Common on Fat Joe SAVING HIS LIFE in Ice Cube beef, Chicago hip hop & Jennifer Hudson

Summary

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Joe and Jada - Common on Fat Joe SAVING HIS LIFE in Ice Cube beef, Chicago hip hop & Jennifer Hudson

Date: October 30, 2025
Guests: Common
Hosts: Fat Joe & Jadakiss

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Joe and Jada Show is a vibrant and nostalgic conversation with acclaimed rapper, actor, and Chicago icon Common. The trio share stories from their shared hip-hop history, dig into pivotal career moments, reminisce about Chicago’s impact, and discuss relationships, resilience, and legacy. Standout moments include Common recalling how Fat Joe literally saved his life during an intense West Coast beef and deep dives into hip-hop’s golden years, the South Side of Chicago, and Common’s evolution from MC to award-winning actor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Common’s Early Years in the Industry & Friendship with Fat Joe

• Relativity Records Beginnings:
  • Fat Joe and Common reminisce about being labelmates at Relativity Records in the early '90s, recounting how their paths first crossed alongside the Beatnuts and Chi Ali.
    • “Like, literally infancy, point blank.” – Fat Joe (05:31)
• Common Admits:
  • Fat Joe is the second person in hip-hop he got to know closely, giving flowers to both Fat Joe and the Beatnuts for early support. (05:34)

2. Fat Joe Saving Common’s Life During the Ice Cube/Mac 10 Beef

• The West Coast Incident:
  • Common details a critical incident during the infamous Ice Cube-Mac 10 beef, when someone from his Chicago crew instigated drama while they were in California for a commercial shoot. Fat Joe intervened and defused a dangerous situation, pleading with serious gangsters for Common’s safety.
    • “Yo, that man really saved my life... Fat Joe’s tougher than anybody. I literally begged for your life. I literally got in the middle, was like, please, he’s my friend. He’s my brother.” – Fat Joe (08:12)
  • Common credits Fat Joe as the reason he got out unscathed, underlining the respect and brotherhood in hip-hop.
    • “You settled that... I knew it was him that said, yo, this can't happen." – Common (09:06)

3. On Relationships, Authenticity, and Jennifer Hudson

• Common Reflects on Past and Present Relationships:
  • Shares the importance of honesty, integrity, and knowing when to end things if they’re not working out.
    • “If it ain’t working, I’m gonna say it ain’t working. I ain’t gonna keep you going like, forever. Cause you got a life, I got a life. We wanna live happy.” – Common (15:08)
• Jennifer Hudson’s Resilience:
  • Both Joe and Common praise Jennifer Hudson’s ability to remain positive and “full of light” after extreme hardship.
    • “How this person still got light after all... That’s a strong type of warrior.” – Common (17:14)

4. Chicago’s Hip-Hop Scene and Surviving the Environment

• South Side Chicago Culture:
  • Common and hosts recall the omnipresence of gang culture in Chicago, describing how music and support from the community offered a way out.
    • “It’s just nowhere around it.” – Fat Joe (18:17)
    • “I escaped it because I started feeling like I had something to live for.” – Common (18:52)
• Hip-hop Family:
  • Discuss how the community would rally around and protect those making positive moves.

5. Financial Wisdom in Hip-Hop: Property over Cars and Chains

• Early Investing:
  • Fat Joe praises Common’s early financial decisions, buying property instead of splurging on chains and cars, a lesson he learned from his mother and father.
    • “My mother was like...you should invest in some property.” – Common (21:10)

6. Legacy, Awards, and Being a Standout in Both Music & Acting

• Representing the Culture:
  • Jadakiss celebrates Common’s artistic wins—Oscars, Grammys, etc.—as collective victories for the hip-hop tribe.
    • “When I’m up there, I feel like I’m representing us. Cause we all the tribe, man.” – Common (23:13)
• Evolving Through Positivity:
  • Common discusses balancing positivity and authenticity, eschewing self-righteousness in music and life.
    • “I don’t like the judgment. I don’t like it self-righteous… Life is a balance.” – Common (25:31)

7. Industry Challenges and Chasing Opportunity

• Relativity vs. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony:
  • Fat Joe remembers realizing his label didn’t see his potential after witnessing them spend $1M+ on Bone Thugs videos, prompting him to jump to new opportunities.
    • “It takes money to make money… There’s this invisible train that comes in front of you...you gotta have faith and believe in yourself and jump on that train.” – Fat Joe (36:08)
• Common’s Pivot to Acting:
  • Acting was Common’s “invisible train,” reigniting his creative drive.

8. Iconic Hip-Hop Moments & Songs

• "I Used to Love H.E.R.":
  • Common explains the inspiration and creation of this hip-hop classic, its deep metaphor, and its ongoing legacy (even inspiring the film Brown Sugar).
    • “What if I made hip hop a woman? And then I just started writing…” – Common (42:55)
    • “Yo, this is something.” – Common (43:42)

9. Actors Who Came from Hip-hop

• Top 5 Rappers Turned Actors:
  • Common lists Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Mos Def (Yasiin Bey), Ice Cube, and Tupac. Pushes back when hosts insist he deserves a spot, too. (53:34–54:24)

10. Creating the NBA Theme Song for Prime

• "Victory":
  • Common shares the story of producing the new NBA theme for Amazon Prime with James Poyser and Kareem Riggins, aiming to inject nostalgia with a modern touch.
    • “We wanted it to feel nostalgic but new… I could come to Joe and Jada, and we still like, yo…” – Common (57:37)

11. Chicago Rap Legends & Influence

• Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Juice, and Twista:
  • Shoutouts to Chicago’s rich scene, with special mention to the legendary freestyle MC Juice—a “hoop legend” of rap who didn’t quite make the mainstream leap. (58:46–59:34)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |---------------|-------------|--------------------| | 02:47 | Common | "Man, you practically saved my life." | | 08:12 | Fat Joe | "I literally begged for your life. I literally got in the middle, was like, please, he’s my friend. He’s my brother." | | 15:08 | Common | "If it ain’t working, I’m gonna say it ain’t working. I ain’t gonna keep you going, like, forever. Cause you got a life, I got a life." | | 17:14 | Common | "For her to have light and be good to people and... just still be bright about life, man, that’s a strong type of warrior." | | 23:13 | Common | "When I’m up there, I feel like I’m representing us. Cause we all the tribe, man... it’s a win for us." | | 25:31 | Common | "Positivity ain’t gotta be like out preachy much. I don’t like that... Life is a balance." | | 36:08 | Fat Joe | "I say in everybody’s life… there’s this invisible train that comes in front of you… you gotta have faith and jump on that train." | | 42:55 | Common | "What if I made hip hop a woman? And then I just started writing." | | 53:34 | Fat Joe | "What’s your top five rappers turn actors?" | | 57:37 | Common | "For me, is one of the first… I got to give it up. James Poison and Kareem Riggins, we co-produced that together, the theme song." |

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:47] – Common recalls Fat Joe saving his life during West Coast beef
• [08:12] – Fat Joe describes stepping in during the Ice Cube situation
• [13:17] – Jab about “nice guys” and relationships; segue to Jennifer Hudson
• [17:14] – Powerful reflections on Jennifer's resilience
• [18:52] – Common describes growing up amidst Chicago’s gang culture
• [21:10] – Early property investment lessons from Common’s mother
• [23:13] – Common on standing for the tribe when winning awards
• [25:31] – Authenticity and positivity in music and life
• [36:08] – Fat Joe’s “invisible train” metaphor and label-exit story
• [42:55–44:27] – The backstory to “I Used to Love H.E.R.”
• [53:34] – Common’s top five rappers-turned-actors
• [57:37] – Creating the NBA’s Prime theme, “Victory”

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Tone and Style

• Camaraderie, humor, deep respect: The conversation blends hip-hop braggadocio with real talk about survival, friendship, and growth.
• Anecdotal storytelling: The hosts and Common share vivid, behind-the-scenes hip-hop tales, punctuated by laughter and humility.
• Reflective and inspirational: Frequent themes of gratitude, learning from adversity, and paying it forward.

