Fat Joe's Tiny Desk Performance Features Five Guest Appearances
The Bronx rapper performed a set spanning his 30 year career alongside Remy Ma, Jadakiss, Stove God Cooks, Stevie Mackey, and Dre.
By Ryan Carter ·
Fat Joe performed a live set at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., featuring five guest vocalists. The performance included tracks from his new album, Organized Rhyme, and songs from his previous catalog.
The rapper, who uses the stage name Fat Joe and the birth name Joe Cartagena, stated he intended to create a spontaneous experience during the recording. He described the goal as touching the third rail, aiming for a format that differed from standard Tiny Desk concerts.
This marks his second appearance in the series. His previous performance was a Tiny Desk (home) concert held five years ago. During that intervening period, Cartagena expanded his public presence beyond music. He wrote a book and co-hosts the Joe and Jada podcast with rapper Jadakiss. His music career continued with consistent album releases and hit records.
The guest list for this performance included Remy Ma, Stove God Cooks, Stevie Mackey, and Dre. Dre is a member of the production duo Cool and Dre. Jadakiss also joined on stage.
The set list opened with Million Dollar Intro featuring Stevie Mackey. It included Cocababy featuring Remy Ma, followed by the solo track Ha Ha Slow Down. The group performed I Shot Ya and New York featuring Jadakiss. The Aroma featured Jadakiss, Stove God Cooks, and Remy Ma. Feelin a Way and I Won't Tell both featured Stevie Mackey. The set concluded with Lean Back and All the Way Up, both featuring Remy Ma.
The musical ensemble included Zo Harris on keys and as music director, Ricky Strings Ramos on guitar, Keithan Foster on bass, Antwan Amadeaus Thompson on drums, and Ted Smooth on DJ. Dre provided background vocals.
Bobby Carter produced the episode. Joshua Bryant served as director and editor. Josephine Nyounai handled audio engineering and mixing. Neil Tevault acted as audio engineer. Ashley Pointer worked as the production assistant. Elizabeth Gillis took the photographs. Suraya Mohamed served as executive producer and Sonali Mehta as executive director. Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, and Robin Hilton are the series creators.
