20 Celebrities Turned Authors
Your fave stars have turned their talents to writing books.
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Jay-Z, Decoded - Jay-Z is known for having his hands in many pots: from music to sports ventures. But it’s when the mogul added “author” to his list of expanding titles that the world began viewing him in a more sensitive light. Decoded showed a side of Hov that the world was not used to and shone light on his struggle from writing songs in the Marcy projects to rubbing shoulders with President Obama.By: Moriba Cummings (Photo: Courtesy Spiegel & Grau publishing)
Photo By Photo: Spiegel & Grau publishing
2 / 21
50 Cent, The 50th Law - Mr. Jackson has come a long way from his “Candy Shop” days. Taking a stab at writing, the rapper collaborated with author Robert Green to release The 50th Law, a book on strategy and courage, giving a semi-autobiographical account on 50’s rise to fame. (Photo: Harper Publishing)
3 / 21
Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Oh, Baby: Pregnancy Tales and Advice from One Hot Mama to Another - First of all, don’t you just love the title?! Tia wrote this fun, conversational mother-to-mother book about her experiences as a first-time mother, highlighting both the fulfilling and uncomfortable moments of mommyhood. If you want the real deal on what it means to be a mom for the first time, then Tia’s got you covered. (Photo: Avery Publishing)
4 / 21
Pharrell Williams, Places and Spaces I’ve Been - If any generation is going to listen to any celebrity author, Pharrell ranks pretty high on that list. Deemed the “cool kid” – who never ages – by many, Williams’ book is described as “redefining cool for a new generation.” Wanna be timelessly cool? Read Pharrell’s book! (Photo: Rizzoli)
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Steve Harvey, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man - The comedian's advice book sold millions, solidified him as a relationship expert and even spawned an equally successful movie starring Kevin Hart and Taraji P. Henson. Steve Harvey stays winning! (Photo: Amistad Publishing)
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6 / 21
Venus and Serena Williams, Serving From the Hip: 10 Rules for Living, Loving and Winning - When it comes to athletic success, especially in the realm of women’s sports, it doesn’t get any better than Serena and Venus Williams. In their book, they collaborated to give readers 10 guidelines for “living, loving, and winning” all while providing examples for each rule from their own lives. They call these personalized steps “the Sister Rules.” Gotta love it! (Photo: Courtesy of Sandpiper)
7 / 21
Janet Jackson, True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself - Janet's notoriously tight lipped about her personal life, but she gave fans a glimpse with 2011's True You. The international superstar shared her issues with body image and the journey to finally loving the skin she's in. Her fans seemed to eat this one up as it topped The New York Times Best Seller list. (Photo: Gallery Books/Karen Hunter Publishing)
8 / 21
Dwyane Wade, A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger than Basketball - Expanding his brand outside of the realm of basketball, the Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade penned this memoir on parenting, expressing his personal thoughts on fatherhood and highlighting the parallel from living in a single-parent household to now serving as one. He even touches on his mother’s personal struggle as a drug addict and how he came up from a life of struggle to one of high class. Deep stuff, indeed. (Photo: William Marrow Publishing)
Photo By Photo: William Marrow Publishing
9 / 21
Faith Evans, Keep the Faith - Stepping out of the shadow of her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans released Keep the Faith, a memoir revealing juicy details about what really went down between hip-hop rivals Tupac and Biggie, an alleged sexual relationship between Faith and the “California Love” rapper, and how both of the rappers attacked her. It’s pretty obvious that this book flew off the shelves like hot cakes.(Photo: Grand Central Publishing)
10 / 21
Cynthia Bailey Thomas and Peter Thomas, Carry-On Baggage: Our Nonstop Flight - The much talked about reality TV couple has experienced their fair share of trying times. From a rocky engagement to running businesses together and blending two families, Cynthia and Peter let it all hang out in their upcoming memoir. (Photo: Griffin Scott Press, LLC)
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11 / 21
Tyra Banks, Mondelland - Unlike many other celebrity authors in this bunch, Tyra Banks took a different approach of written expression — fiction. Known for her over-the-top personality, the originator of the “smize” wrote Modelland, a novel targeted for a young adult audience, to help young women build their self-esteem and sense of imagination. (Photo: Delacorte Books for Young Readers)
12 / 21
Antonia “Toya” Carter, Priceless Inspirations - Toya Carter experienced some heavy pain that no child should endure, especially at such a tender age. Not having a mother figure present, Toya went through a series of hardships, including becoming a teen mom. Seeking to inspire others with her story, the television personality published this book, giving young women words of wisdom so that they can avoid making the same mistakes she made. (Photo: Farrah Gray Publishing)
13 / 21
Evelyn Lozada, Inner Circle - Basketball Wives cast member Evelyn Lozada is not only a seasoned reality star, she's now also an author. Recently penning the book Inner Circle about female friendships, Lozada dishes on what it would possibly be like to be in her "circle." (Photo: Cash Money Content)
14 / 21
Niecy Nash, It’s Hard to Fight Naked - Niecy Nash is set on helping single ladies find true love. Her relationship book is a no-nonsense wake-up call for women who prefer to cry on about how there are no good men left rather than focus on their own self-improvement and priorities. Having recently married husband Jay Tucker, Nash is well equipped to give love advice. (Photo: Gallery Books)
15 / 21
Tyrese Gibson and Rev Run, Manology: Secrets of Your Man’s Mind Revealed - Who saw this collaboration coming? Though it's very unexpected, when Rev Run and Tyrese talk, we listen. Seemingly knowing the secrets to the man's mind, these two chop it up, giving women what they want to know about how men think. (Photo: Touchstone)
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16 / 21
Keith Sweat, Make It Last Forever: The Dos and Don’ts - Adding to the list of "make your relationship work" books, R&B veteran Keith Sweat wants to teach you how to not only make it work, but how to ultimately make it last. You’ve sparked our interest, Mr. Sweat. (Photo: Strebor Books)
17 / 21
Star Jones, Satan’s Sisters - Enough of the Kumbaya moments. Star Jones is bringing the drama to the bunch! A fictional novel some say is loosely based on her stint on The View, Satan’s Sisters focuses on the behind-the-scenes dramatics of a daytime television talk show. Sound familiar? (Photo: Gallery Books)
18 / 21
LL Cool J, Platinum 360 Diet and Lifestyle - Aggressive rap delivery, compulsively licking his lips and bulging muscles: these are mainly what legendary rapper LL Cool J are most known for. So, it’s only right that the “Mama Said Knock You Out” performer release books focusing on physical fitness. As a follow up to his 2006 Platinum Workout book, Platinum 360 is all about maintaining optimal health with a proper diet. (Photo: Rodale Books)
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Jada Pinkett-Smith, Girls Hold Up This World - Jada Pinkett-Smith is always doting on her kids, so it seems like second nature that the actress penned this children's book to empower young girls. Another reason to love Jada, right?! (Photo: CartweeI)
20 / 21
T.I., Trouble & Triumph - The King of the South is adding author to his list of accolades. T.I. wrote this book to show the public his transformation while exploring his troubles with the law. Taking a negative and turning it into a positive never looked so good. (Photo: Courtesy of William Morrow)