fat joe
In the same way every pro sports championship run looks a little different, so do the ways teams integrate music into their winning formulas. For some, it’s finding the perfect locker room jam; for others, its giving new meaning to the music of a hometown hero.
But for all of them, music provides an X factor that could well make the difference on game day.
Boston Celtics2024 NBA Champions
BIA at halftime of game two of the 2024 NBA Finals in Boston on June 9, 2024.
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Widely considered the most successful franchise in NBA history, the Celtics called on their community during the 2023-24 season when competing for their now league-leading 18th championship. For the season’s marketing campaign, Different Here, “We wanted to focus on showcasing local musical artists and what makes Boston’s culture different,” says Carley Lenahan, Celtics director of live production and entertainment. “Connecting with our community and fans is integral to the support they show the Celtics, and the support and energy from our fans during a championship run is everything.”
On opening night of the 2023-24 season, the Celtics launched their Local Artist Halftime Series with performances by Boston-based hip-hop stars Esoteric and Latrell James and Roxbury native Oompa. “During a championship run, the home court advantage is key to a successful series, and we understand how important it is that the players can feed off the atmosphere and energy in the arena,” Lenahan says. Throughout the season, the nine artists from the Boston area were featured across seven Local Artist Halftime Series shows, culminating in Medford, Mass., native BIA’s performance at game two of the NBA Finals.
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“As a lifelong Celtics fan, I’ve been going to games since I was 10,” BIA says. “The opportunity to perform my music on the iconic parquet floor in front of my hometown crowd and my all-time favorite team was truly an honor and a full-circle moment.”
Kansas City Chiefs2023 and 2024 Super Bowl Winners
Mecole Hardman Jr. (second from right) celebrates with Patrick Mahomes (right), Travis Kelce (second from left) and Jawaan Taylor (far left) after catching the game-winning touchdown pass at the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, 2024.
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Many sports franchises lean on hometown artists to galvanize their teams, but the Kansas City Chiefs find musical inspiration in a different place: their locker room.
Amid the run-ups to the Chiefs’ back-to-back Super Bowl wins in 2023 and 2024, artists like 50 Cent, Future and YoungBoy Never Broke Again were constantly on shuffle to motivate the team during marquee postseason matchups. “I feel like in-season, it’s kind of a variety. We got multiple artists [that we listen to] depending on who is new and who is hot then,” Chiefs All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie says. “The postseason, we get back to the classics. We go old school.”
According to McDuffie, one new song has made its way through the cracks since the team won it all last year: BossMan Dlow’s “Get In With Me,” which has become a beloved anthem for players and coaches alike in the locker room. A close second? “Tweaker,” the current viral hit from LiAngelo “G3 GELO” Ball (himself a former pro-baller). But only two players have the privilege of managing the team’s turn-up tunes. “We’re strict on who can control the aux,” McDuffie says. “Most of the time, it’s either Jawaan Taylor or Chris Jones.”
Los Angeles Dodgers2024 MLB World Series Winners
Ice Cube opened game two of the 2024 World Series in Los Angeles on Oct. 26, 2024.
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The 2024 MLB World Series faceoff between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees couldn’t have been more high stakes. And to commemorate the East-West matchup between two of the biggest sports markets, the MLB tapped two beloved music stars — New York native Fat Joe and Los Angeles icon Ice Cube — to perform at their respective home fields.
Following a 1-0 series lead against the Yankees, Cube performed his 1993 classic “It Was a Good Day” from the pitcher’s mound at Dodger Stadium. Rocking Dodgers gear from head to toe, his performance enlivened the home team, which not only secured a game-two win but the overall series in five games. All-Star Kiké Hernández thanked Cube during the team’s championship celebration at Dodger Stadium, telling the thousands of fans in attendance, “Ice Cube came out with his performance in game two, and we didn’t even play [because] we already won it.”
