“I was really from the streets, and I really did hustle in a major way. When I got my record deal, I left the streets alone as far as hustling. I never, ever hustled again. I said, 'I'm gonna change my life, I'm going legit. This is where I'm at.'”

American rapper

Fat Joe, born Joseph Antonio Cartagena, is an American rapper who came to prominence in the 1990s. He is known for his work with Diggin' in the Crates Crew, for launching a solo career, and for forming Terror Squad and its record label. He began recording with D.I.T.C. in 1991 and released his first studio album, Represent, in 1993. In the late 1990s, he built Terror Squad and signed New York artists including Big Pun, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine, Cuban Link, Triple Seis, and producers DJ Khaled and Cool & Dre.