollars in income grossed this year.

50 Cent was not far behind, but he saw an even bigger drop than Hov did. Going from 150 million made in 2008 to only 20 million made this year.

Other notables on the list were Kanye West with 25 million, Akon with 20 million, and Lil Wayne with 18 million.