Joe and Jada: Stove God Cooks on "F.I.C.O." & Clipse, Westside Gunn, Jay-Z & Eminem Rumors

Podcast: Joe and Jada
Hosts: Fat Joe & Jadakiss
Guest: Stove God Cooks
Date: August 28, 2025
Platform: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

Episode Overview

This episode of "Joe and Jada" features rising hip-hop star Stove God Cooks as he sits down with Fat Joe and Jadakiss. The conversation dives deep into Stove God's path from Syracuse, his artistic ethos, stories behind his connection with Westside Gunn, Clipse, and rumors about major labels like Roc Nation and Shady Records. The episode is packed with candid industry talk, heartfelt street wisdom, live performances, and legendary co-signs.

Key Discussion Points

1. Syracuse Roots & Early Inspirations

[04:20–08:00]

• Jadakiss expresses his special connection with Syracuse and Carmelo Anthony, sharing memories of growing up rooting for the Orange and reflecting on the absence of hometown rap heroes.
• Stove God Cooks describes his upbringing in Syracuse, touching on the lack of local role models:

  “Nobody to reference this shit from, you know… shit was like delusion. Shit was a joke for a long time. Ain’t laughing no more.” — Stove God Cooks [06:24]

2. Rise to Fame & Westside Gunn's Influence

[09:00–14:00]

• Stove details being discovered by Westside Gunn after "Reasonable Drought," describing Gunn’s belief in his talent:

  “Gun reached out and he was working on that Awesome God album. ‘Yo, Stove, I need three joints by tomorrow… Get on these three joints, they gonna go back to your shit… Then they gonna listen to it different.’ Everything Wes told me… that shit played out exactly the way he said it.” — Stove God Cooks [10:21]

• Fat Joe and Jada emphasize the significance of being on their “blue couch,” crediting the moment as a possible career-changing spotlight.

3. Authenticity in Rap & “Gospel Drug Dealer” Persona

[14:30–17:00]

• Fat Joe dubs Stove God Cooks a "gospel drug dealer," noting the spiritual grit in his lyricism:

  “You not even a rapper, right? You like a gospel drug dealer.” — Fat Joe [12:38]

• Discussion on the realness of Stove's content and how his music reads as “street gospel” for those who’ve lived similar lives.

4. The Clipse Collaboration—Industry Validation

[21:10–26:00]

• Stove recounts how Clipse (Pusha T, Malice) reached out via mutual friend Zo, and his experience creating a chorus for their track (eventually earning the title "hook of the year"):

  “Pharrell had a hook on there… but Pharrell ain’t from where we from—do what you do. So I ain’t even play Pharrell shit, I just took it to the studio… did that joint… one take.” — Stove God Cooks [23:45]

• Hosts request a live performance of the hook, and Stove delivers, leading to high praise:

  “Hook of the year. Can I hear it?” — Fat Joe [25:10]
  (Stove raps the chorus live.)
  “That’s real, man. You can’t come up here making sound effects… We need you—the leader of the new school.” — Fat Joe [27:00]

5. Style, Fashion, and Upstate’s New Wave

[29:15–32:00]

• Jada and Joe discuss the fashion sense of the Griselda movement and associated upstate artists, with Rock Marciano and others pushing the style envelope.
• “We waited a long time… The Griselda… you ever seen a [guy] with Bean bars and… the gear is horrible. There’s a few of them, but not a lot.” — Fat Joe [29:45]

6. Musical Influences & Future Collaborations

[33:00–37:00]

• Stove lists his top influences:

  “Kiss, Hov, Andre 3000…” — Stove God Cooks [35:15]

• Joe predicts a Hov (Jay-Z) collaboration in Stove's future (“That’s an early prediction for Joe Crack on Draft Day.” [36:00])
• Discussion about other heavy co-signs and support from Dre (of Cool & Dre), and why real talent wins over label politics.

7. Industry Games, Label Politics, and Artist Autonomy

[41:00–55:00]

• Stove and the hosts share war stories about major label deals, gatekeepers, and artist exploitation—touching on offers from Roc Nation, Def Jam, and Shady:

  “Game is disgusting. You don’t know until you know.” — Stove God Cooks [51:10]

• Fat Joe relates a story about industry attempts to scam artists out of ringtones profits in the early 2000s.

  “So some girl comes down, she’s the assistant to the president… she says, 'Yo, the man upstairs says, sign right here…' I said, 'You can suck my d*ck.'” — Fat Joe [53:20]

• The group decries how industry execs who have never been in the creative trenches often block real artists’ progress:

  “It’s the only game where they don’t believe in you until you prove yourself… then you supposed to do business with the same [people] that didn’t believe in me.” — Stove God Cooks [54:25]

8. Building Fans from the Ground Up & Stagecraft

[56:00–59:00]

• On building with core fans, and how big records don’t always translate into live performance audiences.

