Jay 'Jeezy' Jenkins Drew Crowds in Dallas and Fort Worth With a Motivational Memoir

Legendary recording artist Jay “Jeezy” Jenkins drew crowds to Bishop Art District's Centre store and The Dock Bookshop in Fort Worth last weekend to discuss and autograph his debut book, Adversity For Sale: Ya Gotta Believe. He had foreshadowed the accomplishment last year in his latest album: “Rob the dope game crook, I can write a book,” Jeezy raps in the song “SnoFall” from his 2022 album of the same title.

Written by the 45-year-old Atlanta native, the memoir is a lesson in transforming adversity into triumph, as told through his life story. Jeezy dedicated his debut book to the fans who have supported him from the beginning.

“This is for all my day-ones and everybody that’s been down with me since the beginning,” he wrote in an Instagram post in June. “This is the greatest story never told. In this motivational memoir, I use parts of my life story, every step, every mishap, every up and down that I’ve gone through to get to this point in my life to motivate the hustlers, entrepreneurs, and believers.”

Adversity For Sale: Ya Gotta Believe reveals untold stories in Jeezy’s life that he hopes will inspire readers to achieve their dreams no matter the obstacles. In a brief interview with the Observer at the end of the meet-and-greet, Jeezy said he found closure following the completion of each chapter in the memoir.

“I think the whole book was closure,” he said. “For the first time I was journaling and writing things down. Every chapter had something in there I had to deal with and face. It wasn’t just for the readers, Adversity For Sale, it was for myself as well.”

Jeezy was eager to mingle with fans of all ages as he shared that one of his best shows ever was in Dallas.

“The first time I came here for a real show, it was a club,” he said. “I forget the name of the club, but I came and, you know, it’s Dallas, so I didn’t expect them to know the music. They knew that shit word for word. Probably one of the best shows I’ve ever had, yeah.”

After being introduced to the world as Young Jeezy, formerly Lil J, with the hit song “Soul Survivor” in 2005, Jeezy released 14 studio albums. They've sold more than 30 million units worldwide and include songs such as “Put On,” “My President,” and “”R.I.P.” Beyond music, Jeezy and his  ambitions have turned him into a mogul with a lucrative portfolio that includes real estate, spirits, sports, water and now books.

Published by HarperCollins Leadership, Adversity For Sale: Ya Gotta Believe is available in hardcover, digital and audiobook formats.

At Centre, surrounded by Jeezy’s hit songs playing on the store speakers, fans were treated to bites while reading chapters from the memoir upon Jeezy’s arrival. Cheers erupted as Jeezy walked through the sea of fans taking photos and gifting him unique memorabilia.

“As the minutes passed, I settled comfortably in my chair, breaking down seven chapters of the captivating memoir,” said Loriel Fisher on her experience meeting Jeezy. “His vibe was effortlessly smooth, approachable, and effortlessly cool, instantly capturing the undivided attention of everyone in the room. When my turn finally arrived to have my book signed, I embraced him, and all I could think was, this man just wrote a book that speaks to me on a deep level. It's authentic, it's raw, and it's a true reflection of the way things go down, no sugarcoating. Jeezy, you're the real deal.”

“Meeting Jeezy was truly amazing,” said Derrick Showers of Oak Cliff. “To see somebody grow and change their life is always a blessing and truly inspiring.”

On Instagram, @One4Sneakers wrote: “It's not every other day you get to meet one of the icons of hip-hop over the last two decades whether you been listening since TM 101 or to Recession 2, Jeezy has always been one of favorite artists. His book is filled with great knowledge based from his experiences but one thing sticks with me the most. Loyalty ain't word, it's a lifestyle.”

In music and business, Jeezy has always drawn fans and sold products with his motivational message and storytelling — both elements have been present in his music since his debut album, Thug Motivation 101 (CTE/Def Jam).

“That’s my connection with the people and my purpose,” said Jeezy, explaining how he has always promoted motivation in his music. “For me, it’s not even about the music. The music is just how we relate, right? The purpose is leading by example, so even if I’m going to do music, I’ll speak on it in a way the people understand where I’m coming, they’re going to want to do better because I want to do better. I want us all to do better.”

Jeezy isn’t done with the literary business. He plans to follow up his memoir with a self-help book.

“Self-help for sure,” he said. “I ain’t got that far yet, but I’m thinking. My wheels are turning.”