Fat Joe
Encyclopedia
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name
Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment
, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad.
Fat Joe's first album was Represent, released in 1993, followed by Jealous One's Envy
in 1995. From 1998 to 2006, he was signed to Atlantic Records
, releasing four albums under the label, Don Cartagena in 1998, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)
in 2001, Loyalty in 2002, and All or Nothing
in 2005. Around the release of All or Nothing, Fat Joe became involved in a highly publicized feud with another New York City-based rapper 50 Cent
, who attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank
". His most popular song in which he performed was his Remy Ma
duet "Lean Back
" with Terror Squad
. The song was a number-one hit in the summer of 2004
.
Starting in 2006, when his album Me, Myself, & I was released, Fat Joe was signed to Imperial Records
, which distributes through Terror Squad Entertainment
. His follow up album wasThe Elephant in the Room
, which was released in 2008; Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2)
, the sequel to Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), was released in October 2009. His tenth album The Darkside Vol. 1 was released on July 27, 2010.
, where he was raised by parents of Puerto Rican and Cuban
descent. He lived in public housing
and began stealing at a young age to support his family. He also states that he was a bully in his childhood. His brother introduced him to rap music. As a teenager, he was highly influenced by fellow Latino
rapper Big Pun
. Fat Joe explained the rapper's influence on him by saying "Latinos before us who had the opportunity to do it just didn't know how to do it. They came in trying to do this black music, waving flags. [But] we're trying to kick in the doors for other Latinos and represent our people, and it shows."
" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart; other minor singles from the album included "Watch the Sound" and "This Shit is Real".
In 1995, Fat Joe released his second studio album, Jealous One's Envy
, which peaked at #71 on The Billboard 200 and at #7 on Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. The album featured a guest appearance from KRS-One and production from Diamond D. The lead single was Success, which did not chart, but his second single, "Envy" peaked at #8 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The success of this album led Fat Joe to be featured on the remix of LL Cool J
's single "I Shot Ya" along with Foxy Brown, Keith Murray
and Prodigy
of Mobb Deep
.
The album featured two hit singles "Bet Ya Man Can't Triz", and "Don Cartagena". Guest appearances included Nas, Diddy
, Big Pun, Raekwon
, Jadakiss
, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
. Within the album, Fat Joe debuted his own group Terror Squad that consisted of the late Big Pun, as well as Cuban Link, Triple Seis, Prospect, Armageddon and later Remy Ma. Joe himself acknowledged, in an interview with HipHopGame.com, that he has received criticism for releasing only one solo album by a former Terror Squad member, Remy Ma, as well as barely featuring original members Prospect and Armageddon on "True Story." Terror Squad singer Tony Sunshine has had possible album release dates pushed back over three years, and Joe had stated that artists Prospect and Armageddon have not released solo albums yet as the result of them being "really lazy". Former Terror Squad member Triple Seis also went on record when asked who had written Fat Joe's lyrics, stating that he and Pun were Joe's ghostwriters, and asserts that Joe continues to hire ghostwriters. In 1999, he appeared on Jennifer Lopez
's single "Feelin' So Good
" from her On the 6
album with late rapper Big Pun.
Fat Joe released his fourth album Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)
in 2001, featuring production from the then-popular Irv Gotti. The album featured a star-studded line up from the likes of Ashanti , Ja Rule
, N.O.R.E., Busta Rhymes
, Petey Pablo, M.O.P., Ludacris
, R. Kelly
, Buju Banton
, and artists from his Terror Squad label. The lead single "We Thuggin'
" featuring R. Kelly was a big hit in late 2001, but would not reach the level of the Irv Gotti-produced "What's Luv?
" which was a massive hit in early 2002 and featured The Inc. superstars Ja Rule
and Ashanti. The album was Fat Joe's biggest hit as it was successful from its January release all the way into May, being certified platinum. However, Fat Joe's fifth album Loyalty, released later in 2002 and featuring production from Irv Gotti, was not as successful.
In 2003, Fat Joe was featured in the pop single "I Want You
" by Mexican singer Thalía
. The same year, he and Tony Sunshine performed the single "Crush Tonight" from Loyalty on the Comedy Central program Chappelle's Show
, hosted by comedian Dave Chappelle.
Despite the setback, Fat Joe scored a number-one hit in 2004 with his group Terror Squad, collaborating with Remy Ma on the Scott Storch production "Lean Back
" from the album True Story. The song was criticized twice by conservative columnist L. Brent Bozell III for its extensive use of obscenity. However, Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic called the song "a perfect club-ready duet between Joe and Remy Ma that boasts a trademark Scott Storch
beat and a memorable singalong hook and dance-along step".
A year later, in 2005, Fat Joe released his sixth album All or Nothing
, noted for featuring the popular diss track "My Fofo", aimed at fellow New York rapper 50 Cent
, who had dissed Joe for recording with Ja Rule
. All or Nothing spawned the singles "So Much More" and "Get It Poppin" featuring Nelly, also with guest appearances from Eminem
, Mase, Remy Ma, Mashonda, and R. Kelly. Responding to "My Fofo", 50 Cent attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank
" from his best-selling 2005 album The Massacre
. Fat Joe subsequently attacked 50's street credibility and called him a "coward" on a phone interview with Kay Slay of New York City hip-hop radio station WQHT. The conflict carried on at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
, while Fat Joe introduced the reggaeton act featuring Daddy Yankee, Joe remarked, "I feel safe with all the police protection—courtesy of G-Unit
." Shortly after, when MTV switched to a commercial break, 50 Cent directed an obscenity at Joe, and 50 Cent jumped on stage as Fat Joe was leaving.
