Memphis Bleak (2:37)

What Up, y'.

CJ Toledano (2:38)

All.

Memphis Bleak (2:38)

This your main man, Memphis Bleak, right here. Welcome to Rock Solid, a production of iHeartRadio in the black Effect Network in partnership with my guys over at Drink Champs.

Fat Joe (2:50)

You should know by now. You should know by now.

Memphis Bleak (3:01)

All right, y', all. You already know what it is. Y' all back with another exclusive episode of Rock Solid. Not only do I got a New York Bronx heavy hitting legend next to me, man, but this guy right here change the face of hip hop in New York City. One of the first to put a crew together, coming out mobbing that. I definitely was like, who the hell is these and who they think they are? You know what I mean? So we gonna find out the real reason he called himself Joey Crack. Swelka Fat Joe to the building. Man, og, how you been, my brother?

Fat Joe (3:37)

You know I'm off that dooey doosy.

Memphis Bleak (3:42)

Yo, we was just talking about that Columbia, man.

Fat Joe (3:47)

Let me tell you something, you know, you bought that project. Life is different. I don't care how tough you are wherever you are. You know, people don't realize we live in buildings with 145 apartments. And so say there's a thousand people living that building. Apartments this small. And you can't even hang out in front of the building because the police lock you up for hanging out in front of the building. So different things, you know, in my block, and I'm gonna let you, you know, answer, but we've been talking behind the scenes about ill shit. But in my block, it was angel dust that finished a lot of our legends. Like niggas was smoking that angel dust and they start jumping off the roof. And all that while I now fighting 30 cops, niggas thought they was he, man. That angel dust was a different type of.

Memphis Bleak (4:36)

Yeah, no, that was different. That's what I say was the first shit I ever heard about. I remember being in school, they used to bring the little case with the dad. Niggas used to come in there with the whole box and be like, yo, watch out for these drugs. And they would end up selling them all. But they used to have shit in there called ice pcp. They used to add the shit that looked like them red. Remember the cap gun back in the day, used to have to put the red little strips in there. They used to have some shit that people used to put on they tongue like that that dissolved. I don't even know what that was.

Fat Joe (5:07)

I was too young, you know, I was a kid.

Memphis Bleak (5:09)

Acid, I think that was.

Fat Joe (5:11)

Yeah, my mother and father, as far as I know to be honest with you, my mother. I never, ever seen a drink in my life. But my father used to drink, but I'd never seen him use a drug in my life. But it's crazy, because when we was kids and we were walking to the supermarket, be like, cnd, Coke and dope, Coke and dope. CN like, it was like you had to get through Wall street to go be legit and get your groceries for your kids and walk back home. I didn't know I was a kid, but they screaming C and D, coke and dope, Coke and dope. Got the like is just out there. Or they had the dice game with the foam. They had like a. Like a. Like the inside of a mattress. It was the foam. And they be playing that ceelo and all that. Nah, it was. It was the wild, wild West. When I'm talking about baby years when I was a little, that's crazy, because

Memphis Bleak (6:08)

that was one of my first questions I was going to ask you as a kid growing up in the Bronx. What was it like? You know what I'm saying? And shit, you set it off before I even had to ask.

Fat Joe (6:16)

It was also beautiful, right? Because when you ain't got much, you don't know you ain't got much.

Memphis Bleak (6:21)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (6:22)

So my mom's and my family, they're very musical. We never had no rappers, no musicians in my family, but they played music. To this day, Uncle Nan is blasting the Temptations and the Four Tops. So it's like, you know, my mom's passed away. All she did was sit in front of that TV and listen to the old school. Let's do the twist like she like they like. And so we grew up like that, you know what I'm saying? Music was a big motivation for me in my life. So we had a lot of fun times. We ain't know we ain't have it, you know? And they always worked, you know what I'm saying? My mom said my pops worked hard. You know, I got big family in Brooklyn. I don't know if you know what part. Bushwick. Cornelia.

Memphis Bleak (7:12)

Yeah, Bushwick and Cornelia. They had that raw when I was a shorty.

Orderly Meds Advertiser (7:17)

What?

Fat Joe (7:18)

Listen, man. Yo, all my cousins is from there. That's where I learned kung fu. Yo. Some niggas used to have KO yo.

Memphis Bleak (7:26)

That was a thing in New York. As a shorty, everybody knew karate or

Fat Joe (7:30)

had a home run that knew how to teach a fight.

Memphis Bleak (7:35)

Yo, that's a fact.

Fat Joe (7:36)

I had a homie, too, man, used to teach my cousin Jose, man. He Died. All of them died off crack, right? So he. But them there, they used to fight kung fu. They thought they was the kung fu.

Commercial Announcer (7:48)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (7:49)

Then I had East New York, Miller Ave. The Big Hill. My aunt, my godmother, she. She used to live there, too. So I got big family and all. Actually, most of my family. My family also from the low east side. Never told you nothing because they never was, like, really tough. So you ain't even know they can say.

Memphis Bleak (8:07)

Yo, they was.

Fat Joe (8:08)

They were not in.

Memphis Bleak (8:09)

Yo never talk to their family.

Fat Joe (8:11)

That's not tough.

Memphis Bleak (8:12)

It's like, there's nothing to talk about.

Fat Joe (8:13)

Yo, y' all killing the whole Lower east side. You never gonna know this. You going to school being a nice guy. My cousins live in the projects off the fdr.

Memphis Bleak (8:25)

But I bet you them. But nobody right now.

Fat Joe (8:29)

Listen, them there. Yeah, they got jobs. They. I see them all the time and. But my cousin moving. But they nice guys. That's why you never hear me, like, yo, my cousin, you know, you can't.

Memphis Bleak (8:40)

Yo, that's crazy, because back in the day in the hood, you a up be like, yo, I'm going to get my cousin.

Fat Joe (8:46)

Like, who?

Memphis Bleak (8:47)

Yeah, watch my cousins from over here. Like, all right, cool. Go get them. Nigga said my cousins wasn't even.

Fat Joe (8:54)

My projects was very different. So it's like, you beat up one, the brother come.

Memphis Bleak (8:58)

That's right. You gotta fight my cousin.

Fat Joe (9:00)

Yeah. Nine brothers, and they keep coming to one of them beat your ass. That's just no way around it.

Memphis Bleak (9:06)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (9:07)

The bigger one come. Yeah, the bigger one come. By the time the third, fourth one,

Memphis Bleak (9:11)

you like, yo, they gonna move on, man.

Fat Joe (9:13)

They're gonna jump you. They gonna beat the. That's a fact. Come with the bigger. I never want. I never forget my brother. My big brother was my hero. One day I this up. His other brother came. I him up. The other one came. I him up. Then the other one came. I didn't at that age no more. No, No. I didn't even know what muscles was that came. Like. I'm like, yo, I got all right. I've never been in my life, so I gotta fight him. That was beat, man. My brother came like Superman. Yeah. They called my big brother. He was bigger than him. He beat the out of him. Yeah, but it was that type of where your sister with me. I bring my sister out. Rest in peace. My sister used to beat the out of sis.

Memphis Bleak (10:01)

Nah. My brother used to hold it down for me, man. Shout out, Dre, my bro definitely used to Come out. He ain't never let me get it.

Commercial Announcer (10:08)

Nothing.

Memphis Bleak (10:09)

It's like, you fought me. You definitely had to fight my brother.

Fat Joe (10:12)

See, that's. That's highly unfortunate for a who ain't got brothers and sisters. You gonna meet your match. I got beat up by girls in my project.

Memphis Bleak (10:22)

Truth, man.

Fat Joe (10:22)

Cause I never hit girls, man.

Memphis Bleak (10:24)

Said, I got beat up.

Fat Joe (10:25)

Telling you the truth.

Memphis Bleak (10:26)

Girls definitely in the projects fight, like.

Fat Joe (10:30)

But I'm not gonna fight him.

Memphis Bleak (10:32)

Fact.

Fat Joe (10:32)

So they basically picking on me. They know I'm not gonna hit them back. Then the running be like, y' all Fat Joey up, man. Yeah, smack the out that, this or that. But, you know, I'm being a gentleman. Like, no, you know, you can't hit the woman back.

Memphis Bleak (10:46)

No, it's.

Fat Joe (10:47)

They was running with that.

Memphis Bleak (10:50)

It's who try. I know girls in my hood who got. Who can't come back to. Like, he better not come back to the hood. And it's a girl.

Fat Joe (10:58)

You ain't supposed to beat the girl up.

Memphis Bleak (11:00)

Yeah, but you gonna dump the projects, like, well, she gonna have to do

Fat Joe (11:04)

something if she got some family or whatever with her, you know.

Memphis Bleak (11:09)

Nigga said she got some family.

Fat Joe (11:12)

No, yo, that family shit was big deal, man.

Memphis Bleak (11:15)

Yo, take me back to the first deal, my G. Cause you were signed to Def Jam. 92, 93.

Fat Joe (11:24)

Not Def Jam. I was on Relativity. Oh. And so what happened is I'm in the streets and I'm hustling, right? And. And I'm outside, outside. Legendary, right? We getting that money for real. Not. You know, I be watching. You know, watching. I used to think was legends. They do they documentary. And they was like, yeah, we was making 2,000 a day. I'm like, you're about 298,000. Documentary. Like, no, legendary. We know their name in every barrel. And when I look at their numbers, I'm like, yo, this ain't legendary numbers. Like, you know so well. We were doing legendary numbers.

Memphis Bleak (12:10)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (12:10)

And so I turned around and said, yo, I went to the Apollo Theater. And I said, telling niggas was laughing at me. All the drug dealers, they're still alive. Y' all know. Y' all was all laughing at me. Cause we used to brag a lot. Like, if you think we brag now on podcast, we used to meet up on 138 and. And they could be like, yo, I did 200, 000 a day. Yo, I did 150, yo, I did 100. This is just bunching. Chando talking about the work Whatever they were doing. So I told everybody, like, so I was always popular before I was a rapper. Everybody knew me. And so I told everybody, yo, I'm doing the other were dying. Like, yo, this, this, that. I came in first place four weeks in a row. I want y' all to hear me out, guys, because a lot of times y' all hear it go over your head. I'm a Spanish. I went to the Apollo Theater in Harlem and won four weeks in the world. When I won, I got red alert. Who's the number one DJ at the time, said, yo, do you got any demos, any promos? And I made one for him, which was Flo Jo. He would play it every Friday or Saturday. And then one day I'm on the block, but it's still not even a dream. Like you just doing it cause you love it. And Chris Lighty came up, rest in peace. And he was like, yo, you know who I am? And I said, yeah, you baby Chris. He was like, you Fat Joe? I said, yeah. He said, I think you could be a star. I was like, what? He said, I got a record label and I want to sign you. I was like, get the. Like, I couldn't believe it. I signed right in the middle of the street. No lawyer, no nothing.

Commercial Announcer (13:55)

Damn.

Fat Joe (13:55)

That's how you know when the really want to sign. Yeah, I don't advise that everyone should get a lawyer.

