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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 was 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 forced to make a life-shaping choice: to be prey or predator. Soon, Joe and his crew rise up to dominate the streets—dodging bullets and betrayal all along the way—but he discovers his true strength in the street corner ciphers where the Bronx’s wild energy took musical form. His identity splits in two: a hustler roaming record stores, looking for beats; a budding rapper whose rep rings in the streets. As his day-to-day life becomes more and more fraught—he is shot and almost killed and watches as family and friends fall to prison, addiction, and even death—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 stopped—but neither did 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, the regrets that haunted them, and the enduring art and glittering lives they created from the ruins.
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 was 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 forced to make a life-shaping choice: to be prey or predator. Soon, Joe and his crew rise up to dominate the streets—dodging bullets and betrayal all along the way—but he discovers his true strength in the street corner ciphers where the Bronx’s wild energy took musical form. His identity splits in two: a hustler roaming record stores, looking for beats; a budding rapper whose rep rings in the streets. As his day-to-day life becomes more and more fraught—he is shot and almost killed and watches as family and friends fall to prison, addiction, and even death—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 stopped—but neither did 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, the regrets that haunted them, and the enduring art and glittering lives they created from the ruins.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published November 15, 2022
110 people are currently reading
5029 people want to read
About the author
Fat Joe
1 book14 followersJoseph Antonio Cartagena, better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is a rapper, actor, and entrepreneur from the birthplace of hip-hop, the Bronx. He released his first solo album, Represent, in 1993, and founded the record label Terror Squad. Fat Joe is perhaps best known for his platinum-selling album Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
March 16, 2023
3.5 Stars!
If you can't tell I'm in a huge reading slump. This is the 2nd book I've finished in March. So I'm unsure of how I truly feel about this book. On 1 hand it's the only book I've felt like reading but on the other hand I felt bored at times reading this book but I don't know if that's because of the book or the slump.
I'm not a huge fan of Fat Joe, he's one of those rappers who makes a banger every 10 years or so but he's always somehow relevant. Lean Back is his most well known song...even if Remy Ma murdered the whole song. He's not the best rapper or even in my opinion a good one but he knows how to make a song that goes hard in the club.
The Book of Jose is an overall entertaining book. I didn't know anything about Fat Joe before reading this book and I do feel like the book actually made me understand what makes him tick.
Hopefully at some point I'll get out of this slump but maybe I'm just retired from reading.
If you can't tell I'm in a huge reading slump. This is the 2nd book I've finished in March. So I'm unsure of how I truly feel about this book. On 1 hand it's the only book I've felt like reading but on the other hand I felt bored at times reading this book but I don't know if that's because of the book or the slump.
I'm not a huge fan of Fat Joe, he's one of those rappers who makes a banger every 10 years or so but he's always somehow relevant. Lean Back is his most well known song...even if Remy Ma murdered the whole song. He's not the best rapper or even in my opinion a good one but he knows how to make a song that goes hard in the club.
The Book of Jose is an overall entertaining book. I didn't know anything about Fat Joe before reading this book and I do feel like the book actually made me understand what makes him tick.
Hopefully at some point I'll get out of this slump but maybe I'm just retired from reading.
August 26, 2022
I did not like this book at all. It felt like Fat Joe just talked into a recorder while kinda tipsy and then that was transcribed into a book. His life is clearly interesting, but it was told way too casual to be impactful - he did things like say "waaaaayyyy" and "sooooooo" which I don't think I've ever seen a person do in a book before, that wasn't dialogue of some sort. And he just kept skipping around all over the place - there was absolutely no cohesion to this book whatsoever. He mentions the Terror Squad and random stories about them throughout the entire book, but doesn't actually explain the origins or what this group comprises of until 80% into the book. That's crazy. I vaguely knew, from my own knowledge and context, but you still should give a reader context to what you're talking about at the time in which its relevant.
Also, Joe just seems like an asshole, which never helps make a book more readable.
Also, Joe just seems like an asshole, which never helps make a book more readable.
December 3, 2022
This audiobook was so good loved the insider stuff
June 4, 2024
I love AutoBiographies, and I love biographies read by the author even more. In this case, it was a strange experience.
There were some interesting stories, and if you were interested in the Terror Squad, the beef between Fat Joe and 50 Cent or Remy Ma, or even what happened with Ja Rule and Ashanti and how it affected Fat Joe, this is it. If you wanted a story about his time in prison or the issues he ran into with money managers, this is it.
Fat Joe is deep into the gang mentality, and I can understand that this is how he grew up and what he was surrounded by.
Fat Joe is very aggressive in his telling, in a way that is kind of uncomfortable to listen to. He doesn't have a voice that is enjoyable to listen to him constantly talk about his Cred and the loyalty of people for hours.
He has a lot of anger in him, and he will take care of the people around him, but no one better cross the line because they will pay. I saw someone call a WNBA player a thug today, so I don't want to use that word here since it seems to be used more recently as a more racist term, and I'm not about that.
Fat Joe is obviously a hardworking person. He definitely has needed his confidence and a feeling that the world owes him something to get to where he is. He is mostly unapologetic, but he sounds like a huge bully.
I wasn't really expecting him to be a saint, but sometimes when you hear things said by the author in their own words and to hear them read it to you aloud, it gives you a certain feeling. I felt cringy and uncomfortable reading this.
