Important Information

Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper.
He is also the CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C.
and Terror Squad.Fat Joe's first album was Represent, released in 1993, followed by Jealous One's Envy in 1995.
From 1998 to 2006, he was signed to Atlantic Records, releasing four albums under the label, Don Cartagena in 1998, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) in 2001, Loyalty in 2002, and All or Nothing in 2005.
Around the release of All or Nothing, Fat Joe became involved in a highly publicized feud with another New York City-based rapper 50 Cent, who attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank".
His most popular song in which he performed was his Remy Ma duet "Lean Back" with Terror Squad.
The song was a number-one hit in the summer of 2004.Starting in 2006, when his album Me, Myself, & I was released, Fat Joe was signed to Imperial Records, which distributes through Terror Squad Entertainment.
His follow up album wasThe Elephant in the Room, which was released in 2008; Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E.
2), the sequel to Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), was released in October 2009.
His tenth album The Darkside Vol.
1 was released on July 27, 2010.1992–1995: Early yearsUnder stage name Fat Joe da Gangsta and part of the Diggin' in the Crates (D.I.T.C.) rap group, Cartagena was signed to Relativity Records in the early 1990s, recording material and working with many artists who he would later sign to his own label.
In 1993, his debut album, Represent, was released, featuring production from The Beatnuts, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, and others.
Its lead single, "Flow Joe" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart; other minor singles from the album included "Watch the Sound" and "This Shit is Real".In 1995, Fat Joe released his second studio album, Jealous One's Envy, which peaked at #71 on The Billboard 200 and at #7 on Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums.
The album featured a guest appearance from KRS-One and production from Diamond D.
The lead single was Success, which did not chart, but his second single, "Envy" peaked at #8 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.
The success of this album led Fat Joe to be featured on the remix of LL Cool J's single "I Shot Ya" along with Foxy Brown, Keith Murray and Prodigy of Mobb Deep.Billboard Latin Music AwardsBET AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsFamilyFat Joe currently lives in Miami and is married with three children.Community workFat Joe has been back to his old school in the Bronx, New York to donate computers for the students.In 2008 He attended the grand opening of the Hip Hop Soda Shop in Miami which was community outreach project set up by Ben Chavis for the youth to hang out and do things such as record music, use the computers and play on Xbox 360s.At a "School is Cool" assembly in Public School 5 in Jersey City, New Jersey on June 11, 2009, Fat Joe was a speaker.On January 23, 2011 Fat Joe appeared with Newark mayor Cory Booker and fitness expert Jeff Halevy at an event to promote the Newark branch of Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative against childhood obesity.Weight lossBy 1996, he weighed 300 pounds (140 kg).
In 2005, Stuff magazine and ContactMusic.com profiled Fat Joe's weight loss efforts.In 2011, Fat Joe unveiled his latest weight loss efforts in the video for his song "Drop a Body" after shedding 88 pounds off his previous weight of 350 pounds.
He has said although he loves to eat KFC, McDonald’s and other less healthy foods he had to stop due to losing several friends, including former Terror Squad member Big Pun to obesity and he wanted to stay alive to see his children grow up.
He lost the weight without the help of supplements and fat diets by combining 2-hour cardio and weight lifting sessions with proper eating habits.
Instead of Burger King, KFC, and McDonald’s, he opted for smaller portioned meals of fruit, vegetables, and lean meats.
Furthermore he follows a low-carb approach, eating some sweet potatoes but not eating bread, rice and pasta.Legal issuesOn September 8, 1998, Fat Joe and Big Pun were arrested on assault charges for hitting a man with a baseball bat and stealing the man's gold chain on June 14 that year.
Joe was arrested again on May 12, 2002 for allegedly fighting with another man at B.B.
King's Blues Club in Times Square, but the charges were dropped on January 10, 2003.In two murder cases, Fat Joe has been named a witness:Joe's former bodyguard, Jose Mulero (also known as Sing Sing), was arrested on September 17, 2004 for the April 15, 1994 shooting death of 16-year-old Ernesto Rivera at a Bronx nightclub.
Responding to a subpoena, Fat Joe claimed to have heard the shooting and seen people fleeing the scene, but investigators argued that he was standing closer to Mulero, by a door.Miami Beach police also named Fat Joe as a witness in a Memorial Day double homicide outside David's Cafe II in South Beach.
Jermaine Wufgang Chamberline of Miami Gardens was accused of shooting Lessli Paz and Joey Navarro to death on that morning; Fat Joe and the two victims were sitting in a rented Cadillac Escalade parked outside the restaurant when a fight broke out between passengers and another man.In December 2012, Fat Joe pled guilty to tax evasion for not paying income tax on over 3 million dollars from 2007-2010.
It was reported he could face up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $200,000, plus penalties from the IRS.
He was to be sentenced during April 2013.
On June 24, 2013, he was sentenced to four months in prison for tax evasion.
He began the sentence on August 26, 2013, and was released on November 28, 2013.LGBT beliefs and supportDuring an interview with Vlad TV, Joe stated that while not gay himself, gay people should not hide their sexuality and stand by what they are.
He mentioned that it's possible that he has done songs with gay rappers and that there are likely several gay people besides just rappers in the hip hop industry who are in the closet, describing it as a "Gay Mafia".His comments came after being asked to comment on Mister Cee being arrested for public lewdness with a transgender.