Fat Joe Details His Rap Journey With First Memoir 'The Book of Jose'

By Bianca Gracie | November 15, 2022



After solidifying a legacy that includes a handful of Top 10 hits and five Grammy nominations, Fat Joe is now ready to share his true story with the world. Today (Nov. 15), marks the rapper and businessman's first entry into the literary realm with the release of his memoir The Book of Jose.

The Bronx-born rapper has been in the industry for nearly 30 years, beginning with the 1993 release of his debut album Represent. From there, he's created hits like 2002's "What's Luv?" with Ashanti, 2004's "Lean Back" Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper alongside his Terror Squad rap crew and 2016's "All The Way Up" with Remy Ma, French Montana and Infared. But as with many artists, Fat Joe's journey to success isn't always an easy one. Now, he's unveiling the winding road that has led him to who he's become.

"Well, you know, I had seen a bunch of documentaries and things that the facts [weren't] right, and people who were doing them were creating their own narrative," Fat Joe told People En Español about the inspiration behind writing the book. "And I didn't want to any point, God forbid, something to happen to me and somebody tell my story the wrong way. So I wanted to use my story and the transparency of my wins, my failures, to help people learn."

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The Book of Jose, co-authored by journalist Shaheem Reid, is now available here via Roc Lit 101/Random House Books.

Photography by: Courtesy of Roc Lit 101/Random House