Jeezy recently discussed the title of his new book, Adversity For Sale, explaining that he hopes the memoir serves as inspiration for his audience to achieve their dreams. He spoke about the book during a new sit-down with Good Morning America.
“I think people always tell you about their success stories, but one thing that I’ve learned about life is that in every failure there’s a lesson,” Jeezy said. “And every time I ever failed it set me up for my next task. I think to share your failures with your community and your peers and people that love you. They’ll just start to understand that it’s never too late, and that they can always push through, because sometimes you get in situations where you think it’s the end when it’s really the beginning.”
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 25: Young Jeezy performs at Jeezy Presents TM101: 10 Year Anniversary at The Fox Theatre on July 25, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)
He continued: “This book is for people who want to do better today than they did yesterday because, especially being a Black man in America, coming up we always had to fight to get our voice heard, and I think this book can help anybody who has to fight to get to where they’re trying to be. Because you have to start from the bottom to get to the top. But once you get to the top you gotta know how to stay there. Success is about you.” Check out Jeezy’s full comments below.
Jeezy Discusses “Adversity For Sale” On “Good Morning America”
Jeezy has been promoting the book in interviews for weeks. Speaking with PEOPLE, he reflected on a difficult stretch in his life when he contemplated suicide. The “brief moment” lasted while he was attending a Youth Challenge program in Fort Stewart, Georgia. In other interviews, he’s discussed how he transitioned from being a drug dealer to a full-time rapper. Adversity For Sale is available now.
The ability to write a quality rap song is quite remarkable and requires its very own set of skills. Since hip hop’s inception, rappers have been able to tell their life stories through rap songs. Rap music is often very autobiographical, but many notable rappers have penned memoirs to tell their stories in a way that is completely separate from music.
Rapper memoirs are becoming increasingly popular, with Black Thought recently announcing his book for a November release date. JAY-Z, Raekwon, Common, U-God, 50 Cent, and Fat Joe have all told their stories from childhood to success as adults in their books. Some rappers have also taken unique approaches to write non-autobiographical books, such as Russ’s It’s All In Your Head, which inspires readers to follow one’s passions through reflective chapters of motivational material. Wretch 32’s Rapthology: Lessons in Life and Lyrics book takes a unique approach as well, as he takes a look back at his career through particular songs and lyrics. Hip hop musicians like DJ Khaled, Timbaland, and Questlove have also written books, especially the latter, who has also published other non-music related books.
LL Cool J – I Make My Own Rules (1997)
As one of hip hop’s first superstars, it was only right for LL Cool J to be one of the first rappers to write a memoir. I Make My Own Rules was published in 1997 and was written alongside Karen Hunter. The book takes the reader through his life, from struggles during childhood to success as a hip hop star. He details his journey from the creation of his name to his successful albums.
It does not get more autobiographical than E.A.R.L. as DMX vividly paints a picture of some of the darkest times in his life growing up. With the help of Smokey D Fontaine, DMX wrote a captivating memoir that depicts his rough upbringing, how he fell in love with rhyme, and what made him want to pursue music.
RZA – The Tao of Wu (2009)
The Tao of Wu was not RZA’s first book. 2004’s The Wu-Tang Manual provided the ultimate guide for all things Wu-Tang Clan. The Tao of Wu, on the other hand, is RZA’s own personal story. The book starts with a depiction of his childhood and how his method of thinking eventually evolved into the wisdom he has as the leader of hip hop’s most iconic group. The book includes stories of the Wu-Tang Clan’s inception and the personal hardships he endured along the way.
Prodigy – My Infamous Life (2011)
Prodigy had so many stories to tell, which is what makes My Infamous Life an essential read for any hip hop fan. The book consists of Prodigy’s time in the streets as a kid, how he developed his relationship with Havoc to create Mobb Deep, as well as his battle with sickle-cell anemia. The book was released following Prodigy’s time in prison and tells first-hand accounts of the rap legend’s ups and downs, including hit songs and rap beefs.
Lecrae – Unashamed (2016)
The first of two books that Lecrae has written, Unashamed is his memoir that tells his story. In the book, Lecrae details his childhood and hardships as a young adult that led him to religion. The book is an in-depth look into Lecrae’s life and dedication to Christianity. He channeled his faith into music and became the biggest name in the Christian rap community.
Gucci Mane – The Autobiography of Gucci Mane (2018)
With the help of Neil Martinez-Belkin, Gucci Mane reveals a lot about himself in his autobiography, which is not what listeners normally get from his music. He details his life as a kid and how he was raised, his deep criminal history, and how music was an outlet to express himself. Gucci Mane’s autobiography is also a story of transformation from one of the South’s most notorious gangsta rappers to a reformed man fresh out of prison.
Rick Ross – Hurricanes: A Memoir (2019)
Much like Gucci Mane’s autobiography, Rick Ross’s memoir, Hurricanes also sees him more transparent than ever. Coincidentally, the book was also co-written by Neil Martinez-Belkin. Rick Ross touches upon growing up in Miami and wanting a more affluent lifestyle. He gets into his criminal past, addresses his past controversies, and tells the story behind every single album. Ross also gets into his most significant collaborations and famous success stories.
Rakim – Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius (2019)
With a long career and profound influence on hip hop, Rakim’s memoir was long overdue. His 2019 book sees the hip hop pioneer breaking down his writing process. He looks at music from a unique perspective while providing personal anecdotes. It is a first-hand account of Rakim’s influence that still permeates hip hop culture today.
Talib Kweli – Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story (2020)
Vibrate Higher is a story about Talib Kweli as a rapper and person. Throughout the book, he discusses his Brooklyn roots, how his parents raised him, and what got him into hip hop. The Brooklyn legend started his career at such a pivotal time in hip hop, witnessing history in real-time, which he talks about in his memoir. Kweli writes about his albums, collaborations, and relationships in the book and addresses his most controversial views.
