The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.^[1][2] These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic, homographic, metonymic, or metaphorical language. A pun differs from a malapropism in that a malapropism uses an incorrect expression that alludes to another (usually correct) expression, but a pun uses a correct expression that alludes to another (sometimes correct but more often absurdly humorous) expression. Henri Bergson defined a pun as a sentence or utterance in which "two different sets of ideas are expressed, and we are confronted with only one series of words".^[3] Puns may be regarded as in-jokes or idiomatic constructions, given that their usage and meaning are entirely local to a particular language and its culture. For example, camping is intense (in tents).

Puns are used to create humor and sometimes require a large vocabulary to understand. Puns have long been used by comedy writers, such as William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and George Carlin. The Roman playwright Plautus is famous for his tendency to make up and change the meaning of words to create puns in Latin.^[4]

Typology[link]

Puns can be classified in various ways:

The homophonic pun, a common type, uses word pairs which sound alike (homophones) but are not synonymous. Walter Redfern exemplified this type with his statement "To pun is to treat homonyms as synonyms".^[5] For example, in George Carlin's phrase "Atheism is a non-prophet institution", the word "prophet" is put in place of its homophone "profit", altering the common phrase "non-profit institution". Similarly, the joke "Question: Why do we still have troops in Germany? Answer: To keep the Russians in Czech" relies on the aural ambiguity of the homophones "check" and "Czech". Often, puns are not strictly homophonic, but play on words of similar, not identical, sound as in the example from the "Pinky and the Brain" cartoon film series: "I think so, Brain, but if we give peas a chance, won't the lima beans feel left out?" which plays with the similar – but not identical – sound of "peas" and "peace".^[6]

Some words are homophones only when spoken in certain accents. Here are some examples of puns that depend on being pronounced in a particular accent:

• "Caesar salad" (Scissor salad) in an Italian accent:

Customer: "I'd like a Caesar salad.

Italian waiter: "Sir! Are you sure you want the Scissor salad? You'll cut your mouth!"

• "Space" (Spice) in certain Australian accents:

Spice...The final frontier. So much flavour! — Space, on the other hand, is completely devoid of flavour and all matter.

(alternatively...)

Q: What was the name of the first group of female astronauts? A: The Space Girls.

• "The Nail River" (The Nile River) in certain Australian accents:

Never take your raft down the nail river. It'll pop instantly.

A homographic pun exploits words which are spelled the same (homographs) but possess different meanings and sounds. Because of their nature, they rely on sight more than hearing, contrary to homophonic puns. They are also known as heteronymic puns. Examples in which the punned words typically exist in two different parts of speech often rely on unusual sentence construction, as in the anecdote: "When asked to explain his large number of children, the pig answered simply: 'The wild oats of my sow gave us many piglets.' " An example which combines homophonic and homographic punning is Douglas Adams's line "You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Unless of course, you play bass." The phrase uses the homophonic qualities of "tune a" and "tuna", as well as the homographic pun on "bass", in which ambiguity is reached through the identical spellings of /ˈbeɪs/ (a string instrument), and /ˈbæs/ (a kind of fish).

Homonymic puns, another common type, arise from the exploitation of words which are both homographs and homophones. The statement "Being in politics is just like playing golf: you are trapped in one bad lie after another" puns on the two meanings of the word lie as "a deliberate untruth" and as "the position in which something rests". An adaptation of a joke repeated by Isaac Asimov gives us "Did you hear about the little moron who strained himself while running into the screen door?", playing on 'strained' as "to give much effort" and "to filter".^[7] A homonymic pun may also be polysemic, in which the words must be homonymic and also possess related meanings, a condition which is often subjective. However, lexicographers define polysemes as listed under a single dictionary lemma (a unique numbered meaning) while homonyms are treated in separate lemmata.

A compound pun is a statement that contains two or more puns. For example, a complex statement by Richard Whately includes four puns: "Why can a man never starve in the Great Desert? Because he can eat the sand which is there. But what brought the sandwiches there? Why, Noah sent Ham, and his descendants mustered and bred."^[8] This pun uses "sand which is there/sandwiches there, "Ham/ham", "mustered/mustard", and "bred/bread". Compound puns may also combine two phrases that share a word. For example, "Where do mathematicians go on weekends? To a Möbius strip club!" puns on Möbius strip and strip club.