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For New Listeners

Whether you know Common as an MC, an actor, or an inspirational figure, this episode is a journey through the heart of hip-hop culture, community uplift, and personal transformation—all told by legends who lived it. Suitable for fans old and new, the episode offers insight into not just music and fame, but the values, risks, and unity that underpin hip-hop’s best stories.

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Transcript

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[Common]

Man, you practically saved my life.

[Fat Joe]

Oh, get the other flag back.

[Jadakiss]

Take the.

[Fat Joe]

Incorporate the flag up. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Common]

Yo, yo, J. Yo, that man really saved my life.

[Advertiser]

Yeah, yeah.

[Fat Joe]

What up, y'? All? This is Fat Joe the gangster.

[Jadakiss]

It's your boy Jada Kiss. You know what it is, The Joe and Jada Show. Every show legendary.

[Fat Joe]

Pow.

[Jadakiss]

Every show iconic. And you get just what we tell you. You're gonna get today's guest. You think of hip hop, you think of bars.

[Fat Joe]

Speak on the dog.

[Jadakiss]

You think of a strong black man. When you think of morals, principles, when you think of craftsmanship, when you think of transitioning to becoming a very great actor, one of the best on screen and a voice actor, you think of the south side of Chicago.

[Fat Joe]

That's right. Shot town. What's good?

[Jadakiss]

Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for our brother, comedy. My intros is getting better and better, my brother.

[Common]

Better and better, brother. That. That. That intro, man. That. That was, man, that's. That spoke to my heart, bro. To be honest, man, I. I never heard nobody intro me like that saying, a man of integrity like that. So I want to say give thanks, brother. My brother Joe. I'm glad you are, man.

[Fat Joe]

But you are, though.

[Common]

I'm glad to see yourself.

[Fat Joe]

You're the real deal, bro.

[Common]

Thank you, brother.

[Fat Joe]

First of all, in this show, I don't know if you've been watching, but I count people's pockets.

[Common]

Wow.

[Jadakiss]

Flag off the.

[Fat Joe]

Off the brick. All right.

[Advertiser]

History.

[Fat Joe]

Nah. 1993. I'm in Cabrini. Cabrini Green Projects. Well, people don't know. Okay, you want to throw your. Take your flag back. And don't throw one, because I'm going to tell you, she's real chicken. Okay, Let me tell you.

[Common]

All right.

[Jadakiss]

I leave it after the story.

[Fat Joe]

I start at Relativity Records. Me, Common in the Beat Nuts, and Chi Ali. The first artist signed, he signed 1991. That's cool. He's before me, but we on the same label, so. You know how you were seeing Biggie in one studio and this. Me and him, we started together.

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

Like, literally infancy, point blank.

[Common]

Like, you the second person that I've known in this whole industry. Well, the Beat Nuts was the first shout out juju Juju last dope for that. Like, yo, you just yo.

[Fat Joe]

No, but so you don't know how proud it makes me that there's kids that don't even know you rap. And I just see you in movies and see you doing things, and I just be sitting back like, wow. And then I tell guys like him. Then I started with you. He throws a flag and tells me I'm capping. And I'm like, no, I really know him. We really grew up together.

[Jadakiss]

That came from saying, I don't know if you know whether or not on this show.

[Fat Joe]

I pocket watch.

[Common]

I watch.

[Fat Joe]

Pocket watch. No, no. But I'm trying to say another flash, yo.

[Common]

Hey, Joe. But this is the thing. It's two moments in my life, in my career that I could cite you for and just want to say thank you, bro. It's like you don't know what it meant to me. One was you putting me in the video. And your video hustling is the key to me.

[Fat Joe]

You Nas.

[Common]

You Nas, man.

[Fat Joe]

Like, you know, pictures come out like once a year. It's gonna be here forever.

[Common]

I love that, man.

[Fat Joe]

We was kids in the. But you pulled up to the Bronx.

[Common]

I missed something, though. That missed something because let him give me flowers coming from Chicago, man. One of the things we wanted was just to be heard by New York and for you to be like, yo, come on. Even though he's on the same label, if you. If you thought I was on some weak shit, you'd have been like.

[Fat Joe]

Back off that. Thank you, beloved. Thank you.

[Common]

We get the flag.

[Fat Joe]

The beloved of all beloved. I'mma tell you some shit me in the second. The second one.

[Common]

Well, the second one we didn't talked about a lot with you, man. You practically saved my life.

[Fat Joe]

Oh, get the other flag back. Take the Cooperate the flag up. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Common]

Yo, yo, Jay Jay, he got his flag. Yo. That man really saved my life. Like, I was out on the west coast with my guy, one of my guys I knew through one of my close homies. But he was my guy and he just wasn't happy with the whole situation. The whole ice cube Mac 10 beef that we had told him we had squashed it. We doing it. We sitting there doing a commercial. This was the most money I was getting paid ever for something at that point in time. So we at peace. We like, yo, we. Things is good. Everybody was saying, my guy just. He from Chicago, he just couldn't hold it. He couldn't hold it. So he started ruffling shit. And, man, it Just got a little heated.

[Fat Joe]

And I want to say that it's not because Fat Joe's tougher than anybody. I literally begged for your life. I literally got in the middle, was like, please, he's my friend. He's my brother. You know, he. You know, some people take things personal. And they finally saw him, and he was on there, saw you, and they was talking crazy. And I was like, no way. This guy. I said this literally, my brother. And I was begging them because it was the serious ones. I was like, please, this is my brother Joe. You know, we've been. We've been waiting to catch this guy. I said, listen, I can't. I just couldn't do. I just. And basically I stood in the middle, like, please, guys. Like, I cannot do it. But they. They said it was over after that day, right?

[Common]

Correct. After that day. But you settled that. Like, like, I'm like, man, we are on. We in California. Don't start nothing my homie already. Because they already, like you said, they already wanted a piece on me, no matter what. Because so my guy out there, he just. He's just going off. And anyway, I knew Joe, I ain't even hit him, but I ain't know everything he did, but he did. I knew it was him that said, yo, this can't happen. And because he had a, you know.

[Fat Joe]

A relationship, super relationship still, my brother.

[Common]

Shout out to that and yeah, shout out to.

[Fat Joe]

Shout out to Inglewood.

[Common]

Yeah, Inglewood.

[Fat Joe]

Us. My family. Inglewood family was good.

[Common]

That's when Fat Joe the gangsta, I was like, this nigga here is. Cause he straight up was like, you can't do that to my man. It was like one of the movies where he's talking about, good fellas, good fellas. You can't do that.

[Fat Joe]

Hey, once again, I begged him. I was in their mercy. And I was just like, please, this is my brother. This is my family. I did that one time for Rich Player, my best friend. One time they was about to do it and not saying rich and them ain't Real Deal, where he was getting into it with a seven headed monster. A guy who just kills. He's in jail for too many bodies. And I had to jump in the middle and be like, yo, yo, yo. I can't. It's like, yo, Fat boy, get out the way. I was like, oh, no, I can't. This is my family. I can't. I knew what it meant. They Real Deal. And this other guy's, you know, a Jeffrey Dahmer. And I'm A monster. And I'm sitting there like, yo, listen, please let me get in. I said, no, shout out to knock him dead, Ed. Knock him dead, y'.

[Common]

All.

