New York rap veteran Fat Joe is making amends. After his verse on a new song included a line about the “Wuhan Virus” — a reference to COVID-19 — drew criticism for cultural insensitivity, the Terror Squad leader explained his side of the story. Fat Joe Says ‘Wuhan Virus’ Line Was Old Fat Joe is […]
The post Fat Joe Explains ‘Wuhan Virus’ Verse Amid Criticism appeared first on SOHH.com.
Fat Joe found himself in a bit of controversy following a verse he did on Benny The Butcher’s new project, The Plugs I Met 2. On a song titled “Talkin’ Back,” the rapper said, “Track me in and out of court, Harvey Weinstein / Threw that white up in the pot, gave ’em pipe dreams / And watch it spread like the Wuhan virus / Do ’em dirty for the low like Wu-Tang ’Sirus.”
In the less than two days that passed since the song’s release, a number of listeners have hopped on Twitter to share their displeasures with the song. On Sunday, Fat Joe explained the verse in a tweet.
I’ll adress the Benny verse i did that verse a year ago when the news was calling it the wuhan virus before they called it COVID i support and love all my asian brothers and sisters never hate
— FAT JOE (@fatjoe) March 21, 2021
“I’ll adress the Benny verse i did that verse a year ago when the news was calling it the wuhan virus before they called it COVID i support and love all my asian brothers and sisters never hate,” he said in the post. The mention of the “Wuhan virus” is a poor and insensitive coronavirus reference, and with the song dropping amid the recent rise in anti-Asian attacks, it’s no surprise that fans were not happy with Fat Joe’s verse. The Harvey Weinstein name-drop was another reason the song faced criticism as he is currently serving a 23-year sentence on sexual assault and rape charges.
You can read his response above.
The Plugs I Met 2 is out now via Black Soprano Family. Get it here.
Benny The Butcher recently dropped a sequel to The Plugs I Met, his album from two years ago. While many expected to talk about the high-quality raps, one of its songs has sparked some controversy due to a few lines that Fat Joe, who appears on the project, rapped during a verse.
On “Talkin’ Back,” Fat Joe raps, “Track me in and out of court, Harvey Weinstein / Threw that white up in the pot, gave ’em pipe dreams / And watch it spread like the Wuhan virus / Do ’em dirty for the low like Wu-Tang ’Sirus (ODB).” Listeners were upset with the lines for a pair of reasons. First, they were not pleased with him name-dropping Weinstein, who is currently serving a 23-year sentence on sexual assault and rape charges. Secondly, there was the mention of the “Wuhan virus,” a poor and highly insensitive coronavirus reference, which was seen as especially insensitive given the current rise in anti-Asian attacks, such as the mass shooting that occurred in Atlanta earlier this week. As a result, many took to Twitter to share their displeasures with Fat Joe and his verse.
Fat joe dropped the biggest struggle verse I’ve ever heard on that Benny the butcher song
— We Move (@ELITEbreak_) March 19, 2021
Can I delete the Fat Joe verse off the new Benny album? It’s a big no for me dawg
— Tottenham Makes Me Cry (@jayabe2) March 19, 2021
Fat Joe tried to jump on this Benny/Fraud with topical bars + the best he could do was “Wuhan virus” + “track me in + out of court, Harvey Weinstein”
— . (@HaroldBingo) March 20, 2021
Fat Joe talking bout some Wuhan virus pic.twitter.com/cp0vcohp2H
—
(@_theghettomonk) March 19, 2021
Fat Joe saying “Wuhan Virus” on this new Benny The Butcher album is unacceptable. How the hell did that ever make it to the final recording and why was it even said???
— Ryan Middleton (@rymiddy) March 19, 2021
new benny butcher is exclusively for the crusty old heads stuck in the past, not just bc of its backpack sound, but bc of the part where fat joe calls it “the wuhan virus”
— a little nathan for you (@trillmoregirls) March 19, 2021
Really hope that the hip hop community doesn’t let Fat Joe’s “wuhan virus” on the new Benny the Butcher EP slide.
Trash like that is contributing to AAPI hate in this country. It’s unacceptable
— James Burky (@BamesJurky) March 19, 2021
I’ll listen again tmmr but off first listen I liked Benny new album alot. Survivors Remorse was amazing, and the joint with French and Jim Jones was dope. Production was dope throughout. Only thing i didnt like was that Fat Joe verse, shit was…
— Rapoholic (@ZackbeDope) March 19, 2021
The Plugs I Met 2 is out now via Black Soprano Family. Get it here.
Having been a staple in the rap industry for so long, New York native Fat Joe has a lot of knowledge to dish out. The Terror Squad leader has delivered some behind-the-scenes hip-hop gems and revealed how close a Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown collaboration came to happening. Fat Joe Reveals Lil Kim + Foxy […]
The post Lil Kim + Foxy Brown Came “This” Close To Collaborating appeared first on SOHH.com.
Fat Joe’s time in hip-hop goes back to the early 1990s, and over the decades the Bronx native has worked with a number of notable names, including Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, and many more. Alas, he narrowly missed being on an album by Notorious B.I.G. During a conversation with Verzuz founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, Fat Joe revealed that he and the late rapper had begun recording an album before his tragic death.
“We cut about five songs together,’ he said. “He was like, ‘You the Latino don, I’m the Black don.’ And we was in that studio going crazy. It’s verified by Puff Daddy and everybody. I’ma keep it real – at the time, we were dissing Tupac a lot and all that and so that should have never seen the light of day. Which is respectfully so, because you know they both passed on. But yeah, I worked with the B.I.G. for real.”
The discussion came a little over a week after Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell, a documentary that reflected on the late rapper’s life, was released on Netflix. Prior to that, Swizz and Timbaland shared plans to do a Biggie vs. Tupac Verzuz battle.
You can listen to a clip from the interview above.
Toronto rap superstar Drake is getting all the props. After Drizzy went online with a picture of hip-hop greats Fat Joe and the late Big Pun, the former took to social media too to show his appreciation. Fat Joe Salutes Drake Over Big Pun Love Fat Joe took to his Instagram with a screenshot of […]
The post Fat Joe Salutes Drake For Putting Respect On Big Pun’s Name appeared first on SOHH.com.
New York rap veteran Fat Joe gets as excited as any fan for a good Verzuz battle, and just like the fans, he’s full of ideas for future matchups. Joey Crack recently shared his dream Verzuz pairings involving hip-hop legend LL Cool J. Fat Joe Wants To See LL Cool J Verzuz Another Icon Grammy […]
The post Fat Joe Has The Perfect Verzuz Contender For Drake + JAY-Z: “That’s Who He Allegedly Wants” appeared first on SOHH.com.
