FAT JOE – The Life Story of Joseph Antonio Cartagena
Introduction
Joseph Antonio Cartagena, widely recognized as Fat Joe, is an American rapper and actor hailing from the Bronx, New York. He is alternatively referred to as ‘Joey Crack’ and ‘Fat Joe da Gangsta.’ He is a member of the music collectives ‘Terror squad’ and ‘D.I.T.C.’ In addition to his career as a rap musician, he has achieved success as an entrepreneur and currently holds the position of executive chief at the entertainment firm, ‘Terror Squad Entertainment’.
Initially, he collaborated with many musicians and subsequently recruited them to his personal record company. He has published numerous studio albums and singles. Jealous Ones Still Envy or J.O.S.E. was his most financially lucrative record. The duet Lean Back that he performed with Remy Ma gained significant popularity.
The Early Life of Fat Joe
- Birth and Childhood
Joseph Antonio Cartagena, known as Fat Joe, was born on August 19, 1970, in South Bronx, New York City. His parents are of Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage. He was raised in a public housing complex in a challenging neighborhood and turned to burglary to supplement his family’s finances. Residing in the Forest Houses, a publicly-funded residential complex in the Morrisania area of the South Bronx, Fat Joe commenced engaging in theft at a tender age in order to provide for his family.
Additionally, he acknowledges that he engaged in bullying behavior during his upbringing. He was introduced to music by his elder sibling, and he absorbed both Latin and Zulu music. His formative years were shaped by the musical contributions of ‘Furious Five,’ ‘Funky 4 + 1,’ and ‘Theodore.’ He derived inspiration from his environment to compose lyrics.
Fat Joe’s Professional Pursuit in the Field of Music
During the early 1990s, Fat Joe entered into a contractual agreement with ‘Relativity Records’ as a member of the D.I.T.C. (Diggin In The Crates crew) group, using the stage name ‘Fat Joe da Gangsta.’ In 1993, he unveiled his first album, titled Represent. The album featured compositions by renowned artists such Diamond D., Lord Finesse, and The Beatnuts, among others. The lead single from the album, titled Flow Joe, reached the top spot on the ‘Billboard Hop Rap Singles’ list. Watch the Soundand This Shit is Real where additional singles were released from the same album.
The album Jealous One’s Envy was released in 1995 as his second studio album. It featured collaborations with Diamond D. and the renowned artist, KRS-One. One track, titled Envy, from this album achieved the 8th position on the ‘Hot Rap Tracks’ chart. The album also featured the track Watch Out, which showcased the collaboration between Fat Joe and renowned Latino rapper Big Pun. Fat Joe had been deeply affected by Big Pun’s music since his adolescence. Joe also made contributions to the recordings of other artists, like as ‘LL Cool J.’
In 1998, he joined ‘Atlantic Records’ and released his third album, titled Don Cartagena. It achieved the seventh position on the ‘Billboard 200’ chart and received a gold certification from the RIAA. The album had notable collaborations with Big Pun, Diddy, Raekwon, Jadakiss, and other artists. Additionally, the album marked the introduction of Joe’s own musical collective, ‘Terror Squad.’
The ‘Terror Squad’ consists of Carbon Link, Triple Seis, Prospect, Late Big Pun, Armageddon, and Remy Ma (who joined thereafter). The album’s most renowned singles were Don Cartagena and Bet Ya Man Can’t Triz. Joe was prominently showcased in Jennifer Lopez’s 1999 hit track Feelin So Good.
In 2001, his fourth album titled Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) included a multitude of renowned collaborators like as Irv Gotti, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Ashanti, R. Kelly, Busta Rhymes, Buju Banton, and other more. It was his most successful record, achieving platinum certification. The song We Thugginby R. Kelly gained popularity, while Irv Gotti’s What’s Luv? starring Ja Rule and Ashanti achieved significant success.
Fat Joe’s fifth album, Loyalty, released in 2002, did not achieve the same level of commercial success as his previous record. In 2004, he contributed to the recording of the second album, True Story, by the music group ‘Terror Squad.’ The song titled Lean Back, which features Joe and Remy Ma, achieved tremendous success.
Joe’s sixth album, titled All or Nothing, was released in 2005. The album had notable collaborations with Eminem, Nelly, R. Kelly, Mase, and various more artists. The album also featured the song My Fofo, which contained critical commentary towards ’50 Cent,’ a fellow rapper hailing from New York. In response, 50 Cent released his own single titled Piggy Bank, thereby perpetuating the animosity between the two artists.
In 2006, he released his seventh album titled Me, Myself & I, marking his debut with the new record label, ‘Virgin Records.’ The album featured the popular track Make It Rain performed by Lil Wayne. His eighth individual album, titled The Elephant In The Room, made its debut at the sixth position on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ chart and was distributed by Imperial Records.
J.O.S.E.2 marked his ninth album and made its debut at the 73rd position on the ‘Billboard 200′ chart. The album showcased several musicians, such as Fabolous, Ron Browz, Lil’ Kim, T-Rain, and the initial track, One, was performed by Akon. The album The Darkside Vol. 1 by Fat Joe was published on the E1 label in July 2010 and achieved a ranking of 27 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album had two singles: (Ha Ha) Slow Down and If It Ain’t About Money.
In addition, Joe made contributions to the work of other musicians and had an appearance on a remix of DJ Khaled’s Welcome To My Hood. In 2011, he debuted his inaugural mixtape, titled The Darkside Vol.2. In that same year, Joe released the singles Another Round and Yellow Tape as a preview of his upcoming 11th studio album, which had not yet been given a title.
