Fat Joe Shares How Killer Mike Inspired Him to Come Out of Retirement & Why Barack Obama Is His Dream Interview

Before Fat Joe kissed 2024 goodbye, the hip-hop luminary had one more trick under his sleeve after enjoying a blockbuster calendar year: releasing his first solo album in 15 years. In December, Joe accomplished that feat when he dropped his long-awaited effort, The World Changed on Me, and spoke to Billboard News about the project’s inception.

Despite its compact size, the 11-track set is a hearty entree for rabid Joe supporters. The BX behemoth flaunts new flows and deliveries while maintaining his steely wordplay, as showcased on standout tracks “Dog House” and “I Got You.” With features ranging from Babyface to Ty Dolla $ign and Anitta, Fat Joe holds his own alongside his starry guest appearances. According to Joe, his decision to venture back into the booth was courtesy of Killer Mike after the Run the Jewels MC clinched three Grammy awards at last year’s ceremony.

“He’s the guy who inspired,” Joe says, referring to Mike’s inspiration. “I retired. I was gone. I had an infamous phone call with Eminem, where he was trying to talk me into not retiring. ‘Joe, we need you. You’re one of us.’ I was super done, but I got back outside because of Killer Mike. The man won that Grammy.”

For Joe, a Grammy remains an elusive feat in his decorated career. As he explains to Billboard News, seeing Killer Mike reach the achievement in the later stages of his career galvanized him to where he wanted to pursue music again. “When I seen it, I called Dre, I was like, ‘Yo. It’s possible. Let’s get back in the kitchen and cook.’ So, he inspired me to come out of retirement,” says Joe.

While Joe remains a fixture in hip-hop for his rugged raps, he was able to flex his journalistic muscle this year after STARZ premiered his new talk show, Fat Joe Talks. Premiering last October, Joe interviewed myriad friends in the music and entertainment space, including Method Man, Mary J. Blige, DJ Khaled and more. Though those names are buzzy in the hip-hop circuit, Joe has his eyes set on someone bigger and outside of the space: Barack Obama. Having the former president recount his historic 2008 election victory would be a monumental conversation for Joe, an explicit check off his interview bucket list.

“I know what it felt like for me when he did his acceptance speech. The first time he won, he did that speech in Chicago. It was like millions and millions of people out there. I felt so proud,” remembers Joe. “I could not believe it. That was when Jesse Jackson was crying in the audience. It was ill to see that.”

Watch the full interview with Billboard‘s Carl Lamarre as they chat about Chris Rock’s involvement in Joe’s new album, maintaining friendships with 50 Cent and Ja Rule simultaneously, and overcoming his bout with depression.