“As a lifelong Dodgers fan who grew up watching them battle from the ’70s to the ’80s, that was a next-level dream come true,” Ice Cube tells Billboard. “To feel the energy of 52,000 fans going wild was otherworldly and contagious. You could feel it in the air. The crowd, the players — everybody was hyped. It was the perfect recipe for a win, and we all knew it at that moment.”
New York Liberty2024 WNBA Champions
Fat Joe at halftime of game five of the 2024 WNBA Finals in New York on Oct. 20, 2024.
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Following a devastating championship loss the year prior, the WNBA team entered the 2024 season determined to bounce back — and understood the critical role its fans would play in that journey. Those hometown supporters turned out to include not only the spirited crowds flocking to Barclays Center for games, but local hip-hop legends like Fat Joe, Ja Rule and Jadakiss.
“Everything we do needs to have a through line of authenticity,” says Liberty chief brand officer Shana Stephenson, who spent the season recruiting homegrown New York talent to perform at home games. “Sometimes, there might be a pop artist who is a big name at the moment, but I might not want to book them because I don’t know if our crowd will resonate with their sound.”
After dominating the regular season and securing home court advantage throughout the WNBA playoffs, Stephenson leveraged her love for hip-hop to propel the team’s championship run. With its title hopes hanging in the balance, Stephenson enlisted the help of Liberty fan and basketball aficionado Fat Joe to ignite the energy for the crucial game five.
“Everybody knows ‘Lean Back,’ right? My dad can sing it. He leans back when it comes on. That’s an anthem,” Stephenson says.
In the end, her plan was a key element in helping the team achieve its historic championship win in October. “That’s the beautiful thing about music and sports: It can unite people in a beautiful and powerful way,” Fat Joe says. “One time for the Liberty Ladies.”
This story appears in the Feb. 8, 2025, issue of BIllboard.
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Fat Joe is trending yet again for a fashion faux pas. He is getting absolutely cooked online for his purple fur coat and hat combination that he wore to a recent Knicks game.
As spotted on HipHopDX Don Cartegena attended the New York Knicks versus the Sacramento Kings game at Madison Square Garden. As usual he was seated court side but his outfit left many questioning his style sense. Fat Joe was sporting a purple fur coat with a matching a Russian ushanka style hat to match. The official Knicks account shared a photo of him to X, formerly Twitter, and the outfit was met with slander, confusion and more.
“He looks f*cking ridiculous,” one user wrote while another chimed in saying “Bro TRIPPIN”. The photo soon went viral and the Knicks account went on to post a different shot of Fat Joe with new caption that read “Moving in mauve” but that didn’t stop the jokes from coming his way. It seemed he brought the team a bit of good luck as the New York Knicks beat the Sacramento Kings 143-120.
You can read some of the most hilarious responses to Fat Joe’s purple fur outfit below.
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Fat Joe admitted that he uses Ozempic as part of changes in his lifestyle that’s helped him lose weight.
Veteran rapper Fat Joe has gone on the record to admit that he uses the weight-loss drug Ozempic, explaining that it is part of his journey toward better health overall. The Bronx, New York artist spoke candidly about it while being interviewed as part of the promotion for the 2024 BET Awards last week. “Ozempic says you may only have two pieces of your favorite stuff,” he joked, referring to carbohydrates. Fat Joe said that he’s been taking Ozempic since he has been dealing with diabetes from an early age.
The “All The Way Up” rapper is one of the few who’s been open about the drug but says that a major part of his losing close to 200 pounds has been adjusting his diet. “We just try to eat everything with the least carbs as possible,” Fat Joe said. “So we try to stay away from the bread, the pasta, the rice. That’s the smartest way to eat.” He noted that having carbohydrates is necessary, and that portion control was important.
“Like this morning I ate breakfast, I had this toast. I cut the corner off, ate it and kept it moving,” he stated. “Normally I would’ve ate [sic] the whole thing. But you know, that’s what we do. We cut carbs and try to be smarter.” The 54-year-old also joked that he wasn’t going to be changing his name anytime soon, at the behest of his wife, Lorena Cartagena. “My wife would kill me. She likes me being a big boy,” he joked. “She hallucinates like I’m still that big boy. She loves that.”
