In The Streets Win: 50 Years Of Hip-Hop Greatness, LL COOL J steps into the role of a cultural curator, threading together a narrative that's as grand as the genre itself.

The book, which marks the monumental 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, isn't just a celebration but a testament to the art form's journey from the margins to the mainstream. Essays from Hip-Hop's elite, including Nas, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, and E-40 anchor the coffee book, which is focused on bringing their individual music stories to life.

Check out four dope revelations from the book, which is available now.

#1 - Dr. Dre almost quit music all together when working on what would become The Chronic.

"I was driving on the 101 freeway headed to the studio and, on that drive, I was thinking about quitting. I had been working on music for The Chronic for at least a month, and everything I was doing either sounded like what I had already done or not as good as what I had already done. I started second-guessing my ability and whether music was what I was supposed to be doing, but I pushed those doubts aside and persevered." —Dr. Dre

#2 - DJ Premier always keeps both turntbables to the right of his mixer because his friend's dorm room desk would only allow that configuration.

"When I was still calling myself DJ Chris, my friend, Randy 'RP Cola' Pettis, taught me how to mix in his dorm room at Prairie View A&M University. He also had the turntables to the right because of the way the study desk connected to the wall." —DJ Premier

#3 - LL COOL J got his name because his original moniker was too long.

"It took me a while to find a name. I was Silver Streak, Rapper T, MC Deluxe, Lord Supreme, J-Ski, Cool J, and Ladies Love Cool James. I finally settled on LL COOL J only because Ladies Love Cool James was too long for the physical record labeling." — LL COOL J

#4 - Black Thought cites RC LaRock’s “The Micstro” as informing his early songwriting style.

"RC LaRock's 'The Micstro' was a prime example of a song that I would set the bar as a songwriter early on. It was one of those records where everybody didn't know every single word, but everybody—at least, everybody that I knew—knew those first four to eight bars... It had a huge impact on my young, impressionable mind and creative spirit." — Black Thought