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FAT JOE

Artist profile

Joseph Antonio Cartagena a.k.a. Fat Joe

Born: August 19, 1970 in New York City, New York, U.S.

Years active: 1992 - present

“Everybody knows Fat Joe's in town - nuff respect for the Boogie Down...”

Born August 19th, 1970 in the Bronx area of New York City, Fat Joe was heavily influenced by the Zulu Nation culture (and parties) as a youth. His brother, Angel, would bring home tapes of the music played at these events, and the original sounds piqued the interest of young Joe.

As he got older, he became involved in the whole Hip Hop culture, taking a liking to not only rap, but graffiti art and breakdancing as well. Fat Joe joined a tight-knit team of South Bronx natives, who were heavily involved in the drug trade. It was here that his name “Joey Crack” came about. However, returning to his younger roots, Fat Joe discovered in time that his true love was indeed music.

He used his long-standing street credibility and brewing talent as a rapper to get a music deal with Relativity Records. Under them, Joe became Fat Joe Da Gangsta and released his debut album, Represent, in 1993. To the surprise of many, this small-time Spanish rapper scored a No. 1 hit with the track “Flow Joe.” He became a sensation in the New York Hip Hop scene and continued to ride the wave two years later when he came out with Jealous One’s Envy.

Fat Joe caught the eye of fans across America for rapping from a true “gangster’s” perspective, about the harsh realities of the world he grew up in. With the golden touch of producer DJ Premier, the album caught the eye of many a fan and fellow rapper. Fat Joe collaborated, and consequently got more exposure, with the likes of L.L. Cool J and Raekwon soon after. This growth in popularity led Fat Joe to seek a bigger target market, and he was able to land a deal with Big Beat/Atlantic Records. In 1998, the album Don Cartagena became his best effort yet — a socially conscious album that reflected, among other things, the profound influence a meeting with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan had on him.

With its success, Atlantic put newcomers Big Pun and the crew the Terror Squad under Fat Joe’s wing. Both artists made huge steps under the guidance of Joe, including smash hits like “Feelin’ So Good” alongside Jennifer Lopez. In a short time, Joe, Pun and the rest of the Squad had several Billboard hits and established a name for themselves in the rap industry. All the celebrating came to a halt, however, in February 2000, when Big Pun suffered a fatal heart attack. The 600-pound rapper was Fat Joe’s best friend and the loss, coupled with a sister stuck in a coma, hit him very hard. With nowhere to concentrate his energies, he turned toward music once again.

2001’s Jealous One’s Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) became a platinum-selling album, and featured the most played single in Atlantic Record’s history: “What’s Luv,” performed alongside R&B’s new queen, Ashanti. The rest of the album was replete with rap all-stars, including Busta Rhymes and Ludacris. To ride the wave of hits, Joe worked quickly to release his fifth album, Loyalty, in 2002. It showed an honest, original and creative side, including one of rap’s first real love songs, dedicated to Joe’s wife.

When not touring or promoting his latest album, Fat Joe connects with the community in the Bronx. He owns a barbershop, a clothing store called Fat Joe’s Halftime, and runs a fashion line, FJ560.

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Movies

I Like It Like That

I Like It Like That

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Rap Trap: Hip-Hop on Trial

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Prison Song

Prison Song

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Happy Feet

Happy Feet

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Empire

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Whiteboyz

Whiteboyz

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Outlawz: Worldwide

Outlawz: Worldwide

East Coast natives Napoleon, Young Noble, Edi and Kastro attempt to unify the thug nation....

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All Up in the Biz

All Up in the Biz

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Hip-Hop @ 50: Rhythms, Rhymes & Reflections – A Soul of a Nation Presentation

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Honouring Juneteenth and Black Music Month, this primetime special will detail the history of hip-hop, providing insight into its origins, g...

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Urban Menace

Urban Menace

An insane preacher seeks retribution from the local crime syndicate for the violent death of his family and the burning of his church in a h...

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The Fabulous Chi Ali

The Fabulous Chi Ali

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Paper Chasers

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The Greatest Mixtape Ever

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Narx

Narx

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The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports

The Crossover: 50 Years of Hip Hop and Sports

Fifty years ago in the Bronx, a new genre of music was born, the product of a people searching for their voice and the opportunity to be hea...

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Hustle

Hustle

After discovering a once-in-a-lifetime player with a rocky past abroad, a down on his luck basketball scout takes it upon himself to bring t...

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This Is Me…Now

This Is Me…Now

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179th Street

179th Street

New York City in the 1980's, the Latino Drug Lords' War is fueled by "Crack", while a boy chained to radiator witnesses it all. Based on two...

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Cope 2 Kings Destroy

Cope 2 Kings Destroy

NYC Graffiti Documentary "Kings Destroy" straight from the boogie down Bronx and right into your living room, with guest appearances by KRS-...

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The Greatest Love Story Never Told

The Greatest Love Story Never Told

Follow Jennifer Lopez as she attempts her most daring project yet: independently producing a new album and cinematic original that explore h...

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Jennifer Lopez | Feelin' So Good

Jennifer Lopez | Feelin' So Good

This DVD includes the following perfomances: If You Had My Love (1999 VH-1 Fashion Awards), If You Had My Love (video) Madison Square Garden...

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Straight Stuntin Chronicles: Volume 3 - The Man in the Mirror

Straight Stuntin Chronicles: Volume 3 - The Man in the Mirror

A Short Film Series by DJ Kay Slay...

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Thicker Than Water

Thicker Than Water

In Los Angeles, two rival gang leaders are also trying to be music producers. When DJ's equipment shorts out and Lonzo is cut out of the act...

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Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives

Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives

Exploring the social impact of what The Source Magazine in 1998 voted, "The Best Hip Hop Radio Show Of All-Time." The documentary film is th...

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Supermodel

Supermodel

A young girl from the Brooklyn housing projects goes from the subway to the runway becoming one of the most sought after models in the fashi...

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Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth

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FEEL RICH: HEALTH IS THE NEW WEALTH documents the nascent self-love revolution emerging in urban communities. Narrated by Quincy Jones III, ...

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Lady Rider

Lady Rider

A dirty police sergeant and a drug kingpin try to clean up their own organization by murdering all the street snitches while attempting to f...

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Blazin'

Blazin'

The daughter of a druglord and the son of the chief of police fall in love in this Romeo & Juliet-esque street drama....

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Scary Movie 3

Scary Movie 3

In the third installment of the Scary Movie franchise, news anchorwoman Cindy Campbell has to investigate mysterious crop circles and killin...

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Checkmate

Checkmate

In the streets of New York City, a drug war is brewing between bikers and the local drug dealers. A group of corrupt cops have taken the lea...

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Night School

Night School

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Savage X Fenty Show

Savage X Fenty Show

The Savage X Fenty Show gives a look into Rihanna's creative process for her latest lingerie collection. Modeled by incredible, diverse tale...

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Fearless

Fearless

A teen gamer is forced to level up to full-time babysitter when his favorite video game drops three superpowered infants from space into his...

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Big Pun: Still Not a Player

Big Pun: Still Not a Player

Still Not A Player takes us on an intimate journey through the life of Christopher "Big Punisher" Rios via the stories of those closest to h...

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Big Pun Live

Big Pun Live

BIG PUN LIVE chronicles the life and times of the multi-talented rapper/actor Christopher "Big Pun" Rios. His short but substantial career i...

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The Cookout 2

The Cookout 2

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