Fat Joe (Joseph Cartagena), whose career began in the early 1990s, is a Grammy-nominated rapper, songwriter and cultural figure born and raised in the Bronx, New York—grounded firmly in East Coast hip-hop heritage.

He first rose to prominence with his 1993 debut Represent, anchored by the hit “Flow Joe,” which topped the Hot Rap Songs chart. His breakthrough album Jealous One’s Envy (1995) solidified his gritty street-voice narrative style.