81 Hip-Hop Books

(originally found on hiphopbookclub.com)

Cover of The Microphone Journeyman: The Journey Continues by Torman Jahi

The Microphone Journeyman: The Journey Continues by Torman Jahi

Khmuny Publishing
(Apr 20, 2026)

Cover of The Chronicles of Doom: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast by S. H. Fernando Jr.

The Chronicles of Doom: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast by S. H. Fernando Jr.

Astra House
(Oct 29, 2024)

Cover of Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography by Staci Robinson

Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography by Staci Robinson

Crown Publishing Group
(Oct 22, 2024)

Cover of Psalms of My People: A Story of Black Liberation as Told through Hip-Hop by Lenny Duncan

Psalms of My People: A Story of Black Liberation as Told through Hip-Hop by Lenny Duncan

Broadleaf Books
(Jan 02, 2024)

Cover of The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are by Tariq Trotter

The Upcycled Self: A Memoir on the Art of Becoming Who We Are by Tariq Trotter

One World
(Nov 14, 2023)

Cover of The Book of Jose: A Memoir by Fat Joe and Shaheem Reid

The Book of Jose: A Memoir by Fat Joe and Shaheem Reid

Roc Lit 101
(Nov 15, 2022)

Cover of Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist by Sesali Bowen

Bad Fat Black Girl: Notes from a Trap Feminist by Sesali Bowen

Amistad
(Oct 05, 2021)

Cover of Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story by Talib Kweli

Vibrate Higher: A Rap Story by Talib Kweli

MCD
(Feb 16, 2021)

Cover of Jay-Z: Made in America by Michael Eric Dyson

Jay-Z: Made in America by Michael Eric Dyson

St. Martin’s Press
(Nov 26, 2019)

Cover of Can I Kick It? by Idris Goodwin

Can I Kick It? by Idris Goodwin

Haymarket Books
(Sep 20, 2019)

Cover of Beyoncé Shine Your Light by Sarah Warren

Beyoncé Shine Your Light by Sarah Warren

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(Jun 04, 2019)

Cover of Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abdurraqib

Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to a Tribe Called Quest by Hanif Abdurraqib

University of Texas Press
(Feb 01, 2019)

Cover of The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford

Little Bee Books
(Jan 15, 2019)

Cover of The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford

The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford

Little Bee Books
(Jan 15, 2019)

Cover of The Autobiography of Gucci Mane by Gucci Mane

The Autobiography of Gucci Mane by Gucci Mane

Simon & Schuster
(Sep 04, 2018)

Cover of Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes by Kyle T. Mays

Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes by Kyle T. Mays

State University of New York Press
(Apr 01, 2018)

Cover of They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

Two Dollar Radio
(Nov 07, 2017)

Cover of What Is Hip-Hop? by Eric Morse

What Is Hip-Hop? by Eric Morse

Black Sheep
(Sep 05, 2017)

Cover of Flyboy 2: The Greg Tate Reader by Greg Tate

Flyboy 2: The Greg Tate Reader by Greg Tate

Duke University Press Books
(Aug 05, 2016)

Cover of My Voice: A Memoir by Angie Martinez

My Voice: A Memoir by Angie Martinez

Celebra
(May 17, 2016)

Cover of Unashamed by Lecrae Moore

Unashamed by Lecrae Moore

B&H Publishing Group
(May 03, 2016)

Cover of Snoop Dogg: Reincarnated by Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg: Reincarnated by Snoop Dogg

Rizzoli International Publications
(Sep 29, 2015)

Cover of Welcome To Death Row: The Uncensored Oral History of Death Row Records in the Words of Those Who Were There by S. Leigh Savidge

Welcome To Death Row: The Uncensored Oral History of Death Row Records in the Words of Those Who Were There by S. Leigh Savidge

Xenon Press
(Aug 07, 2015)

Cover of CHUCK D: LYRICS OF A RAP REVOLUTIONARY by Yusuf Jah

CHUCK D: LYRICS OF A RAP REVOLUTIONARY by Yusuf Jah

Off Da Books
(Feb 25, 2015)

Cover of The Psychological Covert War On Hip Hop by Professor Griff

The Psychological Covert War On Hip Hop by Professor Griff

Taqiyyah Music
(Oct 20, 2014)

Cover of When The Beat Was Born: Dj Kool Herc And The Creation Of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill

When The Beat Was Born: Dj Kool Herc And The Creation Of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill

Palgrave Macmillan
(Aug 27, 2013)

Cover of Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Questlove and Ben Greenman

Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Questlove and Ben Greenman

Grand Central Publishing
(Jun 18, 2013)

Cover of Game Over by Winter Ramos

Game Over by Winter Ramos

Life Changing Books
(Apr 23, 2013)

Cover of Darkest America: Black Minstrelsy From Slavery To Hip-Hop by Yuval Taylor and Jake Austen

Darkest America: Black Minstrelsy From Slavery To Hip-Hop by Yuval Taylor and Jake Austen

W. W. Norton & Company
(Aug 27, 2012)

Cover of Nicki Minaj: The Woman Who Stole The World by Lynette Holloway

Nicki Minaj: The Woman Who Stole The World by Lynette Holloway

Amber Books
(Aug 01, 2012)

