Terror Squad and DITC MC Fat Joe has been busy recently promoting his autobiography The Book Of Jose. In a recent interview with Video Music Box creator Ralph McDaniels, Joe spoke about the perils of friendships once an artist has reached a certain level of success.

"I tried to bring the whole hood along," Joe explained. "At one time we would ride around with 40 Cadillac trucks brand new, but Fat Joe paid for all of 'em. One day you learn that you can't hold down 40 guys!"

At one point in the conversation, McDaniels alludes to how 90s superstar rapper M.C. Hammer's financial downfall was due to trying to help and employ too many friends.

Joe mentions a valuable lesson that he learned from Hip-Hop mainstay LL COOL J.

"Listen, the one guy, LL COOL J is the one guy who I never met one of his friends," he recalls. "He never said this is Reggie, this is Junie... and one day we were hanging out at Chris Lighty's daughter's wedding and I asked, 'Yo L, how come I never met your friend?' He said, 'That's easy. When I first got on, I tried to take the whole Queens with me. When I went on tour and told 40 guys that I couldn't pay for them, they all said I wasn't shit. I learned my lesson early in the game.'"

Joe goes on to share that he learned the hard way and that his book contains many other stories of when keeping it real goes wrong. Joe told ROCK THE BELLS earlier this year that he would be taking a break from making music, and pursuing other avenues in entertainment. "I don’t think I’m making music no time soon," he said. "It’s just focusing on media, TV and opening businesses. I have a lot of investments I’ve been doing and I’m looking forward to growing as an entrepreneur."