A recursive pun is one in which the second aspect of a pun relies on the understanding of an element in the first. For example the statement "π is only half a pie." (π radians is 180 degrees, or half a circle, and a pie is a complete circle). Another example is "Infinity is not in finity," which means infinity is not in finite range. Another example is "A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother."^[9] Finally, we are given "Immanuel doesn't pun, he Kant" by Oscar Wilde. Visual puns are used in many logos, emblems, insignia, and other graphic symbols, in which one or more of the pun aspects are replaced by a picture. In European heraldry, this technique is called canting arms. Visual and other puns and word games are also common in Dutch gable stones as well as in some cartoons, such as Lost Consonants and The Far Side.

Another type of visual pun exists in languages which use non-phonetic writing. For example, in Chinese, a pun may be based on a similarity in shape of the written character, despite a complete lack of phonetic similarity in the words punned upon.^[10] Mark Elvin describes how this "peculiarly Chinese form of visual punning involved comparing written characters to objects."^[11]

Richard J. Alexander notes two additional forms which puns may take: graphological puns, such as concrete poetry; and morphological puns, such as portmanteaus.^[12]

Use[link]

Comedy and jokes[link]

Puns are a common source of humour in jokes and comedy shows. They are often used in the punch line of a joke, where they typically give a humorous meaning to a rather perplexing story. These are also known as feghoots. The following example comes from the movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, though the punchline stems from far older Vaudeville roots.^[13] The final line puns on the stock phrase "the lesser of two evils".

Captain Aubrey: "Do you see those two weevils, Doctor?...Which would you choose?"

Dr. Maturin: "Neither. There's not a scrap of difference between them. They're the same species of Curculio."

Captain Aubrey: "If you had to choose. If you were forced to make a choice. If there were no other option."

Dr. Maturin: "Well, then, if you're going to push me. I would choose the right-hand weevil. It has significant advantage in both length and breadth."

Captain Aubrey: "There, I have you!...Do you not know that in the Service, one must always choose the lesser of two weevils?"

Puns often are used in the titles of comedic parodies. A parody of a popular song, movie, etc., may be given a title that hints at the title of the work being parodied, substituting some of the words with ones that sound or look similar. Such a title can immediately communicate both that what follows is a parody and also which work is about to be parodied, making any further "setup" (introductory explanation) unnecessary.

Literature[link]

Non-humorous puns were and are a standard rhetorical and poetic device in English literature. Puns and other forms of word play have been used by many famous writers, such as Alexander Pope, James Joyce, Vladimir Nabokov, Robert Bloch, Lewis Carroll, John Donne, and William Shakespeare, who is estimated to have used over 3,000 puns in his plays.^{[citation needed]} Some promoters of the Shakespeare Authorship theory believe that the name Will Shake-spear was itself a pun, chosen to hide the true author's name while revealing it as a mask.

Here is an example from Shakespeare's Richard III:

"Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York" (Son/sun)

Shakespeare was also noted for his frequent play with less serious puns, the "quibbles" of the sort that made Samuel Johnson complain, "A quibble is to Shakespeare what luminous vapours are to the traveller! He follows it to all adventures; it is sure to lead him out of his way, sure to engulf him in the mire. It has some malignant power over his mind, and its fascinations are irresistible."^[14] Elsewhere, Johnson disparagingly referred to punning as "the lowest form of humour".^{[citation needed]}

In the poem A Hymn to God the Father, John Donne, married to Anne More, reportedly puns repeatedly: "Son/sun" in the second quoted line, and two compound puns on "Donne/done" and "More/more". All three are homophonic, with the puns on "more" being both homographic and capitonymic. The ambiguities serve to introduce several possible meanings into the verses.

"When Thou hast done, Thou hast not done / For I have more.

that at my death Thy Son / Shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore

And having done that, Thou hast done; / I fear no more."

Designation[link]

Like other forms of wordplay, paronomasia is occasionally used for its attention-getting or mnemonic qualities, making it common in titles and the names of places, characters, and organizations, and in advertising and slogans.^[15][16]

Many restaurant and shop names use puns: Cane & Able mobility healthcare, Tiecoon tie shop, Planet of the Grapes wine and spirits,^[17] as do books, such as Pies and Prejudice, comics (YU+ME: dream) and films (Good Will Hunting). The Japanese anime Speed Racer's original title, Mach GoGoGo! refers to the English word itself, the Japanese word for five (the Mach 5's car number), and the name of the show's main character, Go Mifune.