Following a hiatus of nearly a decade, he achieved a ‘Top 40’ chart success with his single, All the Way Up, reaching the 27th position on the ‘Hot 100’ chart. This track was included in the album Plato O Plomo released in 2017, and it showcased the collaboration of Fat Joe and Remy Ma. In 2018, he released his 11th solo album titled Family Ties, which featured the single Pick It Up in collaboration with Dre.
Fat Joe has had appearances in several films, such as Thicker than Water (1999), Empire, and Happy Feet (2006), among others. He has also been featured in the Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It (2017 – present).
In addition to his singing career, he has also engaged in several business endeavors, including a fashion-line called ‘FJ560,’ a barber shop, and a clothes store named ‘Fat Joe’s Halftime.’
- Net Worth
The American rapper and musician possesses an approximate net worth of $6 million. Fat Joe’s main operations are centered in New York, where he manages his business and possesses several real estate holdings, including his apartment in New York City. In addition, he own real estate assets in Los Angeles and Chicago. He possesses a selection of luxury automobiles, such as a Range Rover, a Toyota Corolla, and a Chevrolet, which he predominantly favors.
- Awards and Recognitions
Fat Joe has received four Grammy Award nominations and one MTV Video Music Award nomination.
In 2005, he received a ‘ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Award’ for his song What’s Luv? and in 2006, he was honored with a Billboard Latin Music Award for his song I Don’t Care/Que Mas Da (Dance Remixes).
A Trajectory of Fat Joe’s Personal Life
During a certain period of time, Fat Joe was involved in a minimum of three distinct romantic partnerships. Karrine Steffans, a renowned author, and Fat Joe are engaged in a romantic relationship. Furthermore, he has maintained a long-term love relationship with model and shoe designer Emily Bustamante. He is thought to have initiated an extramarital relationship with her in 2004.
Several gossip magazines even insinuated that she played a role in his alleged separation from his wife Lorena in 2012. The hip-hop singer and producer married Lorena in 1995. Fat Joe and Lorena Cartagena have been in a marital relationship for a duration exceeding 28 years. Joey, born in 1992, is Fat Joe’s eldest child from a previous marriage and holds the position of the eldest among the couple’s offspring.
In 2003, the couple experienced parenthood for the first time with the birth of their son, whom they named Ryan. Ryan is following in the footsteps of his father, who is both a musician and a DJ, by pursuing a career in music and DJing. Azariah Cartagena, the youngest and last offspring of the pair, was born on May 12th, 2006, completing the couple’s total of three children. She is currently enrolled as a student at the high school.
In 2012, Lorena discovered that her husband, Joe, was engaged in an extramarital relationship with a woman from Dubai. Consequently, Lorena chose to terminate her marriage with Joe and move forward with her life. After nearly a year, they made the decision to part ways, although he had been engaging in secretive behavior without her knowledge. Nevertheless, they have been observed jointly participating in many events during the previous few years.
Joe was deeply startled and grieved by the untimely death of rapper Big Pun, whose music he much appreciated. This tragic event motivated Joe to embark on a journey to decrease his own body weight. Subsequently, he exerted diligent endeavors and successfully shed 88 pounds.
- Charitable Causes
Fat Joe recently returned to his alma mater in the Bronx, New York, to generously contribute computers for the benefit of the pupils.
In 2008, he participated in the inauguration of the Hip Hop Soda Shop in Miami, an initiative organized by Ben Chavis to engage the youth in activities such as music recording, computer usage, and Xbox 360 gaming.
On June 11, 2009, Fat Joe delivered a speech at a “School is Cool” assembly held at Public School 5 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Fat Joe participated in a promotional event on January 23, 2011, alongside Newark mayor Cory Booker and fitness guru Jeff Halevy. The purpose of the event was to support Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, which aims to combat youth obesity in Newark.
- Controversies
Fat Joe and Big Pun were apprehended on September 8, 1998, on counts of assault for striking an individual with a baseball bat and pilfering the individual’s gold chain on June 14 of the same year.
Joe was apprehended once more on May 12, 2002, on the grounds of purportedly engaging in an altercation with another individual at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Times Square. However, the accusations were subsequently dismissed on January 10, 2003.
Fat Joe has been identified as a witness in two homicide cases. Jose Mulero, who uses the alias Sing Sing, was apprehended on September 17, 2004, for the murder of Ernesto Rivera, a 16-year-old who was shot at a nightclub in the Bronx on April 15, 1994. Mulero was previously employed as Joe’s bodyguard. In response to a legal order, Fat Joe asserted that he had perceived the sound of gunfire and observed individuals hastily leaving the area. However, investigators contended that he was positioned in closer proximity to Mulero, near an exit.
Fat Joe has been identified by Miami Beach police as a witness in a Memorial Day double homicide that occurred outside David’s Cafe II in South Beach. Jermaine Wufgang Chamberline, a resident of Miami Gardens, was charged with the murder of Lessli Paz and Joey Navarro. The incident occurred in the morning when Fat Joe and the two victims were seated in a rented Cadillac Escalade, which was parked outside a restaurant. A dispute erupted between the occupants of the vehicle and another individual, leading to the fatal shooting.
In December 2012, Fat Joe admitted his culpability in the act of tax evasion, namely for failing to pay income tax on an amount exceeding $3 million earned between the years 2007 and 2010. He received a four-month prison sentence for tax evasion on June 24, 2013. The sentence commenced on August 26, 2013, and concluded on November 28, 2013.
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