Memphis Bleak (14:00)

That's right.

Fat Joe (14:01)

But when you chasing a to sign to you and he acting like too fly. This, this, he don't really want to sign.

Memphis Bleak (14:07)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (14:08)

So I signed in the middle of the street. I got what, fifty thousand dollar check. And I've seen way more money than fifty thousand. But I was so proud. I was showing the whole projects. Any that'll look at my check, look legit, 50,000 look legit, legit, legit look, look, I made it, yo. And I wind up God bless. I wind up. The same day I. I signed, my mother got diagnosed with cancer. So I wind up spending maybe 39, 40,000 on the nurses, the private nurses to. To watch my mother while she was going through that process of Sloan Kettering. So I made a whole album with ten grand. Diamond D produced it. Then the Beat Nuts, they were signed to Chris Lighty too. I met them. They mixed my album for free on their in power playing queen. So I would sneak into their section. They mixed Flo Joe, they mixed all that.

Memphis Bleak (15:11)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (15:11)

And that's why I'm always in debt. Legendary, the Beat Nuts. But that's how that went that's dope, man.

Memphis Bleak (15:18)

The Beat Nuts. Legendary, Legendary Diamond D. Legendary. But then after all of that, man, think about it. Representing Flo Joe. Go number one.

Fat Joe (15:27)

Yeah, number one.

Memphis Bleak (15:29)

Change the game.

Fat Joe (15:32)

I'm telling you, man, I've been delusional. Been delusional. So even with just like when I walked in, the part I left out with the Apollo is you walk in and there's a hundred different artists, dancers, singers, all type of there. I'm looking at these niggas like, yo, what are they doing here? Like, you know, I'm winning this. I was looking at the hundred people winning this shit. What are they doing? So when we put out Flo Jo, you better believe I was delusional enough to think we was gonna go number one. The shit went number one. Word up, you know, so it was a big blessing, you know. That's crazy, man.

Memphis Bleak (16:11)

That's my first record that introduced me to you. I remember being in the crib, you know. Everybody watch Ralph McDaniel's video Music Box. Shout out, Ralph, man. Yo, my G, that shit come on. You gotta flow, Joe. And this is at first when I'm first starting to rhyme. So it's like, me, I'm listening, I'm changing. You gotta flow, flow Bleak. But I had no flow. So I listened to your and my. I remember that you with me. I'm gonna mash your toes. You know, I gotta 93.

Fat Joe (16:41)

They gotta free John Gotti, yo. But what I did know about that was that everybody grew up with Spanish dudes their whole life.

Memphis Bleak (16:50)

Hell, yeah.

Fat Joe (16:50)

But in hip hop, there were no Spanish representing. I know when they saw a Spanish with a half moon and medallion, it was going to be like, yo, that's Tito getting money around the corner. And the Latinos was going to just be like, yo, that's our nigga right there. So that's what I did know. Did I know it was going to blow. I know I want to shout out grand Poobal. My brother, he called me yesterday. He on my first album, Coogee Rap. On my first album, you know, they came to my first video. Greg. Nice, nice and smooth. Lot of people helped me along the way build my butt. Lord finesse. If it wasn't for him, I would have never had a career career.

Memphis Bleak (17:27)

So it's like, nice too.

Fat Joe (17:29)

It's like, you know, showbiz, ag, Big L, all it. Like, everybody inspired me so much and. And I took it from there. But, you know, a lot of people supported me when they didn't have to support me. Is What I'm saying, if you watch. Besides, you like Flo Joe. You look grand. Pooba. The hottest in the world in the video. Diamond D's in the video. Craig nice is in the video. Lord Finesse. So they strength me. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So to this day, I always keep the door open to them. And it's crazy because I really don't tell I got you. I really don't tell these. But the I do tell. I got them. They never won nothing. Thank God. The I'll tell. Yo, I got you. You need anything, you let me know. They never asked for a bar soap. Is like, nah, Joe, I'm good. It's like I was just super duper wow. But I came in the game trying to change, you know, every all my went to the Fed. My is still in the feds now from that time. Am I lying, Rich? They still in the Fed. And these incidents is 30 years ago. Y' all gotta understand that. Guys I was with every day. My best friend on earth still in the feds from that time. 30 plus. So I was running with. Y' all wouldn't understand what I mean. With seven heads and was doing. They was. They was laying everything down. So my escape was the music. Was the music. Yo, I'm in this industry. I gotta chill. I don't want to start no shit. Yo, I gotta this. So I personally was nice in the industry. If anybody thought I was wilding, that's not true. I was actually trying to change my life. Even when I went up to punishment, see? All right, you know, Pun, you know, don't get it up. Pun was a wild. All Pun needed was a crew. He didn't have a crew like an army. Part of the first conversation I had with him, he said, yo, I'm a bts. I said, yeah, you're going bts. He said, so those guys, they're gonna do what I say? I say, yeah, they're gonna do. He was like, oh, my God, I've been waiting for this. This. He was like a loner. That was a live that. He was just waiting for the army. So when I told him, you got it. And they loved him, to this day, they still love him to death. But the point is, I actually took a step back from being tough because all my guys went to the feds at that time. Because I grew up at a time where it was almost historical. When somebody snitched on you ain't snitched. Mothers ain't snitch on you. It was none of that going on.

Memphis Bleak (20:17)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (20:18)

But around that era, that Don Cartagena era, a lot of started snitching in the feds. It was Rico and everybody was in there. Like, you know how when you. You see the, the, the, the. The bruja, what you call that in English, like Santeria? The bruja lady. The lady, the witchcraft lady. Oh, you ever seen the movie the Voodoo?

Memphis Bleak (20:41)

Yes.

Fat Joe (20:42)

They have the pins and they hitting you. I felt so many pin was like, fat Joe's a drug dealer. Don't believe he raps. Fat Joe. Kill Fat Joe. They was going crazy in mcc. My trying to put me in jail forever because I changed my life and went legit. Now these get locked up, they facing football numbers and they like, tell me what and everybody I ain't know. It's like, him, him. I couldn't even sleep at night. So you listening to Don Cartagena and I'm hot as I'm flaming anybody. Any of mine that's in the feds is like, joey, I'm sorry. I'm like, what? They said, you don't understand what's going on here. These trying to take you the down. So you thinking I'm Dawn Carter, Gina. I'm thinking I'm about to go to jail for 10,000 years. I can't even sleep at night.

Memphis Bleak (21:39)

Damn.

Fat Joe (21:40)

Know what I'm saying? So, you know, these were tough times. I actually, what I'm trying to tell you is I laid off the gas. I laid off the wow for the night because I was. I knew I had to change my life in order if I was going to survive in this game. And I give myself a little credit, even though I was hot tempered or did a lot of wild shit or whatever, because I always understood the mission. I knew at the end trying to get money. We're trying to bet, like coming to Miami. I never had an argument in Miami. New York City, I was police number one. Public enemy. They was trying to tear me up in Miami. The police is like, hey, Joe, they think I'm a nice guy. So I'm over here, we bumping in, having the greatest time of our lives. Because I had to get away from there because I knew I was gonna get jammed up for a thousand years. Because, you know, the oldest trick is it's not you.

Memphis Bleak (22:40)

That's what I was just about to say, that it's not the artist. Like, I think a lot of the issues was never you and Jay or Pun and Jay.

Fat Joe (22:48)

No, it's the entourage.

Memphis Bleak (22:49)

It's the crew. It's the crew. That's why I always tell niggas, you could think a rapper is pussy all you want, it's cool. His niggas ain't though. You feel me?

Fat Joe (22:58)

So this rapper ain't.

Memphis Bleak (23:00)

No, but, you know, come on.

Fat Joe (23:01)

No, no, no, no. I'm just. Got to be honest.

Memphis Bleak (23:03)

We from the age. No, no, no, no, no.

Fat Joe (23:08)

Like, you know, they put up a picture of me the other day. I got the six thousand dollar Dapper Dan jacket on by the Bronco. You always be tripping. You always had to do. Remember you wear sheets. Get out there to kill you for a love Obama. I'm wearing six thousand dollar coats.

Memphis Bleak (23:24)

Still locked up for eight balls right now.

Fat Joe (23:26)

Oh, for sure. All that Easter, 42nd Street. I know many of them still locked up right now for eight ball, straight up. It's always the entourage. And so what happened to me is that before, say, cap and shit like that, everybody was coming out of jail and they were like, reporting for duty, sir. Reporting for duty. These are terrible guys. And they love me because I grew up with them and they respect me, so they want to be down with some respect. And then one day, I'm at a reggaeton concert and I. It's in Madison Square Garden. I sit up on the sink and I look and I got 20 masked murderers with me. And I said, yo, Joe, man, these gonna kill everything, man. We gotta get up. You gotta get out of here. You need a fresh start because they looking out for you. They showing nothing but love. And you know how hard it is even now with the young brothers. That's why we got to do like this. You know how hard it is to tell a bunch of killers, y' all moving to Miami. Go do you? Oh, yeah. It's almost like you dissolving.

Memphis Bleak (24:36)

Yeah, they don't want to hear that. Mad at you.

Fat Joe (24:39)

Like it. And I had to tell my man one time, I said, yo, because I was. People don't understand. I talk about it now, 30 years later. But I was dumb hot. Do you know what dumb hot is? I don't care who you is. You never see the feds till you about to go to jail. I was having dinner with my wife, seeing them outside. So I, I, you know, I've been around this crime for so long, I knew I was caught. It was just a matter of them getting the right to say, he did this and this and that. And so my friends wouldn't understand. They thinking, yo, Joe, you moved to Miami. You. I'm like, yo, I had to do that, to save my life.

Memphis Bleak (25:21)

That's right.

Fat Joe (25:21)

You know, because over here, we was gonna go down in a. In a bad way. Meaning Young Thug, Bobby Schmurda, all that they were doing. Fat Joe was the post, man. They created that for Fat Joe. They was trying to serious hip hop.

Memphis Bleak (25:40)

Police were serious. They was in every club, anytime. Any beef. I never forget, I got locked up. They pulled me in the back, ask me, yo, listen, do you really got beef with G Unit any? If you like, if you see these guys, would it be a problem? And that's when I'm like, oh, I'm cool. I don't want no rap beef. I'm cool. They bringing niggas showing you pictures, accident.

Fat Joe (26:00)

I'm cool.

Memphis Bleak (26:01)

If this is what niggas is getting into in this, leave me out of it. That's why I said to you when we was off camera, it's crazy that we got into music to change our life. But a lot of these got into music now to enhance a life they never live. You know what I mean?

Fat Joe (26:15)

Yeah, but those are the guys who are gonna take the biggest fall. That's a fact.

Memphis Bleak (26:19)

And that's because I'm seeing it.

Fat Joe (26:20)

If you out here now famous, you got money.

Memphis Bleak (26:24)

Like I know you trying to be a killer. Famous.

Fat Joe (26:26)

Let's go, young dog. Let's go, Young Thug. Let's just go, Young Thug.