I did love the Big Pun love, and that was the softest part of the book when you could see what an impact Big Pun had on those around him, even Fat Joe. Pun seemed to blunt the edges of those around him. Fat Joe admits mistakes he has made, but mostly only in terms of business.
So, while this was a lot of cred stories, I was hoping to get a better sense of Joe himself. I wanted to see a bit more vulnerability and a bit less name-dropping.
2.5 Stars.
There were some interesting stories, and if you were interested in the Terror Squad, the beef between Fat Joe and 50 Cent or Remy Ma, or even what happened with Ja Rule and Ashanti and how it affected Fat Joe, this is it. If you wanted a story about his time in prison or the issues he ran into with money managers, this is it.
Fat Joe is deep into the gang mentality, and I can understand that this is how he grew up and what he was surrounded by.
Fat Joe is very aggressive in his telling, in a way that is kind of uncomfortable to listen to. He doesn't have a voice that is enjoyable to listen to him constantly talk about his Cred and the loyalty of people for hours.
He has a lot of anger in him, and he will take care of the people around him, but no one better cross the line because they will pay. I saw someone call a WNBA player a thug today, so I don't want to use that word here since it seems to be used more recently as a more racist term, and I'm not about that.
Fat Joe is obviously a hardworking person. He definitely has needed his confidence and a feeling that the world owes him something to get to where he is. He is mostly unapologetic, but he sounds like a huge bully.
I wasn't really expecting him to be a saint, but sometimes when you hear things said by the author in their own words and to hear them read it to you aloud, it gives you a certain feeling. I felt cringy and uncomfortable reading this.
I did love the Big Pun love, and that was the softest part of the book when you could see what an impact Big Pun had on those around him, even Fat Joe. Pun seemed to blunt the edges of those around him. Fat Joe admits mistakes he has made, but mostly only in terms of business.
So, while this was a lot of cred stories, I was hoping to get a better sense of Joe himself. I wanted to see a bit more vulnerability and a bit less name-dropping.
2.5 Stars.
January 4, 2024
Loved TS growing up and love hearing there stories in this amazing memoir
May 3, 2023
I loved this memoir! As a self proclaimed hip hop head I loved all the behind the scenes stories and I agree with him that Fat Joe the artist is severely underrated. He doesn’t have the range to discuss the Black vs Latin@ relationships in and outside of NYC but he tried and he told the truth/his truth so you have to respect that. If you hate the N word regardless of who says it there will be some challenges with this text but overall I loved it and RIP to Big Pun the best Latino rapper ever. Period. He has chapters in text related to terror squad, Remy Ma and Big Pun. It covers the span of his life and career but it’s not in sequential order but that didn’t bother me. As far as I know he was open and honest
November 22, 2022
Entertaining read. Probably some exaggeration to the drug dealing tales. Enjoy his music, but not really to in depth on the creation of the albums. Lots of name dropping and clout searching, worth reading if you're a fan.
December 4, 2022
The Book of Jose by Fat Joe
Published November 15th 2022
<3 There was some real violent heart wrenching revelations that was going on right in my backyard in The Bronx back in the day... I was so sheltered, I knew none of this behavior was happening in the streets so close to home! OMG! Audiobooking this was like listening to one long azz unfiltered/Explicit #RapSong! I went through some emotions listening to this--I had to take a break 4realz. I am real grateful that he revealed his struggles and the struggles of his friends and family with #MentalHealth #MentalIllness and #PersonalityDisorders #Addiction #Counseling and #SelfCare #Violence #Finances #Gambling..... As raw as he is, if you listen/read carefully--like with ALL of us, we are products of our environments (both nature and nurture influences) and for BIPOC folks we are stamped before birth. This is one incredible memoir and is way too much for me to express how essential this read is especially for Men and Boys of color. What a Saga! #MustRead
#FatJoe #BigPun #TheBronx #RemyMa #ForestProjects #Loyalty #Addiction #Prison #ACEScores #GenerationalTrauma #MaternalHealth #BronxLebanon #TerrorSquad #MusicIndustry #ComplexPTSD #Trauma #hipHop #Rap #UpNYCFranchise #Community #GiveBack <3
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.
Published November 15th 2022
<3 There was some real violent heart wrenching revelations that was going on right in my backyard in The Bronx back in the day... I was so sheltered, I knew none of this behavior was happening in the streets so close to home! OMG! Audiobooking this was like listening to one long azz unfiltered/Explicit #RapSong! I went through some emotions listening to this--I had to take a break 4realz. I am real grateful that he revealed his struggles and the struggles of his friends and family with #MentalHealth #MentalIllness and #PersonalityDisorders #Addiction #Counseling and #SelfCare #Violence #Finances #Gambling..... As raw as he is, if you listen/read carefully--like with ALL of us, we are products of our environments (both nature and nurture influences) and for BIPOC folks we are stamped before birth. This is one incredible memoir and is way too much for me to express how essential this read is especially for Men and Boys of color. What a Saga! #MustRead
#FatJoe #BigPun #TheBronx #RemyMa #ForestProjects #Loyalty #Addiction #Prison #ACEScores #GenerationalTrauma #MaternalHealth #BronxLebanon #TerrorSquad #MusicIndustry #ComplexPTSD #Trauma #hipHop #Rap #UpNYCFranchise #Community #GiveBack <3
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.