Names of characters also often carry puns, such as Ash Ketchum and Goku ("kakarot"), the protagonists of the anime series Pokémon and Dragonball, respectively, both franchises which are known for including second meanings in the names of many of their characters. A recurring motif in the Austin Powers films repeatedly puns on names which suggest male genitalia. In the science fiction television series Star Trek, "B-4" is used as the name of one of four androids models constructed "before" the android Data, a main character.

The parallel sequel The Lion King 1½ advertised with the phrase "You haven't seen the 1/2 of it!". Wyborowa Vodka employed the slogan "Enjoyed for centuries straight", while Northern Telecom used "Technology the world calls on."^[15]

Confusion and alternate uses[link]

There exist subtle differences between paronomasia and other literary techniques, such as the double entendre. While puns are often simple wordplay for comedic or rhetorical effect, a double entendre alludes to a second meaning which is not contained within the statement or phrase itself, often one which purposefully disguises the second meaning. As both exploit the use of intentional double meanings, puns can sometimes be double entendres, and vice versa. Puns also bear similarities with paraprosdokian, syllepsis and eggcorns. In addition, homographic puns are sometimes compared to the stylistic device antanaclasis, and homophonic puns to polyptoton.

Science and computing[link]

Scientific puns rely on the contrast between precise technical and imprecise informal definitions of the same word. In statistical contexts, for example, the word significant is usually assumed to mean "statistically significant", which has a precisely defined technical meaning. Using significant with the layperson meaning "of practical significance" in such contexts would qualify as punning, such as the webcomic xkcd's double pun "statistically significant other".^[18]

In formal linguistics, puns can often be found embedded within the etymological meaning or usage of words, which in turn may be buried over time and unknown to native speakers. Puns may also be found in syntax, where morphological constructions have derived from what may have originally been humorous word play, slang, or otherwise idiosyncratic word usage.

In computing, esoteric programming languages (EPLs) are based in or contain what may be regarded as conceptual puns, as they typically misuse common programming concepts in ways which are absurd, or functionally useless. Some EPL puns may be obvious, such as in the usage of text images, while other puns are highly conceptual and understandable to experts only.

In computer science, the term type punning refers to a programming technique that subverts or circumvents the type system of a programming language, by allowing a value of a certain type to be manipulated as a value of a different type.

History[link]

Puns were found in ancient Egypt, where they were heavily used in development of myths and interpretation of dreams.^[19]

In China, Shen Tao (ca. 300 BC) used "shih", meaning "power", and "shih", meaning "position" to say that a king has power because of his position as king.^[20]

In ancient Iraq, about 2500 BC, punning was used by scribes to represent words in cuneiform.^[21]

The Maya are known for having used puns in their hieroglyphic writing, and for using them in their modern languages.^[22]

In Japan, "graphomania" was one type of pun.^[23]

See also[link]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Alexander, Richard J. Aspects of Verbal Humour in English. 1997. Narr, Tübingen
• Augarde, Tony. The Oxford Guide to Word Games. 1984. Oxford University Press, London
• Fontaine, Michael. Funny Words in Plautine Comedy. 2010. Oxford University Press.
• Hempelmann, Christian F. "Script opposition and logical mechanism in punning". In :- Humor – International Journal of Humor Research, Volume 17, Issue 4. Sept 2004. pp. 381–392. (Access restricted.)
• Smyth, Herbert Weir. Greek Grammar. 1920. Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
• Tartakovsky, Joseph. "Pun for the Ages". The New York Times, March 28, 2009.

Further reading[link]

• Pollack, John, The Pun Also Rises: How the Humble Pun Revolutionized Language, Changed History, and Made Wordplay More Than Some Antics, Penguin, 2011

External links[link]

• There's a Sewer in the Sewer: a primer for heteronymphiles

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Black Thought
Background information
Birth name	Tariq (Tarik)[1] Trotter
Born	(1971-10-03) October 3, 1971 (age 40)
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	1987–present
Labels	DGC/Geffen/MCA Records Def Jam Recordings
Associated acts	The Roots, Money Making Jam Boys, Black Star, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Meek Mill
Website	www.myspace.com/blackthought

Tariq Trotter (born on October 3, 1971), better known as Black Thought, is an American hip-hop artist who is the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots, as well as an occasional actor. Black Thought, who co-founded The Roots with drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Thompson), is widely lauded for his live performance skills and his complex and politically aware lyrical content.