Memphis Bleak (26:34)

Let's go, young Thug.

Fat Joe (26:36)

This was doing stadiums, jumping on private planes every day. Mm, legit famous. Then they locked them up for the Rico. I was like, how do you get to the level that you paying 50000 to fly across the country? You cake the up. You selling out arenas when you still in the mud like little dirt.

Memphis Bleak (27:02)

They got him jammed up right now.

Fat Joe (27:03)

Superstar like millionaires. Like not only a superstar. He said, yo, Flo Jo went number one, by the way. I was getting show. That's crazy. Was getting 50,000, 50 million and all they was getting groundbreaking deals like what are you doing now?

Memphis Bleak (27:20)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (27:21)

Even near that type of

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CJ Toledano (28:57)

this week on Point Game with me, CJ Toledano and Isaiah Thomas. It was our special live show and it let us know who he thinks would win if they did a 1v1 tournament and during All Star Weekend. Take a listen. Okay, so here's an event I think, and it's been brought up a bunch that I think could fix All Star Weekend. One on one tournament?

Fat Joe (29:14)

Yeah.

CJ Toledano (29:15)

Who do you think is winning that tournament? Kevin Durant still right now. Yeah, but what about like a smaller guard like yourself?

Memphis Bleak (29:24)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (29:24)

Nobody's fucking with me, though. Now that's like. That's one thing I do. One on one shit. I do that. You can ask anybody, any team I've been on. After practice, come over and get this ass whooping if you want. Yeah, we're playing ones every after every practice.

CJ Toledano (29:42)

Do you have any legendary one on ones?

Memphis Bleak (29:44)

No.

Fat Joe (29:44)

Ask my teammates about the legendary one on ones. Don't ask me.

Memphis Bleak (29:47)

They know.

CJ Toledano (29:49)

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Fat Joe (30:41)

Gentlemen, I propose a toast to our good friend Dave. You inspired this epic guy's weekend. I'm sorry you're missing it. Everyone knows that when you fly, you need to bring a real ID or. Or a passport.

Memphis Bleak (30:54)

Everyone but Dave.

Fat Joe (30:55)

So here's the finally figuring out how to get on an airplane. Dave, we'll see you tomorrow. And I'm glad you could rebook your flight. He would have loved this restaurant.

Commercial Announcer (31:03)

Does your ID fly? Find out if you have an acceptable form of id@tsa.gov realid that's why I

Fat Joe (31:11)

always tell everybody, yo, keep a good uncle around you. Or older guy, you respect you. You know, when we was young, we was wild. But just have them, like, calm you down for a second. Because my uncle, okay, this is where I come from. My Uncle Jabu was probably the second to third. You know, if I could tell it my way. But he was the second to third to ever be in the rat on this. A lot of Low east side. Know what that is?

Memphis Bleak (31:39)

That's right, the rat.

Fat Joe (31:42)

My uncle's probably the second ever rat hunter, Jack bull. Guys, I want y' all to do this.

CJ Toledano (31:50)

He.

Fat Joe (31:50)

He was in jail since I was like, four or five. He came home from jail and it was like, yo, your uncle want to see you. I don't even know this, to be honest with you. He was in jail 25 years. I'm 30 years old. We popping, I go get him. And some other happened. I don't think I should say that because the family would be mad at me. But no, I get in the car with the. I said, your uncle, what could you teach me for all the years you was in jail, what could you teach me? He said, yo, to not be impulsive. I said, what do you mean? He said, all the guys I met in jail, you know, your brother argued with a. Your brother gotta get. You jump out so fast. Then you in jail doing that time. Because maybe if you would have gave it two, three days, or you would have gave it a week, you wouldn't even care like that. But being that you was impulsive, now you in jail forever. That's what happened. My uncle told me that's the one piece of news he told me. The next thing he told me, I pulled the car over. There's a true story. I gave him every dollar I had in my pocket. I might have had 15,000. I said, yo, uncle, I can't hang out with you. Yo, chill. No, no, 25 years, he came home, the first conversation, he. He asked me something. Yo, you joke, you know, just, just, just that you can imagine you a leader of a crew called the rat hunters, was ready to give him anything. He was the kitchen sink, the poster child. He ain't telling that. Tell me in the car, yo, nephew, I need you to take me to Newark, New Jersey. I said, I weigh in my pocket. I gave him every dollar I had. And I said, your uncle, I can't hang out with you, rapper. I don't got. I can't. This ain't gonna work. I had to tell my own uncle, who've been waiting 25 years to ride with his nephew, I can't. You know, of course, that's right. You know, rest in peace, Jabu. He's all in his funeral and all that. But of course we love him. And he actually became kingpin. He actually bought a mansion hat. Benzes, had all type of shit since he came home after 25 years. I see him in the club, he popping mad bottles. I'm like, yo, that got it. He got it popping real quick. Well, he passed away. God bless.

Memphis Bleak (34:15)

Damn. God bless. So fast forward 2002. What's love drop with Ashanti? Now you ain't on fire, you ain't hot, you just on fire. Now you just literally hot again.

Fat Joe (34:30)

I was hot to lean back, but I'll break that down to you, but we'll continue exactly.

Memphis Bleak (34:35)

I was hot to lean back.

Fat Joe (34:36)

Yeah, I was hot to lean back. Even though I lean back.

Memphis Bleak (34:38)

The feds was on you.

Fat Joe (34:39)

No wonder.

Memphis Bleak (34:40)

Yo, listen, you know me and Jay had a saying, right? I don't know if hov ever told you this, but when y' all put the video out to lean back, me and Jay, I remember the debut. We watching it together, me and that nigga looking at each other. I'm like, yo, hov, why they thug the video out? He's like, bleak. I don't know. These niggas would have smiled a little bit. This shit probably would have go even crazier. That now you're saying you was hired. Explains why y' all was in the video like this. The feds watching.

Fat Joe (35:04)

Oh, they was watching all the way. And to just tell you an instance is I don't even. I don't even want to bring that around. But they try to. They. Their last try at me was around lean back. And thank God, you know, it wasn't true what they was trying to accuse me of. And one of my man's just kept it a hundred percent real. They was trying to get him and say Fat Joe told him to do something and he ain't go for that. He said, fat Joe's a good man. And they went all the way down to the day he went to try, went to trial and beat it. But they was on that like, yo, we don't really want you. We want Fat Joe. I'm doing Lean back. We in Chief balls. That was like, y'. All. He was like, that. Joe's a good man. We ain't doing that. We're going to try. He beat it. Thank God. But I couldn't believe it. Lean back. I thought we was clean. I thought we was in the clear, right? And he still came back at that. You know what I'm saying? So I've been. I've been silently hunted my whole life. On another level, hunted. You know what I'm saying? And thank God. God always had my back.

Memphis Bleak (36:17)

That's a fact, man. Now think being through all of that to where you are now. Come on, man. That's. That's a full 360. I know you sit back in the crib sometimes and just be like, oh, no. Could you believe it?

Fat Joe (36:28)

No, I look at the light bulb. No.

Memphis Bleak (36:32)

Remember the light bulb used to get black.

Fat Joe (36:34)

Oh, listen to me. I swear. I swear to my mother. You brought your mother up. You brought your mother up when we off camera. So I gotta give you one word to my mommy. When I look at the fuck light bulb, I'm like, jesus is Lord. Like, I can't believe it. We did the 50th anniversary of a hip hop in Yankee Stadium. That was the most excited I ever been for any concert. So we went and shot the video of me and my project apartment. And new people lived there. We. We shot in there. Like, I walked out the building, jumped in the rows, drove through the Bronx, right into Yankee Stadium. And then I got out and I walked through the hallway, straight on stage. That's how we did that. That's how we did that. Yankee Stadium. But when I went in there, man, and I touched the wall, this how my father. And my father worked hard his whole life, how he lived there. Like the wall. I could touch the bedroom. I could touch the bedroom with this finger and this. That's the whole bedroom.

Memphis Bleak (37:44)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (37:44)

The house, the living room was this. It was the smallest. I went to my house, I kissed that floor like Muslims be on their knees. I kissed that floor in my house and prayed so hard to God, because I could not believe where the I came from and how I ended up. You understand what I'm saying? And. And so people always ask me, what's your motivation? Like, yo, you know, sometimes I have dreams. I have project buildings as cartoons with arms and legs chasing me. Yo, Blake, that's a recurring dream. I'm giving you the real. I'm not even trying to

Memphis Bleak (38:32)

chasing me.

Fat Joe (38:33)

I have a dream. It keeps coming my whole life. And it's about project building as a cartoon chasing me with arms and legs. Like, yo, Joe, you coming back. That coming back. I'm out.

Memphis Bleak (38:48)

That's right.

Fat Joe (38:49)

I gotta run away from that nigga. Like, I love the projects, my people. I'm not doing that.

Memphis Bleak (38:55)

Yeah, that's a fact, man. So damn. Like, you had Pun, my G. Legendary. Let rest in peace to the og. Like, how did that relationship start?

Fat Joe (39:08)

Like, well, what did you do? Let me ask you a question. Cause I know what my answer is. How did you feel when you first heard Big Pun and you knew he was a fat Spanish nigga spitting like that? What was the effect you had when you heard Pun Ramen like that?

Memphis Bleak (39:24)

My first joint I heard y' all do was the Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre Joe. When y' all first did that joint

Fat Joe (39:31)

in the middle, a Little Italy.

Memphis Bleak (39:33)

So it was. No, it didn't. Size didn't matter. Like, yo, he fat. Didn't matter. Remember we got Biggie, you know what I mean? Biggie was a legend before the world heard him in Brooklyn. You know what I mean? Like, we all knew from everything. Like, then think I grew up Chubb Rock the fat Boys. Come on, man. You know what I mean? Fat boys don't get credit for being the first rappers with a movie.

Fat Joe (39:54)

Fat, fat, fat boy, boy, boy. Like, put it em up. Stick them.

Memphis Bleak (40:00)

So that didn't even matter to me. His weight, size, what that was saying, his flow, his delivery, it was just different. It said, I felt like you had. You was always dominant in your craft and what you done. But I felt like when you discovered Pun, he even lit a new fire under you.

Fat Joe (40:20)

Oh, yeah. He taught me how to run other levels.

Memphis Bleak (40:23)

You know what I'm saying?

Fat Joe (40:24)

All I was doing was reality rap, right? So I never. I never. And there's no disrespect. I want nobody to get disrespect. But I'm gonna say, like, say, my brother, French Montana, shout out.

Memphis Bleak (40:36)

French.

