{"product_id":"the-book-of-jose-a-memoir-paperback","title":"The Book of Jose: A Memoir - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eFat Joe\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eShaheem Reid\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGrammy-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. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"An adrenaline rush . . . buckle up and lean back.\"--\u003ci\u003eSpin\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFat 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJoe 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis 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.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFat Joe\u003c\/b\u003e is a rapper, actor, and entrepreneur from\u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003ethe birthplace of hip-hop, the Bronx. He released his first solo album, \u003ci\u003eRepresent\u003c\/i\u003e, in 1993, and founded the record label Terror Squad. Fat Joe is perhaps best known for his platinum-selling album \u003ci\u003eJealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)\u003c\/i\u003e and hits like \"Lean Back\" with Terror Squad, \"What's Luv?\" featuring Ashanti and Ja Rule, and \"All the Way Up\" with Remy Ma, French Montana, and Dre. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eShaheem Reid\u003c\/b\u003e is a journalist and industry mover. His career in hip hop spans over two decades. Highlights include reporting at MTV, \u003ci\u003eVibe\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eXXL\u003c\/i\u003e; serving as the president of Busta Rhymes Conglomerate record label; and launching Polaris, the first Black-owned, free-ad supporting streaming channel, in 2021.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 7.9 x 5.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 07, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51764833878304,"sku":"9780593230657","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/a07e67941830bc72a6a76b2b7f857413.webp?v=1780256037","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-book-of-jose-a-memoir-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}