Before Tupac and Biggie Smalls feuded, New York rapper Fat Joe was ready to link with the Brooklyn artist and sign with Diddy and Bad Boy records.
Fat Joe and Biggie Smalls first met back in 1993. The two up and coming artists from New York instantly became tight with one another after meeting for the first time at the Lyricists Lounge. Joey Crack was in the building giving out his Flow Joe vinyl as Biggie Smalls rap battled over 10 MC’s and was victorious.
In fact, according to Fat Joe, he gave Biggie his very first shows in New York. During his early days rapping, Fat joe also was promoting shows in the Bronx. A witness to Biggie’s quick rise to superstardom, Fat Joe till this day has not seen anything that comes close.
The two artists also planned for a collab album that did not get an official release. “We worked. We made a bunch of songs. But they were really disrespectful and hateful,” Fat Joe explained on Cam Capone News. “So he did and Tupac died. They might have burnt them sh**s to be honest with you. Cause you know, it was distasteful.”
Produced by Stevie J, D-Dot and others from the Bad Boy camp, Fat Joe and Biggie completed about 8-10 songs.
This wouldn’t be the first time Fat Joe has confirmed his duet album with Biggie Smalls aimed at Tupac. At the height of their beef and with Tupac dropping Hit ‘Em Up as he claimed the west coast, Bigige Smalls looked to his NY native peer in Fat Joe.
“We cut about five songs together. He was like your the Latino Don, I’m like the Black Don,” Joe told Verzuz co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland on an IG live stream.
“So, that will never see the light of day. Which is respectfully so, because you know they both passed on.” said Joey Crack previously sharing the story on VLAD TV.
Fat Joe also revealed that he was going to sign with Diddy and Bad Boy records. A move that was all but final, until Atlantic records got in the picture.
“I was gonna sign with Puff. So Biggie wanted me to be what I was. He’s like, ‘You the Spanish Don. I’m the Black Don. We’re gonna kill the game.’ But then Atlantic records heard that Puff was gonna sign Fat Joe and gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse out of this world.” Unable to match Atlantic’s offer, Fat Joe signing with Bad Boy records was nixed.
