Fat Joe, a Bronx-born Puerto Rican and Cuban rapper, has declared himself “the blackest n***a you ever seen in your life” during an appearance on The Joe Budden Podcast, which has sparked controversy because he is not in fact, black. The Bronx-born rapper, 56, is of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, though he has been using the N-word unchecked his entire career. I guess you can do that when you’re a plus-size Puerto Rican bloke from the Bronx?
The Joe Budden Podcast just had a non-Black guest explain why he’s allowed to say the N-word: “I am black. Fat Joe is the blackest n*gga you have ever seen in your life.” Important to note: Marc Lamont Hill was not present for this conversation.
Joe says: “Guys, I don’t know if you can fathom that I’m from the block that invented hip-hop. Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash… The girls who used to babysit me, they invented, ‘Let me hear you say, oooo!’ That’s Grandmaster Flash. I grew up with Melle Mel right outside the window playing basketball.”
“My brother used to carry the crates of vinyl from Grandmaster Flash.”
“You think I’m not going to defend what I know to be true? I grew up Black. I want you to know this. I heard you say ‘Fat Joe ain’t black.’ No, I am black. Fat Joe is the blackest n***a you ever seen in your life.”
“I guess growing up in the blackest part of the Bronx makes you black, even though you’re white? I’m not sure everyone who comes from that area would be able to get away with that logic, but fair play.”
Previously, in June 2023, Joe defended his use of the N-word on Talib Kweli’s podcast: “Explaining it to people at this point is like, mind-boggling to me, ’cause it’s been like, ‘What’s up, Fat Joe? You my n***a!’ since I was 2 years old. You taking it offensive, then what do I look like, a slave owner to you? Or do I look like the cop who killed George Floyd?”
“I gotta think about you. ‘Cause you obviously know that you just said I’m the most important piece of hip-hop. You obviously know I’m with Black people all day. I fight for Black people; I fight for Latinos every day of my life.”
Listen, the guy’s 56 years old. He’s not going to stop using the N-word now, and he’s certainly not going to stop considering himself a black man. Best leave him to it, I reckon.
For the time Fat Joe responded to backlash over buying himself a pair