January 17, 2023
This book will not radically change your opinion of Fat Joe. Fat Joe’s telling of his own story is heavily sanitized considering the many public dramas, be it the recent like Cuban Link labeling Joe a snitch, to the very public hatred of him from Big Pun’s family or the 50 Cent / Fat Joe beef.
Joe glosses over or fails to mention most of the unsavory parts like the alleged Terror Squad / Rockafella club fight where Dame allegedly was hit in the head, or the antics of Big Pun who physically assaulted his wife and kids, supposedly intimidated or hit Jay-Z, abducted DJ Whoo Kidd, and so on. Infamous events aren’t even dispelled. Unsurprisingly, the heaviest accusations like Marco Santi suggesting Fat Joe was connected in some form to murders is left unsaid. Most of Fat Joe’s book, he alludes to bad things without elaboration. If you’re unfamiliar with Fat Joe The Gangster, it might sound like empty bluster.
However as one of few rappers who lived the life before picking up the mic, there’s still enough interesting even if Joe habitually leans into exaggerating and hyperbolic speech. He describes people in his life as best friends or assigning familia terms like brother or sister to people not of blood. There’s also a narrative disconnect, while it’s not told in strict chronological order it could have used a bit defter editing to make it more cohesive.
When Fat Joe mentions a child hood beef, the numbers are always grandiose, where it’s clear he’s aware this wasn’t really how many people were there but it detracts from other boasts. When he mentions a friend who ripped off 200,000 dollars, am I supposed to take him at his word this time? I figure there’s a bit of mindful bluster in most of the claims but it cheapens the experience as I don’t entirely trust Joe even if I’m interested in hearing him out.
Joe glosses over or fails to mention most of the unsavory parts like the alleged Terror Squad / Rockafella club fight where Dame allegedly was hit in the head, or the antics of Big Pun who physically assaulted his wife and kids, supposedly intimidated or hit Jay-Z, abducted DJ Whoo Kidd, and so on. Infamous events aren’t even dispelled. Unsurprisingly, the heaviest accusations like Marco Santi suggesting Fat Joe was connected in some form to murders is left unsaid. Most of Fat Joe’s book, he alludes to bad things without elaboration. If you’re unfamiliar with Fat Joe The Gangster, it might sound like empty bluster.
However as one of few rappers who lived the life before picking up the mic, there’s still enough interesting even if Joe habitually leans into exaggerating and hyperbolic speech. He describes people in his life as best friends or assigning familia terms like brother or sister to people not of blood. There’s also a narrative disconnect, while it’s not told in strict chronological order it could have used a bit defter editing to make it more cohesive.
When Fat Joe mentions a child hood beef, the numbers are always grandiose, where it’s clear he’s aware this wasn’t really how many people were there but it detracts from other boasts. When he mentions a friend who ripped off 200,000 dollars, am I supposed to take him at his word this time? I figure there’s a bit of mindful bluster in most of the claims but it cheapens the experience as I don’t entirely trust Joe even if I’m interested in hearing him out.
January 16, 2023
I thought the book was interesting overall. Gave a great idea of life in the Bronk and the vocabulary was typical of New York. He gave a great account of his life in a linear fashion (he sometimes deviates from that but I think that was a good thing as he had sections where he described impactful people). I do think some of his expressions and word usage were a bit cliché and he often repeated himself throughout. Joe also doesn’t address some of the issues with the people he worked with like R Kelly and Chris Brown which I thought was interesting. I think he should’ve stated some of the crimes these people committed at some point. I liked how personal some of his stories were, but I don’t think any of them were impactful to me personally. It was a great vacation read but with no large amount of impact towards me. I got to meet Fat Joe at a Knicks game while reading the book which was a great experience!
October 8, 2023
Rapper Fat Joe gives us the gritty, witty, and often laugh out loud story of his life, growing up in the Forrest Homes projects in the Bronx NY. Joe lays it all out there, the good, bad and ugly. He chronicles his life in great detail, his Bronx beginnings, his music, family, friends, and enemies. Joe's bravado and self importance is showcased throughout the book, sometimes annoyingly so. But his is a story of survival, and the great comeback. He's been down but never out, simultaneously reinventing and being his authentic self.
July 6, 2023
2.5 stars rounded down. Fat Joe probably has a really interesting life story. I'm certainly interested as he's the front man in the White House and the halls of Congress for billionare funded anti hospital advocacy (so ironic that he's funded by a Koch. Do you know you're a pawn, Joe? Do you?). Joe does mention this advocacy work on a single page in the final chapter.
This book was brutal to read though. It is not well organized. We don't learn what "Terror Squad" is until we're 70% of the way finished though it's been referenced multiple times. Joe refers to his friends in different places by their street names and given names interchangably leaving the reader to try to figure out who is who. It is also written in a VERY casual manner. I will give leeway for regional cadence and dialect in an autobiography but it is literally written like text messaging "soooooo. I said boooooy f*ck you" etc. Joe also assumes all his readers are avid hip hop fans and old enough to know the big players in the early 90s. Joe's biggest hits came out when I was in college in the early 2000s so I probably represent the bulk of his readership and i have NO clue who these rappers from the Bronx are in 1992. I was literally in 2nd grade.