Early life[link]

Black Thought was born Tariq Trotter and attended the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts and Millersville University. In 1987, Trotter became friends with drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson and formed a drummer/MC duo performing on the streets of Philadelphia and at talent shows.^[2] Trotter would subsequently spend some time as one of two MCs in the group The Square Roots: the other one was Malik B., who Tariq met in college.^[3] In high-school, Black Thought converted to the Islamic sect of The Nation of Gods and Earths.^[4]

The Roots[link]

The Square Roots renamed themselves the Roots and released its debut album Organix in 1993, to prepare for a concert in Germany. The Roots signed to DGC and followed up with Do You Want More?!!!??! in 1995. Recorded without any sampling, the album was more popular among alternative music fans than those of hip hop. Around the release of the album, the Roots performed at the Lollapalooza alternative music festival and Montreux Jazz Festival. Illadelph Halflife, the band's 1996 album, became its first album to chart within the top 40 spots on the Billboard 200 because of the successful single "What They Do".^[2] Things Fall Apart followed in 1999, the year the band played at the Woodstock 99 concert.^[5]

In 2000, the Roots won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "You Got Me", with guest performances by Erykah Badu and Eve.^[6] The Roots' album Things Fall Apart was nominated for the Best Rap Album award.^[7] For Jay-Z's acoustic concert for the television program MTV Unplugged, The Roots provided instrumentals.^[8] Succeeding albums were Phrenology (2002), The Tipping Point (2004), Game Theory (2006), Rising Down (2008),How I Got Over (2010) and Undun (2011).

Other work[link]

Films in which Black Thought starred in include Bamboozled (2000), Perfume, Love Rome, and Brooklyn Babylon (both 2001).^[9]

Thought has also made guest performances on several other records including "Pimpas Paradise" by Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Team by Dilated Peoples,^[10] One Day It'll All Make Sense by Common, Reanimation by Linkin Park,^[11] Pick a Bigger Weapon by The Coup, The Rising Tied by Fort Minor and A Ma Zone by Zap Mama.

Black Thought recorded a solo album to be titled Masterpiece Theatre and released in summer 2001,^[9] but the project was scrapped after learning that the album wouldn't count towards The Roots' current contract commitments. Most of the songs demoed wound up on The Roots' Phrenology album. In 2006, he began working on a collaborative project with producer Danger Mouse titled Dangerous Thoughts.^[12] In a June 2008 interview with Brian Kayser of the website HipHopGame, Black Thought spoke of yet another solo project, which will come out on the label Razor and Tie. He stated that there would be the possibility of Questlove working on production.^[13] In 2008, Peta2.com nominated Black Thought as among the "World's Sexiest Vegetarians".^[14]

In February 2011, Black Thought, along with 10.Deep and his side collective "Money Making Jam Boys", which includes Dice Raw, S.T.S., Truck North, & P.O.R.N., released the mixtape titled The Prestige.^[15]

Discography[link]

• The Talented Mr. Trotter (TBA)

Appearances[link]

