The Book of Jose: A Memoir

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Although he’s perhaps best known for hits like “Lean Back,” “Make It Rain” and “All the Way Up,” Joe recently told The Washington Post that it was important for him to revisit his failures and traumas to help readers learn “the do’s and don’t’s of life. Download and subscribe to our weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts), and check out six years’ worth of episodes in the archive, including in-depth, career-spanning interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey, Halsey, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, the National, Ice Cube, Robert Plant, Dua Lipa, Questlove, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, Gary Clark Jr.

My only downside is a lot of what he mentioned I felt was a little fabricated; honest but it’s like he added a little extra to make it sound good just my opinion. Rapper Fat Joe debuts with an unflinching portrait of his rise to fame set against the backdrop of 1970s and ’80s New York City. Q: Many rappers and DJs have started their own podcasts or radio shows to discuss current events and interview other artists. In this episode, he opens up to NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about why he's committed to his community and how becoming a "big boy, financially" might mean putting a pause on new music. Imagine you grab one of these kids and take a song where they said they robbed a bodega and you put them in jail for the rest of their life saying that that’s real what [they’re] rapping.Rapper Fat Joe on his new memoir 'The Book of José' NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Fat Joe about his new memoir, "The Book of José," which traces the rapper's rise from the rough and tumble streets of the Bronx to his success in the music world. Fat Joe opens the book like a blockbuster movie, packed with tales of violence, drug-dealing, fast cars, and more.

This book gave me a real insight into the trials, struggles, biases, and triumphs that the author has experienced growing up as also as he balanced the tightrope of his past, present, and what he hoped to achieve. Growing up in a Latinx house meant that his music was played at home, at family gatherings, and everywhere in between. E. recently drew criticism for not taking Kanye West to task when Ye shared antisemitic remarks about Jewish people and false comments about George Floyd on N. The Book of Jose details your upbringing in the South Bronx, and it's very interconnected with the evolution of hip-hop.It gave him issues trusting people because if his close friends could betray him in the blink of an eye why wouldn't anyone else? and many others — plus dozens of episodes featuring genre-spanning discussions, debates, and explainers with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters.

It was people that you and I know and respect that were putting them out, and they were changing narratives. While I initially picked this book up to read about Big Punisher, I found myself engrossed by Fat Joe's stories of the streets and his family, as well as his rapping exploits, and his first person accounts of growing up in the epicenter of Hip Hop at its birth. Joe also assumes all his readers are avid hip hop fans and old enough to know the big players in the early 90s.He became repulsed by cigarettes because his mom was heavily dependent on them, even after surviving throat cancer.

They're going to learn, "Wow, you mean he performed the night his sister died in Chicago in the House of Blues? The only positive thing happening was that kids I grew up with—Showbiz, Diamond D, Lord Finesse—they all started blowing up in music.Rappers seldom speak on mental health and suicidal thinking, so I was impressed with Joe’s vulnerability with how he dealt with waves of depression throughout his life. It reminds you that no matter what life throws your way if you want to change you can make it happen. I’ve always rocked the most Jordans, always had the 172 flyest, most exclusive Jordans out of any celeb. Known for a string of hip-hop hits that span four decades, including anthems like “Lean Back” and “What’s Luv,” featuring Ashanti and Ja Rule, the author’s career has had its highs and lows, and he describes each in equally painstaking detail.