I also find Joe's account to be disingenuous in places and recollections may differ as far as his time in federal prison are concerned. Without going into details on how I have such a deep understanding of the BOP's education and food service programs, his accounts of COs having separate kitchens with clam sauce and pastries while inmates ate slop is downright false. There are dishes like clam linguine in FCIs and they are part of educational programs to reduce recidivism. Teaching and providing certification as high end chefs is a real thing and high quality ingredients and dishes are definitely in existence. There is a single cafeteria because it is quite frankly safer for COs that way. It would be extremely dangerous for employees to be eating different food than inmates b/c inmates do not poison their own but they would have no problem contaminating food that was just for COs. So this fact alone makes me doubt his entire story. He also clearly exaggerates other situations like being chased by 300 rival gang members. I'm not buying that. Maybe it was 30 and very scary but I don't think it was 300.
Overall I wish he'd gotten a decent editor because his life is interesting and different from my own. I would have liked to understood it better. Editing would have helped.
This book was brutal to read though. It is not well organized. We don't learn what "Terror Squad" is until we're 70% of the way finished though it's been referenced multiple times. Joe refers to his friends in different places by their street names and given names interchangably leaving the reader to try to figure out who is who. It is also written in a VERY casual manner. I will give leeway for regional cadence and dialect in an autobiography but it is literally written like text messaging "soooooo. I said boooooy f*ck you" etc. Joe also assumes all his readers are avid hip hop fans and old enough to know the big players in the early 90s. Joe's biggest hits came out when I was in college in the early 2000s so I probably represent the bulk of his readership and i have NO clue who these rappers from the Bronx are in 1992. I was literally in 2nd grade.
I also find Joe's account to be disingenuous in places and recollections may differ as far as his time in federal prison are concerned. Without going into details on how I have such a deep understanding of the BOP's education and food service programs, his accounts of COs having separate kitchens with clam sauce and pastries while inmates ate slop is downright false. There are dishes like clam linguine in FCIs and they are part of educational programs to reduce recidivism. Teaching and providing certification as high end chefs is a real thing and high quality ingredients and dishes are definitely in existence. There is a single cafeteria because it is quite frankly safer for COs that way. It would be extremely dangerous for employees to be eating different food than inmates b/c inmates do not poison their own but they would have no problem contaminating food that was just for COs. So this fact alone makes me doubt his entire story. He also clearly exaggerates other situations like being chased by 300 rival gang members. I'm not buying that. Maybe it was 30 and very scary but I don't think it was 300.
Overall I wish he'd gotten a decent editor because his life is interesting and different from my own. I would have liked to understood it better. Editing would have helped.
December 14, 2024
He is sooooooo funny!!!! I throughly enjoyed his memoir. I felt his honesty through his words.
He was so raw & genuine. I felt that I knew him personally.
One part he had me literally in stitches: He was running from the someone shooting at him. He was struck a few times. He saw the police but they obviously weren’t paying any mind to the gun play that was occurring. He said when you need them, they can’t be found.
Mind you he said he was the “real Fat Joe” while running, he said Jesusssssssss.
Definitely recommend 💫⭐️💫⭐️💫
He was so raw & genuine. I felt that I knew him personally.
One part he had me literally in stitches: He was running from the someone shooting at him. He was struck a few times. He saw the police but they obviously weren’t paying any mind to the gun play that was occurring. He said when you need them, they can’t be found.
Mind you he said he was the “real Fat Joe” while running, he said Jesusssssssss.
Definitely recommend 💫⭐️💫⭐️💫
May 19, 2025
A very fun read. I’m more familiar with Fat Joe’s work from the 2000s onward, but it was interesting to read about his earlier career and life.
February 26, 2023
I finally finished The Book of Jose by Fat Joe. I was on this journey for a month. Much longer than usual. But I must say, I enjoyed every moment.
⠀
Here’s some of my thoughts:
⠀
* 5stars. It’s bold, compelling and highly entertaining.
⠀
* The stories move quickly. Short chapters which I like.
⠀
* I learned a lot about Fat Joe. Stories of his personal and professional life were perfectly balanced. I was surprised to learn of all the hardships and losses he has experienced. There were a few stories that broke my heart.
⠀
* I would have loved for him to share more about his time with Big Pun.
⠀
* The funniest story is one where in which Joe describes how 50 Cent put out an entire Fat Joe diss tape. Not just one diss track…But an entire tape. And to make matters worse, 50 named it Elephant In The Sand.You wanna know how he came up with that name? 50 got his hands on a personal picture of Fat Joe while Joe was on the beach, with his shirt off, and 50 used that picture for the cover of the mixtape. Hence, Elephant In The Sand. Fat Joe was livid. I laughed out loud.
⠀
* The moment I could relate most to Fat Joe was when he said he fears his family will let the wrong people attend his funeral. Basically he said, if you don’t f*#k with him in life, don’t pretend to care and come to his funeral. I can totally relate. I’ve told my family the same thing. I was surprised to find Fat Joe shares my sentiment. I thought I was the only person to give these instructions.
⠀
* I must admit, there is one story that left me feeling like I should have my “hip-hop head” card revoked. I’m almost ashamed to admit this! But, I did not know Fat Joe is on LL Cool J’s song ‘I Shot Ya’. I listen to this song at least 5xs a week. It is in heavy rotation on my playlist. And all this time, I did not realize that is Fat Joe on the track!