[Fat Joe]

Eddie. Yeah, up there. But they go. But they go. The man go. Because the first argument I ever had with him, right? He goes the next day to Rich, and they block on Cyprus and says, if Joe got in the middle, that means you're good guys. Let's become friends. And they wound up being best friends. My man's still in jail 37 years. But he went the next day. He took it on himself and said, if Fat Joe threw himself in the middle trying to squash it, these guys got to be good guys.

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

And it was all over, you know, staring at each other in the club. And a couple of girls and, you know, these guys, they kill each other over girls. These gangsters, man. A lot of gangsters in jail killing over girls. I'm telling you, I had a guy. This guy was a man. He's still in jail, too. 40 years, right? And he was really looking dirt and scared straight. No, no, because. No.

[Common]

A lot of wars have come over women.

[Advertiser]

Most of them.

[Fat Joe]

Yo, but listen, this guy, all I'm gonna say to you is this was a mass murder. He's still in jail 40 years. He would come to the club and he'd go, he's Puerto Rican. He'd be like, I. And I'd be like, yo, what's up? I. The nendna he's talking about, his wife was bad as shit, too. But she was dudes.

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

Like, she was loose, see? Come on, then. You know Jimbo from the barber shop? Yeah, he was with the Net with Everybody of his 10. Goddamn. Not Jimbo, he didn't. Yes, with the net. Net. Jimbo won't be around in two more days. Like, he would come all. One time I argued with the. Was, like, I said, no, I don't want to hear that. You're a liar. She's the most decent girl in the world. She didn't do it. Yes, the nana and everybody knew what that was. Somebody was disappearing over the Ninna. Yeah, no, I know maniacs like that, man. But you know, common, man, you're the beloved of all beloved. Let's keep it peace. Hey, I said, you know, I said, what's that, like, smoking sage or something?

[Jadakiss]

It was supposed to protect us from that story.

[Common]

It's similar to, say it's Palo Santo. It's Palo Santo. And, you know, it come from the trees down in Chile. Bring in the good energy. Bring in the good energy move, negative energy, you know.

[Fat Joe]

You guys. I know you in a serious relationship, correct?

[Common]

Right now? Yes, sir.

[Fat Joe]

But you guys, you nice guys, you always got the baddest chicks because they think you nice guys, you know, Scumbag's a scumbag. You come with a smile. They don't comment. He's the beloved of all beloveds. What a nice guy. The beloved of all beloveds. And you, Palo Santo, you know. You know, this shit, he got. He got that new shit out there on the streets, boy.

[Common]

Hey, man.

[Fat Joe]

Yo.

[Common]

You know, I gotta say, you know, like, at the end of the day, you know, I've definitely dated some beautiful women, amazing women. But I think, you know, it was like they respected me as a man. They knew I was coming as a man. I had the love. But I'm a man, too. It's like, I'm gonna lead the way. I lead. And I was giving them that, you know, that realness, man. I'm authentic, man. Joe. I'm true, bro. I don't be trying to, like, I ain't gonna act like. Like nothing for. For nobody at this point, obviously, but then even at that moment.

[Fat Joe]

But you just say you always. You never been like a. Like a bullshitter.

[Common]

You always been a straight shooter, like. And no, nobody I've been with is like, none of the women that I, like, have relationships with go be like, damn, that nigga just did me bogus foul. Like, I had. Like, I had the integrity. I mean, I'm a man. I did, you know, some things wrong, man. You know, But I'm saying it ain't been bogus where it's just like, I ain't been out there, like, bogus. And, you know, I. I'm the type that. Man, if it ain't working, I'm gonna say it ain't working. I ain't gonna keep you going, like, forever. Cause you got a life, I got a life. We wanna live happy. So. Yeah, man, I just. I mean, that's. I guess nice guys do.

[Fat Joe]

How you know when it ain't worth truth? How you know when it ain't worth having said that?

[Common]

Dr. Phil.

[Fat Joe]

What do you want me to do? Yo, Jada, we had some real life shit. We trying to help. Somebody's in the struggle right now. Somebod. They don't know whether they want to be together or not. Maybe he can give us some knowledge and maybe it's time to move on or stay strong.

[Common]

Yeah, I mean, seek the kingdom.

[Fat Joe]

Seek the kingdom. Every side.

[Common]

Seek the kingdom and all shall be added.

[Fat Joe]

You got to seek the king.

[Common]

No, man, listen, man, J. J just said it, man. I'll be like, man, I try to listen to God most and foremost. All like, that's in everything I do and especially the most important things in life. Whether it's like, career, my purpose, a relationship, shoot, dealing with my family, dealing with how I'm gonna go speak on something. Like, if I get an opportunity to speak to people, man, I'm always going seeking the kingdom first. So I think in a relationship, it's important that, man, the reason why I feel happy and great in the relationship with Jennifer is, man. God is first and we just building from there. We not perfect human beings, but we communicate and we growing. We just trying to be the best children of the most high and still have fun too. You could be godly.

[Fat Joe]

I know you ready with your intellectual questions, but let's go back to Jennifer. The reason why I love her so much, besides her being so talented, but the hard things she been through in life, and to see her just keep her chin up and walk through the fire and still be strong and still be, you know, that's what I respect about humans the most, is the adversity you have to overcome and the tough times and all that. And then her, you know, she had it the toughest, man.

[Common]

I mean, I don't know if it get no tougher than what she don't get no tougher than what she.

[Fat Joe]

I never been able to tell her that. Cause, you know, I sit next to her in all the games and all that, and I, you know, we always having fun when I see her, but they, you know, she's like, man, you.

[Common]

Know, she's a g. She would appreciate that, man. And I. And I gotta say, that's one of the things that I was like, man, how this person got. Still got light, light after all, like, losing, dealing with what she dealt with. I'm like, for her to have light and be good to people and like, just still be bright about life, man, that's. That's a. Ooh, that's strong type of warrior.

[Fat Joe]

That's a different. That's a different type of strong.

[Common]

Yeah, but. Yeah, that's what it is. I mean, I ain't the relationship expert.

[Jadakiss]

I want to know what was the south side of Chicago like? Early 90s, 80s and 90s, man.

[Common]

Chicago, a lot of our people are from the south, so we got something that's rooted in the south, but it's really. Chicago is a city, so we got that movement of a City and the slickness and the culture. But growing up, it was like I experienced everything from black church to liquor stores, gang banging cultures. Like, no matter, I don't care how smart you are, whatever you're gonna be around. Gang banging culture, we hoops, like it's.

[Fat Joe]

Just nowhere around it.

[Common]

There's no way around it.

[Fat Joe]

It's the one city. Well, LA too. Cause I seen grandmothers in all red cars with red seats with red tires. Principals in schools coming in red suits and blue suits. Yo, they I speaking of Mac, 10 of them. I'm out there shooting the movie with them. I'm thicker than water and grandmothers is all red and principals of schools is coming and the cops is throwing this shit up. I'm like, it's like that in Chicago, where every is pretty much. How did you escape?

[Common]

I grew up around stone black stones, four corner hustlers and vice lords. And that's who I was with. And man, that's what it is. I mean, I don't mean I ain't have like friends that was folks or whatever, but overall, I guess I escaped it because I started feeling like I had something to live for. So I wasn't going too deep into that. But I, you know, me and my guys, that's how we had to make it to a certain degree. But just like we know the stories from. I don't care if, you know, it's the bx. I don't care if it's Yonkers, if it's Atlanta, if it's, you know, la. When people start seeing you doing something, they support you. Like you coming from the hood, they like, man, especially doing something good, they kind of wrap their arms around you and be like, we ain't gonna let nobody get to this cat. So I mean, that was part of it. And then, man, blessings, man, like what you just talked about. I could have not been here. I've been around stuff and I could have not been here. But, you know, blessed by the most.