• 1995: "Meiso", Meiso, DJ Krush
• 1996: "Da Jawn", Kollage, Bahamadia
• 1997: "Get This Low", The Psycho-Social, Jedi Mind Tricks
• 1997: "Stolen Moments, Pt. 2", One Day It'll All Make Sense, Common
• 1997: "Listen to This", Listen To This, Walkin' Large
• 1997: "The Agenda", "Sou", Inoran
• 1998: "It's About That Time", Soul Survivor, Pete Rock
• 1998: "Live From the Sretch Armstrong Show", Lyricist Lounge Volume One, Various Artists
• 1998: "Super Lyrical", Capital Punishment, Big Pun
• 1998: "Tabou (Roots Remix)", Princesses Nubians, Les Nubians
• 1999: "Burnin' and Lootin'", Chant Down Babylon (Post-Humous Remix), Bob Marley
• 1999: "Respiration (Flying High Remix)", Respiration 12", Black Star
• 2000: "Cold Blooded", Like Water for Chocolate, Common
• 2000: "Hurricane", The Hurricane Soundtrack, Black Thought, Common, Dice Raw, Flo Brown, Jazzyfatnastees and Mos Def
• 2000: "Network", Plain Rap, The Pharcyde
• 2001: "Hard Hitters", Expansion Team, Dilated Peoples
• 2001: "Zen Approach", Zen, DJ Krush
• 2002: "Clap!", Next, Soulive
• 2002: "Guerilla Monsoon Rap", Quality, Talib Kweli
• 2002: "X-Ecutioner Style", Reanimation, Linkin Park
• 2004: "Live From The PJs", Revolutions, The X-Ecutioners
• 2005: "Appreciate", Love and Life, LaToya London
• 2005: "Flutlicht", Sinnflut, Curse
• 2005: "Pimpa's Paradise", Welcome to Jamrock, Damian Marley
• 2005: "Right Now", The Rising Tied, Fort Minor
• 2006: "Love Movin'", The Shining, J Dilla
• 2006: "My Favorite Mutiny", Pick A Bigger Weapon, The Coup
• 2006: "Yes, Yes Y'all",Timeless, Sérgio Mendes
• 2007: "Clean Up", Deep Hearted, Strong Arm Steady
• 2008: "Give It Up", Thee Adventures Of A B-Boy D-Boy, Muja Messiah
• 2008: "Hold Tight", The Million Dollar Backpack, Skillz
• 2008: "Cause I'm Black", Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman), Styles P
• 2009: "Hot Shyt", "Back to the Feature", Wale
• 2009: "Live Forever", Velvet Ballads, Cradle Orchestra
• 2009: "Philly Boy", Rádio do Canibal, BK-One
• 2009: "Reality TV", Jay Stay Paid, J Dilla
• 2009: "Slow Down", Chiddy Bang
• 2010: "Philadelphia Born and Raised", Meek Mill
• 2010: "Ill Street Blues", More Demand 2, STS
• 2010: "In tha Park", Apollo Kids, Ghostface Killah
• 2010: "Philly Sh*t Remix, Young Chris, Meek Mill & Eve
• 2011: "The Masters of Our Fates", Raekwon
• 2011: "Too Long" The Greatest Story Never Told Saigon (rapper)
• 2011: "Million Star Motel", Pennies In A Jar, Nikki Jean
• 2011: "Riot" LA Riot, Thurz
• 2011: "God Knows Why", Soul is Heavy, Nneka
• 2011: "Mathematics", The Welcome Mat, OCD: Moosh & Twist
• 2012: "Living in Bunkers", Drinking From the Sun, Hilltop Hoods

Filmography[link]

• Bamboozled (2000)
• Brooklyn Babylon (2001)
• Perfume (2001)
• Brown Sugar (2002)
• Love Rome (2004)
• Explicit IIIs (2008)
• In NorthWood (2009)
• Night Catches Us (2010)
• Yelling to the Sky (2011)^[16]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Black Thought on Myspace
• Black Thought at the Internet Movie Database
• TheRoots.com - Official website of The Roots
• Black Thought discography

Fat Joe
Joe performing in April 2011
Background information
Birth name	Joseph Antonio Cartagena[1]
Born	(1970-08-19) August 19, 1970 (age 41)[1][2][3] New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	East Coast hip hop, mafioso rap, hardcore hip hop
Occupations	Rapper
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Terror Squad Entertainment, Relativity, Atlantic, Imperial, E1
Associated acts	Big Punisher, Terror Squad, D.I.T.C., DJ Premier, Kool G Rap, Apache, Grand Puba, R. Kelly, KRS-One, Raekwon, Jadakiss, Big L, N.O.R.E., DJ Khaled, Kill All Rats
Website	www.myspace.com/fatjoe

Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad.

Fat Joe's first album was Represent, released in 1993, followed by Jealous One's Envy in 1995. From 1998 to 2006, he was signed to Atlantic Records, releasing four albums under the label, Don Cartagena in 1998, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) in 2001, Loyalty in 2002, and All or Nothing in 2005.^[1] Around the release of All or Nothing, Fat Joe became involved in a highly publicized feud with another New York City-based rapper 50 Cent, who attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank". His most popular song in which he performed was his Remy Ma duet "Lean Back" with Terror Squad. The song was a number-one hit in the summer of 2004.

Starting in 2006, when his album Me, Myself, & I was released, Fat Joe was signed to Imperial Records, which distributes through Terror Squad Entertainment. His follow up album wasThe Elephant in the Room, which was released in 2008; Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2), the sequel to Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), was released in October 2009. His tenth album The Darkside Vol. 1 was released on July 27, 2010.