Action Bronson – F*ck It, I’ll Start Tomorrow: A True Story (2021)
Action Bronson has written books about his love for food and weed, but F*ck It, I’ll Start Tomorrow is about him. Most rapper memoirs focus on the span of the artist’s entire life but Bronson’s book hones in on his recent weight loss journey. He provides stories about his upbringing and his deep connection to food. Bronson goes into what made him want to start living a healthier lifestyle and how he has accepted himself no matter his appearance.
Logic – This Bright Future: A Memoir (2021)
By the time he had published his memoir, Logic was already a New York Times best-selling author for his novel, Supermarket. Logic has chronicled his childhood trauma and turbulent relationship with his parents in music and interviews, but this book is Logic at his most revealing. Published under his government name, This Bright Future tells Logic’s success story, breaking the cycle of poverty and dealing with the struggles of fame.
Jeezy’s sound and style have been heavily influential to modern trap music and now he’s spreading his influence to a new medium. The legendary Atlanta rapper has just announced a forthcoming book. “Adversity For Sale: You Gotta Believe” was announced just yesterday. The book, Jeezy’s first, will pull from his experiences to teach lessons through storytelling. The book reportedly tracks Jeezy’s story from his turbulent upbringing all the way to his Grammy-winning rap career. Its press release reads “Jeezy will use parts of his story to illustrate some rules and principles he’s used to get him through his darkest days and kept him going, even when it felt impossible to go any further and the odds stacked against him felt insurmountable.”
The book was announced via an Instagram post Jeezy made yesterday debuting its title and cover. “This is for all my day ones and everybody that’s been down with me since the beginning. This is the greatest story never told. In this motivational memoir, I use parts of my life story, every step, every mishap, every up and down that I’ve gone through to get to this point in my life to motivate the hustlers, entrepreneurs, and believers,” his Instagram caption reads. The announcement also confirms that the book will be available for purchase starting August 8th.
Despite all the writing he’s been doing Jeezy has still found time to maintain his prescence in music. Last year he teamed up with DJ Drama for an entire new album Snofall. The project saw the pair teaming up for one hard-hitting trap banger after another. It also featured appearances from Lil Durk, 42 Dugg, and EST Gee. His only new music of 2023 so far was an appearance on a remix of the Boosie Badazz and Kodak Black song “Rocketman.”
Jeezy is known for his various beefs almost as much as his music. Earlier this year he grabbed headlines for finally squashing a long-running beef with Coach K. Footage of Jeezy also appeared in a Freddie Gibbs music video released earlier this year. The pair have had a long running beef, though Gibbs recently expressed regret over how he’s handled some of it.
Tupac Amaru Shakur, better known as 2Pac, was a hugely successful and famous American rapper. Along with rapper, he had a talent for acting and had a strong sense of social justice. His social activism is one of the reasons he stands out from his competitors. 2Pac’s music is known for its emotional intensity, and he is still regarded as one of the most influential rappers of all time. Since his passing in 1996 , people still have a hard time getting over the loss.
Recently, the late rapper’s estate revealed that an autobiography is on the way. The title of the autobiography is Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Autobiography. The book is written by a longtime friend of 2Pac, a woman by the name of Staci Robinson. While many others have written about the musician’s life, no other book has been approved by the estate like Robinson’s has. As a result, this particular biography is being promoted by Tupac’s own estate.
2Pac lived a very memorable life, even outside of his rap career. The biography will allow fans to read and experience the details of his life, and what made him who he was. However, the details in the upcoming biography will be a lot more intimate than previous recounts of his life. Because of Staci’s closeness to the rapper, she has access to a lot of information others can’t get. As a result, people are much more excited about the release of her book than they have been for others in the past.
2Pac’s biography is set to release in October of 2023. Along with the release date, there has also been an announcement of the documentary. The documentary, titled Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur, will come out in April 2023. The year 2023 will bring a lot of new content regarding 2Pac and his former career, as well as inside looks at his mind and musical talent. It is safe to assume that neither the biography nor the documentary will be exploitative. To stay updated on more 2Pac content, make sure to check back in periodically.
Pamela Anderson says that Tim Allen once flashed her behind the scenes of the sitcom, Home Improvement. Reflecting on the incident in her new book, Love, Pamela, she explained that she was 23 years old at the time.
Anderson writes: “On the first day of filming, I walked out of my dressing room, and Tim was in the hallway in his robe. He opened his robe and flashed me quickly — completely naked underneath. He said it was only fair, because he had seen me naked. Now we’re even. I laughed uncomfortably.”
HOLLYWOOD – SEPTEMBER 10: Actress Pamela Anderson arrives at PETA’s 15th Anniversary Gala and Humanitarian Awards at Paramount Studios on September 10, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Allen had likely been referring to Anderson’s work modeling for Playboy. He responded to the excerpt in a statement provided to Variety, denying the allegations.
“No, it never happened. I would never do such a thing,” Allen told the outlet.
He was 37 years old at the time of the alleged incident.
On Home Improvement, Anderson played Lisa the Tool Girl during the show’s first two seasons. She later left the program to focus on her breakout hit, Baywatch.
Love, Pamela also sees the famed actress discuss her relationship with Tommy Lee as well as their infamous sex tape.
“My relationship with Tommy may have been the only time I was ever truly in love,” she writes, before adding of the sex tape: “It ruined lives, starting with our relationship — and it’s unforgivable that people, still to this day, think they can profit from such a terrible experience, let alone a crime.”
Pamela Anderson’s Love, Pamela is due out on January 31. Elsewhere in the book, Anderson discusses being a victim of sexual abuse, the paparazzi, and more.