[Fat Joe]

Now back to the first flag he threw at me. Reason why I said, counting pockets, right? I meet you 90, 92, 93. And I go to Chicago with you, right?

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

And we're sitting down this one, Chicago, it wasn't even the downtown, it was just the real Chicago, the good times Chicago. And I remember sitting out there with you and you was like, yo, I'm buying all the properties. And you was telling me your grandfather had properties and he taught you how to buy properties. And why I counted your money because I said this, man, I'm just buying a chain, a car hooptie. And you was buying properties at that time?

[Common]

Yeah, but, man, really. It was my mother who was really the. Like, my father used to say to me, get the land. Get the land. I ain't grow up with my father. But when he was. He would say certain things. It'd be like, get the land, man. They can't take the land from. But my mother was like. Soon as I started, like, first album, I ain't really make no money. I'm trying to, you know, survive. Right? None of us. Right? Maybe I'll make none of us.

[Jadakiss]

Nobody make only a fair handful out of.

[Fat Joe]

They went and bought a kilo with their advance, the lot.

[Jadakiss]

You're talking a good story.

[Fat Joe]

All right. I'm just trying to let you know they had a side of us. While rapping.

[Common]

I mean, that's what. Hey, that's what it was. We wouldn't make it. But. But my second album, my mother saw that I was, like, getting somewhere, like, just more than. More than what? You know, like I had before, and just. She, you know, she was like, man, you don't know how long this gonna last, man. You should invest in some property. And I was like, man, that's good. I started doing it, and then she was. She was. She was the one that schooled me. And then I got a friend named Mo who got into real estate, who started breaking it down even more. So that's when I really started getting into properties and seeing the value. I mean, I really honestly wish early on I was up on, like, investing in. Cause I got all on the health shit early. Like, the healthy, like, I should have.

[Jadakiss]

Got down with us. We would have. We would have been franchises.

[Common]

We'd have been franchised. I came to the opening of y' all in Brooklyn. Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

Yo, you know what I'mma do? I'mma start smoking this briscoto thing. What's the shit right here?

[Common]

Just say you don't smoke, but you.

[Fat Joe]

Always ahead of time. I don't smoke, but this shit. Look, I might have to buy some of that stock.

[Common]

Excited, man.

[Fat Joe]

What's it called? Palo Santo, Pa. You always ahead of the curve on everything.

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

That Palo Santo gonna make some money?

[Common]

Yeah, for sure.

[Fat Joe]

We gotta invest.

[Common]

I'm gonna come out with my own palasanto first. You know, I'll be. I'll be on some wellness, man. That's why we looking young, huh?

[Jadakiss]

When you going Source?

[Common]

Yeah, maybe Chile. It's got to come from South America. Yeah, it's gonna be a good One. It's gonna be the good one. Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

Because I got too many.

[Jadakiss]

Now fast forward. How does it feel to win every goddamn award? And I feel good whenever I see you win.

[Common]

Thank you.

[Jadakiss]

Because I know what you stand for, what you represent, where you come from. When they let one of us in and you just dominate, the way you've been doing makes me feel, man.

[Common]

I love that. Because win for us, bro. It's a wimp. Like, let me tell you, when I'm up there, I feel like I'm representing us. Cause we all. We all the tribe, man. Like, we know where we've come from. We know what we do. We've been through it together. We ain't got to see each other all the time to know. We just. We from. We just the tribe, bro. We love each other. So when I'm out there, man, I ain't gonna front. When I was on that Oscar stage, I felt like I was representing. I was representing gods. Black men, brown men, black people, like hip hop. I saw Chicago. It was a lot that I felt like, yo, this is. This is what I'm. This is why I'm up here. And my ancestors, I felt all of that. And I'm like, I'm so grateful that you feel that way. Cause I'm like, man, when I see y' all do. I came in and said, man, I'm proud of y', all, man. It's like, what y' all doing, man, this is, like. It offers so much to people. People who, like, need it. We need it. We need the fun, we need the joy. We need the wisdom. We need to come in an authentic way. So to see us. Us, like, just. Man, it was 93, 92, bro.

[Fat Joe]

93, 93, 92, bro.

[Common]

So to see us finding ways and real ways to actually impact life and culture and be doing great things and taking care of our loved ones and families. And, you know, y'. All. You know the same way. I feel like we all want.

[Fat Joe]

No, I'm gonna tell you crazy thing. I wrote my first ever positive song right now. You don't remember this? You know, I'm Gangsta Fat Joe. I smack your baby at the Christian. And I'm doing. You know, I'm. I'm talking all this crazy shit. And I made one positive song, and I went to you. I seek the kingdom never forget. And I played it for you. I felt like, yo, Kama's gonna love this shit. It's a positive song, and I played it for you. He was like, that's dope. Joe, what the rest of the album sound like? Like you wanted that raw shit from Fast Joe. I came with the least black man this, that Farrakhan formed a million man. And he was like, yo, Joe, what's up with the rest of the album? I was like, yeah, yeah, the album is hard, but I came to you with the positive joint. Like I thought Comet was gonna be like, yes.

[Common]

No, he ain't want that.

[Fat Joe]

Nah, he want that Joe crack fat gangsta shit.

[Common]

No, no, but, nah, but you know, it was. At the end of the day, you was showing the evolution. But sometimes it's like, you know, we all climb and go our way. We grow in our own ways when it's time. I mean, for me it's like positivity ain't gotta be like out preachy much. I don't like that. I don't like that. I don't like that in movies. I don't like it in, in music. I don't like it in church. I don't like me either. I don't like the judgment. I don't like it self righteous. I don't like. Man, I'm conscious now, you know, like you was doing the goodness out there. To be honest, even you know, like, you know what I'm saying, Like bringing people on. That in itself. But I feel like, you know, I kind of remember when you played that joy, but I wanted that joke.

[Fat Joe]

But you know what happens? You know somebody like KRS1 who had the machine gun in the COVID Yeah. And we think it's coming. He's airplane slave saying it's overseas, people dying, politics is lying. I'm trying not to escape. That shit was like a fucking. A rose blooming. I remember I hopped the train, I had the walkman and I played that shit. And then he was like airplanes flying overseas, people dying, politicians lying. I'm trying. I was like. Was like a rose. I was like, yo, what the fuck is this?

[Common]

Yo, man, KRS KRS Want and hip hop in itself at that time too, man. Taught me so much about who I am as a person. It's stuff I ain't know. Like I ain't know like what even what, what he was just talking about. Or just certain things about Africa that.

[Fat Joe]

I benica, man, why isn't that sl. Why is that? He was going.

[Common]

He was going in there even to be able to break down the. The books of the Bible when he was. Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob had 12 sons. For real. The knees were the children Of Israel. I'm like, man, to get us to be singing that and rapping that, like, man, that dude just elevated us all, man. Hip hop did at that time. The teacher, teacher, man, the teacher. And he made it sound good, but that's what I'm talking about. Like, he made that joint sound good. Like, I had to get to that. I had. It was a point where in my music and career where I felt like I was getting stuff and I wanted to spread the word, but it was too, like, self righteous. It was too, like, you know, you gotta find a balance. Life is a balance. So it's like, you know, me growing.

[Fat Joe]

Up, he was my hero, my idol. He still is. But KRS1 was God in the Bronx, right? And then Fat Joe Yes. Became the new, like, you know, the dong. We going double platinum. We on fire. I used to walk the streets with KLS1 and Everybody Teach, teacher look at me like, you know. You know, we had attitudes. And I asked him one day, I said, yo. I said, yo, Chris, how come everybody comes up to you smiling with the teacher teacher and then looked at you? He said, that's easy. I rap about positivity and unity. You rap around gangsta shit, they gonna make you prove you a gangster every time out here. Yeah, me, they just smile. I pose no threat.