Cover of One Day It’ll All Make Sense by Common

One Day It’ll All Make Sense by Common

Atria Books
(Sep 13, 2011)

Cover of Flavor Flav: The Icon The Memoir by Flava Flav

Flavor Flav: The Icon The Memoir by Flava Flav

Farrah Gray Publishing, Inc.
(May 11, 2011)

Cover of My Infamous Life: The Autobiography Of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy by Albert “Prodigy” Johnson

My Infamous Life: The Autobiography Of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy by Albert “Prodigy” Johnson

Touchstone
(Apr 19, 2011)

Cover of Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey by Jordan Sommers

Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey by Jordan Sommers

Aria Multimedia Entertainment
(Feb 08, 2011)

Cover of Decoded by Jay-Z

Decoded by Jay-Z

Spiegel & Grau
(Nov 16, 2010)

Cover of Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas’s Illmatic by Michael Eric Dyson

Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas’s Illmatic by Michael Eric Dyson

Basic Civitas Books
(Dec 29, 2009)

Cover of In the Heart of the Beat: The Poetry of Rap (African American Cultural Theory and Heritage) by Alexs D. Pate

In the Heart of the Beat: The Poetry of Rap (African American Cultural Theory and Heritage) by Alexs D. Pate

Scarecrow Press
(Nov 24, 2009)

Cover of The 50th Law by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Robert Greene

The 50th Law by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Robert Greene

Harper
(Sep 08, 2009)

Cover of It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation by MK Asante

It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation by MK Asante

St. Martin’s Griffin
(Sep 01, 2009)

Cover of Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry--From Music to Hollywood by Terrance Dean

Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry--From Music to Hollywood by Terrance Dean

Atria Books
(Jun 30, 2009)

Cover of Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar by Donda West and Karen Hunter

Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar by Donda West and Karen Hunter

Karen Hunter Publishing
(Mar 12, 2009)

Cover of Dancing With the Devil: How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hip-Hop by Mark Curry

Dancing With the Devil: How Puff Burned the Bad Boys of Hip-Hop by Mark Curry

New Mark Books
(Feb 02, 2009)

Cover of The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk about When We Talk about Hip Hop—And Why It Matters by Tricia Rose

The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk about When We Talk about Hip Hop—And Why It Matters by Tricia Rose

Civitas Book Publisher
(Dec 02, 2008)

Cover of Hip Hop Speaks To Children: A Celebration Of Poetry With A Beat (A Poetry Speaks Experience) by Nikki Giovanni

Hip Hop Speaks To Children: A Celebration Of Poetry With A Beat (A Poetry Speaks Experience) by Nikki Giovanni

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
(Oct 01, 2008)

Cover of All About The Beat: Why Hip-Hop Can’t Save Black America by John McWhorter

All About The Beat: Why Hip-Hop Can’t Save Black America by John McWhorter

Knopf
(Jun 19, 2008)

Cover of The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats by Grandmaster Flash

The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: My Life, My Beats by Grandmaster Flash

Crown Publishing Group
(Jun 10, 2008)

Cover of Hiding In Hip Hop: On The Down Low In The Entertainment Industry--From Music To Hollywood by Terrance Dean

Hiding In Hip Hop: On The Down Low In The Entertainment Industry--From Music To Hollywood by Terrance Dean

Atria Books
(May 13, 2008)

Cover of Somebody Scream!: Rap Music’s Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power by Marcus Reeves

Somebody Scream!: Rap Music’s Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power by Marcus Reeves

Faber and Faber
(Mar 18, 2008)

Cover of It’s No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal—a Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All by Carmen Bryan

It’s No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal—a Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All by Carmen Bryan

Gallery Books
(Nov 06, 2007)

Cover of Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop by Johan Kuelberg

Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop by Johan Kuelberg

Rizzoli International Publications
(Nov 06, 2007)

Cover of Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip-Hop by Michael Eric Dyson

Know What I Mean? Reflections on Hip-Hop by Michael Eric Dyson

Basic Civitas Books
(Jul 02, 2007)

Cover of Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies by Brian Coleman

Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies by Brian Coleman

Villard
(Jun 12, 2007)

Cover of Pimps Up, Ho’s Down: Hip Hop’s Hold on Young Black Women by T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting

Pimps Up, Ho’s Down: Hip Hop’s Hold on Young Black Women by T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting

New York University Press
(Mar 01, 2007)

Cover of To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip-Hop Aesthetic by William Jelani Cobb

To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip-Hop Aesthetic by William Jelani Cobb

New York University Press
(Feb 01, 2007)

Cover of Total Chaos: The Art And Aesthetics Of Hip-Hop by Jeff Chang

Total Chaos: The Art And Aesthetics Of Hip-Hop by Jeff Chang

Basic Civitas Books
(Jan 09, 2007)

Cover of It’s No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal—a Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All by Carmen Bryan

It’s No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from Seduction to Scandal—a Hip-Hop Helen of Troy Tells All by Carmen Bryan

