Fat Joe Stirs Debate, Claiming Blacks and Latinos Equally Responsible for Evolution of Hip-Hop

Fat Joe

Fat Joe has been a prominent fixture in the hip-hop community for over two decades now, but recently he stirred up debate online when he claimed that hip-hop was created “half and half” by blacks and Latinos.

On Friday, he took to Instagram with a 45-second clip meant to celebrate the contributions of Latino artists, DJs, and groups who contributed to the hip-hop genre over the years including the Mean Machine, DJ Junebug, DJ Disco Wiz, and more. He captioned the clip “Thank you for your contribution to HIP HOP.”

The post, which appeared to be positive in nature and celebrated the contributions of the artists, was largely met with praise and positive feedback. However, some criticized Fat Joe in the comments.

On Saturday, Fat Joe went live on Instagram live to promote DJ Khaled‘s upcoming album, God Did. About 50 minutes into the session, Fat Joe addresses some of the backlash that he appeared to be receiving in the comments section. 

The Bronx native noted that people had been questioning Latinos’ place in rap and the hip-hop culture.

He said that he recently had gone on Twitter where people had been talking about how “Latinos wasn’t in rap….this and that….these guys are f***ing delusional.”

He continued: “We from the Bronx, New York, sh** happens, it’s where hip-hop started. It’s Latino and black, half and half. But they’re going at me because I’m the only Spanish dude like really with a big voice.”

He imitated someone typing on a keyboard, saying “Latinos wasn’t there, you wasn’t invited, you are a specimen, I don’t know what is up with these people? They don’t know their facts.”

Twitter and Instagram users appeared to be divided, with some saying that the Latino culture did indeed have a presence in hip-hop while others called Fat Joe and DJ Khaled “culture vultures.”

The post Fat Joe Stirs Debate, Claiming Blacks and Latinos Equally Responsible for Evolution of Hip-Hop appeared first on The Source.

Is Eminem A Christian?

Eminem has long been open about his past with substance abuse and his road to recovery. Though the traditional twelve-step program requires the person in recovery to put their vices in the hands of a higher power, said higher power doesn’t necessarily have to be the God worshipped and followed by Christians. But a verse on the remix of Kanye West’s 2019 Jesus Is King cut, “Use This Gospel,” which appears on DJ Khaled’s new album, God Did has fans wondering if Eminem follows some form of organized religion.

Is Eminem A Christian?

On the “Use This Gospel” remix, Eminem raps, “My savior, I call on / To rescue me from these depths of despair So these demons better step like a stair / Because He is my shepherd / I’m armed with Jesus / My weapon is prayer.” Toward the end of his verse, which would imply that he might be a Christian. Toward the end of the verse, he says, Bible at my side like a rifle with a God-given gift / Every single day I thank God for / That’s why I pay so much homage / Praises to Jesus, I’ll always.”

Though Eminem does consider himself the “Rap God,” it’s clear that he seeks guidance from a different God. However, it doesn’t seem that Em considers himself to be religious, but rather, spiritual.

Some Christians may find Eminem’s lyrics vulgar and offensive, but he has long been open about his beliefs in God. In a 1996 track called “It’s Ok,” from his first album, Infinite, Em raps “In the midst of this insanity / I’ve found my Christianity / through God and there’s a wish he granted me / He showed me how to cope with this stress and hope for the best / instead of moping depressed.”

While it’s unclear if he still practices Christianity today, he is very open about his relationship with God, and consistently credits God for his recovery.

Check out “Use This Gospel (Remix)” above.

Jay-Z’s Billionaire Line About Him, Kanye West, Rihanna, And LeBron James On ‘God Did’ Recalls A ‘XXL’ Cover

DJ Khaled‘s new album, God Did, has hip-hop heads talking. One of the highlights of the album is its title track, on which Jay-Z raps for four straight minutes.

On a particular line, Jay recalls acquiring billionaire status, and how some of his collaborators quickly received the coveted title after.

“Nobody touched a billi until Hov did,” Jay raps. “How many billionaires can come from Hov crib? I count three / Me, Ye, and Rih / ‘Bron’s a Roc boy, so four technically.”

Jay was crowned hip-hop’s first billionaire in 2019, largely due to his extensive catalog, as well as his investments into companies like D’usse. Kanye West officially became a billionaire about a year later, largely in part to his Yeezy fashion collection. The following year, Rihanna became a billionaire, thanks to her Fenty Beauty line, as well as her Savage X Fenty lingerie and underwear collection. Lebron James acquired billionaire status this past June, thanks to his nearly two-decade spanning basketball career, as well as partnerships with brands like AT&T and Nike.

It seems that this billionaire status was manifested 17 years ago, when Jay, West, and James covered the August 2005 issue of XXL. Next to them was Foxy Brown, as Rihanna had only just stepped onto the scene with her debut single, “Pon De Replay,” that summer.

Music journalist Elliott Wilson shared an image of the cover on Instagram today.

Shortly after, he shared an image of a fan-made cover with Rihanna’s face photoshopped over Brown’s.

Check out “God Did” above.

God Did is out now via We The Best and Epic Records. Stream it here.