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

I was like, wow, that shit was so deep for me at the time where it was like, yo, he's like, yo, they look at me like, this is the unified. They look at you like, yo, you still Fat Joe the gangsta out here.

[Common]

So, dude, that's why I went right.

[Jadakiss]

Back to the studio and killed to more people.

[Common]

That's a fact.

[Fat Joe]

More babies than Christian.

[Common]

But that's when for me, I knew, like, okay, man, I wasn't selling a lot of records, Joe. You know, I remember walking into Relativity Records and it was. I tell people this story. It was. It was Bone Thugs at Harmony. Fat Joe. I don't know if the Roughhouse Riders were performing like Fat Joe. And so maybe 20,000 this week, Bone Thugs has sold 40,000. This week I sold 5,000. So it was like that board let me know the priority of the label and what was going to be put into my career. So I knew that, man, I got to go on my truth no matter what and stay who I am. Because record sales wasn't it for me. Like, to be honest. I mean, I did have some great ones at times, but some good ones, but. But overall, it was like, man, my integrity of what you saying, like, just putting positivity out there, putting creativity out there, putting that light out there is what to the end of the day. Some people ask me, man, why you still doing it? That's why I'm doing it. The passion. Yeah, the passion.

[Jadakiss]

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[Fat Joe]

Let's get to it.

[Jadakiss]

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[Advertiser]

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[Common]

See paypal.com promoterms Subject to approval.

[Advertiser]

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[Fat Joe]

Imma try to speed this story, but it's just too relevant. And it's a very motivational story. I say it when, when I do motivational speaking. We have Relativity, me, you, the beat nuts, Chi Ali. And they shooting $5,000 videos for us, right? But we think Relativity ain't look fancy or nothing. We think we on the come up. Yeah, and they run in. Alan Grumblatt 1 runs in with a video. He says, yo, I want to show you. I want to show you. There's a group I just signed, a group I just signed. And he puts it in. And it's Bone Thugs in harmony, floating in the air.

[Common]

This, this, this.

[Fat Joe]

And I said, yo, Alan, this looks like a million dollar video. He turned around and said, it is a million dollar video. We spent a million dollars on this. At that moment I knew they didn't believe in me like they believed in Bone Thugs because it takes money to make money. So I turned around and told everybody, yo, we gotta go. And I remember some rappers was like, yo, Joe, we got chains, we got cars, apartment I was like, yo, they don't believe in us. They just spent a million dollars. And at that moment, that's when I left Relativity. It was scary because I did have a chain to car apartment in Throsnik. And I just went. And no longer than six months later, I signed Terror Squad Records with Atlantic. They gave me a million something dollars, right? I only had 2000 in my bank account with a gold chain and a car at Relativity. But I say in everybody's life, whether you're a beautician, you're a farmer, you, whatever it is. I feel like there's this invisible train that comes in front of you. It's a train, the opportunity. But it seems so risky. But you gotta have faith and believe in yourself and jump on that train. And I jumped on that train. Maybe six months after that I signed Big Pun. So we was really on a raw. But I. But I remember that happened when they showed me that Bone Thugs video. And by the way, Bone Thugs, I love you all to death. Those are my. Listen, I miss my Uncle Charles.

[Common]

Yeah, yeah. You know, my uncle Charles too. God bless his.

[Fat Joe]

You know, on Friday I fuck up my own lyrics. Last week, well, I called him my list, my uncle. Georgia, let me tell you, I gotta tell you something. Joe Buttons, I see him at the Knick game last night. He asked me one on one on the side. He said, yo, Joe, say the truth.

[Jadakiss]

You really thought it was Uncle George?

[Fat Joe]

You really thought it was Uncle George. And you was trolling. I was like, yo, I'm fucked. I'm five, man. I really said uncle. I really thought it said Uncle George, yo.

[Jadakiss]

He really said it was.

[Fat Joe]

Uncle George wasn't Dead ass giants, man. I get my own lyrics fucked up. I know they put me on the start. Like, when you do TV shows and be like, all right, you gotta go. And it's just a TV chair. I'll be like, oh, my God. My own songs, rehearsal.

[Common]

But that train. I hear you on that train. Like, that visible train. That visible train. For me, that's what acting became for me. Like, acting was like, yeah, Jay. It was like I hit a ceiling with music for a minute. Like, where I was like, and what am I gonna do? Like? Cause I was, like, striving to do some super artsy shit, and I'm like, man, these niggas eating my. I released this album called Electric Circus. It was out there. In fact, Primo, I went on tour with Gangstar. He was like, man, I ain't like this album till we started performing. So I saw you performing, and I understand it more, but it was like one of those things where I was just like, man, I'm trying to blossom and do something. Something else. And then I was trying different things, man. I went to acting class and then, man, that was that train for me. That invisible trainer. Like, man, I love this. This is something I can work at the craft. I can do this because I wanted to do it when I was younger. I was in the play. When I was younger and my mother. I was in the play. And after I finished the play, my mother kept talking about how good Derek, my homie, was in the play. Oh, he was good. Derek was amazing. Derek is my brother.

[Fat Joe]

That's my God. And that's day one.

[Common]

So, Jay, I like. I was like, I wasn't no good. Yeah, I wasn't no good.

[Fat Joe]

Like, what's up?

[Common]

So then, anyway, I fast forward. When I got the opportunity to go to acting class, I was like, man, this is it for me. I love acting as much as I love music. I mean, music hit me in a different place, but I love acting just as much. You know what I mean? And I'm studying screen, bro.

[Fat Joe]

This shit, you know, I like gangsta flicks. I'm gonna skip a bunch of shit. Jada gonna get mad at me. But, Jon, they told you the day you was in John Wick, you knew that shit was gonna be ill, right? You was like, yo, I'm gonna be on John Wick.

[Common]

Yo, but what's crazy, though, is, you know, that was. I was in John Wick, too. So. Yeah, we filmed it in New York and then in Italy.

[Fat Joe]

I thought it was in, like, dope, man.

[Common]

It was Europe. It was like, yeah, we was in Italy for some.

[Fat Joe]

You passed them. Y' all bumped into each other. I said, oh, shit, let's go. Let's fuck.

[Common]

No, I love, man, the people that checked out John Wick, man, that blow my mind, man. Cause I be getting in cars like you said. Some people don't know I rap. I get in the Uber to do like, yo, I know you from somewhere. I know you.

[Fat Joe]

One thing they don't know is that you Common sense.

[Common]

Oh, no, they definitely don't know that.

[Fat Joe]

Yo, my daughter looks at me like I'm a dinosaur. I be like, yo, common sense. She be like, his name is Common, Dad. Like, common. I said, no, that's Common sense. No, no, no, no, dad, it's called. You sound like a dinosaur, dad. You sound like a din. I'm like, yo, that's common sense. Yo, man, they don't know what that.

[Common]

Yo, I ain't gonna front. I was surprised. I just did this whole campaign with BMW, and they was like, man, we want the campaign to be. Say it's common sense. I was like, how y' all know. How y' all know about that? There's somebody in there that knew. Yeah, that knew. Like, that's what the campaign is, Common sense. I said, damn, I'm gonna do this. We made it fly, too. But it was like, bro, like, a lot of people don't know. I be in car. Like, I was. I like to ride in the car sometimes, like, just riding around. So I was in there. The car was in Boston. This driver, this dude, a young dude, he was like. I was. You know, I put in my music and start playing on rapping and stuff. He was like, common. I ain't know you rap. I was like, yeah, I had that argument.

[Fat Joe]

I've had that argument about you.

[Jadakiss]

That means you're a great actor, though, man.