VH1
(Nov 28, 2006)

Cover of Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin, and Redemption of Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay by Ronin Ro

Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin, and Redemption of Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay by Ronin Ro

Harper Paperbacks
(Oct 31, 2006)

Cover of Bling: The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book by Gabriel Tolliver and Reggie Osse

Bling: The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book by Gabriel Tolliver and Reggie Osse

Bloomsbury USA
(Oct 31, 2006)

Cover of Tupac Shakur Legacy by Jamal Joseph

Tupac Shakur Legacy by Jamal Joseph

Atria Books
(Aug 29, 2006)

Cover of Kanye West in the Studio: Beats Down! Money Up! The Studio Years (2000 - 2006) by Jake Brown

Kanye West in the Studio: Beats Down! Money Up! The Studio Years (2000 - 2006) by Jake Brown

Colossus Books
(Apr 10, 2006)

Cover of The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop by Saul Williams

The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop by Saul Williams

MTV Books
(Feb 01, 2006)

Cover of Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture by Yvonne Bynoe

Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture by Yvonne Bynoe

Greenwood Publishing Group
(Dec 30, 2005)

Cover of Thru My Eyes: Thoughts on Tupac Amaru Shakur in Pictures and Words by Gobi

Thru My Eyes: Thoughts on Tupac Amaru Shakur in Pictures and Words by Gobi

Atria Books
(Nov 01, 2005)

Cover of A History of Hip-Hop: The Roots of Rap (High Five Reading) by Thomas Hatch

A History of Hip-Hop: The Roots of Rap (High Five Reading) by Thomas Hatch

Red Brick Learning
(Sep 01, 2005)

Cover of Def Jam, Inc. : Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, and the Extraordinary Story of the World’s Most Influential Hip-Hop Label by Stacy Gueraseva

Def Jam, Inc. : Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, and the Extraordinary Story of the World’s Most Influential Hip-Hop Label by Stacy Gueraseva

One World/Ballantine
(Jul 26, 2005)

Cover of Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America by Bakari Kitwana

Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wankstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America by Bakari Kitwana

Basic Civitas Books
(May 31, 2005)

Cover of Hip Hop America by Nelson George

Hip Hop America by Nelson George

Penguin Books
(Apr 26, 2005)

Cover of Rakim Told Me: Wax Facts Straight from the Original Artists—The ’80s. by Brian Coleman

Rakim Told Me: Wax Facts Straight from the Original Artists—The ’80s. by Brian Coleman

AMS Press
(Apr 01, 2005)

Cover of Prophets of the Hood-PB by Imani Perry

Prophets of the Hood-PB by Imani Perry

Duke University Press Books
(Nov 30, 2004)

Cover of Scars of the Soul Are Why Kids Wear Bandages When They Don’t Have Bruises by Miles Marshall Lewis

Scars of the Soul Are Why Kids Wear Bandages When They Don’t Have Bruises by Miles Marshall Lewis

Akashic Books
(Oct 01, 2004)

Cover of And It Don’t Stop: The Best American Hip-Hop Journalism of the Last 25 Years by Raquel Cepeda

And It Don’t Stop: The Best American Hip-Hop Journalism of the Last 25 Years by Raquel Cepeda

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
(Sep 29, 2004)

Cover of The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African-American Culture by Bakari Kitwana

The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African-American Culture by Bakari Kitwana

Basic Civitas Books
(Apr 24, 2003)

Cover of Who Shot Ya?: Three Decades of HipHop Photography by Ernie Paniccioli and Kevin Powell

Who Shot Ya?: Three Decades of HipHop Photography by Ernie Paniccioli and Kevin Powell

Amistad
(Oct 22, 2002)

Cover of Life And Def: Sex, Drugs, Money, + God by Russell Simmons

Life And Def: Sex, Drugs, Money, + God by Russell Simmons

Three Rivers Press
(Sep 24, 2002)

Cover of Bad Boy: The Influence of Sean "Puffy" Combs on the Music Industry by Ronin Ro

Bad Boy: The Influence of Sean "Puffy" Combs on the Music Industry by Ronin Ro

Atria Books
(Nov 01, 2001)

Cover of Holler If You Hear Me: Searching For Tupac Shakur by Michael Eric Dyson

Holler If You Hear Me: Searching For Tupac Shakur by Michael Eric Dyson

Basic Civitas Books
(Aug 15, 2001)

Cover of Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials, and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg by Snoop Dogg

Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials, and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg by Snoop Dogg

William Morrow
(Nov 17, 1999)

Cover of The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur

The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur

MTV Books
(Nov 01, 1999)

Cover of Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality by Yusuf Jah

Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality by Yusuf Jah

Delta
(Sep 08, 1998)

Cover of Rap on Gangsta Rap: Who Run It?: Gangsta Rap and Visions of Black Violence by Bakari Kitwana

Rap on Gangsta Rap: Who Run It?: Gangsta Rap and Visions of Black Violence by Bakari Kitwana

Third World Press
(Sep 01, 1994)

Cover of Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America by Tricia Rose

Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America by Tricia Rose

Wesleyan University Press
(May 15, 1994)