⠀
* After reading this book, I’ve come to like Fat Joe even more than I did before. His personality is on full display through and through.
⠀
*This is definitely a must read for fans of Fat Joe and hip-hop.
⠀
Here’s some of my thoughts:
⠀
* 5stars. It’s bold, compelling and highly entertaining.
⠀
* The stories move quickly. Short chapters which I like.
⠀
* I learned a lot about Fat Joe. Stories of his personal and professional life were perfectly balanced. I was surprised to learn of all the hardships and losses he has experienced. There were a few stories that broke my heart.
⠀
* I would have loved for him to share more about his time with Big Pun.
⠀
* The funniest story is one where in which Joe describes how 50 Cent put out an entire Fat Joe diss tape. Not just one diss track…But an entire tape. And to make matters worse, 50 named it Elephant In The Sand.You wanna know how he came up with that name? 50 got his hands on a personal picture of Fat Joe while Joe was on the beach, with his shirt off, and 50 used that picture for the cover of the mixtape. Hence, Elephant In The Sand. Fat Joe was livid. I laughed out loud.
⠀
* The moment I could relate most to Fat Joe was when he said he fears his family will let the wrong people attend his funeral. Basically he said, if you don’t f*#k with him in life, don’t pretend to care and come to his funeral. I can totally relate. I’ve told my family the same thing. I was surprised to find Fat Joe shares my sentiment. I thought I was the only person to give these instructions.
⠀
* I must admit, there is one story that left me feeling like I should have my “hip-hop head” card revoked. I’m almost ashamed to admit this! But, I did not know Fat Joe is on LL Cool J’s song ‘I Shot Ya’. I listen to this song at least 5xs a week. It is in heavy rotation on my playlist. And all this time, I did not realize that is Fat Joe on the track!
⠀
* After reading this book, I’ve come to like Fat Joe even more than I did before. His personality is on full display through and through.
⠀
*This is definitely a must read for fans of Fat Joe and hip-hop.
May 4, 2023
I have to admit that when I picked up this book, I had never heard of Fat Joe (I'm just a little too young). I tend to see celebrity memoirs as shallow, heavily edited PR material that don't give near enough credit to the actual writers involved, but Joe/Jose's story was different. He did not hold back talking about race (can he say the N word as a Latino?), about emotions (betrayal, suicidal thoughts), about past bad behaviours and regrets (bullying, cheating, etc). There was introspection I didn't expect. Props to the editors and Shaheen Reid, the co-author, for crafting such a compelling story and preserving Fat Joe's (clearly unique) voice and personality. It won't be winning the Nobel prize for literature or anything, but it was moving. It felt like a very intimate look into his thoughts and feelings
I also got some great music recommendations from this book that I don't think I could have found just from googling "20th century rappers" or something like that. Pun's going to have a whole new generation of fans from people who read this book :)
I also got some great music recommendations from this book that I don't think I could have found just from googling "20th century rappers" or something like that. Pun's going to have a whole new generation of fans from people who read this book :)
April 18, 2023
This was a decent read never been a fan of Fat Joe he has a few songs I like but again not a big fan. I wanted to read his memoir since I love rap and it’s always a great experience learning about how other rappers came up in the game. Some parts of his book were more interesting than others. I really enjoyed hearing how he got the name Joey Crack and learning things about him that I hadn’t already heard in one of his interviews.
But his book definitely takes you on a ride from his early childhood having to deal with trauma and being bullied, growing up in the Bronx, to the days where he sold drugs and continuously got into trouble before his career took off. I guess you can say he showed some vulnerability with his memoir and really let us in on who Fat Joe really is and why he’s become the man he is today. 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. Overall, it wasn’t a bad book but not a fav. Special thanks to the author, random house publishing, and Netgalley for my advanced copy.
Rating: 3.5
But his book definitely takes you on a ride from his early childhood having to deal with trauma and being bullied, growing up in the Bronx, to the days where he sold drugs and continuously got into trouble before his career took off. I guess you can say he showed some vulnerability with his memoir and really let us in on who Fat Joe really is and why he’s become the man he is today. 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. Overall, it wasn’t a bad book but not a fav. Special thanks to the author, random house publishing, and Netgalley for my advanced copy.
Rating: 3.5
January 13, 2023
Fat Joe has such a huge personality and that really translates in this book. The audio is a must. He narrates it in such a casual, animated, matter that it feels like a long, informal convo. There’s also some added sound effects that makes it more engaging. He doesn’t really tell the stories in chronological order. He jumps back to people or stories later in the book but the book is still pretty cohesive. I certainly feel like I know him after finishing this book. Initially it was hard for me to get into the book but I’m glad I stuck it out. Long, entertaining book but worth a listen. 4.3⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
October 25, 2024
They say never let the truth get in the way of a good story....which even if some of these stories may not be 100% true, this is definitely a good story. Worth a read for anyone with even a bit of interest.
August 12, 2023
4.5- this is very much a memoir by (and read by) someone's tío from the bronx. in true leo fashion, the audiobook was very fun with added sound effects / his overall energy
November 12, 2024
Fat Joe is a great story teller. Love it
December 24, 2022
4.25 stars
I liked this book. Joe tells his story, and he went through some shit! Joe doesn’t hold back, and pulls no punches.