Fat Joe (40:36)

French ain't the most lyrical guy, but he. He always spit reality rap where everyone could. I ain't scared about nothing. That's right. And then people, you Know you love him as a person, then he makes hit records. I always knew that about Fat Joe. I said, yo, they know when you had cousins, you had. I mean, look, they could lie all they want, a cap or whatever, but if you had a cousin or you had a man in that section of the Bronx, and you say, yo, what's up with this Fat Joe? They tell you, no, them, they giving it up. Legend out there, not them, they put it down. So I knew I had that. It's almost like a young Jeezy effect when you like this. Then you went. They was like, nah, he down with bmf. So I had that effect. I knew that. But lyrical wise and all that, I knew I didn't have what it took us to get to the promised land as Latinos. When I met Big Pun, I dropped my whole career and used every inch of juice I had to put him on because I knew the man, he was going to be different. He was going to be incredible. And then Big Pun took me and taught me how to rhyme, like on a lyrical. Like Don Cartagena. It's the dawn of rap. Sip and Cardiac hit you with the Mac. Clack, clack, slip you in and Cardi. I wasn't even rhyming like that. So I would, you know, we lit. When you think we lit? We in the house, 90 degrees. He wouldn't let me leave the house. Sweating bullets. He like, crack. You got to get better crack. You got to get better crack. You gotta. You gotta get nice. You gotta get nice. Yo, don't be limited, limited. Let me get. So this put me in the school of big fun. That's why when he passed away and everybody was saying, it's over for Joe Crack. I already knew this. Taught me how to bake the cake.

Memphis Bleak (42:24)

That's right.

Fat Joe (42:25)

He told me how to make the hits he took that he taught me so much. Maybe like a right. On the third record. On the third bar, you talk about a female. On the eighth bar, you talk about your new car. That, this and this and that. Always Joe. By the 12th bar, you tell them how you killing. How you did that was breaking it down to me like a science. So then, you know, when. When I got to, like, do me, it was like, oh, this Joe stepped the up. But that was always Big Pun who taught me how to get more lyrical. But him, he was on another planet. And I knew, I grabbed to me at the time, Nas was the best rapper. Coogee Rap had just went from being the best rapper, handing it over to Nas And I grabbed them both and I said, yo, listen to my man. And when that punch started rapping Heads was like, yeah, I'm telling you, your man cool. You rap was like, word him up. Word him up. And I knew right there. I said, yo, Joe, spend your life savings on this guy, because this guy's gonna take us to the promised land. And he did. He got us the big bags out there. And then after that, you know, we never turned back.

Memphis Bleak (43:34)

But that's a fact.

Fat Joe (43:35)

He kicked the doors in, you know, and there's not enough I could say about him. To this day, there ain't been a Latino rapper that could with him.

Memphis Bleak (43:43)

I agree.

Fat Joe (43:43)

It's 20 something years later. I've been chasing them for. I'm like, LeBron, Jason, MJ. I've been chasing that. Every time I think I got a hot record, I look disappointed. I'm like, with that being said, not yet.

Memphis Bleak (43:57)

With that being said there, who would you say your top five Latino rappers are?

Fat Joe (44:01)

There's only one. His name is Big Pun. You know what I'm saying?

Memphis Bleak (44:05)

They all five spots.

Fat Joe (44:06)

Other than that, you know, I'll go real left. You know, I'll tell you who we looked up to. We looked up to Cypress Hill, you know what I'm saying, as Latinos. And I would put big pit bull in that conversation too. Even though he makes records for the girls in the parties. But pit, you know, was dead nice, too. Hell yeah.

Memphis Bleak (44:28)

Shout out, Pit bull. I remember he asked me to get in the real hair video. Video, man. Now look where he at. Insane to me, like, this is crazy

Fat Joe (44:36)

how the music works, you know, Fat Joe, you know, I'm flamboyant, flashy. I'm a show off. I was showing off in jail. I was smelling like a million dollars. Like, I've been a show off my whole life before I even had a dollar, right? So I can't get it. Sometimes I watch the Latino websites and they start mentioning, like, Latino rappers that didn't amount to much or didn't really even ever put out a hit or didn't. And you can't. Can't leave me. That's like, no, no, no. I'm not saying leaving me off that. You can't ask Aretha Franklin to big up somebody using Auto Tune. So when they doing all this, they come in my dm, Joe, what you think about such and such? The was never hot to me, to be honest with you. So I really. The best thing I can do is not mention their name. I never got nothing to do True life. I respected him as a gangster, you know, the way he represented in the streets. He was a real. You know, him and his crew out.

Commercial Announcer (45:40)

True.

Fat Joe (45:40)

Like, they the closest thing to the Terror Squad out here. I'm just keeping it real, you know, they're the closest thing to the Terror Squad, you know, but there's a couple of, you know, that if it wasn't for the Beat Nuts, Big Pun would have never blew up. You know what I'm saying? So the Beat Nuts, man, you know, I told you, they legendary.

Memphis Bleak (45:59)

I always wanted a beat from them, but we had drama, so I could have never got a beat.

Fat Joe (46:04)

Nah, the Beat Nuts are good, man. Beat Nuts are good. Great dudes. I had a story where I got into it with the whole west coast out here in Miami. The whole west coast, damn. You know, I'm the only New York rapper that ever got into physical violence with the West Coast. I don't know how you don't know, but I did. And the way they formed on me, they came, we was in Miami. The surrounded me. Had to be 150of these, just big with braids. All that was the whole. When all that was happening and all I hear is one voice is me, Big Pun. And the guy I don't really with no more, he was dead, right? So it's us three. And all I heard was somebody go, excuse me, excuse me. Yo, pardon me, excuse me, excuse me. And I look, they open up, it's juju from the Beat Nuts. Goes in the middle of 150 minutes and be like, yo, God, I'm here. I was like, oh, my God. Like, why gonna kill us out here like that. We were dead, you know, only saved. Only thing that saved us at that point was the cops came. And the cops was like, boom, boom, boom. And the Miami police don't play. So they got the on me. They choked me, and they put me against the card. I'm like, yo, it ain't even. They were like, we know. Get the out of here. These about to kill you. So we got up out of there, but, you know, we came back and, you know, we all respect each other. They know what's up. You know what I'm saying?

Memphis Bleak (47:48)

One thing I love about the west, my. Them stick together. I don't give a. You could be in LA riffing with somebody and go to Seattle like you. I'm like, yo, you gotta love that. My. Like, the whole coast stick together. I don't give a. You in San Diego on the beach like this.

Fat Joe (48:08)

Fuck you, nigga. Everybody, huh? Word up.

Memphis Bleak (48:11)

I don't care where you.

Fat Joe (48:12)

So you think Jay ever caught backlash for being so tight with Biggie when all that East Coast, west coast was major.

Memphis Bleak (48:18)

Yeah, we. Yo, I remember going to LA before the West Coast. Like, see, I got two versions of LA to me. Like, when I first went to la, it was like my first time going to London. We was UFOs to them women out there. They loved us, us. Everywhere we went, the loved us. And then after the Tupac and Biggie, it's like Def Jam and the Rock didn't play. We had to have security everywhere we went, waiting outside the. The. As you should, the hotel.

Fat Joe (48:46)

And somehow you still bump into the one that you got the smoke.

Memphis Bleak (48:49)

Yo, bro.

Fat Joe (48:50)

Oh, every time in the West Coast.

Memphis Bleak (48:52)

This is one time I remember.

Fat Joe (48:53)

I'm glad y' all used to have beef with man and Steve Lobel calling them out out rich. I got beat with. I'm staying in the Valley. I'm staying downtown. I'm avoiding bumping into these. I got real beef mono tomorrow. Steve Jobel knock on my hotel with the. I got. I'm here with. I'm like. I'm like, yo, Steve, these are trying not to gang bangers to my room. I think I tried that this time. I got no beef with nobody on the West Coast. He was like, joe, where you staying? I said, no, Steve, I see you at this. You're not bringing the gang bangers to my hotel room. It's not gonna happen. Yo, I gotta somehow gotta bump into them.

Memphis Bleak (49:42)

I got a story about crazy.

Fat Joe (49:44)

A crew of a crew. A crew. The specific. You bump into them.

Memphis Bleak (49:49)

That's right.

Fat Joe (49:49)

Time you go to la, you're like, all right, what's up?

Memphis Bleak (49:51)

Yeah, I got a story about LA like that. I remember staying at the La Matage. That's what it was. The lady like that back then, right there.

Fat Joe (50:01)

Yo, Trey loves you still.

Memphis Bleak (50:02)

Yo, listen, remember they had the Fat Burger across the street and this is when I wasn't even lit. And this was the days when I used to be like, yo, why they get. Come on, man. Josh Shining. Everybody doing their thing. I can't wait till I get my shine. So we in Fat Burger, we ordering whatever. I come outside, I'm talking to the girl from Def Jam. Damn, I'm so sorry. I forgot her name. We talking right there. Niggas ran in the Fat Burger as we standing in the parking lot in front of the car. We watched mad run in the Fat Burger and lay everybody down in the Fat Burger. And I'M standing.

Fat Joe (50:36)

They ain't laying you down or you in the parking lot.

Memphis Bleak (50:38)

I ain't have no jewels. No, not. I wasn't famous. I wasn't lit. And this is one time when I thank God, like, yeah, thank God that album ain't out yet.

Fat Joe (50:49)

That used to happen to me in New York. We had a group of that was extorting, robbing everybody in the rap game. And thank God. Well, thank God for them, too. But you know, because they know, man, them used to be outside talking to me. Yo, Joe, what's up, man? This, this that had a cry baby, all that. He be like, you excuse me and come back with Jury. I'm standing there with the biggest on. He come back with you. I say, yo, when you coming? I just robbed. He'll say a rapper's name. I'll be like, you rob? Oh, yeah, it just robbed him right now across the street. But, yo, Fat Joe, I love your stories. Tell the story. I'd be like, these used to extort everybody, rob everybody. I'm standing here, ain't never tried me. Niggas ain't ever.

Memphis Bleak (51:36)

They knew who to play with.

Fat Joe (51:37)

They'd be like, you crazy. Crazy Joe. You're so crazy. Is robbing everything moving, telling me you crazy Joe? I'm like, yo, I don't know what to tell you. My. But yeah, there was a time back

Memphis Bleak (51:50)

then it was crazy.

Fat Joe (51:51)

And that was at the time nobody really wanted to get, like, police, security.

Memphis Bleak (51:55)

Hell no.

Fat Joe (51:55)

Legit. It was your crew against my.

Memphis Bleak (51:57)

That's facts.

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Fat Joe (53:32)

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Memphis Bleak (54:04)

You rolled around with security like that back then you was straight square bear. You was a square bear. But let's get back on track a little bit. My G 2016 all the way up drop Remy Ma fresh from the pen that being your dog you held it down put out another number one smasher My G how was that like I know that had to be rejoicing for

Fat Joe (54:30)

Those don't know it's below 00 snowstorm of 2026 in New York.

Memphis Bleak (54:37)

Oh yeah right now we couldn't get

Fat Joe (54:38)

an airplane so we stuck here in the yo in paradise. We borrowed Cool and Dre studio to do this.

Memphis Bleak (54:46)

That's right. Shout out Cool and Dre.

