The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Joe and Jada – Fat Joe & Jadakiss on Hip Hop's SNITCHING Era, Family Loyalty, Shedeur Sanders, and Jail Stories

Date: August 19, 2025
Guests: Fat Joe, Jadakiss
Main Theme: Hip hop’s changing codes—snitching, loyalty, the industry’s transformation, reflections on family and street culture, rising stars like Shedeur Sanders, and raw jail stories.

Overview

This lively episode of "The Herd," hosted by Colin Cowherd and featuring rap icons Fat Joe and Jadakiss, dives deep into hip hop's shifting culture. The discussion orbits around the erosion of the “no-snitching” code, family values amid fame, generational changes in the genre, and personal anecdotes about street and jail life. Interwoven throughout, listeners hear candid thoughts on sports (notably Shedeur Sanders), memorable moments from inside the rap game, and the realities of success and betrayal. The episode masterfully balances humor, tough truths, and unfiltered wisdom from two of hip hop’s most authentic voices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Lost Code in Hip Hop: From No-Snitching to Normalizing Rats

Starts ~[02:10]

• No code anymore: Both Fat Joe and Jadakiss mourn what they see as the fading “no-snitching” honor in hip hop culture.

  • Fat Joe: “There is no code no more. There just isn’t no code no more.” [02:10]

• Comparison to movies:

  • Fat Joe: “Too many Fredos, not enough Michaels.” [02:17]

• Rats everywhere: Jadakiss likens modern snitches to New York rats: “You can't escape them. They all around. They're like New York City rats. Humans. It's rats everywhere and every. Everywhere is every.” [14:53]

• Major shift event? Fat Joe identifies Tekashi 6ix9ine’s trial and subsequent return as the moment the taboo truly broke:

  • “The day six nine sat on that stand...2 million to see a rat. Even I was under a dummy account, looking at what he gonna say...It told the youth. Oh, it's over. You could rap. Whatever the case may be, come home. You still a shit. You lit.” [19:50]

• Rappers and new fans’ attitudes:

  • Fat Joe criticizes those who continue to support and listen to artists who testify or cooperate with law enforcement: “So my thing is this guy running around buying Birkins for girls. And this he made people think it was cool to rap [snitch].” [20:42]

• On Gunna and celebrated ‘rats’:

  • Joe admits a guilty pleasure in enjoying Gunna’s music despite his alleged cooperation:
  • “This album was so good. I was so guilty of this. I listened to this album. I say shit.” [25:26]
    But he quickly walks it back, torn over changing standards.

2. The Complexities of Family and Loyalty

Starts ~[04:42]

• Fat Joe and Jadakiss emphasize loving, supporting, but not being taken advantage of by family, especially after “making it:”

  • “We help every one of my family members, whether it was directly or indirectly...but we love our family, and we don't feel better than nobody, and we help everybody if we can. We just don't let them take advantage of us.” [08:35]

• Joe shares personal heartbreak at family trying to exploit his name through GoFundMe threats:

  • “That broke my heart when a family member told me, y' all go on GoFundMe and make a movie saying, this is real shit.” [11:27]

• On public family disputes (referring to rapper Finesse2Tymes and his mother):

  • “I would advise you to contact your moms to try to fix that...The last resort is to have your moms on social media. That's not it.” [12:12]

• Blessing and stigma of two-parent households in hip hop:

  • Jada: "It's a blessing to have both of your parents if you can have both of your parents." [07:41]

3. Racism, Justice, and Shifting Cultural Moments

Starts ~[13:17]

• Both express cynicism toward policing, referencing George Floyd and Breonna Taylor as turning points in public consciousness.

  • Fat Joe: “With me, you know, all love and everything, but it's always, fuck the police.” [13:45]

• The conversation links this broader societal change to hip hop’s own shifting values.

4. Separating Art from the Artist: Can You Enjoy "Rat" Music?

Starts ~[24:42]

• Fat Joe confesses to feeling guilty over enjoying music from artists perceived as “rats.”

  • “I listened to this album. This album was so good. I was so guilty of this...Is this what we doing now?” [25:26-26:00]

• Jadakiss calls out the contradiction: “But you feel bad listening to it.” [26:51]

• Joe offers a poignant personal story about severing ties with a lifelong friend who cooperated with the Feds, reinforcing why he can’t support artists who cross that line.

  • “I never went to see this guy one time in my life after he ratted because he violated the code. And this is a guy...I loved him. Like a best friend, I loved him. But because of the code, I can't fuck with him.” [28:56]

5. Sports Break: Shedeur Sanders’ Breakout Moment

Starts ~[29:24]

• The hosts praise Shedeur Sanders’ NFL potential, with playful banter and statistical breakdowns.

  • Jada: “He looked like the truth. Sacked twice, two or three touchdowns. Worked the offense like a professional...” [29:31]

• Fat Joe calls out possible racism in draft positioning and underappreciation:

  • “How do you pass him 100 something times? That's disrespect.” [31:08]
  • “He's better than Dak Prescott. I know it's only one game, but there's so many teams that could have used this guy...” [31:22]

• Analogy to timing in hip hop and sports:

  • Fat Joe: “His timing was so precise. And that's what you need in a Tom Brady and a Pat Mahomes and somebody who got they chill.” [32:17]

6. The Anatomy of a Hit: Timing, Tricks, and Rapping

Starts ~[33:42]

• Inside knowledge on creating hits:

  • Jadakiss: “It's called a trick in the song...hit songs have them in there.” [34:39]

• They explain how “tricks” and perfectly timed bars separate the icons from the rest:

  • Jada gives examples from his catalog and broader rap history.

