One of the music industry’s leading rappers, Fat Joe, was in NYC this past week shooting a video for the single “I Got It” with rising star, Prince Malik. Taped at Malik’s notable mansion in Queens, NY, the duo spent the day shooting with Malik’s eclectic car collection, ranging from a customized Maserati to Lamborghini to Hummer Limo, and Fat Joe stepped in to collaborate behind-the-scenes with video director Michael Gordon.
We caught up with Fat Joe on set and asked him questions about his upcoming projects, being a fan of other artists and what rapper we should be listening to.
In one of your last interview you said you would be releasing two more albums after Darkside Vol. 1 and then retiring, is this true and why two?
I don’t even know, that’s just shit I said. I’m working on a new album now, but it’s not even a Darkside album, it’s a lifestyle album. We gonna do Darkside 2 and maybe the lifestyle will be put out together, Darkside 2 as a mixtape, and the other album, lets not just called it a lifestyle album, will consist of all types of music. Not just underground, hardcore, but everything. The new music is due out around June. I can guarantee there will be some hits on it. It’s got production from Jim Johnson, Rico Love, Scott Storch and I’m going to reach out to Scoop DaVille.
You mentioned Lifestyle would be diverse, are you thus inspired by a diverse collection of things?
I’m in inspired because I’m all over the world. I love Flo Rida and all of them but I won’t make that kind of music. Ill make some party music but it’ll be more like urban party music, lean back and make it rain. Rather than straight pop.
Once again, I love Pitbull, Flo Rida and the music they make but some artist can’t really be respected if they take that lane. There’s one thing to be featured on a hot song like that and do it yourself.
When Reggae tone got hot the record labels would offering me stupid money to make a spanish reggae tone album. I featured on a song or two from some people I respected but that’s as far as I would go.
Continued on the Next Pages!
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What’re your thoughts on the current stage of hip hop?
If i told you I didn’t like it, I would sound like a hater. There’s always been good music and some bad music. There’s some great music coming out and there’s some bad music. That’s the way hip hop has always been, ill take the good with the bad. I like music more now then I liked it four years ago when everybody had a novelty album. I thought hip hop was dead.
You know I’m biased because my era was when I fell in love with hip hop, when LL had it, and Rakim, KRS One, that’s the golden era. I think that’s when hip hop was the best.
Do you follow any current artists?
I listen to Nicki, Kanye, I like Black & Yellow by Wiz Khalifa. He’s dope. I fuck with everybody.
Any artists we should be listening to?
I’m going to tell you who the biggest artist in America is that nobody really knows about: Tech9. He tours all year round and I go to his shows and there’s always 5000 dudes mashing it up and everything. he could be one of the richest rappers on earth because his following is incredible but you don’t hear him on the radio. He’s a true genius of marketing.
Because of his demand he’ll eventually have one record go through the cracks into the mainstream. He has a huge following and it’s just a matter of time.
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