Discrimination and stereotyping is something that continues to thrive in this country. Even in the Hispanic and Latino community, you are expected to talk and even look a certain way. It’s something that often keeps you from achieving your goals, but only if you listen to the critiques. For most of us, it’s irrelevant, even though it does make you wonder if you should change to fit the mold. In the world of rappers, it’s no different. If you rap you are considered “Black” and Fat Joe is one of the oldest Latino and Puerto Rican rappers and to this date he gets questioned about being Latino.
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Fat Joe has been rapping since the early 90’s, he’s one of the greats, and has collaborated with other greats, such as Big Pun. He’s paid his dues, but a lot of people think he’s black, even though he speaks Spanish and is always rapping about Puerto Rico.
“[I’m] too Latino for some blacks and too black for some Latinos, so I consider myself a “mutt” in hip-hop—I’ve always felt like I’ve been in that category,” explains Fat Joe to Latina. The rapper says that even in the early days when he started making music, he and Big Pun had a lot of struggles down south in the black communities, where they had trouble with radio stations when they wouldn’t play their music because they didn’t know any Puerto Ricans or Latinos.
“The first time I went to Puerto Rico…you know I used to be really afraid to fly, but there was so much hype on the island that I went to do an interview with the best DJ at the time and the first question they asked me on Puerto Rico radio was why I think I’m black!”
This came to a shock to him because he’s always expressed his love for the Latino and Puerto Rican culture and it’s something that many Latinos have to go through in this country. “You would think Fat Joe…Puerto Rican parade, waving the bandana, rapping about the Boricuas…all over the world and to finally make it to the motherland and asked why I think I’m black?” says Fat Joe. Check out the rest of the interview with Latina Magazine: