Killer Mike may have stepped away from the rap game for a time, but he’s back—and there’s only one reason: to win a Grammy.
In a candid interview with Billboard on January 7, the iconic rapper, who’s now 49, revealed that it was a moment of inspiration from fellow rapper Killer Mike that brought him out of retirement. Fat Joe admitted that when Killer Mike snagged three Grammy awards, it sparked something in him. It reminded him that he still had more to give to the music world.
“He’s the guy who inspired [me],” Fat Joe shared with the publication. “I retired. I was done. I had an infamous phone call with Eminem, where he was trying to talk me into not retiring. ‘Joe, we need you. You’re one of us.’ But I was super done. But then Killer Mike wins that Grammy, and I thought, ‘Hold up, it’s possible.’”
It was Mike’s victory that made Fat Joe realize he wasn’t quite done with the music scene. “I called [Dr.] Dre, I was like, ‘Yo. It’s possible. Let’s get back in the kitchen and cook,’” Joe explained. “He inspired me to come out of retirement.”
Fat Joe’s return to music in 2024 has been marked by the release of his first solo album in 15 years, The World Changed on Me. The 11-track album features collaborations with an impressive array of artists, including Babyface, Ty Dolla $ign, and Anitta. But despite the guest features and fresh sounds, Fat Joe’s primary mission remains clear: securing that elusive Grammy.
“Getting a Grammy has always been my main goal now,” he admits. The rapper revealed that watching Killer Mike’s success was the final nudge he needed to re-engage with the music industry on a deeper level. For him, it’s not about the accolades, but about proving that he still has the magic that helped define the hip-hop landscape years ago.
While many fans were thrilled to see Fat Joe back in action, the artist himself is deeply committed to maintaining his authenticity. He says that despite the changing trends in the industry, his music will stay true to his roots. “I don’t want to get U2, Bono, or The Rolling Stones, and then the album sounds like one of these young kids rapping,” Fat Joe explained. “When you get a Joe LP, it’s gangsta hip-hop, it’s hit records, it’s lyrics.”
Even in the face of evolving music trends, Fat Joe isn’t compromising on his style. “My daughter, she’s 18, and she heard the album,” he laughed. “She was like, ‘Yo, dad, what you doin’? You talkin’ crazy.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t wanna buy an Ice Cube album and he’s talkin’ nice. I want to hear him say f— tha police.’” The rapper made it clear that his return to the music scene wasn’t about softening his image or changing his sound. The World Changed on Me is, in Fat Joe’s words, “consistent with all my music in the past,” but with a fresh twist that reflects his growth as an artist.
The album’s title, which hints at personal and artistic transformation, underscores the rapper’s journey over the past decade and a half. “Just 2024, different flow patterns…I just wanted to show my growth,” he said.
As he steps back into the spotlight, Fat Joe is ready to prove that his legacy in hip-hop isn’t just a part of the past—it’s an ongoing saga that he’s still writing.
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