Fat Joe

Fat Joe (born Joseph Antonio Cartagena) is a rapper and actor. Fat Joe was raised in the Bronx and was drawn to hip-hop at an early age.

The rapper began his professional career in the early ’90s, signing with Relativity Records and releasing his debut album, Represent, in 1993. The album’s single “Flow Joe” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.

In 1998, Fat Joe’s album Don Cartagena cemented his status in hip-hop after charting on the Billboard 200. He went on to found the label Terror Squad Productions, a collective that included Big Pun, Remy Ma and other rising artists. The group’s single “Lean Back” (2004) became a chart-topping hit. Over the years, he continued releasing successful albums, including The Elephant in the Room (2008) and Family Ties (2019). Some of his most popular songs include “All the Way Up” and “Make It Rain.”

The Bronx native has also made a handful of on screen appearances, including in Empire (2002) and Scary Movie 3 (2003) as well as Jennifer Lopez’s film This Is Me… Now: A Love Story (2024).

In 1995, he tied the knot with Lorena Cartagena, and they share daughter Azariah (born in 2006). The rapper is also father to sons Joey and Ryan from previous relationships.