Regarding trailblazers of Southern hip-hop, Juicy J is undoubtedly one of the movement's most influential figures. As a co-founder of the legendary rap group Three 6 Mafia with DJ Paul and Lord Infamous in 1991, and later on Project Pat (Juicy’s brother) Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca, and Gangsta Boo, they went on to release numerous platinum albums and several classic cuts including "Tear da Club Up," “Who Run It,” "Sippin' on Some Syrup," featuring UGK, “Stay Fly,” “Poppin My Collar,” and “Doe Boy Fresh” through their Hypnotized Minds imprint.

In 2006, the group made history by becoming the first Hip Hop group to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song for their single "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp” from the film Hustle & Flow. On MTV, they also became one of the first rap acts to have their own reality show in 2007, “Adventures in Hollyhood.”

After Three 6 Mafia temporarily disbanded, Juicy continued his success as a solo artist and producer. He dropped several albums with hit singles such as “Bandz a Make Her Dance” and received a Grammy Award nomination for his feature on Katy Perry’s single "Dark Horse.”

For his latest project, Juicy released his first book, Chronicles of the Juice Man: A Memoir, which details his meteoric rise from the streets of Memphis to his transformation as a global superstar.

After selling millions of albums and becoming a hip-hop icon, Juicy spoke with BET.com about why the timing is perfect for him to release his autobiography to the world.

“It's kind of just happened but I've wanted to do it for a while,” Juicy said. “I started writing it back when my mom first got sick with cancer, which was a very, very difficult situation at the time and I talk about it in the book. But I felt like it was finally the right time. I feel like I've done everything in music and it's just time to share my story and even try to educate people about real-life situations that I was going through.

Hailing from Memphis, Juicy shared how the city of his birth shaped him and how he was influenced by the success of the renowned Stax Records and then the iconic music of the legendary singer/songwriter/producer Issac Hayes, one of the progenitors of Southern soul.

“Growing up in Memphis, I was amazed by the stories I heard as a kid, especially about Stax Records. I remember my dad telling me that back in the '70s Issac Hayes would drive around in a gold Cadillac,” said Juicy. “When I got older,  Stax Records went bankrupt and the building was torn down and I always felt that I wanted to do something to be the next Stax out of Memphis. Me and Paul (DJ Paul) were trying to build our brand like the next Stax Records which I feel like we did at the time. I remember meeting Isaac at a car wash and he was a really cool guy, Rest in Peace. I looked up to him. So Memphis has always been a music city.”

In celebration of Hip Hop 50, Juicy expressed his pride in being one of the trailblazers of the Memphis rap scene. Claiming that he clears almost 5 sample requests daily from various artists, he noted how Three 6 Mafia’s flow and production style have become ubiquitous in rap music.

“Three 6 Mafia has done everything. Everybody has taken our sound and it's good to see that Memphis is finally getting its due. There’s us, Eightball & MJG, Yo Gotti and the CMG camp, the Bread Gang, and everybody else is doing big things now. Memphis has been on a map for years but people have been overlooking it,” Juicy explained.

Throughout Chronicles, Juicy details being raised by his mother and father, a traveling Pentecostal minister. This sparked his love of music, which he knew he wanted to pursue at an early age. He calls music the best “addiction” that he’s ever had.

“I feel like I'm addicted to music. You know, I think we are all addicted to something. People are addicted to drugs, sex, gambling, and other stuff, right? I'm addicted to music. I'm always in the studio working so I think that's my addiction,” Juicy said.

The memoir is a collaboration between Juicy and Soren Baker, an acclaimed journalist who also penned The History Of Gangster Rap: From Schoolly D to Kendrick Lamar, The Rise of a Great American Art Form,  The Gucci Mane Guide To Greatness, and several others. Juicy shared that Baker, who chronicled the early days of Three 6 Mafia, was the perfect partner in writing the book.

“Man, Soren is a cool motherf***er [Laughs]. That’s my dawg and I love him, man. I've been knowing him for years and it was only right for him to do the book because he knows me and he’s been around everybody in Three 6 Mafia since the beginning,” Juicy said. “He would fly to Memphis to interview us all the time so it’s not like he's walking into something he doesn't know about. He knows everything. He was around the history when it was happening and was around in the studio with us when we made some of our biggest songs. That’s my guy.”

With full transparency, Juicy shares his story to reveal another dimension of himself with the vision of helping someone encountering the same struggles. He openly shares that he's overcome the loss of his mother and group members, substance abuse, mental health struggles, an ever-changing music industry, and all the trappings of success. Now 48, Juicy wants to inspire anyone that they can make it against the odds and find peace on the journey.

“This book is very inspirational and it's not just for people in the music business. It's for people outside the music business because it’s about real-life stories and situations. You can learn a lot from this book man,” Juicy explained.” I talk a lot about mental health and spirituality because it's important in this business and in life. For me, it wasn’t just that I made a lot of money or achieved success but I got my mind right and that's the thing. I got peace of mind. I want people to know that as they reach for their goals and chase their dreams, you have to have the mind right.”

Chronicles of the Juice Man: A Memoir is available wherever books are sold.