If you are a Fat Joe and/or music fan this should be on your “to be read” list!
I liked this book. Joe tells his story, and he went through some shit! Joe doesn’t hold back, and pulls no punches.
If you are a Fat Joe and/or music fan this should be on your “to be read” list!
January 30, 2023
Fat Joe's The Book of Jose is the book that I thought Charles Oakley's was going to be. A TON of stories, some funny, some unbelievable and others that ask "How are you even alive?" I really enjoy hip-hop but Joe's story is one that I never followed fully. It's one of the gutter, rise, fall and redemption and betrayal. At 50 plus, Joey Crack feels he is ready for the next level of the game. After knowing his story, he SHOULD be prepared. I WILL say that Joe writes how he speaks and that's both a good and bad thing. His Bronx, New York diction and slang likely works very well for his audiobook as his passion and animation come through, but I believe that for some readers it could be a bit of a turn off as far as repetition and language go. The grace I give is that I enjoy people in their own words, whether their stories offer extra fluff or not. If you have curiosities about Jose Cartegena, this book will open the door at least to his side of the story...
February 19, 2023
The Book of Jose is precisely what I thought it would be. Funny, authentic, drama-filled, and relatable. Fat Joe is a classic in my eyes. Though he endured many hardships and depression, he remained true to himself. Fat Joe is a testament that your past doesn't define you. Joseph Antonio Cartegena is a father, brother, husband, and legend.
As a child, Fat Joe suffered from being bullied by kids. As he came of age, Joe became a notorious neighbor terror. He ran the streets of the Bronx, sold drugs, and later fell in love with music. Fat Joe indulged in many stories from his childhood upbringing, hip-hop history, family history, and ties. This book takes you on a voyage from 1970 through 2022 most recent events of his life. Fat Joe is a good storyteller; you will enjoy the history and laughs he brings through every story.
As a child, Fat Joe suffered from being bullied by kids. As he came of age, Joe became a notorious neighbor terror. He ran the streets of the Bronx, sold drugs, and later fell in love with music. Fat Joe indulged in many stories from his childhood upbringing, hip-hop history, family history, and ties. This book takes you on a voyage from 1970 through 2022 most recent events of his life. Fat Joe is a good storyteller; you will enjoy the history and laughs he brings through every story.
November 13, 2023
Hip Hop lovers will LOVE Fat Joe’s memoir!! 💝💝
Fat Joe’s life is a testimony to God’s grace, mercy and love!
Fat Joe’s life is a testimony to God’s grace, mercy and love!
September 15, 2022
The Book of Jose is a memoir from one of the greatest rappers of all time. It's raw, cutthroat, dark, and powerful. Fat Joe writes the book with flow and intent.
Fat Joe is one of my favorite rappers. Growing up in a Latinx house meant that his music was played at home, at family gatherings, and everywhere in between. It's also nice to see a fellow Latinx person succeed and so to say I'm proud to listen to his music is like wearing a badge of honor. I didn't know too much about his personal life and this is where the book comes in. Beyond the music and fame is a guy who grew up in a tough neighborhood but who found a way to come out on top.
He really tells it like it is in this memoir. He describes his early life and how he was known to be a troublemaker. In the book, he mentions how he was bullied by kids and even betrayed by his best friend at the time. That was a moment that really changed him. It made him feel like no one really had his back and he needed to become someone tough and who people didn't mess with. It's really crazy how one experience acts as a catalyst to different paths. He went on a dark and tough path. He became a tough one on the streets. No one dared to cross him. That also lead to more violence. Not only did he become the bully with words but he started to use force to get his message across. You could tell that he is a good guy and that choosing a life of drugs and violence wasn't his purpose. And he felt that too. He turned to music and started to find his way. He was tired of looking every which way making sure it wouldn't be the moment the cops got him for good.
Music was a lifesaver. It helped him find his path, meet lifelong friends, and make money that was legal. What helped him along the way was his confidence in himself. He knew his worth and dared anyone to challenge him. Once he started to see big success, that's where you begin to see even more hard times. So many of us think money solves all problems but the truth is sometimes it just ignites new ones. 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?
I think this book is so powerful and eye-opening. It reminds you that no matter what life throws your way if you want to change you can make it happen. Sure it's gonna take a toll on you and test you both physically and mentally, but it can happen. Fat Joe proved that. The odds were against him and look at him now. What I think readers will enjoy most is how loyal he is and how much family means to him. His family means so much to him and you can see that when he talks about his wife, kids, and immediate family. But even if you aren't blood-related and you rock with him through the ups and down, you are his family. If you are in his life, you are lucky because this man will be with you through thick and thin. I think his vulnerability will also stick with people. He is open and honest about even his darkest times.
I give The Book of Jose 5 stars. You can expect to be taken on a wild ride in this memoir. Fat Joe bears it all and leaves readers feeling like change is possible. If he could do it, then so can you.
Fat Joe is one of my favorite rappers. Growing up in a Latinx house meant that his music was played at home, at family gatherings, and everywhere in between. It's also nice to see a fellow Latinx person succeed and so to say I'm proud to listen to his music is like wearing a badge of honor. I didn't know too much about his personal life and this is where the book comes in. Beyond the music and fame is a guy who grew up in a tough neighborhood but who found a way to come out on top.
