Background

South Bronx native Joseph Antonio Cartagenal, known as Fat Joe, grew up in public housing with no hope of a future until his brother introduced him to hip hop. He immediately turned away from a life of crime and pursued a career in music in the early 1990s. Fat Joe gained little success as part of a rap group so he launched a solo career and his own record label; Terror Squad. His business success was often overshadowed by his own record albums and the big names who signed under his label such as Big Pun, Remy Ma, and DJ Khaled. Keep in mind, he launched his label before YouTube, SoundCloud, or iTunes were available to young artists. The only way to gain success back then was the easy way by signing with an existing record label, or the nearly-impossible way of self-promotion. Most artists who were successful put out albums and singles at least twice a year to become and remain relevant and popular. From 1993 to 2010, Fat Joe released one album every two years on average. That is because he was working hard on promoting the artists signed to his label. It takes a lot of self-discipline and respect to put your career second to those whom you serve. Fat Joe is also a known supporter of the LGBT cause and a advocate for equal rights.