Fat Joe
South Bronx rapper of D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad, behind "Lean Back" and one of the first Latino stars in hip-hop.
Who is Fat Joe?
Fat Joe (Joseph Cartagena) is a rapper from the South Bronx, New York, of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. He is part of the crew Diggin' in the Crates (D.I.T.C.) and founded Terror Squad.
Known for
His debut Represent (1993), with "Flow Joe", and his later hits "What's Luv?" (2001), "Lean Back" with Terror Squad (2004), which went to number one, and "All the Way Up" (2016). He also gave Big Pun his big break.
Style
A heavy, commanding voice and tough Bronx attitude, moving from raw boom-bap in the '90s to club and radio hits in the 2000s.
Impact
Fat Joe is one of the first Latino rappers to reach the mainstream and has stayed relevant for over three decades.
