If you are a fan of Fat Joe, then you know just how big of a sneakerhead he truly is. Overall, he has a massive collection that is truly impressive. Moreover, he even has his own chain of sneaker stores called Up NYC. These stores are all over New York, and they offer the best in new sneakers and streetwear. The store continues to be a success, and the artist loves being in charge of it. But as it turns out, the road to starting the store wasn't always easy.
Recently, the legendary artist was on The Eli Manning Show. During Fat Joe's appearance, he spoke on how he got Up NYC up and running. As it turns out, Nike wasn't going to let him sell their sneakers at first. In order to have a Nike contract, you need to be vetted. However, Fat Joe was able to seek out Michael Jordan, who ultimately gave him the go-ahead. Needless to say, it's good to have connections at your disposal.
Fat Joe Thanks MJ
"He was like, ‘Yo, you got permission?’ I said, ‘What permission?’ He was like, ‘Nah, you gotta get sanctioned you gotta get vetted.’ I was like, ‘Nah, I thought we was cool,'" Fat Joe recounted. “That night Jordan had a party in New York. I’m up in the party and you hear this just big voice, ‘Big Joe, Big Joe.’ And I turned around and everybody looks and it’s Michael Jordan. He said, ‘Your grand opening, I’ll be there. Your grand opening, I’m there.’ The same guys that told me no ran over, ‘I guess you got a store.'”
This was great timing and it was also quite a bit of luck. However, sometimes that is necessary on your way to success. If you want to catch the whole episode of Fat Joe on Eli Manning's show, you can check it out at the via link below. Let us know what you think of this story, in the comments section below.
[Via]