Me, Myself & I, released in 2006, is Fat Joe's seventh album. It was his first album released on his new deal with Virgin Records
. It featured the hit single "Make It Rain
" with southern rapper Lil Wayne
, followed by "No Drama (Clap and Revolve)". Fat Joe did a freestyle cipher segment for VH1
's "Freestyle 59" competition in October 2006 prior to the VH1 Hip Hop Honors featuring New Jersey emcee Neuse.
In June 2007, the Reverend Michael Pfleger targeted Fat Joe as among several rappers he believed promoted misogyny in his billboard campaign "Stop Listening to Trash", which was launched June 18, 2007 throughout Chicago, Illinois, where Pfleger preaches. Also that month, Fat Joe was featured in the DJ Khaled singles "We Takin' Over
" alongside Akon
, T.I.
, Rick Ross
, Birdman, and Lil Wayne
and the remix to Khaled's "I'm So Hood
" with Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy
, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes
, Big Boi
, Ludacris
, and Birdman. Verbal disputes between Fat Joe and 50 Cent continued during this time period: in September 2007, on the BET
program Rap City, 50 Cent accused Fat Joe of being cowardly for not willing to confront him, but Fat Joe dismissed this claim as nonsense. Later in January, 50 Cent released another Fat Joe diss, called "Southside Nigga (I'm Leaving)". At the end of January 2008, Fat Joe and his longtime accountant Brian Dittrich both denied rumors spreading on the Internet that Fat Joe owed the IRS in taxes.
Fat Joe's eighth solo studio album The Elephant in the Room
was distributed by Imperial Records
, a division of Capitol Records
and Terror Squad Entertainment, and released on March 11, 2008; its lead single was "I Won't Tell
" featuring singer J
. Holiday.
The album debuted at the sixth position on the Billboard Hot 100. "Ain't Sayin' Nuthin'" followed and featured Plies
.
On March 20, 2008, shortly after record sales were released for Fat Joe's new album The Elephant in the Room, 50 Cent released a video via his YouTube
account, which features the "funeral" of Fat Joe, which shows 50 Cent crying in the fake footage. 50 Cent then talks about Fat Joe's record sales, and states that he ended Fat Joe's career (like he says he did to Ja Rule's) and that his mixtape blew out Fat Joe's album.
, was released towards the end of June 2009. The project reprises the title of Joe’s 2002 RIAA-Certified Platinum release, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), and will mark Joe’s third release since bringing his Terror Squad imprint to the EMI
family in 2006. For this album, Joe has reached out to many artists, landing assists from Ron Browz
, Fabolous
, Lil' Kim
, T-Pain
, Lil Wayne
, and Akon
. Producers include Jim Jonsin
, The Inkredibles, and frequent collaborator StreetRunner
. "One
", featuring Akon
, was the first single. The album was released on October 6, 2009 and sold 11,000 copies in its first week. It debuted on The Billboard 200 at #73.
. MTV News reported that Fat Joe intended "all the material...to be much harsher" than his previous album. Production comes from The Alchemist
, Cool & Dre
, Streetrunner
, DJ Premier
, Scoop DeVille, Just Blaze
, Scram Jones
, Raw Uncut and DJ Infamous
with guest appearances by Busta Rhymes
, Trey Songz
, Lil Wayne
, R Kelly, Clipse
, Cam'ron
, Rico Love
, Too $hort
, TA and Young Jeezy
. The first single from The Darkside Vol. 1 is "(Ha Ha) Slow Down
," which features Young Jeezy. The second single off the album is "If It Ain't About Money
" and features Trey Songz
.
On March 28, 2010 Fat Joe signed a record deal with E1 Music.
The Darkside Vol. 1
was released on July 27, 2010 and sold approximately 12,000 copies in the first week and entered the Billboard 200 at #27.
On August 6, 2010 Fat Joe was interviewed on MTV RapFix Live by Sway. Fat Joe announced in the interview that he plans to record 2 more volumes of The Darkside and then retire.
and Young Lad and will feature Chris Brown.
On October 19, 2011 Another Round the first single off Joe's yet to be named eleventh studio album was released on iTunes
In 2008 He attended the grand opening of the Hip Hop Soda Shop in Miami which was community outreach project set up by Ben Chavis for the youth to hang out and do things such as record music, use the computers and play on Xbox 360s.
At a "School is Cool" assembly in Public School 5
in Jersey City, New Jersey
on June 11, 2009, Fat Joe was a speaker.
, Joe claimed to support gay rghts and has encouraged gay people and gay musicians to come out of the closet. He mentioned that it's likely there are several gay people in Hip Hop
industry who are in the closet, describing it as a "Gay Mafia".
His comments came after being asked to comment on Mister Cee
being arrested for public lewdness with a transgender.
In 2011, Fat Joe unveiled his latest weight loss efforts in the video for his song "Drop a Body" after shedding 88 pounds off his previous weight of 350 pounds. He has said although he loves to eat KFC, McDonald’s and other less healthy foods he had to stop due to losing several friends, including former Terror Squad member Big Pun
to obesity and he wanted to stay alive to see his children grow up. He lost the weight without the help of supplements and fad diets by combining 2 hour cardio and weight lifting sessions with proper eating habits. Instead of Burger King, KFC, and McDonald’s, he opted for smaller portioned meals of fruit, vegetables, and lean meats.
and was involved in convincing Amar'e Stoudemire to sign with them.