Early life[link]

Fat Joe was born on August 19, 1970 in the southern Bronx area of New York City, where he was raised by parents of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent.^[1][4] He lived in public housing and began stealing at a young age to support his family.^[5] He also states that he was a bully in his childhood.^[5] His brother introduced him to rap music. As a teenager, he was highly influenced by fellow Latino rapper Big Pun. Fat Joe explained the rapper's influence on him by saying "Latinos before us who had the opportunity to do it just didn't know how to do it. They came in trying to do this black music, waving flags. [But] we're trying to kick in the doors for other Latinos and represent our people, and it shows."^[6]

Music career[link]

1992–1995: Early years[link]

Under stage name Fat Joe da Gangsta and part of the Diggin' in the Crates (D.I.T.C.) rap group, Cartagena was signed to Relativity Records in the early 1990s, recording material and working with many artists who he would later sign to his own label. In 1993, his debut album, Represent, was released, featuring production from The Beatnuts, Diamond D, Lord Finess, and others. Its lead single, "Flow Joe" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart; other minor singles from the album included "Watch the Sound" and "This Shit is Real".^[1]

In 1995, Fat Joe released his second studio album, Jealous One's Envy, which peaked at #71 on The Billboard 200 and at #7 on Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums. The album featured a guest appearance from KRS-One and production from Diamond D. The lead single was Success, which did not chart, but his second single, "Envy" peaked at #8 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The success of this album led Fat Joe to be featured on the remix of LL Cool J's single "I Shot Ya" along with Foxy Brown, Keith Murray and Prodigy of Mobb Deep.^[1]

1998–2005: Signing to Atlantic Records, Terror Squad, feud with 50 Cent[link]

Released in 1998, Don Cartagena was Joe's third album and his first for Atlantic Records. It peaked on The Billboard 200 at #7 and #2 on Top R&B/Hip Hop albums, eventually being certified gold by the RIAA.^[7]

The album featured two hit singles "Bet Ya Man Can't Triz", and "Don Cartagena". Guest appearances included Nas, Diddy, Big Pun, Raekwon, Jadakiss, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Within the album, Fat Joe debuted his own group Terror Squad that consisted of the late Big Pun, as well as Cuban Link, Triple Seis, Prospect, Armageddon and later Remy Ma.^[8] Joe himself acknowledged, in an interview with HipHopGame.com, that he has received criticism for releasing only one solo album by a former Terror Squad member, Remy Ma, as well as barely featuring original members Prospect and Armageddon on "True Story." Terror Squad singer Tony Sunshine has had possible album release dates pushed back over three years, and Joe had stated that artists Prospect and Armageddon have not released solo albums yet as the result of them being "really lazy".^[9] Former Terror Squad member Triple Seis also went on record when asked who had written Fat Joe's lyrics, stating that he and Pun were Joe's ghostwriters, and asserts that Joe continues to hire ghostwriters.^[10] In 1999, he appeared on Jennifer Lopez's single "Feelin' So Good" from her On the 6 album with late rapper Big Pun.

Fat Joe released his fourth album Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) in 2001, featuring production from the then-popular Irv Gotti. The album featured a star-studded line up from the likes of Ashanti, Ja Rule, N.O.R.E., Busta Rhymes, Petey Pablo, M.O.P., Ludacris, R. Kelly, Buju Banton, and artists from his Terror Squad label. The lead single "We Thuggin'" featuring R. Kelly was a big hit in late 2001, but would not reach the level of the Irv Gotti-produced "What's Luv?" which was a massive hit in early 2002 and featured The Inc. superstars Ja Rule and Ashanti. The album was Fat Joe's biggest hit as it was successful from its January release all the way into May, being certified platinum.^[7] However, Fat Joe's fifth album Loyalty, released later in 2002 and featuring production from Irv Gotti, was not as successful.