He really tells it like it is in this memoir. He describes his early life and how he was known to be a troublemaker. In the book, he mentions how he was bullied by kids and even betrayed by his best friend at the time. That was a moment that really changed him. It made him feel like no one really had his back and he needed to become someone tough and who people didn't mess with. It's really crazy how one experience acts as a catalyst to different paths. He went on a dark and tough path. He became a tough one on the streets. No one dared to cross him. That also lead to more violence. Not only did he become the bully with words but he started to use force to get his message across. You could tell that he is a good guy and that choosing a life of drugs and violence wasn't his purpose. And he felt that too. He turned to music and started to find his way. He was tired of looking every which way making sure it wouldn't be the moment the cops got him for good.
Music was a lifesaver. It helped him find his path, meet lifelong friends, and make money that was legal. What helped him along the way was his confidence in himself. He knew his worth and dared anyone to challenge him. Once he started to see big success, that's where you begin to see even more hard times. So many of us think money solves all problems but the truth is sometimes it just ignites new ones. 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?
I think this book is so powerful and eye-opening. It reminds you that no matter what life throws your way if you want to change you can make it happen. Sure it's gonna take a toll on you and test you both physically and mentally, but it can happen. Fat Joe proved that. The odds were against him and look at him now. What I think readers will enjoy most is how loyal he is and how much family means to him. His family means so much to him and you can see that when he talks about his wife, kids, and immediate family. But even if you aren't blood-related and you rock with him through the ups and down, you are his family. If you are in his life, you are lucky because this man will be with you through thick and thin. I think his vulnerability will also stick with people. He is open and honest about even his darkest times.
I give The Book of Jose 5 stars. You can expect to be taken on a wild ride in this memoir. Fat Joe bears it all and leaves readers feeling like change is possible. If he could do it, then so can you.
January 16, 2023
My name is Fat Joe, aka “Joey Crack,” aka “JoPrah,” aka “The Don Cartagena.” But on August 19, 1970, I was born Joseph Antonio Cartagena at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital. The South Bronx to be exact, an auspicious and ominous birthplace.
We took in people who’d been trained since they were kids, since before their brains had even properly developed, to navigate the streets. To survive. Kill or be killed, predator or prey. But they were humans just like anyone else. Like anyone else, they developed the skills they’d need to survive, but didn’t have anywhere healthy to put it. They were smart and cunning, they had heart and loyalty, they were determined and bold risk-takers. They cared about what they did and the people they did it with. They were just people, and just like me, they needed to take what they’d learned in the crazy cauldron of the streets and use it to help rather than harm themselves and their communities. That’s what TS—as it evolved—was all about.
Rating: 3/5
One of the oldest rules in the hood is that you don’t get points for picking on somebody who can’t defend themselves. Your respect is measured by who you go to war with.
For those who stay loyal, Terror Squad is for life—and even after.
I’ve been surrounded by death my entire life and it’s not accidental. I grew up in a racist, predatory system. And that system will feast on you. The system took my sister, the system stole my nephew’s money, the system has pirated multiple members of my family and my friends. The vultures will leave you alone and broke or dead. You can never stop fighting, and you have to keep your guard up at all times.
Creating your own path in life is the only way to really be happy.
You’re born into this world by yourself. With the exception of tight, tight family and friends, the ones you know love you without condition, you can only hope your other loved ones love you the same as you love them. But you never know.
My relationship with my best friend Tone Montana was so tight because of that time he jumped in front of a machine gun to save my life. You can’t show love better than that. You’re willing to give your life for your homie? That’s when I knew he was my best friend on Earth.
“Invest in yourself,” I retorted. “Invest in yourself. Believe in yourself."
We took in people who’d been trained since they were kids, since before their brains had even properly developed, to navigate the streets. To survive. Kill or be killed, predator or prey. But they were humans just like anyone else. Like anyone else, they developed the skills they’d need to survive, but didn’t have anywhere healthy to put it. They were smart and cunning, they had heart and loyalty, they were determined and bold risk-takers. They cared about what they did and the people they did it with. They were just people, and just like me, they needed to take what they’d learned in the crazy cauldron of the streets and use it to help rather than harm themselves and their communities. That’s what TS—as it evolved—was all about.
Rating: 3/5
One of the oldest rules in the hood is that you don’t get points for picking on somebody who can’t defend themselves. Your respect is measured by who you go to war with.
For those who stay loyal, Terror Squad is for life—and even after.
I’ve been surrounded by death my entire life and it’s not accidental. I grew up in a racist, predatory system. And that system will feast on you. The system took my sister, the system stole my nephew’s money, the system has pirated multiple members of my family and my friends. The vultures will leave you alone and broke or dead. You can never stop fighting, and you have to keep your guard up at all times.
Creating your own path in life is the only way to really be happy.
You’re born into this world by yourself. With the exception of tight, tight family and friends, the ones you know love you without condition, you can only hope your other loved ones love you the same as you love them. But you never know.
My relationship with my best friend Tone Montana was so tight because of that time he jumped in front of a machine gun to save my life. You can’t show love better than that. You’re willing to give your life for your homie? That’s when I knew he was my best friend on Earth.