Fat Joe is also an avid sneaker collector, which could be seen in an episode of Bobbito Garcia
's show "It's the Shoes".
His favourite sneaker brand is Air Jordan
.
Joe was arrested again on May 12, 2002 for allegedly fighting with another man at B.B. King's Blues Club in Times Square
, but the charges were dropped on January 10, 2003.
In two murder cases, Fat Joe has been named a witness:
Joe's former bodyguard, Jose Mulero (also known as Sing Sing), was arrested on September 17, 2004 for the April 15, 1994 shooting death of 16-year-old Ernesto Rivera at a Bronx nightclub. Responding to a subpoena
, Fat Joe claimed to have heard the shooting and seen people fleeing the scene, but investigators argued that he was standing closer to Mulero, by a door.
Miami Beach police
also named Fat Joe as a witness in a Memorial Day double homicide outside David's Cafe II in South Beach
. Jermaine Wufgang Chamberline of Miami Gardens was accused of shooting Lessli Paz and Joey Navarro to death on that morning; Fat Joe and the two victims were sitting in a rented Cadillac Escalade
parked outside the restaurant when a fight broke out between passengers and another man.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment
Terror Squad Entertainment
Terror Squad Records is a hip hop record label founded by Fat Joe in The Bronx, New York. The label has been distributed by Atlantic Records, and Imperial Records and now E1 Music .-History:...
, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad.
Fat Joe's first album was Represent, released in 1993, followed by Jealous One's Envy
Jealous One's Envy
Jealous One's Envy is the second studio album by Fat Joe released in 1995. It fared well on the hip-hop charts.- Track listing :...
in 1995. From 1998 to 2006, he was signed to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, releasing four albums under the label, Don Cartagena in 1998, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)
Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)
Jealous Ones Still Envy is the fourth studio album by Fat Joe. The title is a reference to Fat Joe's second album, Jealous One's Envy. The album debuted at #37 on the Billboard 200 chart and peaked at #21 a few months later based on increased weekly sales and was certified platinum by the RIAA for...
in 2001, Loyalty in 2002, and All or Nothing
All or Nothing (Fat Joe album)
All or Nothing is the sixth studio album by Fat Joe, released on June 14, 2005. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 with 106,500 sold in the first week released and has sold about 293,000 copies to date.-Track listing:-Chart positions:...
in 2005. Around the release of All or Nothing, Fat Joe became involved in a highly publicized feud with another New York City-based rapper 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, who attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank
Piggy Bank (song)
"Piggy Bank" is the fifth track from 50 Cent's second album, The Massacre. It was not released as a single, but charted at eighty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 due to controversy over its attack on long-time rival Ja Rule, as well as Jadakiss and Fat Joe, who had worked with Ja Rule on his song...
". His most popular song in which he performed was his Remy Ma
Remy Ma
Reminisce Smith , better known by her stage name Remy Ma, formerly known as Remy Martin, is a Grammy nominated American rapper and former member of Fat Joe's rap crew, Terror Squad...
duet "Lean Back
Lean Back
"Lean Back" is a 2004 single from the Terror Squad's album True Story. It features Fat Joe and Remy Ma, and was produced by Scott Storch. Fat Joe raps verses one and three, and Remy handles verse two...
" with Terror Squad
Terror Squad (group)
Terror Squad is an American hip hop collective that was first established in 1998. Based in The Bronx borough of New York City, the members of Terror Squad collectively debuted on a song in member Fat Joe's album Don Cartagena...
. The song was a number-one hit in the summer of 2004
Hot 100 number-one hits of 2004 (USA)
The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the United States. Published by Billboard magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales and airplay. In 2004, there were 11 singles that topped the chart...
.
Starting in 2006, when his album Me, Myself, & I was released, Fat Joe was signed to Imperial Records
Imperial Records
Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI.- The independent and Liberty Records years :...
, which distributes through Terror Squad Entertainment
Terror Squad Entertainment
Terror Squad Records is a hip hop record label founded by Fat Joe in The Bronx, New York. The label has been distributed by Atlantic Records, and Imperial Records and now E1 Music .-History:...
. His follow up album wasThe Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room is the eighth studio album by Fat Joe. It was released on March 11, 2008.-Track listing:-Chart positions:...
, which was released in 2008; Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2)
Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2)
Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 is the ninth solo studio album by American rapper Fat Joe, and is a sequel to his platinum album J.O.S.E.. It is also the third album in his Jealous One's Envy series. After several delays, the album was released on October 6, 2009...
, the sequel to Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), was released in October 2009. His tenth album The Darkside Vol. 1 was released on July 27, 2010.
Early life
Fat Joe was born on August 19, 1970 in the southern Bronx area of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he was raised by parents of Puerto Rican and Cuban
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
descent. He lived in public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
and began stealing at a young age to support his family. He also states that he was a bully in his childhood. His brother introduced him to rap music. As a teenager, he was highly influenced by fellow Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
rapper Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
. Fat Joe explained the rapper's influence on him by saying "Latinos before us who had the opportunity to do it just didn't know how to do it. They came in trying to do this black music, waving flags. [But] we're trying to kick in the doors for other Latinos and represent our people, and it shows."