In 2003, Fat Joe was featured in the pop single "I Want You" by Mexican singer Thalía. The same year, he and Tony Sunshine performed the single "Crush Tonight" from Loyalty on the Comedy Central program Chappelle's Show, hosted by comedian Dave Chappelle.^[11]

Despite the setback, Fat Joe scored a number-one hit in 2004 with his group Terror Squad, collaborating with Remy Ma on the Scott Storch production "Lean Back" from the album True Story.^[8] The song was criticized twice by conservative columnist L. Brent Bozell III for its extensive use of obscenity.^[12][13] However, Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic called the song "a perfect club-ready duet between Joe and Remy Ma that boasts a trademark Scott Storch beat and a memorable singalong hook and dance-along step".^[14]

A year later, in 2005, Fat Joe released his sixth album All or Nothing, noted for featuring the popular diss track "My Fofo", aimed at fellow New York rapper 50 Cent, who had dissed Joe for recording with Ja Rule.^[15] All or Nothing spawned the singles "So Much More" and "Get It Poppin" featuring Nelly, also with guest appearances from Eminem, Mase, Remy Ma, Mashonda, and R. Kelly. Responding to "My Fofo", 50 Cent attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank" from his best-selling 2005 album The Massacre.^[16][17][18] Fat Joe subsequently attacked 50's street credibility and called him a "coward" on a phone interview with Kay Slay of New York City hip-hop radio station WQHT.^[19] The conflict carried on at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, while Fat Joe introduced the reggaeton act featuring Daddy Yankee, Joe remarked, "I feel safe with all the police protection—courtesy of G-Unit."^[20] Shortly after, when MTV switched to a commercial break, 50 Cent directed an obscenity at Joe, and 50 Cent jumped on stage as Fat Joe was leaving.^[21]

[edit] 2006–2008: Me, Myself & I, The Elephant in the Room, the 50 Cent feud continued, and more

Fat Joe performing in Portugal in 2006

Me, Myself & I, released in 2006, is Fat Joe's seventh album. It was his first album released on his new deal with Virgin Records. It featured the hit single "Make It Rain" with southern rapper Lil Wayne, followed by "No Drama (Clap and Revolve)". Fat Joe did a freestyle cipher segment for VH1's "Freestyle 59" competition in October 2006 prior to the VH1 Hip Hop Honors featuring New Jersey emcee Neuse.^[22]

In June 2007, the Reverend Michael Pfleger targeted Fat Joe as among several rappers he believed promoted misogyny in his billboard campaign "Stop Listening to Trash", which was launched June 18, 2007 throughout Chicago, Illinois, where Pfleger preaches.^[23] Also that month, Fat Joe was featured in the DJ Khaled singles "We Takin' Over" alongside Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Birdman, and Lil Wayne and the remix to Khaled's "I'm So Hood" with Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Ludacris, and Birdman. Verbal disputes between Fat Joe and 50 Cent continued during this time period: in September 2007, on the BET program Rap City, 50 Cent accused Fat Joe of being cowardly for not willing to confront him, but Fat Joe dismissed this claim as nonsense.^[24] Later in January, 50 Cent released another Fat Joe diss, called "Southside Nigga (I'm Leaving)". At the end of January 2008, Fat Joe and his longtime accountant Brian Dittrich both denied rumors spreading on the Internet that Fat Joe owed the IRS in taxes.^[25]

Fat Joe's eighth solo studio album The Elephant in the Room was distributed by Imperial Records, a division of Capitol Records and Terror Squad Entertainment,^[26][27] and released on March 11, 2008; its lead single was "I Won't Tell" featuring singer J. Holiday.^[28] The album debuted at the sixth position on the Billboard Hot 100.^[29] "Ain't Sayin' Nuthin'" followed and featured Plies.

On March 20, 2008, shortly after record sales were released for Fat Joe's new album The Elephant in the Room, 50 Cent released a video via his YouTube account, which features the "funeral" of Fat Joe, which shows 50 Cent crying in the fake footage. 50 Cent then talks about Fat Joe's record sales, and states that he ended Fat Joe's career (like he says he did to Ja Rule's) and that his mixtape blew out Fat Joe's album.^[30]

[edit] 2009: Jealous Ones Still Envy 2

Fat Joe's ninth solo studio album, J.O.S.E. 2, was released towards the end of June 2009.^[31] The project reprises the title of Joe’s 2002 RIAA-Certified Platinum release, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), and marked Joe’s third release since bringing his Terror Squad imprint to the EMI family in 2006. For this album, Joe has reached out to many artists, landing assists from Ron Browz, Fabolous, Lil' Kim, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, and Akon. Producers include Jim Jonsin, The Inkredibles, and frequent collaborator StreetRunner.^[32] "One", featuring Akon, was the first single. The album was released on October 6, 2009 and sold 11,000 copies in its first week. It debuted on The Billboard 200 at #73.^[33]

[edit] 2010: Signing to E1 Music and The Darkside

In January 2010, Fat Joe announced that he was working on a new album, The Darkside Vol. 1. MTV News reported that Fat Joe intended "all the material...to be much harsher" than his previous album. Production comes from The Alchemist, Cool & Dre, Streetrunner, DJ Premier, Scoop DeVille, Just Blaze, Scram Jones, Raw Uncut and DJ Infamous with guest appearances by Busta Rhymes, Trey Songz, Lil Wayne, R Kelly, Clipse, Cam'ron, Rico Love, Too $hort, TA and Young Jeezy.^[34] The first single from The Darkside Vol. 1 is "(Ha Ha) Slow Down," which features Young Jeezy. The second single off the album is "If It Ain't About Money" and features Trey Songz.

