Must-Read Books by Black Musicians

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

In his most personal work yet, Grammy Award–winning rapper 2 Chainz shares the spiritual journey behind his success, offering a raw, reflective, and deeply motivational meditation on the inner voice that’s guided him his whole life: God.

The New York Times bestselling memoir from legendary rapper Gucci Mane spares no detail in this “cautionary tale that ends in triumph” (GQ).
 

Gucci Mane, one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures and a trailblazer in Atlanta’s rap culture, reveals his struggles with mental health and drug addiction that will provide fans and readers with insights into his career and life.
 

A raw, fearless memoir from the Grammy Award–winning artist, actor, and designer Kid Cudi about a kid from Cleveland who found purpose in the darkness and became a guiding light for a generation.
 

Grammy Award–winning R&B and hip-hop legend Teddy Riley recounts his journey from growing up in the projects in Harlem to inventing the genre New Jack Swing, selling out shows at Madison Square Garden, and creating music for Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, and more.
 

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize

“Neneh is cool, Neneh is wise, Neneh is a legend. Her memoir is a treasure. I loved it.” —Zadie Smith

This vibrant memoir from Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry offers an inside look at her fascinating career and is “a living testament to artistic invention and the people who are driven by it” (The Guardian).

The award-winning, platinum-selling rapper, songwriter, and television personality shares her “open and revealing account” (Neil Martinez-Belkin, New York Times bestselling author) of coming of age in Miami, her unstoppable ascent to music stardom, and her lasting impact as a legendary figure in the hip-hop industry
 

Alice Randall, award-winning professor, songwriter, and author presents “a celebration of all things country music” (Ken Burns) as she reflects on her search for the first family of Black country music.
 

In this New York Times bestseller, Tina Turner—the legendary queen of rock & roll—reveals personal stories she’s never told before, about her complicated relationship with her mother, the tragic death of her son, and finally finding true love with Erwin, setting the record straight about her illustrious career in this "rollicking, dishy, emotional memoir" (People).
 

A special centennial edition of Miles Davis’s classic memoir Miles—the singular story of a jazz legend, now reintroduced by Nas and Hanif Abdurraqib.

Universally acclaimed as a musical genius, Miles Davis was one of the most important and influential musicians in the world. Here, Miles speaks out about his extraordinary life.

From the mind of brilliant historian Robin Kelley comes the first full biography of legendary jazz musician Thelonious Monk, including full access to the family's archives, dozens of interviews, and an afterword for Monk’s 2017 centennial.
 

This “smart, confident, and necessary” (Shea Serrano, New York Times bestselling author) first cultural biography of rap superstar and “master of storytelling” (The New Yorker) Kendrick Lamar explores his meteoric rise to fame and his profound impact on a racially fraught America­—perfect for fans of Zack O’Malley Greenburg’s Empire State of Mind.
 

A Pitchfork Best Music Book of 2024

This “first comprehensive anthology of the marriage between hip-hop and luxury fashion” (The Cut) draws on exclusive interviews to tell the story of the hip-hop artists, designers, stylists, and unsung heroes who fought the power and reinvented style around the world over the last fifty years.

The award-winning, legendary producer, global hype-master, and King of Crunk, Lil Jon, on the story of his life and his transformation into the high-volume showman behind a musical evolution.