What books does Nipsey Hussle recommend?
The Nipsey Hussle book recommendations here trace the reading of a Grammy-winning rapper and entrepreneur who championed economic independence and ownership through his Marathon philosophy in South Los Angeles. Sixteen titles are drawn from interviews with The Breakfast Club, Complex, Clash and GQ, and the founding list of his Marathon Book Club. Society and politics dominate, alongside psychology, philosophy, self-improvement and business. He credited Jonah Berger's Contagious with the idea to sell his Crenshaw mixtape for a hundred dollars, citing the story of a Philadelphia restaurant that charged that much for a cheesesteak. He calls David Hawkins's Power vs. Force the most powerful book he has read in the last ten years, and describes Sam Greenlee's The Spook Who Sat by the Door as one of his underlying strategies. His Marathon Book Club list also spans works on Black economic empowerment and history. Hussle did not author any books.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
Contagious
Why Things Catch On
byJonah Berger
2013256 Pages“When asked how he got the idea [to sell the Crenshaw mixtape for $100] he mentioned reading Contagious... One of the first stories is about a restaurant owner in Philly who charged a hundred dollars for a cheesesteak and people came from all over to buy it.”
— Nipsey Hussle
Source: Interview on marketing 'Crenshaw' mixtape
Read by Nipsey Hussle
bySam Greenlee
2022208 Pages“I read that book... it's about a gang member from Chicago who presented himself in a way he never got no cases... he infiltrated the CIA... used their agenda... against them... one of my underlying strategies.”
— Nipsey Hussle
Source: The Breakfast Club Interview, 2018
Power vs. Force
The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior
byDavid R. Hawkins
2014416 Pages“The most powerful book I've read in the last ten years... There's a chapter called the 'Levels of Human Consciousness' and what the whole premise is that basically the power of frequency of your action is informed by the intention.”
— Nipsey Hussle
Source: Clash Magazine Interview, February 2019
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Violate Them at Your Own Risk!
byAl Ries, Jack Trout
1994143 Pages“I read that book and it fucked me up because the first chapter was like don't expand your brand too much because it can like a certain car brand right try to make so many different models and in that they lose their focal point.”
— Nipsey Hussle
Source: YouTube Interview (Bluefox89) / Forbes
Read by Nipsey Hussle
Three Magic Words
The Key to Power, Peace and Plenty
byUell S. Andersen
1954319 Pages“It's about the power of the mind. It's about the projection of your thoughts into reality... That's one of them books that changed the way I think and really empower my thoughts.”
— Nipsey Hussle
Source: Interview (ALTV, 2014) / Complex 2010
Read by Nipsey Hussle
byGeorge L. Jackson
1972197 PagesSource: Complex Magazine Interview, 2010
Read by Nipsey Hussle
byElijah Muhammad
2009355 PagesSource: Gifted to T.I. (confirmed by T.I.)
Read by Jay-Z, Ryan Holiday, Steven Bartlett and 4 others
byRobert Greene
1998480 PagesSource: Complex Magazine Interview, 2010
Read by Nipsey Hussle
PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America
The National Plan to Empower Black America
byClaud Anderson
2001288 PagesSource: Blueprint for business philosophy (endorsed by Dr. Claud Anderson)
Read by Nipsey Hussle
Sacred Woman
A Guide to Healing the Feminine Body, Mind, and Spirit
byQueen Afua
2001496 Pages“What was the last book I read? I don't know the title, I know the author... there you go, Sacred Woman. I'm in tune, man.”
— Nipsey Hussle
Source: GQ 'Ask 30 Questions' with Lauren London
Read by Grant Cardone, Dave Ramsey, Jim Rohn and 3 others
byGeorge S. Clason
1926144 PagesSource: Core component of The Marathon Book Club founding list
byJay-Z
2010336 PagesSource: Included in 'The Marathon Book Club' official reading list
Read by Jay-Z, Nipsey Hussle
byTa-Nehisi Coates
2015176 PagesSource: Included in 'The Marathon Book Club' reading list
Read by Grant Cardone, Dave Ramsey, Steve Harvey and 10 others
Think and Grow Rich
The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century
byNapoleon Hill
2005320 PagesSource: Frequently cited by close associates (Rashad Bilal)
Read by Jeff Bezos, Mark Cuban, James Clear and 1 others
Rework
Change the Way You Work Forever
byJason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
2010288 PagesSource: Included in 'The Marathon Book Club' reading list
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Nipsey Hussle recommend?
His 16 recommendations include Contagious by Jonah Berger, Sam Greenlee's The Spook Who Sat by the Door, David Hawkins's Power vs. Force, Al Ries and Jack Trout's The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, and The Richest Man in Babylon.
What is Nipsey Hussle's most powerful book?
Hussle called David R. Hawkins's Power vs. Force the most powerful book he had read in the last ten years, praising its chapter on the Levels of Human Consciousness and its premise that the power or frequency of your action is informed by your intention.
Which book inspired Nipsey Hussle's business moves?
He credited Jonah Berger's Contagious with the idea to sell his Crenshaw mixtape for a hundred dollars, pointing to its opening story about a Philadelphia restaurant owner who charged a hundred dollars for a cheesesteak and drew customers from all over.
Where do Nipsey Hussle's book recommendations come from?
They come from interviews with The Breakfast Club, Complex, Clash and GQ, other recorded conversations, and the reading list of his Marathon Book Club.
What genres did Nipsey Hussle read most?
His list is dominated by society and politics and by psychology and human behavior, with strong threads of self-improvement, philosophy and business aimed at ownership and empowerment.
All 16 Books Nipsey Hussle Has Recommended
- Contagious · Jonah Berger
- The Spook Who Sat by the Door · Sam Greenlee
- Power vs. Force · David R. Hawkins
- The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing · Al Ries
- Three Magic Words · Uell S. Andersen
- Blood in My Eye · George L. Jackson
- Message to the Blackman in America · Elijah Muhammad
- The 48 Laws of Power · Robert Greene
- Soul on Ice · Eldridge Cleaver
- PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America · Claud Anderson
- Sacred Woman · Queen Afua
- The Richest Man in Babylon · George S. Clason
- Decoded · Jay-Z
- Between the World and Me · Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Think and Grow Rich · Napoleon Hill
- Rework · Jason Fried