1992 - 1995: Early years
Under stage name Fat Joe da Gangsta and part of the Diggin' in the Crates (D.I.T.C.) rap group, Cartagena was signed to Relativity Records in the early 1990s, recording material and working with many artists who he would later sign to his own label. In 1993, his debut album, Represent, was released, featuring production from The Beatnuts, Diamond D, Lord Finess, and others. Its lead single, "Flow JoeFlow Joe
"Flow Joe" is the debut single of American rapper, Fat Joe, from his 1993 album Represent. It contains samples of "Get Out of My Life, Woman" by Lee Dorsey and "The Long Wait" by Morton Stevens.- Music video :...
" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart; other minor singles from the album included "Watch the Sound" and "This Shit is Real".
In 1995, Fat Joe released his second studio album, Jealous One's Envy
Jealous One's Envy
Jealous One's Envy is the second studio album by Fat Joe released in 1995. It fared well on the hip-hop charts.- Track listing :...
, which peaked at #71 on The Billboard 200 and at #7 on Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. The album featured a guest appearance from KRS-One and production from Diamond D. The lead single was Success, which did not chart, but his second single, "Envy" peaked at #8 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The success of this album led Fat Joe to be featured on the remix of LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
's single "I Shot Ya" along with Foxy Brown, Keith Murray
Keith Murray (rapper)
Keith Murray is an American rapper and a member of the rap trio Def Squad, which includes fellow rappers Redman and Erick Sermon.-Music career:...
and Prodigy
Prodigy (rapper)
Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....
of Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
.
1998 - 2005: Signing to Atlantic Records, Terror Squad, feud with 50 Cent
Released in 1998, Don Cartagena was Joe's third album and his first for Atlantic Records. It peaked on The Billboard 200 at #7 and #2 on Top R&B/Hip Hop albums, eventually being certified gold by the RIAA.The album featured two hit singles "Bet Ya Man Can't Triz", and "Don Cartagena". Guest appearances included Nas, Diddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, Big Pun, Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
, Jadakiss
Jadakiss
Jason Phillips , better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.-Early life:By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle...
, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is an American Hip-Hop/R'n'B band from Cleveland, Ohio formed in 1991. It originally consisted of rappers Layzie Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Bizzy Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Wish Bone. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone...
. Within the album, Fat Joe debuted his own group Terror Squad that consisted of the late Big Pun, as well as Cuban Link, Triple Seis, Prospect, Armageddon and later Remy Ma. Joe himself acknowledged, in an interview with HipHopGame.com, that he has received criticism for releasing only one solo album by a former Terror Squad member, Remy Ma, as well as barely featuring original members Prospect and Armageddon on "True Story." Terror Squad singer Tony Sunshine has had possible album release dates pushed back over three years, and Joe had stated that artists Prospect and Armageddon have not released solo albums yet as the result of them being "really lazy". Former Terror Squad member Triple Seis also went on record when asked who had written Fat Joe's lyrics, stating that he and Pun were Joe's ghostwriters, and asserts that Joe continues to hire ghostwriters. In 1999, he appeared on Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
's single "Feelin' So Good
Feelin' So Good
"Feelin' So Good" is the fourth single from Jennifer Lopez's debut album, On the 6 . Released in March 2000, it features rappers Big Pun and Fat Joe. Although it was released as the album's fourth single, Lopez wanted this song to be the lead single, instead of "If You Had My Love"...
" from her On the 6
On the 6
On the 6 is the debut studio album by American recording artist Jennifer Lopez, released on June 1, 1999 by Work Records. It debuted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 the week of June 19, 1999, with first-week sales of 112,000 copies, remaining in the top 20 for 11 weeks and on the chart...
album with late rapper Big Pun.
Fat Joe released his fourth album Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)
Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)
Jealous Ones Still Envy is the fourth studio album by Fat Joe. The title is a reference to Fat Joe's second album, Jealous One's Envy. The album debuted at #37 on the Billboard 200 chart and peaked at #21 a few months later based on increased weekly sales and was certified platinum by the RIAA for...
in 2001, featuring production from the then-popular Irv Gotti. The album featured a star-studded line up from the likes of Ashanti , Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
, N.O.R.E., Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Petey Pablo, M.O.P., Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
, and artists from his Terror Squad label. The lead single "We Thuggin'
We Thuggin'
"We Thuggin'" is a single by rapper Fat Joe featuring singer R. Kelly. It is a single from Fat Joe's 2001 album entitled Jealous Ones Still Envy ....
" featuring R. Kelly was a big hit in late 2001, but would not reach the level of the Irv Gotti-produced "What's Luv?
What's Luv?
Not to be confused with What's Love"What’s Luv?" is a single by rapper Fat Joe featuring singer Ashanti & Ja Rule on the chorus. The single peaked at #4 in the UK, and peaked and stayed for five weeks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 20, 2002. It was Ashanti's second top ten single, Fat...
" which was a massive hit in early 2002 and featured The Inc. superstars Ja Rule
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
and Ashanti. The album was Fat Joe's biggest hit as it was successful from its January release all the way into May, being certified platinum. However, Fat Joe's fifth album Loyalty, released later in 2002 and featuring production from Irv Gotti, was not as successful.
In 2003, Fat Joe was featured in the pop single "I Want You
I Want You/Me Pones Sexy
"I Want You" / "Me Pones Sexy" is the first single from the Mexican Latin pop singer Thalía's 2003 crossover studio album Thalía. The track features Fat Joe. The song peaked at number twenty two in the U.S. charts. Both songs were written by Cory Rooney, Davy Deluge, Gregory Bruno, Fat Joe, Thalía,...
" by Mexican singer Thalía
Thalía
Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda , known simply by the mononym Thalía , is a Mexican singer and actress. She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide...