Fat Joe has become a figure that’s known to prioritize health, recently being the face of a new advertisement for the Power To The Patients healthcare advocacy group.“If you’re not advocating for prices and transparency in healthcare, you are compromising every single American across this country,” he says in the new commercial. “Because when we can’t see prices — hospitals, insurance, and their middlemen charge us whatever they want. Our very own healthcare system is robbing all of us. We just need the prices. That’s how our economy works!!!”
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This year’s edition of the BET Hip-Hop Awards showcased the genre’s best, with Kendrick Lamar showing out as the top winner.
On Tuesday (October 15), the 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards was aired on the network, with Fat Joe serving as the host. The event took place at Drai’s Las Vegas, and it was the scene for some of Hip-Hop’s notable stars to walk away with coveted awards including the night’s top winners, Kendrick Lamar and Megan Thee Stallion. Kendrick Lamar, who wasn’t in attendance, snagged eight awards including Hip-Hop Artist of The Year, Song of The Year, and Best Hip-Hop Video of The Year for his smash hit “Not Like Us”. His 12 nominations were tied only by Megan Thee Stallion.
Travis Scott received the “I Am Hip-Hop” Award and was on hand to accept his trophy. “I always had this vision, to this day, to take the sound to the next level,” he said in his speech, emphasizing how much the award meant to him and his career.
The award for Album of The Year went to Nicki Minaj for Pink Friday 2, making her the first female artist to secure that victory. She wasn’t present at the event, in part due to her contentious history with the network over a since-deleted post mocking her after a Grammy win by her rival Cardi B on X, formerly Twitter back in 2019. Nicki Minaj did share a meme after her win was announced, showing Chucky from the Child’s Play movies biting on a woman’s arm.
Other winners of the night included Future and Metro Boomin, who won Best Duo or Group and also for Best Collaboration for the “Like That” track featuring Kendrick Lamar. The Alchemist took home the honors for Producer of The Year and DJ of The Year, while the legendary Missy Elliott won the award for Best Live Performer. Sexxy Red won the award for Best Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist and Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay snagged the Best Podcast Award.
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Source: Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET / Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
All eyes are on Fat Joe and for all the right reasons. The veteran MC is closing out the year with a return to the BET Hip Hop Awards, a new album and more.
While the 2020 pandemic negatively impacted millions it surprisingly brought the Hip-Hop community together via virtual engagement on social media; here Fat Joe was reborn. The “Lean Back” rapper hosted a captivating Instagram Live series that featured some of the highest profile talents in music, film, sports and more. Fast forward a couple of years and the Bronx, NY native is Rap’s unofficial Master of Ceremonies that we never knew we needed.
This week he completed a rare three-peat and returned as host for the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards for the third time. Taped in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the ceremony was attended by countless celebrities and power players. The event not only celebrated some of the most impactful releases from the last year but also honored Travis Scott with “I AM HIP HOP Award.”
In an exclusive interview with HipHopWired.com Fat Joe made it clear the honor was all his. “Three-peat baby! Night night! [There’s] nothing like it. You know coming from The Bronx there is no better vibe than representing the culture and seeing all the other artists. You know the only time we get to see the other artists” he said with excitement.
Since his last stint at the BET Hip Hop Awards Fat Joe has kept busy with co-hosting talk shows, multiple promotional appearances for his autobiography and more. He went on to admit that the additional experience of being on set served him well. “To be honest with you I did it and before you knew it, it was the last act. It just flew by so smoothly; I don’t know how to explain it” he added. “This year was way easier than the first two. I knew everything that was going on. The timing was perfect, everything was perfect about it. I guess practice makes perfect.”
While he didn’t give us any spoilers about the event, he made it clear his favorite moment of the night was when Cactus Jack was honored. “The biggest moment of the night was when Travis Scott received the ‘I AM HIP HOP Award’. This man created his own style. His music is so incredible, he’s one of the few artists that I can listen to 20-30 songs in a row” Joe explained. “It was a happy moment to see him received his flowers.”