The Best New Music This Week: JID, Lil Tjay, DJ Khaled, and More


  • DJ Khaled f/ Rick Ross, John Legend, Lil Wayne, & Jay-Z, “God Did”


  • JID f/ Ari Lennox, “Can’t Make You Change” 


  • Lil Tjay, “Beat Da Odds” 


  • Offset f/ Moneybagg Yo, “CODE”


  • Quavo, Takeoff & Birdman, “Big Stunna” 


  • Pi’erre Bourne, “Good Movie”


  • 03 Greedo, Mike Free f/ KenTheMan, “Drop Down” 


  • IDK, “Free Slime” 

The Best New Music This Week: JID, Lil Tjay, DJ Khaled, and More


  • DJ Khaled f/ Rick Ross, John Legend, Lil Wayne, & Jay-Z, “God Did”


  • JID f/ Ari Lennox, “Can’t Make You Change” 


  • Lil Tjay, “Beat Da Odds” 


  • Offset f/ Moneybagg Yo, “CODE”


  • Quavo, Takeoff & Birdman, “Big Stunna” 


  • Pi’erre Bourne, “Good Movie”


  • 03 Greedo, Mike Free f/ KenTheMan, “Drop Down” 


  • IDK, “Free Slime” 

DJ Khaled, Future, And Lil Baby Celebrate Their ‘Big Time’ Accomplishments In A Tropical Video

The talk of DJ Khaled’s new album God Did might be the title track and its outstanding Jay-Z feature, but the Miami superproducer isn’t about to let the rest of his latest project languish. He strikes while the iron’s still white hot with the video for “Big Time” featuring Atlanta’s finest, Future and Lil Baby.

The video opens with a short interlude that might be intended to be comedic — but with DJ Khaled, who really knows — that sees Khaled soaking in a bubble bath surrounded by scantily clad beauties. One fans him with a palm frond, another feeds him grapes, and yet another pops out for the apparent sole purpose of removing a serving tray cover when he demands his butler bring him a towel.

Once the video gets started, it bears all the hallmarks of a DJ Khaled original. Future, Khaled, and Lil Baby all roam the immaculately manicured lawn of a beachside villa while being attended to by the aforementioned beauties. A helicopter buzzes overhead, and yes, products are placed; Khaled shows off his Theragun, and a bottle of Luc Belaire gets its own hero shot alongside the shapely models as they lounge by the pool (Rick Ross, oddly enough, does not cameo along with his liquor). Big time, indeed.

Watch DJ Khaled’s “Big Time” video featuring Future and Lil Baby above.

God Did is out now on We The Best / Epic Records. Get it here.

A DJ Khaled Question Prompts Calvin Harris To Explain What He Does And How He Gets Paid

Producer-led albums are far from a novelty in music, but they exist within different lanes. Some producers opt to provide the entirety of a project’s beats for artists to perform over, while others curate a collection of music by bringing in other masterminds in addition to rappers or singers. With the new release of DJ Khaled’s God Did, a fan questioned how compensation works when someone like him and Calvin Harris are known as DJs. Let’s just say, the Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 artist came with the facts.

In a Friday morning (August 26) tweet, a fan asked, “I always wonder how DJs like Khaled and Calvin Harris make bread. Like all of their songs are other artists. Just production revenue?” This fan is surely not alone in this inquiry, as many do not understand the work that goes into these projects beyond what on the surface seems to not be much. The “Feel So Close” artist came across the tweet and showed why more respect should be put on his name by the unaware masses.

“Because I write, produce, mix, play every instrument and sometimes vocal. We found love, Summer, Feel so close for example 100% publishing because I did everything,” Harris said in a quote tweet. “Only reason I got Frank Ocean feature was he told me we found love was one of his favorite songs. I wrote that song.”

Now, any doubts can, or should, be put to bed as to what Calvin Harris is capable of. If the tweet isn’t enough, there is also his first two albums I Created Disco and Ready For The Weekend, from 2007 and 2009 respectively, where he shows his vocal chops with minimal features.

Check out the exchange between Calvin Harris and the fan above.

Jay-Z Quells Rumors About His And Meek Mill’s Relationship And Explains They Could ‘Never Beef’

Hours after the release of DJ Khaled’s new album God Did, #HOVDID is trending on Twitter as rap fans marvel at Jay-Z’s four-minute verse on the album’s title track. Firmly re-establishing the 30-year veteran as rap’s GOAT, the verse finds Jay in top form, rattling off his billionaire accomplishments, expressing his astonishment at not just surviving but thriving as a Black man in America, and flexing his work in social justice.

He also clears the air regarding his standing with his friend and frequent collaborator Meek Mill. Earlier this year, after Meek expressed discontent with music industry standards, from fiddling with first-week sales numbers to issuing opaque contracts to wrest ownership of music away from young artists, the Philadelphia rapper parted ways with Jay’s Roc Nation management company, prompting speculation that a rift had formed between them. Meek’s comments also had fans wondering about his standing with MMG label founder Rick Ross, who denied that there was any friction between the two artists.

Jay’s new verse may put those rumors to bed for good as he clarifies, “Me and Meek could never beef,” and explains why: “I freed that n**** from a whole bid.” This refers to Jay’s assistance in securing an end to Meek’s incarceration for a parole violation in 2018. After having Meek’s original arrest revisited and his conviction thrown out, the two later partnered on a number of social justice initiatives to help other victims of the carceral justice system such as REFORM Alliance.

Check out “God Did” below.

Meek Mill is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.