Fat Joe 'Loyalty' album

As hip-hop music continues to grow, the concept of what it takes to be 'real' has taken on new meaning. There was a time when it only meant being a gangsta, but, according to South Bronx native, and Terror Squad/Atlantic recording artist Fat Joe (aka Joe Cartegena, "Joey Crack," "Don" Cartegena), that's all changed...

Coming less than a year after his platinum-certified, Billboard top ten smash album, "JEALOUS ONES STILL ENVY (J.O.S.E.)," and the mainstream success of the hit single, "What's Luv? (featuring Ashanti)" - a track which tallied 13,000 radio spins in one week, becoming the most played song in Atlantic Records history - "LOYALTY" signals that the streetwise rap icon has no intention of letting go, or even letting up. "LOYALTY" has been shaped by Joe's unfaltering commitment to a work ethic, and the album title itself is a direct commentary on Joe's loyalty to the legacy of the late Big Pun and his fellow Terror Squad Productions crew.

"Loyalty has so many aspects... It's everything," he says. When you're a disloyal person, you don't even belong on this earth. My camp is loyal. They had a lot of chances to walk away when shit was happening, but they stood by me. I got a set of rules I go by. I never bend them; I just stick to them. I'm ready to do for those rules, or prosper by them."

Heralded by the first single, "Crush Tonight," featuring Ginuwine - a sexy joint that will surely have folks running to the dance floor - "LOYALTY"'s diverse collection of tracks will not only impress Joe's die-hard fans, but should attract some new ones as well. Never one to hold his tongue, Joe takes risks regardless of his newly found, mainstream status. In particular, its Joe's use of the album's non-party tracks to find an outlet for his personal pain, and vent about important global topics. He calls the track "Born in the Ghetto," with its treatment of the topic of racism, his "most meaningful" song to date.

With other inspiration culled from such emotionally charged events as the tragedy of 9/11, to the untimely passing of his sister, to the all-too-real effects of racial profiling, Joe has made his most creative, honest, and focused album yet.

"I really put my mind, body and soul on the line. I didn't want to lose momentum, so I had no summer and was in the studio all day. It took three months to do this album and I'm really proud of it," he says joyfully.

Other cuts on "LOYALTY" include the tribute to relationships, "All I Need," and an ode to the thug lifestyle, appropriately entitled "Gangsta." There's the track for all the Southern players, "Bust At You" - featuring Scarface and Baby from Cash Money - and then, for Joe's true-blue fans, there's the third installment of "Shit's Real Pt. 3."

With producers like Cool & Dre, Buckwild, Alchemist, Ron Browz, Precision, Teflon, and Armageddon (who is also the album's executive producer), "LOYALTY" also showcases Joe's abilities to find the most interesting collaborators and the hottest beats to showcase his one-of-a-kind ghetto storytelling skills.

"The process to pick music is a gift," the big man says. "A hot track just talks to me in my head. It's some weird shit... I'm beginning to think artists have a chemical imbalance! We listen to beats, and out of nowhere, when you hear the right one, it's like a forest opens up in your head... deer running, birds flying around...," he laughs.

As for now, Joe is dead set on capitalizing on his successes and moving his musical game forward. "I make music for everybody," he states, "and I came into this game to be a superstar." To that end, Joe's wildly successful Terror Squad label venture is also home to DJ Premiere. Joe plans to release Primo's compilation album sometime next year, and is also managing and shopping deals for hip-hop compatriots Tony Sunshine, Prospect, and Remy Ma. It even sounds as if he's enjoying not being out in front with the mic all the time. "I love being behind the scenes, too.... When I eventually stop rapping, I want to have five or six artists that are pulling in good numbers," he says with a smile.

Do you also would like to share your opinion? If so, please register or login here.

Details

Popular Songs

New Songs

Tracklisting

Fat Joe - Loyalty