26 Timeless Books Written By Rappers

By Tony Centeno

April 28, 2022

Some rappers venture into film during the span of their careers while other MC’s have gone on to become esteemed authors.

Veteran artists like LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Common and Rakim have previously released memoirs that provide juicy details of their lives from before they got into music to the time when they reached the peak of their successful careers. Over the past two decades, there has been an uptick in rappers who have used their knack for songwriting to create full-blown chronicles from autobiographies to self-help books.

While seasoned artists like 50 Cent, Rick Ross and The RZA have put out multiple books over the years, others like Lil’ Kim, Fat Joe, Meek Mill and Lil Uzi Vert are in the process of preparing their first storybooks. Before the new stories arrive, check out 26 books written by rappers that have already impacted the culture.

1 of 26
'The 50th Law' by 50 Cent and Robert Greene, released September 8, 2009
Photo: Amistad
2 of 26
'From Pieces to Weight, Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens' by 50 Cent and Kris Ex, released August 15, 2006
Photo: MTV Books
3 of 26
'F*ck It, I'll Start Tomorrow' A True Story by Action Bronson, released April 20, 2021
Photo: Abrams
4 of 26
'My Voice' by Angie Martinez, Foreward by J. Cole, released May 17, 2016
Photo: Celebra/Penguin Publishing Group
5 of 26
'Decoded' by JAY-Z and Dream Hampton, released November 16, 2010
Photo: Random House
6 of 26
'E.A.R.L.' The Autobiography of DMX by DMX and Smokey D Fontaine, released November 1, 2002
Photo: HarperCollins Publishers
7 of 26
'The Way I Am' by Eminem and Sacha Jenkins, released October 27, 2009
Photo: Plume
8 of 26
'The Autobiography of Gucci Mane' by Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin, released September 19, 2017
Photo: Simon and Schuster
9 of 26
'Unruly, The Highs and Lows of Becoming a Man' by Ja Rule, released July 1, 2014
Photo: Amistad
10 of 26
'The Keys' A Memoir by DJ Khaled, released November 22, 2016
Photo: Crown Publishing Group
11 of 26
'Gone 'Til November' A Journal of Rikers by Lil Wayne, released October 11, 2016
Photo: Plume
12 of 26
'I Make My Own Rules' by LL Cool J and Karen Hunter, released September 15, 1998
Photo: St. Martin's Paperbacks
13 of 26
'Revelations, There's a Light After The Lime' by Pastor Mason Betha and Karen Hunter, released, September 16, 2003
Photo: Atria
14 of 26
'One Day It'll All Make Sense' by Common and Adrian Bradley, released September 13, 2011
Photo: Simon and Schuster
15 of 26
'My Infamous Life, The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy' by Albert "Prodigy" Johnson and Laura Checkoway, released February 7, 2012
Photo: Touchstone
16 of 26
'Ladies First, Revelations from a Strong Woman' by Queen Latifah and Kanren Hunter, released December 16, 1998
Photo: HarperCollins
17 of 26
'From Staircase to Stage, The Story of Raekwon' by Raekwon and Anthony Bozza, released November 30, 2021
Photo: Gallery Books
18 of 26
'Sweat The Technique, Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius' by Rakim, released September 24, 2019
Photo: Amistad
19 of 26
'The Perfect Day to Boss Up, A Hustler's Guide to Building Your Empire' by Rick Ross and Neil Martinez-Belkin, released September 7, 2021
Photo: Hanover Square Press
20 of 26
'Hurricanes' by Rick Ross and Neil Martinez-Belkin, released September 3, 2019
Photo: Hanover Square Press
21 of 26
'It's All In Your Head' by Russ, released November 12, 2019
Photo: MCD
22 of 26
'Diary of a Madman' by Scarface and Benjamin Meadows Ingram, Foreward by Chuck D, released April 21, 2015
Photo: Dey Street Books/HarperCollins
23 of 26
'Vibrate Higher' A Rap Story by Talib Kweli, released February 16, 2021
Photo: MCD
24 of 26
'The Tao of Wu' by The RZA and Chris Norris, released October 15, 2009
Photo: Riverhead Books
25 of 26
'Will' by Will Smith and Mark Manson, released November 9, 2021
Photo: Penguin Press
26 of 26
'The Wu-Tang Manual' by The RZA and Chris Norris, released October 1, 2004
Photo: Riverhead Books
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