Best Hip-Hop Books of All Time

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

Doing this list off the top of my head so forgive me if anything is a bit off.  Can’t remember who it was but in one of my Wu-tang threads someone suggested Sacha Jenkins “Book of Rap Lists” and it’s kind of got me hyped.  This is like a sort of hiphop almanac of sorts, a must have for any head.

1.  Sacha Jenkins - Book of Rap Lists
2.  Hiphop dictionary A to Z — Shapiro
3.  Tha Doggfather - Snoop
4.  Back in The Day - (childhood friend of 2pac) - Bastfeild
5.  Rose that Grew From Concrete - 2pac
6. Holler if you hear Me - Eric Dyson (on 2pac)
7. Prodigy of Mob Deep autobiography
8.  LL’s autobiography
9.  Have Gun Will Travel - Ronin Ro (kind of phony in retrospect but I enjoyed it way back when
10.  Wu Chronicles - Rza

[Elko.]

Doing this list off the top of my head so forgive me if anything is a bit off.  Can’t remember who it was but in one of my Wu-tang threads someone suggested Sacha Jenkins “Book of Rap Lists” and it’s kind of got me hyped.  This is like a sort of hiphop almanac of sorts, a must have for any head.

1.  Sacha Jenkins - Book of Rap Lists
2.  Hiphop dictionary A to Z — Shapiro
3.  Tha Doggfather - Snoop
4.  Back in The Day - (childhood friend of 2pac) - Bastfeild
5.  Rose that Grew From Concrete - 2pac
6. Holler if you hear Me - Eric Dyson (on 2pac)
7. Prodigy of Mob Deep autobiography
8.  LL’s autobiography
9.  Have Gun Will Travel - Ronin Ro (kind of phony in retrospect but I enjoyed it way back when
10.  Wu Chronicles - Rza

That was me that suggested Sacha Jenkins "Book of Rap lists". I'm not big on compilation books (i.e. Check the Technique by Brian Coleman) but you rate this highly which is good.

Some titles to include that I've read myself;

1. Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap
Book by Ben Westhoff
2. Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop
Book by Ben Westhoff
3. Decoded
Book by Jay-Z

Books I have purchased but have yet to read;

1. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane
Book by Gucci Mane
2. The History of Gangster Rap: From Schoolly D to Kendrick Lamar, the Rise of a Great American Art Form
Book by Soren Baker

[Blood$]

these are all of the books I own and have read over the years:

The Rose That Grew From Concrete (2Pac poetry book)
Tupac Shakur - By The Editors of Vibe (Interviews / Photos)
Holler If Ya Hear Me - 2Pac Biography (I had this one back in the day but sold it I think)
Unbelievable: The Life, Death, and Afterlife of The Notorious B.I.G.
Bad Boy - The Influence of Sean "Puffy" Combs on the Music Industry
Welcome To Death Row: The Uncensored History of The Rise & Fall of Death Row Records
Def Jam, Inc,
From Pieces To Weight - 50 Cent Biography
My Infamous Life - Prodigy Biography
Diary Of A Madman - Scarface Biography
Sweet Jones: Pimp C's Trill Life Story
The Autobiography of Gucci Mane
The Art & Science Of Respect - J. Prince Biography
Houston Rap + Houston Rap Tapes (Photo and companion book)

hands down the Pimp C one is the best, most detailed, and longest one... Houston Rap is really dope the way it's put together and has rare interviews

I would recommend the bolded ones for anyone who hasn't read them to get on these ASAP 

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

Doing this list off the top of my head so forgive me if anything is a bit off.  Can’t remember who it was but in one of my Wu-tang threads someone suggested Sacha Jenkins “Book of Rap Lists” and it’s kind of got me hyped.  This is like a sort of hiphop almanac of sorts, a must have for any head.

1.  Sacha Jenkins - Book of Rap Lists
2.  Hiphop dictionary A to Z — Shapiro
3.  Tha Doggfather - Snoop
4.  Back in The Day - (childhood friend of 2pac) - Bastfeild
5.  Rose that Grew From Concrete - 2pac
6. Holler if you hear Me - Eric Dyson (on 2pac)
7. Prodigy of Mob Deep autobiography
8.  LL’s autobiography
9.  Have Gun Will Travel - Ronin Ro (kind of phony in retrospect but I enjoyed it way back when
10.  Wu Chronicles - Rza

That was me that suggested Sacha Jenkins "Book of Rap lists". I'm not big on compilation books (i.e. Check the Technique by Brian Coleman) but you rate this highly which is good.

Some titles to include that I've read myself;

1. Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap
Book by Ben Westhoff
2. Dirty South: OutKast, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and the Southern Rappers Who Reinvented Hip-Hop
Book by Ben Westhoff
3. Decoded
Book by Jay-Z

Books I have purchased but have yet to read;

1. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane
Book by Gucci Mane
2. The History of Gangster Rap: From Schoolly D to Kendrick Lamar, the Rise of a Great American Art Form
Book by Soren Baker

Yeah you hooked me up homie...

Good lookin out for the suggestion.  It’s a must have, led me to a lot of digging as well as it mentions a lot of projects and tracks that are foundational and I may not have had access to before ITunes and YouTube.  Great documentation of the culture it a cleverly organized and presented format

[CharlieBrown]

The Gospel of Hip-Hop by KRS-One (This is like the bible, kids)
This Day in Rap & Hip-Hop History by Chuck D (Goes through every day of the year and mentions something big that happened that day for Hip-Hop, pulling from different years)
The Wu-Tang Manual by The RZA (Basic introduction to the Wu and their philosophies)
The Tao of Wu by The RZA (A more detailed look into the Wu and their philosophies)

& being released on September 24th is..

Sweat The Technique by The God Emcee (Rakim Allah). Dunno what this is like yet, but if he gives it as much thought as he does 16 bars, should be FUCKING AWESOME!

[TraceOneInfinite Flat Earther 96']

The Gospel of Hip-Hop by KRS-One (This is like the bible, kids)
This Day in Rap & Hip-Hop History by Chuck D (Goes through every day of the year and mentions something big that happened that day for Hip-Hop, pulling from different years)
The Wu-Tang Manual by The RZA (Basic introduction to the Wu and their philosophies)
The Tao of Wu by The RZA (A more detailed look into the Wu and their philosophies)

& being released on September 24th is..

Sweat The Technique by The God Emcee (Rakim Allah). Dunno what this is like yet, but if he gives it as much thought as he does 16 bars, should be FUCKING AWESOME!

Good list... yeah the KRS 1 joint was ill and the Rza books