By FAT JOE and Shaheem Reid
This is what’s up Fat joe dropping Knowledge wit Shaheem Reid a must read.
Buy the Book here: The Book of Jose A MEMOIR By FAT JOE and Shaheem Reid
ABOUT THE BOOK OF JOSE
Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum–selling artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Fat Joe pulls back the curtain on his larger-than-life persona in this gritty, intimate memoir about growing up in the South Bronx and finding his voice through music.
Fat Joe is a hip-hop legend, but this is not a tale of celebrity; it is the story of Joseph Cartagena, a kid who came of age in the South Bronx during its darkest years of drugs, violence, and abandonment, and how he navigated that traumatizing landscape until he found—through art, friendship, luck, and will—a rocky path to a different life.
Joe is born into a sprawling Puerto Rican and Cuban family in the projects of the South Bronx. From infancy his life is threatened by violence, and by the time he starts middle school, he is faced with the grim choice that defined a generation: to become predator or prey. Soon Joe and his crew dominate the streets, but he finds his true love among the park jams where the Bronx’s wild energy takes musical form. His identity splits in two: a hustler roaming record stores, looking for beats; and a budding rapper whose violent rep rings in the streets. As Joe’s day-to-day life becomes more fraught with betrayal, addiction, and death, until he himself is shot and almost killed, he gravitates toward the music that gives him both a voice to tell the stories of his young life and the tools he needs to create a new one. The challenges never stop—but neither does Joe.
This memoir, written in Joe’s own intensely compelling voice, moves with the momentum of pulp fiction, but underneath the tragicomedy and riveting tales of the streets and the industry is a thought-provoking story about a generation of survivors raised in warlike conditions—the life-and-death choices they had to make, the friends they lost and mourned, and the glittering lives they created from the ruins.
More about Fat Joe
Fat Joe, born Joseph Cartagena, is a NYC Latino rapper from the South Bronx. Learning the ways of the streets through an older brother, Joe discovered his love for rap music with influences from artists such as Theodore, Funky 4+1 and the Furious Five. In 1992 he kicked off his music career with the establishment of his record label Terror Squad Records. In the early 90’s Joe was signed on to Relativity Label that gave way to his debut album titled Represent in 1993. His single “Flow Joe” peaked at number one spot on Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart. Two years later he delivered his sophmore album Jealous One’s Envy which featured productions from DJ Premier, L.E.S. and Domingo. Later, signed on to Atlantic, Joe debuted his 1998 Don Cartagena, which featured cameo appearances by Puff Daddy, Nas, Raekwon, Big Pun, and Jadakiss (the LOX). The album was followed by Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) in 2001, which included contributions from Ludacris, Petey Pablo, M.O.P., R. Kelly, and Remy. In 2002 Joe released Loyalty, and three years later, All or Nothing. The year 2006 found the rapper on his own Terror Squad imprint with the release of Me, Myself and I, which was distributed by EMI. His second album for the label, The Elephant in the Room, appeared in 2008. A year later, Jealous Ones Still Envy arrived with a star-studded guest list. In 2010 the “(Ha Ha) Slow Down,” single announced the coming of that year’s The Darkside which would kick off the series of projects to follow. Since then the rapper has debuted his latest project The Darkside 3.As a multitalented entertainer, Joe thrives in music as well as in television and film. Joe was honored with major campaign endorsements by Boost Mobile, Bacardi, Latino Film Festival, New Era, Jordan Brands and Marc Ecko. Continuing to expand his film portfolio with recent appearances in Scary Movie 3 and as the voice of Seymour in Happy Feet. The rapper’s role also doubles as husband and father, which has motivated his participation in efforts to better youth, society, and his fan base. Since 2004 he has been a strong advocate for Voto Latino, a program co-founded by Rosario Dawson to encourage Latinos to exercise their right to vote. Voto Latino was one of the many viral approaches that attributed to President Barak Obama’s victory. His philanthropic efforts continue to pave the way, combining his love for sneakers, he teamed up with Protege to produce a line of designer sneakers for stylish families on a limited budget. Since then he’s also found success as a Nike Air Jordan designer and produced the “They Sick” footwear line.Merging his entreprenuerial spirit and love for music, Fat Joe has recently partnered with Market America/Shop.com, a mega internet marketing company led by CEO JR Ridinger and Conquer Entertainment, a platform for independent artists led by CEO Amanda Ridinger. The partnership is already creating buzz, with the expectation of Joe becoming the Urban JR. His relentless ability to spot up and coming talent is proving to be a win for Conquer Entertainment. Joe has introduced many top artists in the industry today including Cool and Dre, Big Pun, RemyMa, Dj Khaled, Scott Storch and many more.Joe has solidified his position as one of the few Latino rappers to infiltrate the rap scene and is a major staple in the music industry. His latest mixtape titled The Dark Side 3 dropped August 26, 2013 and is producing a wave with songs like “DarkSide” featuring Dre, “The Cypher” produced by Diamond D and features with Action Bronson, Nick Shades and more. Recent collaborations with Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa, Kanye West and Chris Brown to name a few, continue to put Joe on the map, proof that the journey is only warming up for the rapper.
More about Fat joe Source : getconquer
