Photo: Instagram
Lean back...into the old age home!
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Dec 05, 2019
Is Fat Joe retiring? That's been the question on everybody's mind since the "Lean Back" rapper admitted that he's ready to call it quits after more than 20 years in the rap game. It's not often you hear of a rapper retiring — which is why Joe's announcement has made headlines all over the world. Let's look at what we know about it!
Fat Joe went on CBS This Morning to promote his new project with Dre of the legendary hip hop group, Cool & Dre. While there, he told the breakfast show's co-host Vladimir Duthiers that he's just about ready to call it a day. "I'm almost out of here. I think I'm retiring. It's time to give it up," he said to Duthiers in the Toyota Green Room, adding that he's about "85% done" with the rap game. "I've got mad at all the other rappers who said that they're retiring and they came back. I'm a strong advocate against that so I'm really... I've been flirting with it. I'm like 85% gone."
Let's look at what we know about his claims and his career.
1. He released his debut album 26 years ago.
To put some things in perspective: 26 years ago, in 1993, there was no Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and most people who had "the Internet" at home used a dial-up connection. And that was the environment in which Fat Joe (real name: Joseph Anthony Cartagena) released his debut album, Represent, which featured the number one hit, "Flow Joe."
2. If Fat Joe does retire, Family Ties will be his last album.
If Fat Joe does, indeed, retire from the rap game, Family Ties is certainly a wonderful way to go out. The album, which has an official launch date of December 6th, 2019, features a who's who of hip hop's finest, including Remy Ma, Cardi B, Bryson Tiller, Eminem, and Lil Wayne.
3. He's hired Rich Paul to serve as a producer on the Family Ties album.
Don't ever say Fat Joe isn't creative. Rich Paul, who is an NBA agent and the owner of his own sports agency called Kluch, has made his debut as a producer on the Family Ties album. For Joe, this crossover into sports was, in fact, a natural one. "Rich Paul's creativity isn't just limited to sports and business — he brings strong ideas from a music standpoint too. Rich is family, so it's only right that we collaborate with him and Boi-1da on 'Family Ties' and this special 'Hands on You' record," Fat Joe said to Sports Illustrated.
4. But Fat Joe is also currently fighting a lawsuit.
Our friend Fat Joe needs to be careful if he's looking to retire — because he's still embroiled in a lawsuit over his hit single, "All The Way Up." While there's no telling which way things will go, Fat Joe wants the lawsuit tossed out because no one can seem to find the signed contract that's at the crux of the matter. And while Fat Joe — through his attorneys — wants the lawsuit against Fly Havana (the artist who originated the lawsuit) dismissed with prejudice, that hasn't happened so far.
5. He's also got some pretty expensive toys.
A man like Fat Joe can't afford to be half-steppin' in a jalopy of a car. That's why he's already invested some of his hard-earned money into a super-expensive Rolls-Royce. In fact, his wheels are worth a cool half-million dollars after he put more than $150,000 worth of work into it!
6. So even if Fat Joe wants to retire...he can't.
"I really want to watch my daughter. I really wanna take her to school every day. Watch her, make sure she’s like… That’s really the conflict… Little girls, 13, 14, very impressionable right now. So I want to make sure every time she turns around, her dad is there when she looks around and I’m there for her," he said to CBS This Morning, while adding that thanks to his expensive habits and a myriad of other things, he has no choice but to stay in the game, even if he wants to retire. "We’d be broke. If I don’t tour, I’m broke."
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series and is the CEO of the acclaimed G-Force Marketing & Publicity firm, which has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and has scored film, television, radio, and print placements for celebrity clientele worldwide.