One of hip-hop’s favorite narrators, Fat Joe, finally pulled up a seat at the table. Joe visited Red Table Talk and gave us all some knowledge and advice we didn’t know we needed. Joe, whose legal name is Joseph Cartagena, has been an active figure in the rap industry for over 30 years. As his rap career progressed, Joe started his label, Terror Squad. The label is home to Remy Ma, the late Big Pun and, at one time, DJ Khaled. After racking up 30 years of experience, Joe had much to discuss.
Joe spoke on the lessons he has learned throughout his extensive career, the unfortunate deaths that have riddled the music industry, and his relationship with R&B singer Ashanti and the other strong women in his life.
Joe recalled stories of his early years in the Bronx and being kicked out of his home at 14 years old after standing up to his abusive father.
He then detailed how he fell into a life of crime and drug dealing in order to survive. “I was a good person doing bad things,” he said on the show. The rapper then rolled out how the early years of his music career were full of trial and error, but he eventually got the hang of it.
Joe came to the defense of singer Ashanti when Irv Gotti alleged that he slept with the singer in the early days of her career, as Blavity previously reported.
“You know, another strength of mine is women. Like, I’m surrounded by women, strong women,” he said.
“I’m glad you brought that up. Come on, Joe. Now speak on that,” Pinkett Smith said.
“Tougher than an army. That’s what I’m talking about. The girls protect me,” Joe said.
“I know! I know they do, Joe. But you know what? You do the same for them, and that’s what makes it a beautiful, beautiful relationship,” Pinkett Smith replied.
Joe replied and added that he was questioned about coming to the singer’s defense.
“That’s a fact. I hold my sisters down, you know? That’s the story of my life, having strong sisters around me, powerful sisters, and I get in the middle of certain arguments,” he said. “I’m the brother that looks out for the sisters. Somebody had asked me, ‘Yo, why’d you jump out and defend Ashanti like that?’”
“I love that you did that,” Pinkett Smith said.
“But listen, this guy who’s a friend of mine, he said, ‘Yo, you f**ked Ashanti?’ Now, I’m sitting here, like, flabbergasted. Like, this was, like, you know, blasphemy or some s**t,” he said.
Joe went on to say that Ashanti has been his sister for “20-something years,” and he has just as deep of a relationship with Irv Gotti.
“And then I noticed when I started telling him that’s my sister, his whole face calmed down and [he] said, ‘Wow, she really is his sister,'” he continued. “I seen the whole face change. And he was like, ‘Oh.’ I’m like — personally, I give no perv vibes.”
Pinkett Smith agreed.
Joe also mentioned Jennifer Lopez as part of his tribe.
“J.Lo’s my sister,” he said. “She never saw me look at her ass when the whole world was talking about her ass. None of my girlfriends, my wife’s friends, my — none of them get that vibe.”
Joe closed the episode with praises for his wife of 27 years and his teenage daughter.