[Common]

I'm grateful for you.

[Jadakiss]

They see you in that space, and it overpowered this space that they didn't know about.

[Fat Joe]

We gotta go to. I used to love her. Okay, okay, Right. You knew that was like a lean back. When you finished that bitch, you was like, oh, I knocked this shit out the park. Like, yeah, what was making. I used to love it. Where did that come from? What was the inception of that idea? Because to this day, I mean, we did it in so many Big L did. The Ebonics did this. Everybody did some version of it. But that was like the epitome, man.

[Common]

Whenever God dropped that idea into my spirit, bro, I was geek. I just know. No idea made this dope beat. He was dope. He accepted George Vincent shout out to oid, bro.

[Fat Joe]

He killed that.

[Common]

Yo, I was sitting at home. My homies had just left the crib, and I was staying with my guy Rahsaan. We had. We had a crib together, like an apartment. And, man, I was sitting up. It was 2 in the morning. I just had that beat playing. I was like, man, what if I made hip hop a woman? And then I just started writing. It used to take me. I don't know how for y' all are, but sometimes I'll be taking. I'll be taking a while to write it.

[Fat Joe]

Back in the days, it took a while.

[Common]

Yeah, back in the day, it used to be like, back in the days.

[Fat Joe]

You be busting your brain, like, what your brain to come up with some shit.

[Common]

Yo, that one started coming to me. And then I started, you know, just understanding the metaphor. Not understanding, but just getting into the metaphor of it and taking it through the whole ride. And I was like, I ain't gonna front. I was. I did feel like, damn, this is something.

[Fat Joe]

Halfway through, you was like, yo, this is some shit, right? Like, as that shit start going, you like, yo, yo, man.

[Common]

I was like, yo. And then by the time I got to the third verse, it was like, summing it up and got to who? I'm talking about, y' all is hip hop. I was like, man, I knew that it could have something, it could hit somebody. Cause when I was in that studio, landed my guy. Rashawn was. He was. He was like. I could see him through the booth. I was sitting there rapping. And, you know, we young. So he like, what, girl, you. Yeah, he like, yo. He like, why you doing this love song? He didn't want it. You know, he like doing a love song like this. As soon as I said what I'm talking about, y' all is hip hop. That N grabbed his head like, oh.

[Fat Joe]

You want to know what's crazy is when you came in here, I know how much you love Illmatic. And so we threw on some Illmatic and similar. I used to love her to Illmatic is. Over the years, every time I heard I used to love her, I picked up something new and I learned something new. And I was just like, yo, this shit gets better, you know, like, it don't matter. You can still, like, right now. We all could have rapped and didn't know the word. Yeah, the right word, right? Caught a body halfway Houston. What the fuck he meant with. Caught a body halfway Houston.

[Jadakiss]

Head for Houston.

[Fat Joe]

Head for Houston.

[Common]

Called a body. Head for body, Houston.

[Fat Joe]

Oh, caught a body. Head for Houston.

[Common]

Yeah, Catch a body.

[Fat Joe]

You know, it's like, so you could keep. Like, that's how the lover was for me. Like, every time I heard it, I would hear something new and something new and be like, oh, shit, that shit crazy, yo.

[Common]

What. What. What hit me, too, was like, man, that was the first time I really started. Like, I remember, you know, back. Back in those days, you would have, like, people give you a quote for your album. Biggie gave me a quote, and, like, I was like, damn, I'm actually getting respect from, you know, more and more people. But then that movie Brown Sugar came out, and Brown Sugar was based on I Used to Love her.

[Fat Joe]

And, Wow, I didn't do that.

[Common]

Yeah, it was based on I used to love her. That writer, shout out to him, Michael Elliott, he had come to me to write something. Like, write some movie stuff with him. But I was like, a little bit, you know, I ain't know how to do that. So I was just. We just moving, you know, I'm just. So he ended up writing Brown Sugar. Boom. Then me and Erykah. Me and Erykah Badu did a song for Brown Sugar, which was Love of My Life based on I Used to love her. Love of My Love.

[Fat Joe]

My Friend.

[Common]

So I was like. It was. It was one of those things that kept evolving in a way. Like that song.

[Jadakiss]

It was a seed that.

[Common]

Yeah, seed. The seed so keeps growing.

[Fat Joe]

And you know what's crazy is being that you're saying that I'm just, you know, I was supposed to be in the movie Shaft. I was supposed to be peoples.

[Common]

What.

[Fat Joe]

You know, that act is a big, big. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yo, rest in peace. John Singleton, he was coming to Jimmy's Bronx Cafe every Friday trying to convince me to be in Shaft. But we was too much on that party. Like a rock star, we was like, we ain't give a fuck. We young, rich, rap niggas. Big pun, double platinum. We don't give a Fuck. He's. John Singleton was in the trenches. He was with me in Washington Heights in fucking bummy apartment house. But he had no business being there. Like, yo, Joe, I got this role. You could be people's. Cause you know what's my man, the fan, Famous actor He played people that he. You see how he was speaking with his Spanish? Yeah, he ain't Spanish.

[Common]

No, no, no, no.

[Fat Joe]

He from that. Joe was supposed to be people, bro.

[Common]

You turned that road down.

[Fat Joe]

Dumb. Like a dumb. Every time I watched that movie, I.

[Jadakiss]

Was supposed to be in Glory.

[Fat Joe]

All right. I believe.

[Advertiser]

All right.

[Fat Joe]

What's something that happened to you that you had an opportunity and you was like that? I'm gonna stay in D block with y'. All. This. I ain't doing that shit. But now when you look back, you like, damn, I should have did that.

[Common]

Yeah. Have you had one of them?

[Fat Joe]

You got some of those?

[Common]

What? You gotta give us the last thing of power.

[Fat Joe]

The last episode of Power.

[Jadakiss]

Last season of Raising Canaan, I had to take my wife to the Usher show.

[Fat Joe]

I saw you at that back.

[Jadakiss]

I couldn't get a private. It wasn't meant to be. It was one of them be sad or be happy.

[Fat Joe]

You know how big that Raising Kaelyn was.

[Jadakiss]

Shout out to.

[Fat Joe]

I got another one.

[Common]

I saw you at the Usher show that time.

[Jadakiss]

Yeah?

[Fat Joe]

Yeah. Oh, you was there, too?

[Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Common]

In Vegas. Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

You know, you go to Usher, man. He forced you to do the greatest hits. Yeah, Like, I'm over there trying to go. All I want is two free tickets, right?

[Common]

That's it.

[Fat Joe]

It turned into it. It turned into. Cost you more.

[Common]

I know, man.

[Fat Joe]

My brother Fat. Yo, the light come like this. You on stage shaking.

[Common]

You got another word.

[Fat Joe]

Then they throw another one. Another one, another. I'm like, shit, it's just a fat. Mars.

[Jadakiss]

Mars is making you do a little concert.

[Fat Joe]

DJ Moss, my guy, it's an honor.

[Jadakiss]

Your bucket. My bucket.

[Advertiser]

You love basketball?

[Common]

Yes, sir.

[Jadakiss]

Played in the high school, was a ball boy for the Chicago Bulls from 11 to 13 at MJ years. NBA. Yeah, he seen NBA. He seen Jordan debut, right?

[Common]

Yes, I seen Jordan. First comedy first. I got a picture.

[Fat Joe]

No. I might be putting him on blast, but I think Khaled was a ball boy for Orlando Magic, too. I never heard him say that before.

[Jadakiss]

But young, he caught Shaq.

[Fat Joe]

Yeah, Shaq, Nick Anderson, all that. Dennis Scott.

[Jadakiss]

He played the NBA star in the movie. How the hell was that? How did that fit?

[Common]

Yo, that was, bro.