. The same year, he and Tony Sunshine performed the single "Crush Tonight" from Loyalty on the Comedy Central program Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show
Chappelle's Show is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedian Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show as well as starring in various skits. Chappelle, Brennan and Michele Armour were the show's executive producers. The series premiered on January 22,...
, hosted by comedian Dave Chappelle.
Despite the setback, Fat Joe scored a number-one hit in 2004 with his group Terror Squad, collaborating with Remy Ma on the Scott Storch production "Lean Back
Lean Back
"Lean Back" is a 2004 single from the Terror Squad's album True Story. It features Fat Joe and Remy Ma, and was produced by Scott Storch. Fat Joe raps verses one and three, and Remy handles verse two...
" from the album True Story. The song was criticized twice by conservative columnist L. Brent Bozell III for its extensive use of obscenity. However, Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic called the song "a perfect club-ready duet between Joe and Remy Ma that boasts a trademark Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
beat and a memorable singalong hook and dance-along step".
A year later, in 2005, Fat Joe released his sixth album All or Nothing
All or Nothing (Fat Joe album)
All or Nothing is the sixth studio album by Fat Joe, released on June 14, 2005. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 with 106,500 sold in the first week released and has sold about 293,000 copies to date.-Track listing:-Chart positions:...
, noted for featuring the popular diss track "My Fofo", aimed at fellow New York rapper 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, who had dissed Joe for recording with Ja Rule
New York (Ja Rule song)
"New York" is a 2004 single by rapper Ja Rule, featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss, from his album R.U.L.E.. The track was produced by Cool & Dre, and the chorus is based around Boogie Down Productions' 1990 song, "100 Guns" The song peaked at #27 on the US Hot 100 chart, #14 on U.S...
. All or Nothing spawned the singles "So Much More" and "Get It Poppin" featuring Nelly, also with guest appearances from Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, Mase, Remy Ma, Mashonda, and R. Kelly. Responding to "My Fofo", 50 Cent attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank
Piggy Bank (song)
"Piggy Bank" is the fifth track from 50 Cent's second album, The Massacre. It was not released as a single, but charted at eighty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 due to controversy over its attack on long-time rival Ja Rule, as well as Jadakiss and Fat Joe, who had worked with Ja Rule on his song...
" from his best-selling 2005 album The Massacre
The Massacre
The Massacre is the second studio album by American rapper 50 Cent, released March 3, 2005 on Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records in the United States. Its initially planned release was pushed five days ahead to avoid Internet leakage. The album debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard...
. Fat Joe subsequently attacked 50's street credibility and called him a "coward" on a phone interview with Kay Slay of New York City hip-hop radio station WQHT. The conflict carried on at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
2005 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2005 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2005, honoring the best music videos from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. The show was hosted by Diddy at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida...
, while Fat Joe introduced the reggaeton act featuring Daddy Yankee, Joe remarked, "I feel safe with all the police protection—courtesy of G-Unit
G-Unit
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from New York City formed by 50 Cents. G-Unit emerged on the New York scene by independently releasing several mix tapes...
." Shortly after, when MTV switched to a commercial break, 50 Cent directed an obscenity at Joe, and 50 Cent jumped on stage as Fat Joe was leaving.
2006 - 2008: Me, Myself & I, The Elephant in the Room, the 50 Cent feud continued, and more
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. It featured the hit single "Make It Rain
Make It Rain
"Make It Rain" is the first single released from Fat Joe's album Me, Myself & I. It features Lil Wayne, who only sings the chorus , and was produced by Scott Storch. It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was nominated for a Grammy at the 2008 Grammy Awards...
" with southern rapper Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, followed by "No Drama (Clap and Revolve)". Fat Joe did a freestyle cipher segment for VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's "Freestyle 59" competition in October 2006 prior to the VH1 Hip Hop Honors featuring New Jersey emcee Neuse.
In June 2007, the Reverend Michael Pfleger targeted Fat Joe as among several rappers he believed promoted misogyny in his billboard campaign "Stop Listening to Trash", which was launched June 18, 2007 throughout Chicago, Illinois, where Pfleger preaches. Also that month, Fat Joe was featured in the DJ Khaled singles "We Takin' Over
We Takin' Over
"We Takin' Over" is the first single from DJ Khaled's second album, We the Best. T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman, Lil Wayne and Akon are all featured on this track. The song, produced by Danja, was released through the iTunes Store on March 27, 2007 and debuted at number 51 on Billboards Hot...
" alongside Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
, Birdman, and Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
and the remix to Khaled's "I'm So Hood
I'm So Hood
"I'm So Hood" is the second single off DJ Khaled's album We the Best . The song features Trick Daddy, Rick Ross, Plies and T-Pain. "I'm So Hood" was Khaled's best-known song and highest charting song until "I'm on One" peaked at #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2011.-Video:The video was shot in...
" with Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Big Boi
Big Boi
Antwan André Patton , better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André...
, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, and Birdman. Verbal disputes between Fat Joe and 50 Cent continued during this time period: in September 2007, on the BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
program Rap City, 50 Cent accused Fat Joe of being cowardly for not willing to confront him, but Fat Joe dismissed this claim as nonsense. Later in January, 50 Cent released another Fat Joe diss, called "Southside Nigga (I'm Leaving)". At the end of January 2008, Fat Joe and his longtime accountant Brian Dittrich both denied rumors spreading on the Internet that Fat Joe owed the IRS in taxes.