“Invest in yourself,” I retorted. “Invest in yourself. Believe in yourself."
January 6, 2025
Where do I start?…..
This book; just like his music… I like some of it….
Also, I didn’t read it, read it. I audiobook’d it. I used 2 of my Amazon credits for this thing and I wish I could take moment of lacked judgment back.
You know when they say, “It’s probably best to never meet your heroes.” Or some shit like that, well in this case, I wish the author didn’t read his own audiobook. In most cases it makes it better right? Well, not here. The more Fat Joe read, the less and less I was interested in finishing it. It took me a while to get through because his voice got annoying!
It’s always interesting to me to learn about an artist, but when they read their own story….? I don’t know. I feel like it’s different to tell some a story fresh from the dome than to read a story that you already told, but had to write it down to repeat it to others… Do you know what I mean? Like it doesn’t sound the same anymore. This is what this audiobook did. Maybe if I actually read it, it would be a different review.
The Fat Joe story is interesting, but I feel maybe a little exaggerated at times for effect. I don’t know, maybe it was really how it happened, but it sounds like maybe not. It’s also different when someone tells you their sad parts of life and you feel bad for them, but when they have what seems like endless resources and you see them wearing jewelry a normal person wouldn’t be wearing because it’s 4 houses on a necklace and here they are telling you their marriage and kid situation is so hard… I tend to go judgy….
I don’t even want to continue writing about this book.
BOTTOMLINE: DO NOT DO THE AUDIOBOOK! It will affect your perspective.
This book; just like his music… I like some of it….
Also, I didn’t read it, read it. I audiobook’d it. I used 2 of my Amazon credits for this thing and I wish I could take moment of lacked judgment back.
You know when they say, “It’s probably best to never meet your heroes.” Or some shit like that, well in this case, I wish the author didn’t read his own audiobook. In most cases it makes it better right? Well, not here. The more Fat Joe read, the less and less I was interested in finishing it. It took me a while to get through because his voice got annoying!
It’s always interesting to me to learn about an artist, but when they read their own story….? I don’t know. I feel like it’s different to tell some a story fresh from the dome than to read a story that you already told, but had to write it down to repeat it to others… Do you know what I mean? Like it doesn’t sound the same anymore. This is what this audiobook did. Maybe if I actually read it, it would be a different review.
The Fat Joe story is interesting, but I feel maybe a little exaggerated at times for effect. I don’t know, maybe it was really how it happened, but it sounds like maybe not. It’s also different when someone tells you their sad parts of life and you feel bad for them, but when they have what seems like endless resources and you see them wearing jewelry a normal person wouldn’t be wearing because it’s 4 houses on a necklace and here they are telling you their marriage and kid situation is so hard… I tend to go judgy….
I don’t even want to continue writing about this book.
BOTTOMLINE: DO NOT DO THE AUDIOBOOK! It will affect your perspective.
January 12, 2025
Wasn’t sure what to expect but really enjoyed this memoir by Fat Joe.
From his childhood growing up in the Forest Projects in The Bronx and becoming a drug dealer in his early teens to meeting his wife of 30 years Lorena (a drug dealer’s daughter who he immediately fell in love with because of her very large bottom) to becoming a rapper and a legitimate businessman, to his beef for no apparent reason with 50 Cent, the formation of Terror Squad (the label, named after his street gang) to becoming a father of 3 kids including an autistic kid with Down syndrome (Joey) who he and his parents raised and who Fat Joe is incredibly close to, to going to jail for tax evasion, to all of the close friends and family who were brutally murdered or died.
Reading an article on how close he was to his son Joey was what prompted me to look up whether he had a memoir. I was just really fascinated by how tough this guy is and looks and yet the very loving relationship he has with his disabled son. It warmed my heart. The theme of love and loyalty really permeate the book and his vulnerabilities typically stem from someone he loves and trusts betraying him.
Told in his own voice (lots of slang), the memoir was really about a family man who grew up in unfortunate circumstances surrounded by violence, got himself out of that, made it big as a rapper, and valued love and loyalty above all else. SO interesting.
Highly recommend if the description above appeals to you.
From his childhood growing up in the Forest Projects in The Bronx and becoming a drug dealer in his early teens to meeting his wife of 30 years Lorena (a drug dealer’s daughter who he immediately fell in love with because of her very large bottom) to becoming a rapper and a legitimate businessman, to his beef for no apparent reason with 50 Cent, the formation of Terror Squad (the label, named after his street gang) to becoming a father of 3 kids including an autistic kid with Down syndrome (Joey) who he and his parents raised and who Fat Joe is incredibly close to, to going to jail for tax evasion, to all of the close friends and family who were brutally murdered or died.
Reading an article on how close he was to his son Joey was what prompted me to look up whether he had a memoir. I was just really fascinated by how tough this guy is and looks and yet the very loving relationship he has with his disabled son. It warmed my heart. The theme of love and loyalty really permeate the book and his vulnerabilities typically stem from someone he loves and trusts betraying him.
Told in his own voice (lots of slang), the memoir was really about a family man who grew up in unfortunate circumstances surrounded by violence, got himself out of that, made it big as a rapper, and valued love and loyalty above all else. SO interesting.
Highly recommend if the description above appeals to you.
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