[Fat Joe]

That was a movie.

[Common]

We love basketball.

[Fat Joe]

Yeah, we love basketball, Joe.

[Common]

I know you love basketball.

[Fat Joe]

Basketball is my life.

[Common]

How was it, bro? That was like a dream. A dream. Two dreams in one dream, inside a dream. Cause that was my first lead role. And then I'm playing a basketball player, and then I'm like, in the movie.

[Fat Joe]

I'm coming against.

[Common]

I'm playing against D. Wade. I'm like, damn. I'm trying to really do something.

[Jadakiss]

I'm trying to do something.

[Common]

I couldn't do nothing with him, though.

[Fat Joe]

Them dudes are strong.

[Common]

And then once I was driving, the scene was like, yo, I'm keep. I'm supposed to score over Dwight Howard song. He sake. I'm scoring over him. And then just by the third take, he just smacked that shit. He said, I'll show you what I really do to this shit. I said, damn. But, man, that was amazing. That was an amazing experience. Queen Latifah, I gotta give her love, man. Cause she, you know, the producers was looking at other people. And then she was like, I think he can do it. And the producers really believed him. And I had a tough time on that movie. Cause it was my first lead. So they. At one point, man, they was thinking about kicking me off. Cause I wasn't getting the scenes right. And, man, it was crucial. And then I did this one scene, and they ended up being like, okay, cool. And it wasn't even. You know, it's like the story you hear about. I mean, I ain't gonna put myself on that level, but the story you hear about Al Pacino and Godfather. You know how.

[Fat Joe]

No, I ain't hear it. Break that down. Al Pacino from the Bronx.

[Common]

Al Pacino, he from the Bronx.

[Fat Joe]

That's right.

[Common]

That man is he.

[Fat Joe]

You that.

[Common]

Yo, that man. That man is mean.

[Fat Joe]

But listen.

[Common]

Al Pacino. While they was filming the Godfather, the studio wasn't really happy with his work. They was like, this dude ain't delivering. So as Michael. As Michael. So the director, he decided to move that scene up where he. You know, where he. Where he first shoot them dudes. Where the gun is in the bathroom.

[Fat Joe]

Oh, yeah, the cop.

[Common]

Yeah, the cop.38 in the bathroom. He moved that scene up. Because, you know, they were watching. You know, when you filming a movie, you get to watch what they call dailies. You watching at what y' all shoot every day. So he said, I gotta move this scene up so they can see how cold this dude is. And they see. They move that scene up.

[Fat Joe]

Dude, that gun. Like, they said, make sure you throw the gun, yo. That's commenzo. And them, they told him, throw the gun, yo. Wipe it down. Throw the gun. He threw the gun, yo, just him.

[Common]

The tension when he's sitting there. When he's sitting there with them. Yeah, the tension right there.

[Fat Joe]

Like, oh, man.

[Common]

Alcino man. Shout out.

[Fat Joe]

They beat him up. He's shit. He had the. His shit was broken jawed and he sat down. Yeah, I understand this and that. When the bathroom killed him, but I gotta tell you something about Queen Latifah. Queen Latifah's in the studio with Kuna Dre. One day, I'm hanging out with. She looks at me for no reason, sis. Well, you think you fucking tough? She pulls the knife out. You got the. She chased me around the studio with a knife. Come here, motherfucker. You ain't that tough. She had one of those. You ain't that tough, motherfucker. She start chasing me around the studio. I said, yo, Latifah, please, Queen, please. She don't play that shit.

[Common]

No, she.

[Fat Joe]

She chasing me.

[Common]

The truth, bro.

[Fat Joe]

She got a. I chased Fat Joe out. The studio story I'm telling. She did it in real life.

[Common]

Jada flipped that shit. Like.

[Fat Joe]

They say it's the Puerto Ricans. Everybody got a knife in New York.

[Jadakiss]

You gotta keep the hawk. What new projects you got coming?

[Common]

I'm working on this TV series for Apple. It's called Silo.

[Fat Joe]

Oh, yeah, yeah, I seen that.

[Common]

Yeah, check that out. Like Silo Deep, right? Yeah, it's fresh, man. It's really fresh. And my man Tim Robbins is starring in it. Tim Robbins from Shawshank Redemption. And I like Mystic Mix, the River and this woman, Rebecca Ferguson. Some dope ass actors and dope actors and story is mean. It's dope.

[Fat Joe]

What's your top five Rappers turn actors. That's a question.

[Common]

That's a great question. I had that Will Smith. Gotta be Will Smith.

[Fat Joe]

There you go.

[Common]

Queen Latifah most deaf. That man was mean.

[Fat Joe]

No, no.

[Jadakiss]

16 blocks.

[Common]

16 blocks.

[Fat Joe]

Yo, he quit rap, he'll quit act. I don't know where. Most definitely, it's three.

[Jadakiss]

Let's go eat in Barcelona. Chilling. Shout out to Yaseen.

[Common]

Yeah, shout out to Yaseen. I love Yassin. That man is. He is one of the three.

[Jadakiss]

Let's go.

[Common]

Okay, I got you full Smith.

[Fat Joe]

Queen Latifah, most dead.

[Common]

I'm gonna go Ice Cube. That's four. And then who else?

[Fat Joe]

Who else is out there? Oh, Pac.

[Common]

There you go. Thank you. Pac was fire. I'm gonna go put myself.

[Fat Joe]

Tupac was cold, you there, though. I'm gonna put my Stephanie in there smoking. You know, we don't like to. You know, our era don't put ourselves in this shit. But you in there smoking.

[Common]

Ace is my first movie, man.

[Fat Joe]

Fire, Hutch.

[Jadakiss]

That's fire.

[Common]

That was fire. So good to get. That's the first movie I did, Joe. And then, like, man, that was my first call back. You know, I've been auditioning, auditioning. And some of the movies I was going for, they didn't even want to see me. Cause I was a musician. They like, I don't want to. We don't want to. We good on that. And in fact. Cause they had already had Alicia Keys in the movie. The director was like, I don't know if I want to see him. But the cast director was like, check them out. So I did the tape, and then they called me back. I was so geek, man. It was my first callback. I was flying from doing a show. I landed and went into that audition, man. I felt it. I was like, yo, I'm about to light this shit up. And I did it. Maybe about a couple. About three weeks later, the director called me, like, yo, you got the job. You got the job. Like, I was crying. I called my mother. Then I had to go tell Kanye, like, yo, can go on this tour, man. I got a movie. And he was like, man, do your thing. Do your dream, brother. Do what you gotta do. I was like, thank you. Appreciate you. That was my first movie, brother. It mean everything to me.

[Jadakiss]

Another bag. You just got the theme for prime for the NBA.

[Fat Joe]

Yeah, man, we saw that. I saw that, bro.

[Common]

Let me tell you.

[Fat Joe]

I saw that.

[Common]

Hey, as we said, I'm representing us. I feel like, man, to be able to have the theme song, like, for the NBA. What, on Prime? You could have never told me, like, me. James Poison. James Poison is a producer who did a lot of Lauren stuff, did a lot of our stuff, play with the Roots, like Erykah Badu. He is an incredible producer, pianist.

[Jadakiss]

We have it. Let's. Let's check it out.

[Common]

Yeah. And Kareem Riggins, we did that all together. Let's check. This is the same song. It's called Victory.

[Jadakiss]

I'm immediate. That's laughing right there. Victory is the name of it, baby.

[Common]

Yes.

[Fat Joe]

Sham.

[Common]

It.

[Jadakiss]

That's my ball. I like, right?