Fat Joe's eighth solo studio album The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room
The Elephant in the Room is the eighth studio album by Fat Joe. It was released on March 11, 2008.-Track listing:-Chart positions:...
was distributed by Imperial Records
Imperial Records
Imperial Records is a United States based label started in 1947 by Lew Chudd and reactivated in 2006 by label owner EMI.- The independent and Liberty Records years :...
, a division of Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
and Terror Squad Entertainment, and released on March 11, 2008; its lead single was "I Won't Tell
I Won't Tell
"I Won't Tell" is the first single from Fat Joe's album, The Elephant in the Room, and features J. Holiday. It was released on November 8, 2007 on Fat Joe's MySpace page. It was released through iTunes on December 4, 2007.-Chart positions:...
" featuring singer J
J (singer)
Chung Jae-Young , better known by her stage name J, is a Korean R&B/Soul artist who is known for her soft unique voice tone. She attended Northern Virginia Community College. She was discovered in a beauty pageant for Koreans in Washington D.C. The contest allowed her to get the attention of a...
. Holiday.
The album debuted at the sixth position on the Billboard Hot 100. "Ain't Sayin' Nuthin'" followed and featured Plies
Plies (rapper)
Algernod Lanier Washington , better known by his stage name Plies, is an American rapper and founder of Big Gates Records. Born in Fort Myers, Florida, Washington was a wide receiver on the football team of Miami University in Ohio in 1996 and 1997 before he became a rapper. After dropping out of...
.
On March 20, 2008, shortly after record sales were released for Fat Joe's new album The Elephant in the Room, 50 Cent released a video via his YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
account, which features the "funeral" of Fat Joe, which shows 50 Cent crying in the fake footage. 50 Cent then talks about Fat Joe's record sales, and states that he ended Fat Joe's career (like he says he did to Ja Rule's) and that his mixtape blew out Fat Joe's album.
2009: Jealous Ones Still Envy 2
Fat Joe's ninth solo studio album, J.O.S.E. 2Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2)
Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 is the ninth solo studio album by American rapper Fat Joe, and is a sequel to his platinum album J.O.S.E.. It is also the third album in his Jealous One's Envy series. After several delays, the album was released on October 6, 2009...
, was released towards the end of June 2009. The project reprises the title of Joe’s 2002 RIAA-Certified Platinum release, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), and will mark Joe’s third release since bringing his Terror Squad imprint to the EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
family in 2006. For this album, Joe has reached out to many artists, landing assists from Ron Browz
Ron Browz
Rondell Turner, better known by his stage name Ron Browz, is an American record producer and rapper. He has his own record label called Ether Boy Records.-Biography/career:...
, Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...
, Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
, T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, and Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
. Producers include Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
, The Inkredibles, and frequent collaborator StreetRunner
StreetRunner
Nicholas Warwar, better known as STREETRUNNER, is a Grammy Award Winning American record producer and DJ who works and lives in Miami, Florida. He first gained recognition in 2004 for producing Terror Squad's hit single, "Take Me Home". More recently he has gained fame for working with Lil Wayne on...
. "One
One (Fat Joe single)
"One" is the first single from rapper Fat Joe's album Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 . The song features Akon.-Background:"One" was released as the first single from Fat Joe's album J.O.S.E. 2...
", featuring Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, was the first single. The album was released on October 6, 2009 and sold 11,000 copies in its first week. It debuted on The Billboard 200 at #73.
2010: Signing to E1 Music and The Darkside
In January 2010, Fat Joe announced that he was working on a new album, The Darkside Vol. 1The Darkside Vol. 1
The Darkside Vol. 1 is the 10th solo studio album by rapper Fat Joe. The album was released July 27, 2010. Production came from Cool & Dre, Streetrunner, DJ Infamous, Just Blaze, Scram Jones, DJ Premier, Raw Uncut, and Scoop DeVille, with guest performances by Trey Songz, Too Short, R...
. MTV News reported that Fat Joe intended "all the material...to be much harsher" than his previous album. Production comes from The Alchemist
The Alchemist (producer)
Alan Daniel Maman , better known as The Alchemist, is an American hip hop producer, DJ and rapper. He hails from Beverly Hills, California...
, Cool & Dre
Cool & Dre
Cool & Dre are a team of hip hop producers from Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon.-Epidemic Records:...
, Streetrunner
StreetRunner
Nicholas Warwar, better known as STREETRUNNER, is a Grammy Award Winning American record producer and DJ who works and lives in Miami, Florida. He first gained recognition in 2004 for producing Terror Squad's hit single, "Take Me Home". More recently he has gained fame for working with Lil Wayne on...
, DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
, Scoop DeVille, Just Blaze
Just Blaze
Justin Smith, better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer from Paterson, New Jersey. Blaze is also the CEO of Fort Knocks Entertainment. He is most well known for producing Jay-Z songs on the albums The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2, and The Black Album. He is also known for...
, Scram Jones
Scram Jones
Marc Shemer, better known by his stage name Scram Jones, is a producer, DJ and emcee from New Rochelle, New York. He has produced music for the Wu-Tang Clan. Mariah Carey, Jae Millz, Saigon, and Lloyd Banks. As an emcee he has been featured alongside Nas, Saigon, Styles P, Kool G Rap and Immortal...
