Fat Joe on 6ix9ine Advice, Kevin Durant Almost Getting Beat Up, and New Album

Fat Joe is gearing up to release his studio album Family Ties, which could mark his final project before retirement. The 49-year-old entertainer has expressed his intention to step away from the game following the project’s release, as he believes the industry has become much too sensitive to handle a rapper like him.

“It’s such a sensitive community and time. [When] I came out I was Fat Joe da Gangsta—that was my original name,” he said during a recent sit-down with Complex News (6-minute mark). “My promo to my first album was me cutting a guy with a chainsaw, like in Scarface … I just love gangsta music and hardcore. It just seems like everybody’s sensitive these days, you know what I’m sayin’?”

Joe continued to discuss his possible retirement.

“I don’t really wanna stop. I’m stoppin’ because I’m trying to be a regular guy and raise my daughter,” he said. “I think I’m dead nice right now, if you ask me. I think I’m extremely nice.”

Joe described Family Ties—a collaborative effort with Dre of Cool and Dre—as a classic joint stacked with big-name artists, like Remy Ma, Mary J. Blige, Lil Wayne, Jeremih, Ty Dolla Sign, Hitmaka, and Boi-1da.

“It’s a classic album from A to Z. Ten years from now they’re gon’ be able to make a Hamilton play about this album. It’s simple as that,” he said. “You got Eminem at his finest. You’ve never heard Eminem sound like this in, like, 10 years. I ain’t takin no talk-back.”

Joe also mentioned the advice he gave to 6ix9ine before the rapper’s arrest in late 2018. Crack said he told the “Gummo” artist to be careful about the people he surrounds himself with, as running with a tough crowd could hinder business opportunities. 

“Obviously he ain’t listen, ’cause his life is fucked,” Joe said, referring to 6ix9ine’s ongoing racketeering case. 

Joe touched on 6ix9ine’s cooperation with authorities, aka snitching, and said he would lose respect for any artist who would work with the rapper after his release.

“I would definitely lose respect,” he said, before criticizing 6ix9ine’s choices. “… Do not portray something you’re not. Please, don’t do the crime. ‘Cause then you’ll find yourself in that compromisable position, and I don’t wish that on anybody … Now you put yourself here. What’re you gonna do? You goin’ to tell, fuck up your family’s name? Or you goin’ to keep it a hundred? … I literally pray for those guys.”

The conversation also turned to Rucker Park, the well-known basketball court in Harlem. Joe said that out of everyone he’s seen play at the Rucker, the most impressive performance came from Kevin Durant in 2011.

“He scored like 80-something (it was 66), yo, I’m not lyin’,” said Joe, who coached at the Rucker. “They stopped the game. They was gonna beat him up. He had to run in the car … I could not believe it … That boy was incredible. They chased him out the park. You knew about that? They wanted to beat him up … He must’ve told his team, ‘I’m comin’ to score 80. Gimme the ball every second.’ Nobody else scored a basket. It was incredible.”

Joe then spoke about another incredible and memorable moment: sitting in on Biggie’s “Hypnotize” recording session.

“I was there when the Notorious B.I.G. made ‘Hypnotize.’ I hung out with him all day,” he recalled. “He’s dead now, I’m not snitchin’, I’m not rattin’, but [at] 1 o’clock, 20 Asian girls come to the studio; 2 o’clock, 20 black chicks come to the studio; 3 o’clock, 20 mamacitas came to the studio; 4 o’clock, 20 Italian girls came to the studio; 5 o’clock, 20 Mexicans came—I’d never seen no shit like this in my life.”

Joe also discussed the female correctional officer who tried getting in his pants, as well as the meme-inspiring outfit he wore during the Shawn Carter Foundation Gala Weekend. Check out the full video up top.

Family Ties is out this Friday.