Back in 2022, Fat Joe broke necks when he hosted the BET Hip Hop Awards wearing the very limited Eminem Jordan 3 sneakers. When asked what fans can expect this year he remained tightlipped but revealed that he was thinking pink. “I got an outfit called Pinky and the Brain, that’s how I start the show. Super Bottega [Veneta] flow. A lot of name brands that a lot of people don’t know” he said cryptically. “It was real clean, it wasn’t big logos it was more just straight clean. More subtle but [the pieces] are real!” he said jokingly.
To round out the year Fat Joe looks to release a new album. “The World Changed On Me will be out later this month, no later than the beginning of next month. I feel like I am the last un-gentrified MC. [It’s like] I got the bodega and they trying to change the neighborhood with the Jamba Juice and all that,” he said.
The 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards will air Tuesday, October 15 at 8PM EST and will be simulcasted across BET HER, VH1, AND MTV2.
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A new video featured Remy Ma and Fat Joe performing without shirts on, and social media flipped out over the display.
The new track from Remy Ma and Fat Joe, “Outta Control” featuring Cool & Dre just got a new video, and the two Bronx, New York rappers appear in it without their shirts, which has social media in an uproar – particularly over Fat Joe’s topless status. The new single is the first solo effort from the Don Cartagena artist in fourteen years – his last was The Darkside Vol. 1, which was released in 2010.
The new track is another collaborative effort between Fat Joe and Remy Ma – the pair teamed up for the Terror Squad founder’s run of three albums beginning with 2017’s Plata O Plomo, 2019’s Family Ties with Dre from Cool & Dre, and What Would Big Do in 2021 with DJ Drama. The new video features Remy rhyming topless, with long hair covering her breasts with a strip club and the boxing ring as the setting. The latter stands out as Fat Joe delivers his verse shirtless, wearing a bucket hat and boxing trunks with various sneakers positioned behind him.
Those who caught the video were fairly shocked by the topless style of Remy Ma but mostly shocked by Fat Joe’s move. The MC has been known to doff his shirt at performances in the past, with the last instance being at the HipHop 50 Live concert event at Yankee Stadium last August. Social media users expressed their upset at the move, while some clowned Fat Joe mercilessly. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, one user went so far as to do a side-by-side comparison of Fat Joe’s appearance in the video to fellow rapper Queen Latifah’s topless scene in the 2015 HBO biopic Bessie about the legendary blues singer Bessie Smith.
Check out more of the reactions to Fat Joe and Remy Ma’s topless state below.
1. cablecat23
2. Sunday Dreads
5. Romani Banks
7. Prince Lamon
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Fat Joe’s birthday month keeps getting better and better. Mayor Eric Adams awarded him the key to New York City.
As spotted on TMZ the South Bronx, New York native was given an honor that will live with him forever. On Tuesday, August 20 the city’s chief gave him the award at Orchard Beach prior to his performance hosted by Rise Up NYC. In attendance were not only Joe’s family and friends but also the likes of Funkmaster Flex, Chubb Rock, Doug E. Fresh, Wayne Wonder and others. “Fat Joe who’s getting the Key to the City of New York. All his legendary — his music, a real brother, authentic — we want to give you this key,” Mayor Adams said.
The “Lean Back” MC then took the microphone and briefly spoke on the honor. “Shout-out my wife, my daughter, shout-out my favorite aunt in the world. I gotta thank the pioneers. From Melle Mel, Mr. Ness to KRS-One — my whole life I been trying to be KRS-One — LL Cool J, Heavy D and the list goes on,” Fat Joe said. “I want to shout out everybody here because we in the Bronx and I know I know all of you. Every last one of you, I know you — I love you.”
Earlier this year Fat Joe received his honorary doctorate degree from Lehman College. You can see him receiving the key to New York City below.
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Fat Joe is taking his talents back to television. Starz Network has tapped him to host a forthcoming interview series.
