If you were in the Dubai desert on a sweltering August afternoon and saw a bunch of rappers wearing tracksuits, ripped jeans, and trainers, and walking beside a tiger — you would be forgiven for chalking it up to a mirage.
The surreal scene was a part of Fat Joe's recently released video for his boisterous latest single Cookin'.
The 46-year-old rapper spent a few days shooting the clip with a multi-generational cast of fellow Brooklyn artists including veteran rhyme spitter Remy Ma, current hip-hop darling French Montana and the new kid on the block RysoValid — who just happens to be Fat Joe’s son.
Speaking before his performances at Meydan’s White Dubai on Tuesday and Mad Yas Island’s one year-anniversary party on Thursday, Fat Joe recalls the experience with a wry chuckle.
“It was like sitting inside a brick oven,” he says.
“People thought I was crazy when I said we will shoot a video in Dubai, in the desert and in the summer — they told me ‘yeah, good luck’.”
The risk is paying off. Ever since its release two months ago, the clip has clocked over three million views and become another club favourite.
Despite the hip-hop fire power on display, it is the UAE and Dubai that are the stars of the show.
There are plenty of shots of the national flag, majestic sand dunes and Fat Joe cruising in a yellow Lamborghini down Sheikh Zayed Road.
“Back in the States, so many people tell me how they want to get to Dubai. With the video, I wanted to bring Dubai to them,” he says.
“For me it is like my second home. I wanted to showcase Dubai in a beautiful way and show people why I love the place and why they should go there.”
Cookin' continues Fat Joe's resurgence in the hip-hop scene.
It comes on the back of his comeback single All The Way Up, which sold over a million copies and appeared in the top 10 of American charts.
The track is the first genuine hit for the hip-hop stalwart since his 2005's club stomper Lean Back.
The preceding decade saw him release a slew of albums that were mostly fans-only affairs.
Fat Joe is relishing the wide exposure his current output is receiving — it’s his reward for staying the course.
“Thank God man. It has been called song of the year, and it’s such an honour for people to say that. I have been grinding so long and so hard that for this to happen, I just feel blessed,” he says.
“Hard work matters. You need to follow your dream no matter what anyone tells you. You just don’t give up, you know what I’m saying? You need to preserve over any obstacle. For me, this track is just another one to add to that legacy.”
History is on Fat Joe's mind; like its predecessor, All The Way Up features Remy Ma and French Montana.
In addition, the track is also generation straddling from a sonic standpoint.
All The Way has a modern electro bounce but is paired with horns recalling the 1990s hip-hop boom bap era.
The distinguishing feature, as Fat Joe tells it, is the song demands to be listened to.
“That’s my trademark,” he says.
“One night I was in a club and the DJ was playing a Fat Joe set and I was watching people dancing along, and one thing I noticed about my songs is that they have a certain energy and are demanding of your respect. All those songs stand tall and right in your face.”
Hailing from an era where physical album sales were paramount, Fat Joe has mixed feelings regarding today’s online streaming music market.
He does concede that younger fans have been logging into streaming sites and checking out his material such as the seminal 1998 album Don Cartagena.
“It does give young kids an opportunity to step back in time and study the game and its history,” he says.
“But what I tell the kids today — you know, they have all this music for free now — is that if they love the artist, they have to support him and buy the record. If they don’t, well they can’t complain why their favourite artist don’t put out any music anymore.”
• Fat Joe performs Tuesday at White Dubai at Meydan, and on Thursday at Mad Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. For details, visit www.whitedubai.com and www.madonyasisland.com
sasaeed@thenational.ae