Fat Joe (54:47)

And so it's right here what you saying I go to jail, they take all my money I'm dead broke. I don't know if you understand that it's a who has some m's in the bank don't flew private then did everything he want to do and then they take all my money millions and millions of dollars to where I only might have had if I'm gonna keep it a buck to you it had me down to like 300 000. 300, 000. And you might seem like something that should be that been staring at 10 million and they you like yo that's called nothing. You won ac ACL twist from being broke one splinter so I'm like you know and I'm used to you know treating everybody I'm used to Getting money. So I remember I came out of jail and I came up in the studio. We just kept going to studio. This around the time all these little in Miami got green hair and. And red hair and the little pumps. The extension this day, running this. So it used to be a bunch of little in here. And they used to look at me go to the studio every night, and they dead ass. I could see it in their face where they were like, why is this old wasting his time? They were like, yo, what up, Unc? Back then. What up, Unc? Oh, you watch. You're in the studio, Unk, okay? And them doing all that other stuff. And I remember sitting on the couch and I said, one day, right? Because I don't hate, especially on Young. I just. I've always wanted Young to get their money. That way they ain't robbing our mother and father. But, yo, I'll tell you, one day, one of them little took the studio. Hostages said, yo, og, can I play you three songs? This was vomit on wax, the worst shit you ever heard in your life. I remember, remember I grabbed Cool and Dre in that always. No, no. Call Dre. Please, please go in there. Call Drake. No, no, no, no, no. Please, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I need a verifier right now of this. And let me tell you something. I have never to this day, hated on anything a Young is doing. If he's positive and he's feeding people and all, I don't give a if is whack, dope. I don't even comment on it because I want them to do good. But I had it Dre shout out, Dre in the building. He said, I stole his crew. He stole my crew. It's all right.

Memphis Bleak (57:17)

Yeah, yeah.

Fat Joe (57:18)

Y' all his producers, that it's okay. But let me. No, no, because the man, the man just told me he couldn't get a beat up beat. He couldn't get no cooler. It was just wild beast. So he couldn't. You tap the frequency now? You do all this. It's cool. Yeah, I'm telling the story. I've never hated on Young in my life. One day, I don't know if you remember, right, in that studio, I grabbed you and Cole and I said, something's got to give. Either me or them some. And them was blowing that. They was paying. They was paying for some studio time. A million dollars more than me. He was like, yo, Joe. But they. I said, them or me. Yo, I don't want to see another red hair, purple, yellow, in modern Face. Listen, I'm fighting. I'm fighting for my life. You know how you watch the football game? And is holding on to the back of his shirt, trying to. I'm fighting, fighting for my life. These is murdering my energy, like destroying my DNA. I pull him over. I never forget, cuz Drake cares about people. The cool started laughing so hard. He said, yo, God, you never hated on in your life. I said, I'm not hating, but I can't do it. Cool. I told you too. I'm never a hater. That's right, E. Rivera. I discovered E Beef. I had beef with 50 Cent. He came to me and said, Yo, 50 want me to be his personal video. I said, please get the money. I don't want none of my guys doing bad.

Memphis Bleak (59:00)

That's right.

Fat Joe (59:01)

I want Cooler Dre to get the money. But I actually gave him the alternative, right where he said, I said something to give. Purple hair gotta me. Somebody gotta go. It's all you understand, Drake, they paying more than me. They this, this that. The cool start dying laughing. He said, yo, W. These ain't coming back here no more. It's over for the we. We would true God. I'm like, all right, it then all the way up came about another time. Dre. I'm going to say, dre, show your face, cuz. You like right now. You're the voice of God and you ain't even.

Memphis Bleak (59:36)

You know what I mean?

Fat Joe (59:37)

I hit. I never been depressed in my life till I hit 40 years old. And I'm sitting in a big ass house, walls made of marble. Just. Times are fantastic though, right? But I hit 40 years old and it did something to me where I was just like, yo, I never could remember when we was younger, not us, but other rappers used to say, you 40 in rapping, you this, that was that. So when I hit 40, this is the only thing I know. I just told you, you I left the drugs, jumped in here like a pit bull grab. This is the only game I knew. So I'm here, 40, I'm thinking it's over. And never listen to Fat Joe again. Drake come to my house. He says, man, Joe, man, you know, my wife called him, told me, yo, he's depressed, come in. So he said, yo, Joe, man, you know Tina Turner ain't have her number one hit till she was 49. I was a team attorney. He was like, yo, bro, she ain't popped till she was 49. I was like, word, Dre. And it just changed my whole spirit.

Memphis Bleak (60:37)

That's Right.

Fat Joe (60:38)

Because, you know, all the way up. Something we not talking about is probably the only old that ever put one out the park at that point. Like, to this day, ain't an old pull you could fake. Put one out the park.

Memphis Bleak (60:52)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (60:53)

Act like you are we talking about some. That really is number one.

Memphis Bleak (60:57)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (60:57)

Because a lot of delusional and think, you know, they. They pop. We did another round right after that. I made so much money with another round. I was begging them to stop sending money, please. Was like another 74, 000 this week. Another this, that, all that another round ringtone was disgusting. My. That was another round. But we did that right here too.

Memphis Bleak (61:24)

Damn. Weeks after Classics.

Fat Joe (61:26)

And so it's like, you know, we just kept going, man. Thank God, man. God is crazy. My G. And it was like. And so that. And then. I know what you waiting for. No, no, no, no, no.

CJ Toledano (61:40)

I know what.

Memphis Bleak (61:40)

Shut it up.

Fat Joe (61:41)

I got you. Hold on. That's just because you brought up some things. He brought up some in this interview that no one has ever talked about publicly. And I. I didn't coach. I didn't go in.

Memphis Bleak (61:54)

Right?

Fat Joe (61:54)

I. Right. So by now, you know. You know, for some reason, Rockefeller and Terror Squad ain't getting long.

Memphis Bleak (62:02)

Never.

Fat Joe (62:02)

Cool.

Memphis Bleak (62:03)

Word up.

Fat Joe (62:03)

I go to a basketball game. Sit down, Pekas. This is why I shouted out. Because Nori, to this day, hates that I shouted out. Pekas on the all the Way up remix, right? This is how this happened. So I'm in elevators with Jay Z. He won't say hi, was not talking to me. I'm gambling in Atlantic City for hours straight. Any with me was winning a hundred thousand. OG1 was in the next table. He wanted to commit suicide because he didn't want Jay Z to know. You know, I'm gambling with Fat Joe. But it was like another seven. Like another. So that was sick over there. This is. He was losing it, right? So I go like this. So I go to the Heat game back, I said, yo, meet me at the Heat game. When I show up, I sit there by myself. And then the next seat, it ain't Beccas, it's OG Juan. Me and OG Juan, we knew each other since the Streets, but we ain't talked in 20 years. He's. He's beyond a loyal, right? So I go like this. And we sit down and then something. You know, we love basketball too much. And something happened when we start talking, and I'm just like, yeah, man, you know, that whacker. Then, you know, talking that we talking cool. He left. All right, crack. All right, cool. First time we talked in 20 years, right? About a month later, I'm on first class in Atlantic on American Airlines. And his wife come and sit right next to me, but she sits next to me, right? So I turned around and OG1 is like two rows behind me. And I'm like, yo, sit with your wife, bro. You know this. He all right, crack. So he sits with her, sitting still for front row. Yeah, still first class when I said. And I think that broke the ice because like, two months after that, it was freezing. It was all star in New York. Oh, yeah, that was Brick. That was one of the cold stars. And so Michael Jordan had a Jordan party. And I'll go up in there, I'm dressed like a grizzly, and I go to the castle. Next thing I know, some jump on my back. When I turned around, it's Jay Z. He was like, yo, Crack, what's up? And I see Steve style Cha Cha. All them was like, oh, we can say hi after 20 years.

Memphis Bleak (64:40)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (64:41)

Hey, what's going on? So I'm saying, what's up? That's how it all started. Everybody breaking the ice. Yes. Then fast forward all the way up, up. You know, I told a story. Drake co signed it. He commented. When I said this last time, drake called me three times. Facetime, send me the instrument to send me the instrumental 50 Cent was calling. The biggest you ever seen in your life was calling to get on all the way up. Which I really could have used it. But the fact that you brought Jay Z to the table, you know, I called Nori because I know Nori. I remember that day, him every day, yesterday. I remember where I was at too. And I was like, yo, Nori, talk to Bleak. Cause Bleak could get in touch with this. I want him on the remix. They called back in two minutes. Bleak was like, are you sure you

Memphis Bleak (65:34)

want to do it with Yo My? I was. I was.

Fat Joe (65:38)

What was that like when Nori called you? Because we never heard your version. We heard Nori.

Memphis Bleak (65:41)

Yo My, I'm driving on the turnpike because I lived in Jersey at this time, going home. So Nori like, yo, Bleak, what you doing doing right now? I'm like, none. I'm driving. That said, yo, Fat Joe want to holla at you. I said, what? He said, yeah, Fat Joe want to holla at you. I said, all right.

Fat Joe (65:58)

I pulled over.

Memphis Bleak (65:59)

Cause now it's like, I gotta hear this undivided. Like, fat Joe want to talk to me. Like, ain't no way. So I. I spoke to you. You was like, yo, bleak. You know, I mean, all that. That, man, we titans run the city. We should be getting money together, all this. And I'm like, nah, you right. And then you hung up, and I'm talking to Nori. So I'm like, nori, is this real? Like, Joe really want to do this? Was that a fake Fat Joe or was that the real Fat Joe?

Fat Joe (66:29)

Yo, when I tell you I owe Nori to the end of. I'll be in such a pain with him. He's like, I put him on the record, yo. Not Becca's.

CJ Toledano (66:38)

You.

Fat Joe (66:39)

Yeah, this. I'll be like, yo, Nori, that I did. Me and Memphis. He. Yo, he said that was my one favor. I used it for now. I ain't gonna lie. N O R E. I love you.

Memphis Bleak (66:49)

Shout out, Nori. Behold. So I didn't believe it. So I. I text Jay. I'm like, yo, you wouldn't believe who I just got off the phone with. I was like, yo, I just spoke to Fat Joe.

Fat Joe (66:59)

So you ain't know prior to that, that he jumped on my back and we all said, what's up?

Memphis Bleak (67:03)

I had no clue.

Fat Joe (67:04)

You ain't cool.

Memphis Bleak (67:05)

All right, listen, right? So I'm like, yo. He's like, I'm calling you in 10 minutes. So he called me, now pull over again. He like, what? What y' all talk about? I'm like, hey, man, you know, he got the hottest record out, and he was telling me that he wanted to get you on the remix or whatever. And he was like, word. And this is when I knew that I wasn't little. I'm little, bro, but I wasn't little bro no more. He asked my opinion, never gave a what Bleak thought like, yo, what you think I should do? I said on Mommy again, nah, you gotta do this, bro. Because if we bring in this New York together and we gonna show unity is no bigger showcase of that than y' all two piecing it up and doing this record because had beef since before the beginning of time in y' all careers.