Deadline is reporting that the Bronx, New York native will put use his charisma and signature humor to the network. Titled Fat Joe Talks, the show will “give viewers unique access into the lives of today’s most influential personalities who drive the cultural zeitgeist.” During the 30-minute episodes the “Lean Back” MC will travel the country and meet with different personalities.
Starz expressed their enthusiasm about the project in a formal statement. “Fat Joe Talks is an exciting foray into talk, and who better than Joe—a legend in and of himself—to drive provocative conversations that tap into the zeitgeist and matter to our audience,” said Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming. “We are thrilled to be working with Joe and our partners at SpringHill and Embassy Row to launch this incredible show, offering authentic, backstage, rare access to these cultural icons.” Fat Joe gained popularity as a media personality with his Instagram Live show. He has gone on to be a guest host for The Wendy Williams Show and host the BET Hip-Hop Awards two consecutive years.
At this time there no set premiere date for Fat Joe Talks.
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Source: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty / Fat Joe
Fat Joe reenergized the tired debate about whether Chris Brown is on the same level as the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
In a recent IG Live session, Joey Crack discussed Chris Brown and Michael Jackson. The Bronx rapper made the hottest of takes, claiming that the infamous Rihanna incident keeps Brown from being mentioned in the same breath as Jackson.
The Terror Squad general argued to those watching that it’s been 20 years since Brown physically assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna, claiming that it was time to let it go and that Breezy is the best singer/dancer/performer since Michael Jackson.
Fat Joe took things even further when he used disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly to prove his point, trying to make the tired and ridiculous separate the artist from their egregious actions argument.
Now, to his credit, Chris Brown has shut down the MJ comparisons while still paying homage to the “Thriller” singer. In a 2022 interview with Big Boy, he acknowledged that he draws inspiration from MJ heavily but has also added his own flair to his talent to pave his own path in the music industry.
Social Media Calls C A P on Fat Joe’s Chris Brown Hot Take
Fat Joe’s comments, of course, sparked debate, with many Breezy fans agreeing with him, while other fans of music claim Usher is above Brown, and MJ fans feel no one compares.
“We would still only call Michael Jackson Michael Jackson, actually. And, if we have to decide, Usher would be the only logical heir apparent. Hope this helps,” one person on X, formerly Twitter, wrote.
Apple Music’s Rap Life host Low Key added, “Does he have a ‘Confessions’….?,” referring to Usher’s iconic 2004 album.
He has a point.
The gallery below shows more reactions to Fat Joe caping for Chris Brown as a GOAT.
1. Lol, well played
3. A thread where points were made.
4. Then there’s that
7. He said what ?
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LL COOL J doesn’t need to prove himself as a rapper as he’s cemented in the annals of Hip-Hop history as one of the culture’s living legends. However, a spark still exists within the Queens star, and his new track “Saturday Night Special” featuring Fat Joe and Rick Ross proves that his comeback promises were not a fluke.
LL COOL J has been teasing his upcoming 14th studio album, The FORCE ((Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), with fellow Queens native Q-Tip executive producing the project.
Produced by Q-Tip, who also shows up on the hook, “Saturday Night Special” displays LL COOL J giving a grim warning about a tough street cat that you shouldn’t cross. Sounding invigorated, LL doesn’t appear to have lost any of the fire that he displayed over the 1980s and 1990s and finds an interesting pocket atop the A Tribe Called Quest legend’s airy production.
Rick Ross takes over for the second verse, sounding comfortable over the soulful boom-bap, and Fat Joe, no stranger to this type of bop, added his flair. Even better, all three MCs stick to the same common theme and each verse has its standout moments among them.
LL’s return to music was a long time coming as it has been over a decade since he’s lost put out a project. Fans were curious to know how LL would sound over Q-Tip’s production and the results are seemingly pleasing even to the most hardened online critics. Of course, there are your requisite detractors but that’s to be expected in the “keyboard kourage” era.
For now, check out the video for “Saturday Night Special” below and keep scrolling to see reactions from X, formerly Twitter.
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Photo: Getty
6. Can’t win ’em all.
10. This facts.