Fat Joe Names Lil Wayne The Best Artist He's Seen In The Studio: "He's A Beast"

BY Erika Marie 7.6K Views
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Lil Wayne, Fat Joe
The Bronx emcee recalled a time when he was in the booth with Weezy as Tunechi started verbally "sparing with the speaker."

Artists never want to seem as if they're picking one of their peers over the other when asked about who they think is the best at this or that, but Fat Joe took a leap during his recent appearance on The Shop: Uninterrupted. The Rap icon visited the HBO series alongside guests Don Lemon and Amy Schumer, and of course, the show's creators. Joe is never shy about sharing his thoughts and he was asked of the artists he's seen in the studio, who were the best.

"I don't want nobody to kill me, but the best...Lil Wayne," he said without hesitation. "Wayne taught me—so, what happens is, Lil Wayne took up from where Tupac was, he was putting out two albums a year. This guy was never in the club, he was the No. 1 artist in the world."

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"He was just in that studio, in that hit factory, in that studio," Joe continued. "So, I was privy to being there with Wayne 'cause I live in Miami and this guy, he would just get a beat, and the guy starts sparing with the speaker." It was something the Bronx rapper had never seen before. Someone asked him to explain what that meant.

"He's in a little room and there's big, giant speakers, and he's just there like, staring at the speaker," said Joe. "He goes in the booth, 'I am a beast, feed me Hip Hop, feed me...' I was like holy f*ck. This guy took the record. He's a beast!" 

Wayne's talents and skills have been praised far and wide for decades, especially considering he doesn't write anything down. Check out this full episode of The Shop below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.