| Fat Joe | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Cartagena |
| Also known as | Crack, Joey Crack, Bronx Terra, Fat Joe Da Gangsta, Boogie Down Bronxster, Coca, Don Cartegena |
| Born | August 19 1970 |
| Origin | The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Hip Hop/Rap |
| Occupation(s) | Rapping |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1991 - present |
| Label(s) | Terror Squad Entertainment/ Imperial Records |
| Associated acts |
Jennifer Lopez Terror Squad D.I.T.C. DJ Khaled Ja Rule Lil Wayne Rick Ross Irv Gotti J. Holiday Mannie Fresh Mims |
| Website | fat-joe.com |
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He records for Imperial Records. Fat Joe also runs his own label Terror Squad Entertainment, where he is the CEO and main artist. In his career spanning fourteen years, Fat Joe has collaborated with the likes of Ja Rule, Ashanti, Thalia, Irv Gotti, Nas, Raekwon, Busta Rhymes, DMX, KRS-One, Nelly, Jadakiss, R. Kelly, The Game, Birdman, Lil Wayne, Jennifer Lopez, Mims, Jim Jones, Cam'ron, Eminem, J. Holiday, Lil Jon, Sean Combs, of course his own group Terror Squad, and The Diplomats. Fat Joe is best-known for his hit singles like "Lean Back", "Flow Joe", " Don Cartagena", "What's Luv", "Get It Poppin", and "Make It Rain".
Contents |
Biography
Fat Joe was raised in Forest Projects located at 156th street and Forest Avenue in the South Bronx. Fat Joe constantly got into fights. He regularly sold crack and was a well known pusher around his neighborhood and throughout the 5 boroughs. Fat Joe is also the proclaimed inventor of the lean back dance because he can't do much else being that large.
Music career
1993-1997: Early years
Under stage name "Fat Joe da Gangsta" and part of D.I.T.C.[1], Cartegena 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 Finesse, and others.[2] Its lead single "Flow Joe" 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".[3] 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.[4] The album featured a guest appearance from KRS-One and production from Diamond D.[5] The lead single was "Success", which did not chart, but his second single, "Envy" peaked at #8 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.[3] 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.
1998-2005: Signing to Atlantic Records, Terror Squad
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[4], eventually being certified gold by the RIAA.[6] The album featured two hit singles "Bet Ya Man Can't (Triz)", and "Don Cartagena".[3] 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.[7] 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 Murder 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.[6] However, Fat Joe's fifth album Loyalty, out in 2002 and featuring production from Irv Gotti, was not as successful. 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.[7] Three years 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.[8] All or Nothing spawned the singles "So Much More" and "Get It Poppin" featuring Nelly, also with guest appearances from Eminem, Ma$e, Remy Ma, Mashonda, and R. Kelly.
2006-present: Terror Squad Entertainment signing
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.[5] It was his first album since Jealous One's Envy not to receive RIAA certification. It featured the hit single "Make It Rain" with southern rapper Lil Wayne, followed by "No Drama (Clap and Revolve)". About a year after the release of Me, Myself, & I, Fat Joe announced plans for his eighth solo studio album The Elephant in the Room, to be distributed by Imperial Records, a division of Capitol Records and Terror Squad Entertainment.[9] Fat Joe has recently announced plans to hook up with British radio DJ Tony Blackburn. Fat Joe has admitted being a big fan of Tony's and it has been rumored they are working on a song together entitled "Dollars Pounds and the cheese."
Conflicts
G-Unit
Rapper 50 Cent attacked Fat Joe in his 2005 song "Piggy Bank" from his album The Massacre.[10][11] 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.[12] Fat Joe also released a track criticizing 50 Cent in his 2005 album All or Nothing titled "My Fofo" (referring to a .44 Magnum). 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."[13] 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.[14]
Terror Squad
Joe 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".[15] 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.[16]
Others
The song "Lean Back", in which Fat Joe performed in his Terror Squad group, was criticized twice by conservative columnist L. Brent Bozell III for its extensive use of obscene language.[17][18] In 2007, the Rev. 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.[19]
Discography
- 1993: Represent
- 1995: Jealous One's Envy
- 1998: Don Cartagena
- 2001: Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)
- 2002: Loyalty
- 2005: All or Nothing
- 2006: Me, Myself & I
- 2008: The Elephant in the Room
Mixtapes
- 2008: (Name not released; will be coming out before his next album The Elephant in the Room) [20]
Collaboration albums
With D.I.T.C.
- 2000: D.I.T.C.
With Terror Squad
- 1999: Terror Squad
- 2004: True Story
- 2008: A New Story[21]
Filmography
- Thicker Than Water (1999) - Lonzo Medina
- Prison Song (2001)
- Empire (2002)
- Scary Movie 3 (2003)
- Happy Feet (2006) - voice of Seymour
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of famous Cubans
- Latin rap
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
References
- ^ Fitzgerald, Trent. DITC biography at All Music Guide
- ^ "Represent" credits at All Music Guide
- ^ a b c Fat Joe single chart history at All Music Guide
- ^ a b Fat Joe Billboard album chart history at All Music Guide
- ^ a b Prato, Greg. Fat Joe. All Music Guide: 2006.
- ^ a b Fat Joe RIAA certification listings
- ^ a b Birchmeier, Jason. Terror Squad biography at All Music Guide
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "All or Nothing" - Overview. All Music Guide: 2005
- ^ Joel Madden Talks 'Future' Marriage With Nicole Richie; Plus Vanessa Hudgens, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Zack De La Rocha & More, In For The Record. MTV News: September 18, 2007.
- ^ Jeffries, David. "The Massacre" review. All Music Guide: 2005
- ^ Reid, Shaheem. 50 Cent Album Pushed Up. MTV News: February 22, 2005
- ^ Reid, Shaheem. Fat Joe Calls 50 Cent 'A Coward'. MTV News: February 25, 2005
- ^ http://playahata.com/hatablog/?p=829
- ^ Reid, Shaheem. Fat Joe Thought VMA Dis Might Lead To Fight With 50 Cent. MTV News: August 31, 2005.
- ^ HipHopGame.com - Fat Joe Interview
- ^ Nobody's Smiling: Triple Seis – Third Times a Charm
- ^ Bozell, L. Brent III (2004-08-06). Summer's Pop Music Meltdown. Parents Television Council. Retrieved on 2007-12-14.
- ^ Bozell, L. Brent III (2004-09-02). Toned Down Awards Shows. Parents Television Council. Retrieved on 2007-12-14.
- ^ Petipas, Jolene. "Stop Listening To Trash," Church Calls Out Rappers In New Campaign. SOHH.com: June 20, 2007
- ^ Reid, Shaheem. Mixtape Monday: 50 Cent Helps LL Cool J Recover From 'Weak' Album; Busta Rhymes' Hypeman Is Staying Put. MTV News: November 26, 2007
- ^ Terror Squad Sign New Deal With Koch Records. Boombox.co.uk: Oct. 23, 2007
External links
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| Albums | Represent · Jealous One's Envy · Don Cartagena · Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) · Loyalty · All or Nothing · Me, Myself & I · The Elephant in the Room |
| Singles | "Flow Joe" · "Watch the Sound" · "The Shit is Real" · "Success" · "Envy" · "Don Cartagena" · "Bet Ya Man Can't (Triz)" · "We Thuggin" · "What's Luv?" · "Crush Tonight" · "All I Need" · "So Much More" · "Get It Poppin'" · "Make It Rain" · "More Money" |
| Related articles | Discography · Terror Squad |