Fat Joe (67:55)

Two, like, I'm a crazy, too. Jay told me, don't put nobody on that remix. He was like, yo. He didn't. Specifically. He didn't know who was asking. I never told him no. I never told him no. No. Drake50 whoever had never told him. That's my word. But I was like, yo, dudes want to get on this record? He said, if you want it to be special, it got to be me and you. So that the People could see we rock. That was it. I said, all right. The next one that they saying I'm capping is we got Jay Z on our album. Me and Dre's album, the projects. We actually. Do you have a verse on the phone. Got the record. Can we break? Can we play two, three bars? This is appropriate place. Two, three bars. Oh, of it here, Right? So because everybody said I was capping, I didn't know Joe and Jada.

Memphis Bleak (68:48)

No, we know you ain't Captain.

Fat Joe (68:50)

Play three bars. Can you please play three bars? There's a song we have on our album called Projects that Jay jumped on that. These. They want to get the best scientifical to mix this. I'm telling you, put it out. But nobody the vocals up. He was dissing. Jay was talking. It was all that. It was a crazy time. And. And he. He talked some different things. And then let's see if we could play it. And he called back, like, yo, everybody thinks, like, I went too far. You know what I mean? And. And so we couldn't use it, but we had it for like a week. Any other would have threw that out so fast. I was. I was telling Drake, no, throw that out. Throw it out. We got the vocals. Let it go. And he was telling me. Jay Z was like, let it go. Let it go.

Memphis Bleak (69:47)

He said, put it out. And y' all did. Oh, no, y'.

Fat Joe (69:50)

All. They wanted the flag on the play. No, no, That's a flag or the play. No, but we didn't know it was gonna. They wanted the illest to mix it. This, this, that.

Memphis Bleak (70:02)

Yo, you know now Dre do be on.

Fat Joe (70:04)

Dre, could you play Nine Dead

Memphis Bleak (70:09)

anywhere? Right? You can sit on the table.

Fat Joe (70:11)

Yeah, this is the mic Mic. Damn. It's like, oh, you good. I'm talking to the feds. Don't play the whole.

Memphis Bleak (70:30)

Yo, hov. You hear me spitting that verse first. Hey, cuz, you know what it is? They say you write for me anyway.

Fat Joe (70:37)

You might as well. Yo, listen, listen. They say I'm Cap. I love that it's on your show. This out of here. They saying all over. Yo, it's Cat Joe lying. This is that. Yo, bro, I ain't got the lie to hell, no. These guys wanted the French Pierre to fix the, like, yo, let that. That sounded good to me, right?

Commercial Announcer (71:01)

That's.

Memphis Bleak (71:01)

That should sound good to me, too.

Fat Joe (71:03)

Waited too long and he was. He really was dang. He went off on certain people, so. And then, you know, I guess the crew sat together, was like, yo, bro, come on, you don't need that. You, you, you the billionaire. This, this, that, and let's give it up for all. Being a billionaire.

Memphis Bleak (71:19)

My yo, word up. A be from the P A B is insane.

Fat Joe (71:24)

Let me tell you something. So hard for him. Nah, nah, nah. Out. We got to do this because you, his brother, is so hard for him. The type of backlash, the type of scrutiny, the type of. For him just working hard to get his money. It's like our own people throw too many shots at him.

Memphis Bleak (71:43)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (71:44)

I don't really. I sit back. I don't want to jump out there and defend him every single time, but I be like, you know, he got that. They tell me that all the time when a diss me that don't deserve nerve. Fat Joe saying, yo, such and such suck my dick. My crew be like, what would Jay Z do? Jay Z ain't talking back to these. I'd be like, that's right.

Memphis Bleak (72:03)

Yo, bro, you gotta remember, like, the reason why you can't talk back or even respond. Because the lie is more entertaining than the truth. You know what I mean? Charlemagne says it every morning. The lies more entertaining than the truth. These people who don't want to hear hear the truth. They want to be here to lie. The lies was the. It's the show. It's what?

Fat Joe (72:22)

I don't know how people. I don't know well. I don't know how people straight lie. Like, people get up in there, they'll say some. And you was there. You like, what are these guys talking about? Like, yo, I don't, you know, be saying. I'm.

Memphis Bleak (72:36)

Like I said, I say it all the time. If I've been there since I was 13 years old and I'm 47 years old, there's nothing the could have done that I haven't saw or been involved in. So what are we really talking about? You know what I'm saying? Like, I've been around.

Fat Joe (72:51)

I grew up with these guys.

Memphis Bleak (72:53)

Like, this is like.

Fat Joe (72:54)

I laugh like this shit is insane. No, this is what I'm trying to say. I grew up in the projects. Projects.

Memphis Bleak (73:03)

That's right.

Fat Joe (73:05)

My mother lived there 40 years before I touched earth. You can't tell me about free cheese section A. None of that. Like, face to face. Anything you want to name. African cab drivers, whatever you want to name. You cannot tell Fat Joe about that. Right? So now to think of you guys are no different. You. I've been to Marcy projects. It's just like mine. It's the same. Built them Same architect. So now I know what you had to go through to see a man become a billionaire. Like, bro, the grind. This to me, is hieroglyphics. This is like if we in Egypt time, this guy would add a statue. I'm just keeping it real with you. And I'm not, you know, to the haters out there. I'm not sucking the man off. I'm just saying he deserves way more credit than. And respect than ridiculous. Because nowadays in this social media. What we gotta stop. What we gotta stop is anybody coming at it. What's your name, brother? Ed. I work with you before your ad, right? Let's just say I just asked him his name. Hold up. I just asked him his name. Ed. We can't have Ed come out of the clear blue sky, say, yo tell you about Memphis Bleak. This we don't know, Ed.

Memphis Bleak (74:31)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (74:32)

So does the same. That. I'm. I'm sorry. At the same. And keep going for every time it's some new come out of nowhere talk about, yeah, I know this and that. I'm from this and that. And then you go for, yo, you seen this? Yeah, he's talking about the rapper Johnny Do. This is supposed to be the og. Oh, yo, bro, how many times we are falling for guys with no resume?

Memphis Bleak (74:59)

Nothing.

Fat Joe (75:00)

Talking hot about people. And we believe in this. And we. Every single time. Yo, this did 20 years.

Memphis Bleak (75:08)

And that means nothing. And like, that's a fact.

CJ Toledano (75:13)

That's not a.

Memphis Bleak (75:14)

That's not a trophy way I came home.

Fat Joe (75:16)

Let me tell you something. I salute certain niggas. Cause they was real niggas. They did what they did. They did 20 years. They came home, got legit jobs. I gotta respect. Respect them for that.

Memphis Bleak (75:27)

But.

Fat Joe (75:27)

And I show him love. But, you know. You know, out here flexing like it's. It's incredible, man. I just. Anyway, I just wanted to say that.

Memphis Bleak (75:37)

No.

Fat Joe (75:37)

And that's coming from a guy. That's coming from a guy who've been watching y' all but my whole life.

Memphis Bleak (75:43)

And that's. You think about me, how I feel, bro. I'm the. That's ready to bomb first on these. And I. I just know. Know that if I even. They. It's not. It's not what we do. You know what I'm saying? So I. I even, like, I was talking to one of my dogs, and he was like, yo, Bleak, we should bomb. And I'm like, yo, if we look at these as clowns, if we join the circus, let's make us not clowns.

Fat Joe (76:08)

What's the you be saying if you think a something and then you do, you get caught. What you say you doing something, you just biggest dummy, right? People tell me this all the time.

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Fat Joe (77:54)

Gentlemen, I propose a toast to our good friend Dave. You inspired this epic guy's weekend. I'm sorry you're missing it. Everyone knows that when you fly, you need a brief, a real ID or a passport.

Memphis Bleak (78:07)

Everyone but Dave.

Fat Joe (78:08)

So here's to finally figuring out how to get on an airplane. Dave, we'll see you tomorrow. And I'm glad you could rebook your flight. He would have loved this restaurant.

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Fat Joe (78:24)

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Fat Joe (78:50)

pledge@workingwithcancerpledge.com I got a question for you. I know you grew up with Jay the longest. Who in 2026 is his best friend out of the crew? He immediately. Who do you think is his best friend out of your crew? 2026? Like, who's the guy he'll really just sit down and talk to or hang with? He's always somebody closer than. Than everybody else. Who you think is tightest with him in this era?

Memphis Bleak (79:24)

I don't think nobody gonna. Nobody could take Tata's spot.

Fat Joe (79:29)

Oh, so you. So Tata is his best friend, you think, even at 2026.

Memphis Bleak (79:35)

Yes. That's who you started with. You know what I mean? When you.

Fat Joe (79:38)

When you. Yeah, but sometimes we start with people and they don't end up the tightest at the end. But you just saying they still. Yeah, like that.

Memphis Bleak (79:47)

Yeah. TA TA I believe Tata.

Fat Joe (79:51)

Wow.

Memphis Bleak (79:52)

And if it ain't Tata, it's Emery. And if it ain't Emery, it's OG won. Man. That's a top three hitter squad, though.

Fat Joe (80:00)

Well, that's his crew anyway.

Memphis Bleak (80:01)

Yeah, that's a top three squad. Like.

Fat Joe (80:04)

Yeah, I see. Come through with the exotic dogs. And his face brand new. That look like baby face. Yeah.

Memphis Bleak (80:15)

Age. Yo, that's one like.

Fat Joe (80:18)

No, he's not stressed out.

Memphis Bleak (80:20)

I wish I could get an interview with him. He'll never come. Sit down.

Fat Joe (80:24)

He'll do it.

Memphis Bleak (80:25)

No, he won't.

Fat Joe (80:26)

You know, I had never. Juan doing my. And Jay hit him up. Was like, bro, you better never get on that podcast. Juan was doing it.

Memphis Bleak (80:35)

I'm telling you.

Fat Joe (80:36)

He was walking in home is like, yo, you crazy. You gonna be talking about some. Some wild shit you ain't supposed to be talking about.

Memphis Bleak (80:42)

Don't do it. That's why.

Fat Joe (80:45)

Nah, that's real talk.

Memphis Bleak (80:46)

Yeah. That's why it's questions I wanna know, but I'm even scared to ask.

Fat Joe (80:51)

No, if that's. You got him there, you ask him. But he gotta want to do it.

Memphis Bleak (80:57)

But my thing is Joe. Now let's go back to you, my G. You killed it in music media. You and Jada are killing it for. With the Joe and Jada part. I gotta give y'. All. Y' all props to that. Y' all just won the number one podcast award too. You know what I mean? That's love for that man. You know what I mean? What? The cocoa vision. You had everything. What made you decide to step into this space, like, full Fledged.

Fat Joe (81:25)

Well, you. You hit it on the head. I had the little lil podcast was called Coca Vision Shout out to EF Rivera. ET teamed up with me. We had that on title. Yeah.

Memphis Bleak (81:36)

And.