, Raw Uncut and DJ Infamous
DJ Infamous
Marco Rodriguez-Diaz, better known by his stage name Infamous, is a Grammy winning record producer and three-time world champion DJ.-Biography:Infamous is a Miami Based Music Producer most known for his work with rapper Lil Wayne...
with guest appearances by Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
, Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, R Kelly, Clipse
Clipse
Clipse is a Virginia Beach, Virginia-based hip hop duo. Formed in 1992 by brothers Malice and Pusha T , the group is heavily affiliated with production team The Neptunes and signed to Star Trak Entertainment.- Exclusive Audio Footage :The Thornton brothers were born in The Bronx, New...
, Cam'ron
Cam'ron
Cameron Giles , better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats , and also of The U.N. group....
, Rico Love
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"...
, Too $hort
Too $hort
Todd Anthony Shaw , better known by the stage name Too Short , is an American rapper, producer, and actor who started his career at the age of fourteen in East Oakland, Oakland, California.-Career:...
, TA and Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
. The first single from The Darkside Vol. 1 is "(Ha Ha) Slow Down
(Ha Ha) Slow Down
" Slow Down" is the first single off Fat Joe's upcoming tenth studio album The Darkside Vol. 1. It features rapper Young Jeezy. It also contains a short sample of Soul II Soul's "Back to Life " throughout the whole entire beat.-Remixes:Several rappers have recorded freestyles over the song's...
," which features Young Jeezy. The second single off the album is "If It Ain't About Money
If It Ain't About Money
"If It Ain't About Money" is the second single off Fat Joe's tenth studio album The Darkside Vol. 1. It features R&B singer Trey Songz.On May 22, 2010, Cool & Dre announced via Twitter that Fat Joe's second single, titled "It Aint About Money" featuring Trey Songz would be premièred on Funkmaster...
" and features Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
.
On March 28, 2010 Fat Joe signed a record deal with E1 Music.
The Darkside Vol. 1
The Darkside Vol. 1
The Darkside Vol. 1 is the 10th solo studio album by rapper Fat Joe. The album was released July 27, 2010. Production came from Cool & Dre, Streetrunner, DJ Infamous, Just Blaze, Scram Jones, DJ Premier, Raw Uncut, and Scoop DeVille, with guest performances by Trey Songz, Too Short, R...
was released on July 27, 2010 and sold approximately 12,000 copies in the first week and entered the Billboard 200 at #27.
On August 6, 2010 Fat Joe was interviewed on MTV RapFix Live by Sway. Fat Joe announced in the interview that he plans to record 2 more volumes of The Darkside and then retire.
2011 - Present: Darkside Vol. 2 mixtape and new album
In an interview with XXL Magazine on September 21, 2011 Fat Joe stated Darkside Vol. 2 is going to be his first ever official mixtape and will feature the Mark Henry produced songs Massacre on Madison and Drop a Body both of which were released earlier in the year. Joe went on to say he is also working on an album which is yet to be named but the first single will be called Another Round produced by Cool and DreCool and Dre
Cool & Dre are a team of hip hop producers from Miami, Florida, consisting of Marcello "Cool" Valenzano and Andre "Dre" Christopher Lyon.-Epidemic Records:...
and Young Lad and will feature Chris Brown.
On October 19, 2011 Another Round the first single off Joe's yet to be named eleventh studio album was released on iTunes
Community work
Fat Joe has been back to his old school in the Bronx, New York to donate computers for the students.In 2008 He attended the grand opening of the Hip Hop Soda Shop in Miami which was community outreach project set up by Ben Chavis for the youth to hang out and do things such as record music, use the computers and play on Xbox 360s.
At a "School is Cool" assembly in Public School 5
Jersey City Public Schools
The Jersey City Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district located in Jersey City, New Jersey. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide....
in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
on June 11, 2009, Fat Joe was a speaker.
Gay rights
During an interview with Vlad TVDJ Vlad
Vladimir Lyubovny, better known as DJ Vlad, is a disc-jockey and currently the Executive Vice President at Loud.com, part of the SRC/Universal family. He is also CEO of VladTV.com - a video website that many refer to as 'The TMZ of Hip-Hop'....
, Joe claimed to support gay rghts and has encouraged gay people and gay musicians to come out of the closet. He mentioned that it's likely there are several gay people in Hip Hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
industry who are in the closet, describing it as a "Gay Mafia".
His comments came after being asked to comment on Mister Cee
Mister Cee
Calvin LeBrun better known as Mister Cee or DJ Mister Cee, is an American hip hop DJ, radio personality on New York's Hot 97 FM, and a respected record producer. LeBrun is best known as the DJ for hip hop artist Big Daddy Kane during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
being arrested for public lewdness with a transgender.
Weight loss
By 1996, he weighed 300 pounds. In 2005, Stuff magazine and ContactMusic.com profiled Fat Joe's weight loss efforts.In 2011, Fat Joe unveiled his latest weight loss efforts in the video for his song "Drop a Body" after shedding 88 pounds off his previous weight of 350 pounds. He has said although he loves to eat KFC, McDonald’s and other less healthy foods he had to stop due to losing several friends, including former Terror Squad member Big Pun
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios , better known by his stage name Big Pun , was an American rapper who emerged from the underground rap scene in The Bronx in the late 1990s...
to obesity and he wanted to stay alive to see his children grow up. He lost the weight without the help of supplements and fad diets by combining 2 hour cardio and weight lifting sessions with proper eating habits. Instead of Burger King, KFC, and McDonald’s, he opted for smaller portioned meals of fruit, vegetables, and lean meats.
Basketball
Fat Joe is a huge fan of the New York KnicksNew York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and was involved in convincing Amar'e Stoudemire to sign with them.
