Fat Joe

Background

Fat Joe is an accomplished solo artist and producer well-known in the world of rap. Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, was born on August 19, 1970, in the Bronx in New York City. He has Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage. He grew up in poverty and turned to a life of crime to support his family. However, once he was introduced to hip hop by his brother, he turned over a new leaf. In 1992, Cartagena joined the rap group D.I.T.C under the stage name Fat Joe da Gangsta and signed with Relativity Records. He released his debut album, “Represent,” in 1993. The album’s lead single, ‘Flow Joe,’ reached the top position on Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart.

In 1995, Cartagena met rapper LL Cool J at Chung King Studios and was invited to contribute to the song ‘I Shot Ya’ and appeared in the music video for the song. In 1998, he joined Atlantic Records and released his first album with them, entitled “Don Cartagena.” It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The following year, he appeared on singer Jennifer Lopez’s single ‘Feelin’ So Good.’ His fourth studio album, “Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)” featured a litany of rap heavyweights including Ja Rule, Ludacris, and Busta Rhymes. He released his sixth studio album, “All Or Nothing,” in 2005. Like his fourth album, “All Or Nothing” included a star-studded group of musicians including Nelly and Eminem.

By 2008, Cartagena had moved to Imperial Records and released his eighth album, “The Elephant in the Room,” with them. The album he released the following year, entitled “J.O.S.E. 2,” once again featured big names in the rap world like Akon, Lil Wayne, T-Pain, and Lil’ Kim. Cartagena migrated to E1 Music in 2010. He released several albums over the following six years, two of which both reached #27 on Billboard charts. During this period, he also appeared on singles for other artists including DJ Khaled and Dre.