Fat Joe (81:38)

And then it went into the IG Live. When. When Covet is going on, I'm on ig. I make a whole TV show on my Instagram with. I got Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson. I got everybody and their mother on there. Michelle Obama is laughing in the comments, right? So crazy. I got that going. Then I wound up getting this show which stars shout out to stars. But it was, you know, the time had moved into the podcast area where people wanted their information like this. You know, you can't shoot an interview and drop it two months later. It's stale.

Memphis Bleak (82:17)

The.

Fat Joe (82:17)

The whole world unmoved, you know what I'm saying? So when I said to myself, I said, you know, somebody came to us and said, yo, somebody from. From Rock Nation came to us and said, yo, you and Jada would be dope with the sports. We pitched it to somebody. I don't know who we pitched it to, but they gotta be mad. Whoever they fronted on us.

Memphis Bleak (82:37)

No way.

Fat Joe (82:37)

It was like, all right. And then some more time happened and then I don't remember and value. All right, let's leave it there. So volume comes up to us and says, yo, we want to do it. And I knew it was going to be because the thing is, you got to understand, hip hop's only 51 years old, right?

Memphis Bleak (82:56)

That's right.

Fat Joe (82:57)

And so we're growing as a genre and we need comment. It grew to the point of where we're commentators. That's right. So it's like Shaquille o', Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Ernie. It's like they want to hear from guys who really been through it, played the game. So we had guys running the park at game. There wasn't really quite a qualified to me on that level. It takes a lot for me to qualify you to be. To straight up.

Memphis Bleak (83:29)

Look.

Fat Joe (83:29)

Look at legendary rappers and the biggest rappers in the game and be like, yo, this is trash. I heard it. The Skips. And I'm like, yo, like, where does this happen? Like, I'm looking at unqualified commentating doing this. And I'm like, yo, you know what? They. The game up. We. We need some guys. And then, you know, Kiss, he ain't selling his authentic authenticity for nothing. He's top five, dead or alive. You know, the chemistry. He's supposed to be richer than everybody because he. He's One that's known for never spitting one whack verse in his life.

Memphis Bleak (84:12)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (84:13)

So it's like, you know, I got my partner there, and he makes fun of me, and he do his little and love it.

Memphis Bleak (84:20)

Yeah, yeah.

Fat Joe (84:22)

Finally somebody can stop Joe or talk some. Or, yo, talk some sense into him.

Memphis Bleak (84:27)

I. I ain't gonna lie to Joe and Jada podcast I hated on y', all, man. I had to come get my get back because I'm looking at that podcast and I'm like, these in my head caught orders. Let me see if I get in. My key card don't work. So it's like, wait a minute. Joe took my team. I gotta go.

Fat Joe (84:45)

I gotta. I need a get back.

Memphis Bleak (84:46)

I came down here and stole Cool and Dre.

Fat Joe (84:49)

Let me tell you something. Something you're not realizing. It's our team.

Memphis Bleak (84:53)

That's a fact. You know, I'm just with you.

Fat Joe (84:55)

My nation, our team, it's one big family, man. Front line for the Rock. That's all. Don't get that. And you know, when I. When I said I'm down with the rock, I meant it. And I'm one of the most loyal in the world. And I told him. I see. Yo, listen, man, you help me feed my family. Y' all got a lawyer one. That's right. So, you know, with all the things Jay Z did, billions of dollars and all that, he definitely pushed the chest piece of set. Remember Big Pun said, yo, I got that on me. He said, yo, I got that army to get hit. But Jay Z went like this, and the industry said, what? Them just tight like that now? And they. And they family like that. It was bad news for a lot of people.

Memphis Bleak (85:44)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (85:44)

So you gotta understand, man, it's an honor to sit with y' all and Rock and, you know, I never had a better time than being with Roc Nation, man, because Dad's got my back. Juan and his family, Jay's family, the whole Cruz family. So that's where I'm at with it, the podcast business, right? It's really not easy. So everybody and their mother, I think they could get in it. My man Rich the barber, we had his grandmother's funeral, Jewish funeral. And the lady come up to me, Verna. What's her name? Myrna. Myrna or Verna Murder tells me, hey, Fat Joe, you seen my podcast yet? I said, said, huh? She said, I'll be in my house. I'm 81 years old. What you can learn from a Jewish lady? I'm just trying to tell you, everybody in their mother got a podcast.

Memphis Bleak (86:31)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (86:32)

So how did you shine through all that right now that is just so cluttered and all? I felt like we might have lost the heyday, you know, Cuz, you know, Dream Chance was sitting pretty, they had that lane, nobody was with it. Then you got Joe Button and them was killing too. And then you got some other ones. Well, always gotta say, Elliot and B Dot, they pretty much started this. Your man, the guy's in jail forever. What's his name? Tax Dog.

Memphis Bleak (87:02)

Oh, man. Free tax. He ain't in jail.

Fat Joe (87:04)

Oh, he's coming out. How many years that got? No, I don't wish him that. How many years he got?

Memphis Bleak (87:12)

I don't know, man. I think he got like. Like, like 15 to a dub.

Fat Joe (87:15)

Oh, no. So he's coming home?

Memphis Bleak (87:16)

Yeah, something like that, man.

Fat Joe (87:20)

He'll be. I got love for text on you. No, I got love for text. So I thought he had like 30, 40, right?

Memphis Bleak (87:28)

I had my dog, man. He got. He going on uphill. I heard, man.

Fat Joe (87:31)

God bless him. I'm just trying to tell you, those guys. My man with the one eye. What. What was his name? And the other guy did. Said the. That got the. The dead eye. Y' all don't know what I'm talking about. Around that tax on time. It was, man.

Memphis Bleak (87:47)

Oh, oh, oh. You talking about

Fat Joe (87:52)

what? Jack and his man with the. You know, they was doing that, but,

Memphis Bleak (87:59)

you know, set it off. They've, like, come kind of the pioneers of this.

Fat Joe (88:03)

You know, our is like a six sitcom.

Memphis Bleak (88:06)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (88:07)

You come up in there and it ain't just a podcast. We make that like you in the Honeymoon. This. You in the Odd Couple, you and Living Color. Yeah, we having a ball. We having a great time. We don't have a problem having a great time.

Memphis Bleak (88:24)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (88:24)

We literally, if we look like me and Jada is having fun, we having fun. And we're getting paid to have fun.

Memphis Bleak (88:33)

That's right. To talk shit.

Fat Joe (88:34)

And, you know, coming from the projects, I know we've been leaning a lot. Even the song, by the way, I played you with Jay Z at the first caller projects is we used to snap to 6 in the morning, fat snot nose everybody, and be killing your moms, your pops, your mother jabber. Joy. This is violating you.

Memphis Bleak (88:56)

Yo, I told you morning your best friends was the most disrespectful.

Fat Joe (89:01)

Oh, my. You know how it went. I never got mad. I never got mad. I always felt like, oh, he got one. Then I'll come back and talk about his mom's, his pops. But that's what we doing here with these podcasts. We just sitting here talking.

Memphis Bleak (89:16)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (89:17)

And being entertaining.

Memphis Bleak (89:18)

And me, like, I felt like me, I started this because I get to sit with legends like you and. And find out information and things that I never knew. Like this next question. To me, I always felt like growing up. I don't want to say fat Big Biggie pun. You Heavy D. Rest in peace, Chub Rock. Y' all was fly. Knew how to put that on, like. But you one of the flyest. My.

Fat Joe (89:49)

I just think I lasted long, longer. So, you know, God forbid a lot of people, not a lot of people passed away and they couldn't keep doing what I'm doing. So, you know, I make a great living and I've been around a long time, so I've been able to elevate where it's Bottega, is this, it's that.

CJ Toledano (90:07)

It's fly.

Fat Joe (90:08)

Don't know what I'm wearing. But I come up from an era in the 80s where you go on any block in New York City and be dipped fresh Gucci down Louie down in the middle of nowhere. So I love that. And there would not be no Fat Joe. I wouldn't be fly if it wasn't for Heavy D. Heavy D made me confident. So I always, as a fat dude, rap to the baddest chick in the club, the baddest chicken around the way, whatever. Like, I'm rapping the girls that it made no sense. Black Chinese girls, this, this, that. My wife, Columbia, this. I had no business being a fat like this, rapping to them. My confidence was always through the moon. And that was. Cause a brother like Heavy D let me know the overweight lovers in the house. You know, the picture I love. I don't know if they were dating, but the picture I love the most is Heavy D holding hands with Neil Long. I put it up once a year. I throw it up on my IG because that inspired me. Fly, fat guy walking through with the bad. That's what I was about. You know what I'm saying? And so it's like, you know, the Fly, you know, and then we also, you know, we apply the pressure. Thank God guys like HOV is so rich. He. He let me have that. I went over there the other day. I was in the thing. I had a half a million dollar watch on. It was like, yo, Joy, just cop this 1.5 today. It's the only one in the Northeast. Yeah. Like, I look at the. I like, yo, this.

Memphis Bleak (91:43)

I don't even.

Fat Joe (91:44)

And I even mad or I'm not even surprised.

Memphis Bleak (91:47)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (91:47)

If he told me it was 40 million,

Memphis Bleak (91:52)

yo, like, I don't even. Like, I just.

Fat Joe (91:55)

I'm not going to lie to you. I'm dumb. Like, I'm dumb. I caught money like that, I'd be dumb. You see how big this yard is? I would have came in a pink helicopter for this interview. I had y' all film me throwing diamonds out the window. I don't care.

Memphis Bleak (92:13)

I don't know how restrained from going crazy. Because if I was in his shoes, too, I'll be doing some dumb Richie Rich, bro.

Fat Joe (92:22)

I gotta be honest with you. I show up the Yankee Stadium performing a helicopter to throwing real diamonds out the. Like, I'm dumb. I can't do what he do. Dad said, that's why you're never going to be a billionaire. I said, yo, dad. She said, you're crazy, man. I said, yes. Like, I will blow it. Yo,

Memphis Bleak (92:44)

man.

Fat Joe (92:44)

And be smiling. He don't. He, he, he don't. He don't got. Every time I called him to donate to the people, he wins in one second. Let me tell you something. Half a million dollar wire in five minutes.

Memphis Bleak (92:59)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (93:00)

Joe, is this real? You really helping these people? The desert call me Joe. She'll tell them, nah, I'm behind it or whatever. Half a million coming for the people.

Memphis Bleak (93:09)

That's a fact. You tell them. Let me.

Fat Joe (93:12)

You tell us, too, because I need a car. I love everything that Nas doing. I'm in the Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, and I got to get home there. So he could. Nah, I gotta kill him. That. They on my ass. Ruben Diaz and Rocky. But I'm at an event and Nas is like, yo, million dollars donation to the museum, right? And I'm like, wow. And then he turned around, he said, matter of fact. 2 million to the hip hop. Now I'm sitting there, I'm like, too rich, man.

Memphis Bleak (93:40)

What's wrong with these guys?

Fat Joe (93:41)

But that's spiration.

Memphis Bleak (93:44)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (93:45)

I'm sitting there like that. I said, yo, just wire.

Memphis Bleak (93:49)

Matter of fact.