Fashion
In the late 90's Fat Joe set up a clothing store called Halftime, a barber shop and a fashion label called FJ560.Fat Joe is also an avid sneaker collector, which could be seen in an episode of Bobbito Garcia
Bobbito Garcia
Robert "Bobbito" García , also known as Kool Bob Love and formerly known as DJ Cucumberslice, Bobbito The Barber, Make It Happen, Boogie Bob, Soul Food Bob, and Bag of Tricks, is a Puerto Rican DJ, writer, entrepreneur, streetball player/coach/announcer, sneaker connoisseur, and member of the Rock...
's show "It's the Shoes".
His favourite sneaker brand is Air Jordan
Air Jordan
Air Jordan, also known simply as Jordans, are a brand of shoes and athletic apparel produced by Nike originally designed for and endorsed by NBA Hall of Famer and Six Time NBA Champion Michael Jordan. The Air Jordan line is now sold by the Jordan Brand subsidiary of Nike...
.
Legal issues
On September 8, 1998, Fat Joe and Big Pun were arrested on assault charges for hitting a man with a baseball bat and stealing the man's gold chain on June 14 that year.Joe was arrested again on May 12, 2002 for allegedly fighting with another man at B.B. King's Blues Club in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, but the charges were dropped on January 10, 2003.
In two murder cases, Fat Joe has been named a witness:
Joe's former bodyguard, Jose Mulero (also known as Sing Sing), was arrested on September 17, 2004 for the April 15, 1994 shooting death of 16-year-old Ernesto Rivera at a Bronx nightclub. Responding to a subpoena
Subpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
, Fat Joe claimed to have heard the shooting and seen people fleeing the scene, but investigators argued that he was standing closer to Mulero, by a door.
Miami Beach police
Miami Beach Police Department
The Miami Beach Police Department is the police department of the U.S. city of Miami Beach, Florida, patrolling the entire Miami Beach area, although they sometimes cooperate with the county-wide Miami-Dade Police Department. The Miami Beach Police are famous for their bicycle patrols, which wear...
also named Fat Joe as a witness in a Memorial Day double homicide outside David's Cafe II in South Beach
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
. Jermaine Wufgang Chamberline of Miami Gardens was accused of shooting Lessli Paz and Joey Navarro to death on that morning; Fat Joe and the two victims were sitting in a rented Cadillac Escalade
Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle sold by the General Motors luxury brand, Cadillac. It was the division's first major entry into the popular SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's...
parked outside the restaurant when a fight broke out between passengers and another man.
Studio Albums
- Represent (1993, as Fat Joe da Gangsta)
- Jealous One's EnvyJealous One's EnvyJealous One's Envy is the second studio album by Fat Joe released in 1995. It fared well on the hip-hop charts.- Track listing :...
(1995) - Don Cartagena (1998)
- Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)Jealous Ones Still Envy is the fourth studio album by Fat Joe. The title is a reference to Fat Joe's second album, Jealous One's Envy. The album debuted at #37 on the Billboard 200 chart and peaked at #21 a few months later based on increased weekly sales and was certified platinum by the RIAA for...
(2001) - Loyalty (2002)
- All or NothingAll or Nothing (Fat Joe album)All or Nothing is the sixth studio album by Fat Joe, released on June 14, 2005. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 with 106,500 sold in the first week released and has sold about 293,000 copies to date.-Track listing:-Chart positions:...
(2005) - Me, Myself & I (2006)
- The Elephant in the RoomThe Elephant in the RoomThe Elephant in the Room is the eighth studio album by Fat Joe. It was released on March 11, 2008.-Track listing:-Chart positions:...
(2008) - Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2)Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2)Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 is the ninth solo studio album by American rapper Fat Joe, and is a sequel to his platinum album J.O.S.E.. It is also the third album in his Jealous One's Envy series. After several delays, the album was released on October 6, 2009...
(2009) - The Darkside Vol. 1The Darkside Vol. 1The Darkside Vol. 1 is the 10th solo studio album by rapper Fat Joe. The album was released July 27, 2010. Production came from Cool & Dre, Streetrunner, DJ Infamous, Just Blaze, Scram Jones, DJ Premier, Raw Uncut, and Scoop DeVille, with guest performances by Trey Songz, Too Short, R...
(2010) - TBA
Filmography
- Thicker Than WaterThicker Than Water (1999 film)Thicker Than Water is a 1999 film starring a host of rappers and urban entertainers such as Fat Joe, Mack 10, Ice Cube, MC Eiht, and others. The film contains rappers from both the East and the West Coast, as it was made after the end of the East Coast-West Coast feud.-Cast:*Mack 10 as DJ*Fat Joe...
(1999) - Lonzo Medina - Prison Song (2001)
- EmpireEmpire (2002 film)-Plot:Victor Rosa is a drug dealer in New York who sells a specific brand of heroin called "Empire". His area, or "turf", is located in the South Bronx, where his other rivals all maintain an uneasy truce. They generally respect each other's borders and sanctity...
(2002) - Scary Movie 3Scary Movie 3Scary Movie 3 is a 2003 American science fiction comedy film, which parodies the horror, sci-fi, and mystery genres, directed by David Zucker. It is the third film of the Scary Movie franchise, as well as the first to have no involvement from the Wayans family...
(2003) - As Himself - Happy FeetHappy FeetHappy Feet is a 2006 American-Australian computer-animated family film with music, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released...
(2006) - voice of Seymour
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- Latin hip hop
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
External links
- Official website (archived from 2009)