[Common]

Yo, I mean, I'm gonna tell y', all, like, this is one of. For me, is one of the first. I got to give it up. James Poison and Kareem Riggins, we co produced that together, the theme song. But we. And back in March, we submitted. You know, they was taking submissions from different people. Amazon was. And, man, we got together in the studio and just started creating that, like, getting our musician cats together and just, you know, putting together this. This theme Song. And we knew we wanted it to feel like. We wanted it to feel nostalgic before it. Cause, you know, it's like Amazon is doing something new with the NBA, but we still wanted that Earth, Wind and Fire, but. And it needed to be something. I could come to Joe and Jada, and we still like, yo, you know, like, you know, so, man, we, man, you know.

[Fat Joe]

You want to know what's so crazy? I hear Chicago all over that beat. Like, I hear Lupe fiasco. I hear you. I hear all y' all spitters. I hear everything. Yeah, I hear all the Chicago spitters just going crazy on that beat right there. Like, that's sick. Chi Town. Like I said, Lupe fiasco. Kanye West, I always say. There was this one guy, he was a freestyler.

[Common]

Juice.

[Fat Joe]

Juice. And I would go to see this guy Spit. Whenever I went to Chicago, I'd be like, yo, where the guy Juice at? And they'd be like, yo, he's. They got some shit tonight. And you. What you go with?

[Common]

Yo, Juice was like. Like, it's like almost like a hoop legend that. Like to chew.

[Fat Joe]

That didn't make it to the league.

[Common]

But didn't make it to the league.

[Fat Joe]

He was like.

[Common]

He was. I want to give him his love. Because that, man, he was incredible.

[Fat Joe]

Feeding on, bro.

[Common]

He'd be like. He'll sit there freestyle for, like, do a whole show just freestyling, and it'd be good.

[Fat Joe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Common]

Like, good.

[Fat Joe]

Just sitting there, bar to death. And you sitting up in there, like, looking at him like, oh, my God, yeah. And shout out to Twister.

[Common]

Yeah, Twist up, man. Come on. Yeah. We wanted to bring that. Like, we wanted to bring that soul to that theme song because it's like, you bought it, you know, like the stuff we grew up, you know, point blank. There's some classic joints. The one that we hear heard on NBC, that's the classic. Yeah, right? So we like, man, you know what?

[Fat Joe]

To me, this is your version of that. Nah, Pusha T made up. I think he made up. I'm loving it, right?

[Common]

Yes.

[Fat Joe]

For McDonald's, push your teammate up. I'm loving it.

[Common]

Yeah, I did.

[Fat Joe]

That's what you want. You want this shit. The 20 years from now when they show footage.

[Common]

See and remember that.

[Advertiser]

What?

[Common]

See, that's what.

[Fat Joe]

I know what that is.

[Common]

And, man, just fit for us, like, as black artists to have a theme song for major sports. That ain't. That ain't happened. No, like a theme. Like, if you couldn't have told me.

[Jadakiss]

I was A part of that. For them people to let you be a part of that collectively with the other guys in the people playing the instruments is a win for us.

[Common]

It's a win for us, man. We represent us, all of us.

[Fat Joe]

Me, they get that you was one of the first guys I called to try to get you on this box. Rewind the tent. Cause you got that legendary beard. You know, I try to get. You know, you got whiskers. You ain't got no beard. Man, why you keep looking at me like, I don't want to have a beard? Okay, so Common got the beard. He said, y' all don't. I ain't ready for that right now. I'm like, why fight the time when you can rewind, Find a time.

[Jadakiss]

I never wanted to have a beard.

[Fat Joe]

Why be 53 when you can be 42? Why be 42 when you can be 31?

[Common]

Let me see.

[Fat Joe]

It's the Rolls Royce for your movies.

[Jadakiss]

Kids cafe.

[Fat Joe]

I'm already drinking it.

[Jadakiss]

The best coffee on the bar.

[Common]

That's what I'm talking about.

[Jadakiss]

Three generations.

[Advertiser]

Me, my dad and my son. You know what I mean?

[Fat Joe]

So straight from Puerto Rico. So Risa Rum, straight from Puerto Rico, right?

[Jadakiss]

So these are. We own this everything we own. It's all we own.

[Fat Joe]

Yo, listen. Yo, comment? But I'm telling you, if you need the little. You know, I do. That's the quicker picker upper.

[Common]

No, I got great.

[Jadakiss]

I can't be doing that one.

[Fat Joe]

Drake, yo, that's with Rolls Royce of hair coloring. I'm not.

[Common]

It's right. Okay.

[Fat Joe]

Some. Some black and brown people, they get allergic to it. I should. Sensitive pneumonia free. We thought everything vegan. It's not vegan. That Styles P's version of that.

[Jadakiss]

See what I'm saying?

[Fat Joe]

So you can't even use it if it ain't vegan.

[Jadakiss]

Yeah, it can't have. No, it gotta have.

[Fat Joe]

No. Let me tell you something. I throw my birthday party every year. I might have 72 mountains of food just there for no reason. Everybody, you walk by, grab a grape, whatever. It's just too much, right?

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

Styles, he come. You know, Joe, what you got for vegetarian?

[Jadakiss]

Vegan.

[Common]

That's right.

[Fat Joe]

For vegan, I go. Hold on.

[Jadakiss]

He identifies as plant based.

[Fat Joe]

Plant based. My sister, I go in the house and come out with the coconuts. You know the one you get the spoon with and break the inside with the spoon. I bring them the coconuts and porters. He said, wow, Joe, you got these? Because them shits ain't from New York. They from some with. They from Chile.

[Common]

From the.

[Fat Joe]

I bring them the coconut with his food. I'm like, I felt so good. I was like, yo, I got that. I got the coconuts, man.

[Common]

Yeah, Joe, you got. Have you got to have something for the vegans at the party?

[Fat Joe]

Yes, we, we, we. My party's a flagrant Santo.

[Jadakiss]

I'm get some of that.

[Fat Joe]

Yeah, you always ahead of the time, though.

[Common]

Make sure y' all get that, because I'm coming. I'm. I'm gonna be coming with a whole, like, not grooming, but that's one of the reasons. Like, it's like, I'm doing some oils and stuff, too, and some natural things. Oh.

[Fat Joe]

So I gotta get running my number one CBS Sally's all over. We number one.

[Common]

That's what I'm talking about.

[Fat Joe]

Yo, we selling boxes. I found my first customer. I went to CVS over there across the street from the Beverly Center.

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

In la.

[Common]

Yeah.

[Fat Joe]

And it was a white guy. He had a box in his hands. And I said, yo, he didn't even know I'm on the box. I was like, yo, you used to rewind it. He said all the time. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me. And he shows me. Cause, you know, we got Travis Kelce on the box, turned over and go, it's good enough for him. It's good enough for me. I was like, yes.

[Common]

Yo, that's amazing.

[Fat Joe]

Yes.

[Common]

I gotta give it up for that.

[Fat Joe]

I was like, yes. You got Travis Kelsey, Travis Kelce, Brody Jenner. Yeah, we got Gallad Mickey, Jam Reggae Tone Superstar. Like, we not playing. We got a white boy called Wonder Boy. He was that ufc. You know, we good ufc. You ufc. You know, Trump might not mess with you if you got one of them on the COVID You know what I'm saying? You know, that's his thing. We pushed up in the front. My UFC guys over there. Leave us the fuck alone, bro. We don't want no smoke.

[Jadakiss]

This ain't that.

[Fat Joe]

That ain't this. It's cracking.

[Jadakiss]

Kiss. Kiss. Make some noise for our brother. Coming, y'.

[Common]

All. Yeah. Yes, sir.

[Jadakiss]

Appreciate you, my brother.

[Common]

I appreciate y'. All. Love y'. All.

[Advertiser]

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[Common]

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[Advertiser]

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[Common]

FDIC subject to credit approval.