Fat Joe Shares How He Missed Out On $2 Million Bag From Jamaica’s Red Stripe

Mere weeks after Bounty Killer said that artists who strut about with huge entourages appeared unprofessional and paranoid, iconic American rapper Fat Joe has revealed how the actions of his own unnecessary posse caused him to miss a $2 million endorsement deal with Red Stripe, “The Great Jamaican Beer”.

Speaking with New York-based rapper and podcast host, Math Hoffa, recently, Fat Joe outlined how his massive entourage stood in the way of, harassed and blocked a marketing executive in New York, who then and there, had in his possession, the Red Stripe cheque made out to Joseph Antonio Cartagena, and only needed to get his attention, and a “yes” to seal the deal.

According to Fat Joe, it was years later that he met the marketing agent in Miami years later, who told him how he was shoved, insulted and muscled away by the screw-faced entourage, who refused to allow him to speak to the rapper.

“He said years ago –  ‘I do marketing and branding and years ago I was representing this company.  It was the Red Stripe Beer’s from Jamaica.  They told me to find you and give you a two million dollar cheque.  They wanted you to be the face of Red Stripe… and all that,” Fat Joe recounted.

“He said: ‘I went to New York; I went to a place called Jimmy’s Cafe.  When I got up there, there was about a hundred gangsters standing in front a you.  You were sitting in the chair’.  He said: ‘I went past the first 10 and somebody grabbed me in my chest, and told me ‘yo, you cant talk to the don’.  He said: as I finessed my way around the next 10, somebody grabbed me in the chest (and said) ‘Yo ni–a, get the f-k uo outta here’.   He said I’m a regular square dude with a suit on.  I said please can I talk to Mr Fat Joe,” the rapper explained.

Added Fat Joe:  “He said ‘I had a cheque for $2 milion in my pocket and I was looking at you and couldn’t get to you’.”

The Lean Back rapper said he wished that he had known back then, what he knows now about how entourages can stymie the careers of artists.

It is for this reason that Fat Joe is pleading with upcoming artists to jettison the idea of rolling around with huge entourages of thug-looking men everywhere they go, as they can repel people and be major hindrances to their success.

“So I told that story to Tekashi and I said when you got a hundred n-ggas with you and you think this is keeping it real, you scaring the money.  But nobody told me that,” he said of his mentors and experienced friends.  “All the white people loved me; I shoulda been getting Charmin (tissue) commercials…,” he quipped.

“So any of the youth thats listenin, you got to move silent and your friends need to know.  This is the problem.  Your friends need to know ‘let me get ahead man, don’t be mad’. Cause they get scared (thinking) ‘yo this guy’s gonna get so big, we can’t touch him no more; we won’t get next to him; he’s gonna forget about us’,” Joe said.

“But they not realising, yo ‘let me get to where I need to go so I can help you ni–as and bring you up and give you a job.  But I had to tell a million ni–as, yo you are my brothers (but) if you sell drugs, you cannot be with me because they gonna lock me up with you for some sh-t I ain’t do.”

“We have an obligation as the elders in Hip Hop to support the youth and be as transparent as possible…Nobody as an OG was sitting me down and telling me Joe, what are you doing with 50 ni–as…,” he said.

In early May, Bounty Killer, in addressing the contentious issue of artists walking around everywhere, with a throng of sometimes uncontrollable, frowning men in tow, which in a number of cases has resulted in several of them having their names being dragged in the mud due to the actions of their henchmen, this is something he does not recommend.

“Its good fi have security, a one or two licensed firearm or police.  Yuh nuh need no 15, 20 man – nope!  Dats unprofessional,” the Warlord had said.

“And most of these artiste can’t control dem entourage.  If me a par wid a hundred person, everybaddy haffi work under my regard!  Anybaddy naw do dat, yuh have to leave my surrounding.  Caw yuh can bring mi dung, yuh haffi bring mi up,” Bounty declared.

Over the years the newspapers have been rife with reports of entourage members, typically considered to be “yes men” and lackeys who boost the egos of entertainers, getting in fights and putting artists into trouble.

Among the artists who have been embarrassed by their entourages are Beenie Man, whose henchmen have been accused of slapping Daddy1 in his face in 2020 and on another occasion boxing Spice at an event in 2006.  Beenie had also alleged that he was attacked by Capleton‘s entourage who boxed him during their feud which began in 1998.

A member of Aidonia‘s entourage was also accused of assaulting popular selector Rolexx in May 2017, while Sizzla was also blamed for the 2007 beating of fellow Reggae artist Norris Man at Capleton’s St Mary Mi Come from stage show.

Blak Ryno’s entourage members were accused of ordering the beating of Boom Boom in 2010, while Vybz Kartel was similarly blamed for the beating of DJ Jigsy in 2007.