Fat Joe (93:50)

Just like that. Matter of fact, too. He did it like that. I don't know if he practiced the script or he did it, but that did it like that. Yo, million dollars.

Memphis Bleak (93:59)

This my G. I remember no one.

Fat Joe (94:01)

I was sitting over here. I think it's two Cent Two.

Memphis Bleak (94:05)

I'm like, yo, talking about, like, stuff like that. Like, hov I'm. I remember my first time out here in Miami with him in the Delano. We at the pool. Matter of fact, we wasn't even at the pool. We was upstairs on the back. He had the big ass penthouse. So the Turrets, we up there drinking, everybody chilling. And the owner, I believe, of Calvin Klein was at the pool bar. And he sent a bottle up to J Room. Like, found out that's J Room, sent the bottle. So old, like, think he gonna send me a bottle? He sent him two bottles. Homie sent three bottles.

Fat Joe (94:38)

No.

Memphis Bleak (94:38)

Yeah, he sent them four bottles. Homie sent five bottles.

Fat Joe (94:43)

Hov.

Memphis Bleak (94:43)

Bought the whole bar. Everything on you. Y' all ever anybody in the hotel have fun? That's a fact. Nigga looked at me, so I'm like, yo, what's. How he said, man, you don't never let no nigga buy you no drink. Nigga ain't stunting on me. I buy you a drink, it's like,

Fat Joe (94:57)

oh, shit, have I ever left me a drink? I don't think I know what I be knowing, yo, without me knowing. I don't think I ever took the drink. Be like, yo, drink? I'm like, yeah. No, yo, I don't even drink, bro. Like you.

Memphis Bleak (95:11)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (95:12)

Nah, I think that's true, though. Yeah, but I'm gonna lie. I'll take a meal. Just the other night, I was treating my. We was in Makoto. Y' all take a meal. I seen my man Scott Udell from London Jewelers. He was over there with his family. We family. They said, yo, Scott paid for the bill. Dre said, thank God. I was gonna pay the 1500. I'll take the meal.

Memphis Bleak (95:38)

That's a fact.

Fat Joe (95:38)

Nori's not cheap. Yeah, Nori's all the time. It's some guys that, you know, they good. You know, they. They pay meals I. I hate. I'll take the free meal.

Memphis Bleak (95:52)

It'd be like, yo, you had this.

Fat Joe (95:53)

You. I.

Memphis Bleak (95:54)

You can't hang with me. You on that.

Fat Joe (95:57)

I've been treating since I'm 12 years old.

Memphis Bleak (95:59)

That's what I'm saying, bro. We don't split no bills over here.

Fat Joe (96:05)

12 years old, Chinese restaurant. 15 of us. I'm paying.

Memphis Bleak (96:09)

That's okay.

Fat Joe (96:11)

In fact, I was just. Yo, yo, Rich. Rich the barber now. I was. I was. He's definitely not a barber no more. But you're Rich. Oh, no, no, no. He's pretty. Yo, yo, Rich, I was just talking about that. My wife, she have dinner with women that got a hundred times more money than her. But she'll pay the bill every time. Yo, I got it, I got it. My daughter do the same like we come from. Yo, we got it. Like we not letting nobody.

Memphis Bleak (96:41)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (96:41)

In fact, if you treat me to a meal, feel blessed that I took the meal and I just said, all right, it. All right, I'll let you treat me to the meal. But liquor and all that, I never did.

Memphis Bleak (96:54)

I learned a lot with hoving them. But let's get back to the legacy of Fat Joe.

Fat Joe (96:59)

Man, we almost over Memphis. I gotta work. So let's just give me like one or two real good ones and it's over. I love my guys.

Memphis Bleak (97:08)

That's how you know, listen. That's how you know. Niggas getting too much money.

Fat Joe (97:11)

Tom is of essence.

Memphis Bleak (97:14)

Get him another Red Bull. No sugar. Nah, my G. So listen, I was about to wrap it up anyway. When people say the name Fat Joe, what you want them to be? The first thing you remember, man.

Fat Joe (97:30)

Good brother. Took care of the hood, took care of the people. I own businesses in the hood. I never ran away. I got single parent mothers who bought their first home because I gave them a job. I got a little classroom inside my store in the Bronx, across the street from the projects. And after school, we teach kids computer literacy. Anytime I can, I give back. Whether it's food, whether it's money, whether it's this, whether it's computers, whether it's this, this, this, this. My whole life I've been trying to make the people. Cause we could talk all we wanted and take credit. But there's people who pushed us through. That's a fact.

Memphis Bleak (98:10)

It's a lot of.

Fat Joe (98:10)

There's guys. Let me tell you something. I grew up with some foul dudes. And one day I'm in Turks and Caicos. I'm with my stylist Terrell, Terrell Ish in the pool. And I said, yo, man, I grew up. Because I did grow up with some foul. You know what he said? They didn't kill you in the lobby. They could have killed you, Joe. And when he told me that, I've thought about it, that. About that in several different sessions and said to myself, these could have kicked because I'm wild.

Commercial Announcer (98:36)

That's right.

Fat Joe (98:36)

Fat Joe talking to like, y' all give a. I'll smack your cheek off. I don't. This, this, this. Like, yo, they could have just said it. I'm killing them. I just saw some on Instagram that I was telling. Nowadays you can't believe nothing. Everything's AI But I see one. Yeah, hold up. Everything's AI.

Memphis Bleak (98:54)

Everything.

Fat Joe (98:56)

Everything's AI. I'm watching lions kill pit bulls.

Memphis Bleak (98:59)

Yeah.

Fat Joe (99:00)

Is like, yo, that's a. Honestly, I don't even know what. I don't know what's real no more.

Memphis Bleak (99:05)

Yo.

Fat Joe (99:05)

So I go like this. But I seen some. Told the dude, yo, I'm like that. Dude. Tell a dude, yo, I'm like that. I'm telling you. I'm like that. The other dude is like, no, I'm telling you, I'm like that. I'm gangster. He was like, yo, bro, you know what? What? This dude smacks Bob off at that. That came back. Shot him dead in his face in the middle of the camera. I guess they both was like that, right? But this guy had the hammer.

Memphis Bleak (99:36)

Yeah, he was like that. Like that.

Fat Joe (99:38)

Jesus Christ. Yo, you know how many could have done that? Jackson glove like, yo, you know how many guys could have done that to me? So thank God you didn't. That's why I keep giving back to the community. And then, you know what makes me happy is, you know, every Thanksgiving, we feed thousands and thousands of families here. But what I'm saying is we give them a turkey, we give them rice, we give them soup, give them gravy and mash and get a whole compra. Whole grocery, right? And so one year, the news was out there, and they interviewed the people online. And these people ain't buying sneakers from us. These people doing bad for you to wait online. You ain't the guy buying the $300, Joy. It's a fact, you know? And while they asking them, the people said, he'll never forget us. He's from here. He loves us. But what about Fat Joe? He'll never forget us. That means that. That's priceless.

Memphis Bleak (100:37)

That's right.

Fat Joe (100:38)

So when you say Fat Joe and then whatever else, you could say, whatever, you know, I stood up a real dude. You know, I never told on. I always been a real dude. I always been there for my friends, to my brothers. You know what I'm saying? And so that's what I wouldn't be known as, as Fat Joe. You know, the music and all that. Great. I love music. I've been putting them out the park. I'm blessed. But, you know, I gave my life to hip hop. So my family took a second seat. I'm talking about my mother, my father, my wife, my kids, they took a second seat to hip hop. You know, when it was Mother's Day, I'd be performing for other people's. Mother when it's this, bro, I'm with you, bro. So I did this for hip hop.

Memphis Bleak (101:23)

That's right.

Fat Joe (101:23)

For the culture I gave my life.

Memphis Bleak (101:25)

Your family suffers to hip hop.

Fat Joe (101:27)

Your family suffers. You know, it ain't nice when you got your kids saying, please, dad, like,

Memphis Bleak (101:33)

where you going this birthday?

Fat Joe (101:35)

I want you to be going and you out there performing because you want to make them get that never. You know, when they took all my money in taxes, I used to stare at my daughter sleep, and they used to be like, yo, God, please, I didn't bring her here so she could be broke. Please, God used to watch my daughter breathe and sleep and be like, God, don't let this happen me. Like, let me, you know, get that money, man. I want to make sure she lives the best life she can live.

Memphis Bleak (102:03)

That's right.

Fat Joe (102:04)

So that's why I'm always working nonstop, because I want to make sure my family's happy.

Memphis Bleak (102:10)

That's a fact, man. I appreciate you for pulling up. You always been solid one of my guys, and now we bros is rocking TS for life.

Fat Joe (102:19)

Yo, shout out my man. Big mind of all. Big mind. You started with him. You might have left the who? Jay Z's nephew. The big guy.

Memphis Bleak (102:26)

Who, Ral?

Fat Joe (102:27)

Nah, he used to be in the office when you was doing your podcast.

Memphis Bleak (102:31)

At first, that was his podcast. I thugged.

Fat Joe (102:34)

Oh, that was.

Memphis Bleak (102:35)

And then they clipped me, so I went off solo. I was the Beyonce.

Fat Joe (102:39)

You know, I had Jamaicans. I had Jamaicans in my projects, and every time I walked out, go, big man of all. Big money, you know, Big mind of all. So every time I see my man, I'll be like, yo, big mind of all. Big butt.

Memphis Bleak (102:54)

That's right.

Fat Joe (102:55)

Shout out to sis. His mom's Annie. She let us be.

Memphis Bleak (103:00)

She run that yo moms nobody show.

Fat Joe (103:02)

Let me tell you something.

Memphis Bleak (103:03)

Moms run the whole.

Fat Joe (103:04)

Nobody gonna take care of their brother more than this sister.

Memphis Bleak (103:07)

Oh, that's a fact.

Fat Joe (103:08)

They don't happen. So she allows us to have a great space there. You know what I'm saying? But it's an honor, bro. It's an honor, man.

Memphis Bleak (103:16)

God. And, you know, we do say Mafia, but Joe gotta send that bottle of San Rosa over to us, man.

Fat Joe (103:23)

We gotta get so Risa. That's a Puerto Rican rum. San Rosa rum.

Memphis Bleak (103:29)

Sorisa.

Fat Joe (103:30)

That means smile. Sorisa. You heard from Puerto Rico, papi?

Memphis Bleak (103:35)

Yo, listen, I'm trying to learn Spanish. I need a tutor. Holla at me. You know what it is? Rock solid, baby. TS for life, yeah. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows at. And you can follow me on any social media platform under the name Memphis Bleak. You see anybody frauding? Flag them

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Fat Joe (105:06)

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. We all seem to be in a rush these days, from work to driving our kids around. But when you're behind the wheel, please do not speed. A few minutes saved by going faster is never worth the risk. So follow the speed limit, enjoy the drive, maybe bring some snacks for the kids, and know that along the way you're getting quality time with your family, paid for by nhtsa.

Commercial Announcer (105:36)

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Orderly Meds Advertiser (106:36)

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.