Hip Hop Awards 2022: Who is Fat Joe? Get to Know the Legendary Emcee Hosting This Year’s Ceremony
It’s official! Rap legend Fat Joe will host the BET Hip Hop Awards 2022, the biggest night celebrating hip hop music and culture. The event will be filled with show stopping performances, tons of big winning moments, and surprise special guest appearances you won’t want to miss.
With Fat Joe set to emcee the annual ceremony, we’re getting acquainted with the rap star with these interesting facts, and don’t forget to tune into the Hip Hop Awards airing Tuesday, October 4, at 9 PM ET/PT on BET.
He's experienced an impressive health journey
In 1996, Joey weighed a reported 300 pounds. He was profiled in 2005 for losing a significant amount of weight. In 2011, Fat Joe unveiled his drastic transformation in the video for his song "Drop a Body" after losing 88 pounds off his previous weight of 370 pounds. He’s been noted to follow a low-carb diet by eating sweet potatoes and avoiding white carbs such as rice and pasta.
His brother got him interested in hip hop
As a young child, Joey’s brother Angel would bring home tapes of the music played at those events and the original sounds which initially sparked his interest. The older he got, the further he dove into the culture, getting into activities like graffiti art and breakdancing.
There’s a heavy story behind his nickname Joey Crack
It was tough growing up in the South Bronx. One day, his childhood friend was given an ultimatum to fight alongside a group of bullies or be beaten. That incident would subsequently be the source behind the moniker “Joey Crack.” My heart turned black that day; I just lost it,“ he said in an interview with A&E.
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His debut single shot to number one
In 1993, Joey released his debut album Represent, with a lead titled “Flow Joe,” which peaked at number one on the Billboard hot Rap Singles Chart. The project included other singles such as "Watch the Sound" and "This S—t Is Real.” Two years later, he released another project titled Jealous One's Envy.
He’s received Grammy nominations for some of his most significant records
Whenever Fat Joe releases a single, it’s bound to trigger rumbles amongst music fans. In the last decade, the emcee has released hit after hit, including four Grammy Award-nominated projects, including
“What’s Luv” featuring the incomparable Ashanti, “Make It Rain'', with fellow emcee Lil Wayne, and “Lean Back” and “All the Way Up” with frequent collaborator Remy Ma.
Watch the Hip Hop Awards on Tuesday, October 4, at 9 PM ET/PT on BET