7. Comic Relief: Turkey Chop Sagas and Yellow Watermelon Quests

Starts ~[35:09]

• An extended, hilarious tangent about their ongoing search for “turkey chops” turns into a light-hearted culinary quest.

• Fat Joe: “Everybody who told me, yo, I got turkey chop. None of them was able to buy me a turkey chop.” [36:47]

• They joke about rare produce finds and reminisce about classic Harlem characters.

8. Inside the Belly: Unfiltered Jail Stories

Starts ~[39:03]

• Fat Joe narrates his experiences from four months in federal prison—a vivid, sometimes absurd look at jail culture, food scarcity, power dynamics, and the hustle for better amenities.

  • On the primal pecking order:
    “There's four tables with four chairs. That's 16 seats, and it's 2,000 guys… I got a table, right?...I said, yo, who sits in them tables? Homeboy looked at me shook because a lot of guys are pussy. They're not really real.” [41:39-42:41]

  • On humiliation and flexing with real eggs: “They had never seen a real egg in the jail I was in. I go in my cell, I come out, microwaves right there ... 40, 50 eggs. Just... letting them know, like, yo, bro, I got shit you ain't even see in this fucking jail.” [52:48-53:16]

  • Surreal sneaker story:
    “In the Feds, you either wearing a gray sweatsuit or a beige. I don't give a fuck who you are. They are not. No one has Jordans ... Biggest mistake of my life.” [55:30] — Leading to his cell being raided and officials telling him he’s the jail’s most-discussed name.

  • Final wisdom: “...I don't advise nobody to go there. To me, it's like communism. It's a third world country. If your family don't send you no money, then you have no resort but to do crazy things, man.” [58:45]

9. Tour Announcements and Black Entrepreneurship

Starts ~[60:21]

• The duo plug an upcoming tour featuring Mobb Deep, Raekwon the Chef, and The Lox.

  • “That would be crazy. The Locks, Mobb Deep, Ray Corn, the Chef. That would be like, I love what y' all doing with the cash money.” [60:54]

• Brief but important takes on entrepreneurship:

  • Fat Joe on working for oneself: “I've been an entrepreneur since I'm 12 years old. I don't want to work for nobody. I just don't.” [61:41]
  • Jada: “It's hard.” [62:18]
  • Joe, on refusing outside investors: “Do the rewind attend. You know how many guys we know with serious money sat down with me... I'm the boss. Why would I want. You know what I'm saying?” [62:20]

10. Presidential Sneakers and Hip Hop’s Cultural Reach

Starts ~[64:02]

• Fat Joe displays a photo of Bill Clinton wearing his signature TS Air Force 1s:

  • Fat Joe: “This ain't Photoshopped, my brother. Ain't no cap in this. You see that? I got that presidential Bill Clinton rocking these sneakers.” [64:11]

• They share a salacious anecdote about Clinton’s famed love life and respect from unexpected places.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |-----------|------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:10 | Fat Joe | “There is no code no more. There just isn’t no code no more.” | | 14:53 | Jadakiss | “You can't escape them. They all around. They're like New York City rats. Humans. It's rats everywhere.” | | 19:50 | Fat Joe | “Even I was under a dummy Pepe Le Pew account, looking at what he gonna say...It told the youth. Oh, it's over.”| | 25:26 | Fat Joe | “This album was so good...I was so guilty of this. I listened to this album. I say shit.” | | 28:56 | Fat Joe | “I never went to see this guy one time in my life after he ratted...But because of the code, I can't fuck with him.”| | 31:08 | Fat Joe | “How do you pass him 100 something times? That's disrespect.” | | 32:17 | Fat Joe | “His timing was so precise. And that's what you need in a Tom Brady and a Pat Mahomes and somebody who got they chill.”| | 34:39 | Jadakiss | “It's called a trick in the song...hit songs have them in there.” | | 41:39 | Fat Joe | “There's four tables with four chairs. That's 16 seats, and it's 2,000 guys… I got a table, right?” | | 52:48 | Fat Joe | “They had never seen a real egg in the jail I was in...letting them know, like, yo, bro, I got shit you ain't even see in this fucking jail.”| | 55:30 | Fat Joe | “Biggest mistake of my life...the whole visit is looking at my feet like I walk in the fucking tier.” | | 58:45 | Fat Joe | “...I don't advise nobody to go there. To me, it's like communism. It's a third world country.” | | 61:41 | Fat Joe | “I've been an entrepreneur since I'm 12 years old. I don't want to work for nobody.” | | 64:11 | Fat Joe | “This ain't Photoshopped, my brother...You see that? I got that presidential Bill Clinton rocking these sneakers.”| | 65:14 | Fat Joe | [On Clinton’s reputation] “Bill Clinton pulls me in the room and was like, yo, where the hoes at, bro?” |

Conclusion

Joe and Jada deliver an electric, unfiltered, and insightful hour delving into hip hop’s shifting morals, old and new codes, and the real meaning of loyalty. Their mix of stories—comic, cautionary, and celebratory—gives fans a raw look into the culture, personal highs and lows, and the sometimes uncomfortable navigation between street and superstar. In a world where “the code” is in question and personal success comes with unique burdens, Fat Joe and Jadakiss prove why their voices still matter—with wisdom, wit, and a relentless honesty.