Fat Joe has once again opened up about his deep appreciation for Eminem, acknowledging the influential role Slim Shady played in his career trajectory in a recent exclusive interview.
During a candid conversation on the Rap Radar podcast, broadcasted on Friday (August 25), the esteemed leader of the Terror Squad gave credit where credit was due, attributing his continued presence in the rap game to the persuasive efforts of the "My Name Is" artist and his team.
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Recounting the pivotal moment, he shared, "Paul [Rosenberg, Eminem’s manager] hit me up and said, 'We really need you on that Nems record.' I said, he signed to you? No problem. I'll be in the studio tonight. How do you want it? Hardcore? Dance?"
He enthusiastically declared, "Tell Em I came through! You know, I owe Eminem so many favors. Like I have used my relationship with this guy to oblivion. [...] You know he tried to talk me out of retirement!?"
Elaborating further, Fat Joe continued, "I was in my mother's house, shirt off, topless. My phone rings, it's a number I don't know. Thank God, I picked it up. It's Eminem. He starts trying to convince me for an hour, 'Don't leave.' He was almost depressed that I was leaving our era." A sense of honor and admiration filled his words as he concluded, "I was honored. He's a God. A God."
Interestingly, this isn't the first time Fat Joe has shared this anecdote of Eminem's efforts to dissuade him from retiring. Back in September 2020, he revealed during an Instagram Live chat with Big Sean that Eminem had reached out to him that very week, urging him to reconsider leaving the industry.
The conversation serves as a reminder of the profound impact artists can have on each other, transcending eras and genres in the dynamic world of music.