  “It’s n****s with big records that can’t do a 500 room. So, the way I got to do it, through Wes and through the Griselda shit, really, like, build that shit from the ground with the fans.” — Stove God Cooks [57:20]

9. Work Ethic, Lessons from Busta Rhymes

[59:10–1:02:00]

• Stove shares what he learned from Busta Rhymes’ relentless grind and why he prefers to work in the day:

  “Bus a workaholic that don’t take a day off… That turned me off from that. I can’t do that night studio, though.” — Stove God Cooks [1:00:00]

10. Rumors: Hov, Eminem, and Difficult Contracts

[1:03:00–1:06:00]

• Discussion of industry chatter about Jay-Z and Eminem reaching out to sign him, and candid talk about contract “situations” holding artists back.

  “Yeah, Shady, Def Jam, everybody done reached out… but you under a situation with a volatile partner…” — Fat Joe [1:04:40]
  “The politics of the rap game be like the wackiest shit in the game.” — Jadakiss [1:06:00]

11. Wisdom From The Trenches: Advice and Industry Lessons

[1:08:00–1:13:00]

• Fat Joe and Jada offer lessons on the importance of trusting your voice as an artist and not letting outsiders dictate your sound:

  “If you ever get to a place of importance, what are you scared of?… Just get the dog job done. Your success speaks for you.” — Fat Joe [1:11:10]

• Candid discussion on A&R egos, artist autonomy, and the dangers of industry groupthink.

12. Defining the Stove God World & Why the Body of Work Matters

[1:15:00–1:17:00]

• Stove on why it’s all about his “world” not just singles:

  “If I bring them in so they understand, like, this world, this shit ain’t like that shit they doing… like, all I could say from a guy who grew up in the streets, it sound like f***in’ street gospel.” — Stove God Cooks [1:15:35]

13. Personal Motivation, Legacy, and the Path Forward

[1:23:00–1:26:00]

• Stove discusses being motivated by the fans and DMs, handling viral moments, and his vision for his legacy:

  “Where you see yourself in hip hop history when it’s all said and done?” — Fat Joe [1:25:00]
  “Can go the right way. I think I could be one of the ones.” — Stove God Cooks [1:25:15]

14. Viral Moments and Being a Good Sport

[1:28:00–1:32:00]

• Jadakiss discusses a viral comedy club moment Stove God survived with grace and humor, paralleling it to being roasted himself as a young rapper.

15. What’s Next: Two New Albums and More

[1:33:00–End]

• Stove reveals he’s completed two albums and is working with Westside Gunn on more material:

  “I got two albums done… Me and Gunn working on some shit. Then I got another solo album I’m working on.” — Stove God Cooks [1:34:50]

• Plays NEW UNRELEASED MUSIC live in-studio by request from Fat Joe and Jadakiss.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Fat Joe:

• “You not even a rapper, right? You like a gospel drug dealer.” [12:38]
• “You talking… people go dumb on their verses, but you go super, duper, duper dumb… dragging the dumbness out bar for bar, line for line. Is this gonna stop?!” [38:50]
• “If you ever get to a place of that importance or excellence, what are you scared of?… Load a bag. Invest in yourself.” [1:10:40]

Stove God Cooks:

• “Game is disgusting. You don’t know until you know.” [51:10]
• “If I bring them in so they understand, this world ain’t like that shit they doing… it sound like f**king street gospel.” [1:15:35]
• “I ain’t going. If I ain’t comfortable, we ain’t going.” [1:05:20]

Jadakiss:

• “The politics of the rap game be like the wackiest shit in the game.” [1:06:00]
• “Everybody goes. So, you, somebody gotta be the one to say, ‘I ain’t going.’ It’s hard to not go sometimes.” [1:25:50]

Live Performance:

• Stove God Cooks delivers a standout live hook from his Clipse collaboration, an acapella verse, and debuts a new, unreleased track on-air [~1:35:40–1:39:00].

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Syracuse Background & Roots: 04:20–08:00
• Westside Gunn Influence: 09:00–14:00
• "Gospel Drug Dealer" Concept & Family Inspiration: 14:30–17:00
• How the Clipse Collab Happened: 21:10–26:00
• Hook of the Year - Live Performance: 25:10–27:00
• Fashion, Influence, Upstate Wave: 29:15–32:00
• Industry Lessons and Label Games: 41:00–55:00
• Artist Autonomy and Industry Critiques: 1:08:00–1:13:00
• Defining the Stove God World: 1:15:00–1:17:00
• Motivation, Legacy, and What's Next: 1:23:00–End
• Unreleased Song Performance: 1:35:40–1:39:00

Takeaways

• Stove God Cooks is poised as the leader of a new wave in hip-hop, with powerful validation from legends Fat Joe and Jadakiss.
• The episode is a masterclass in navigating the music industry, balancing authenticity, and preserving one’s artistic voice amid label politics.
• Candid exchanges, live performances, and personal stories set a blueprint for up-and-coming artists on building legacy from the ground up.