On March 28, 2010 Fat Joe signed a record deal with E1 Music.^[35][36] The Darkside Vol. 1 was released on July 27, 2010 and sold approximately 12,000 copies in the first week and entered the Billboard 200 at #27.

On August 6, 2010 Fat Joe was interviewed on MTV RapFix Live by Sway. Fat Joe announced in the interview that he planned to record 2 more volumes of The Darkside and then retire.^[37]

[edit] 2011–present: Darkside Vol. 2 mixtape & TBA

Joe was featured on a remix to DJ Khaled's song "Welcome to My Hood", which also features Ludacris, T-Pain, Bust Rhymes, Twista, Mavado, Birdman, Ace Hood, Game, Jadakiss, Bun B and Waka Flocka Flame. It is included as the final track on Khaled's fifth studio album We the Best Forever.

In an interview with XXL Magazine on September 21, 2011 Fat Joe stated Darkside Vol. 2 is going to be his first ever official mixtape and will feature the Mark Henry produced songs "Massacre on Madison" and "Drop a Body", both of which were released earlier in the year. Joe went on to say he is also working on an album which is yet to be named but the first single is called "Another Round" produced by Cool and Dre and Young Lad and features Chris Brown.^[38]
On October 19, 2011 Another Round the first single off Joe's yet to be named eleventh studio album was released on iTunes^[39]

Personal life[link]

Fat Joe in July 2005

Family[link]

Fat Joe currently lives in Miami and is married with three children.^[40]

Community work[link]

Fat Joe has been back to his old school in the Bronx, New York to donate computers for the students.

In 2008 He attended the grand opening of the Hip Hop Soda Shop in Miami which was community outreach project set up by Ben Chavis for the youth to hang out and do things such as record music, use the computers and play on Xbox 360s.^[41]

At a "School is Cool" assembly in Public School 5 in Jersey City, New Jersey on June 11, 2009, Fat Joe was a speaker.^[42]

Weight loss[link]

By 1996, he weighed 300 pounds.^[2] In 2005, Stuff magazine^[43] and ContactMusic.com^[44] profiled Fat Joe's weight loss efforts.

In 2011, Fat Joe unveiled his latest weight loss efforts in the video for his song "Drop a Body"^[45] after shedding 88 pounds off his previous weight of 350 pounds. He has said although he loves to eat KFC, McDonald’s and other less healthy foods he had to stop due to losing several friends, including former Terror Squad member Big Pun to obesity and he wanted to stay alive to see his children grow up. He lost the weight without the help of supplements and fad diets by combining 2 hour cardio and weight lifting sessions with proper eating habits. Instead of Burger King, KFC, and McDonald’s, he opted for smaller portioned meals of fruit, vegetables, and lean meats.^[46] Furthermore he follows a low-carb approach, eating some sweet potatoes but not eating bread, rice and pasta.^[47]

Basketball[link]

Fat Joe is a huge fan of the New York Knicks and was involved in convincing Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony to sign with them.^[48]

Legal issues[link]

On September 8, 1998, Fat Joe and Big Pun were arrested on assault charges for hitting a man with a baseball bat and stealing the man's gold chain on June 14 that year.^[3]

Joe was arrested again on May 12, 2002 for allegedly fighting with another man at B.B. King's Blues Club in Times Square, but the charges were dropped on January 10, 2003.^[49]

In two murder cases, Fat Joe has been named a witness:

Joe's former bodyguard, Jose Mulero (also known as Sing Sing), was arrested on September 17, 2004 for the April 15, 1994 shooting death of 16-year-old Ernesto Rivera at a Bronx nightclub. Responding to a subpoena, Fat Joe claimed to have heard the shooting and seen people fleeing the scene, but investigators argued that he was standing closer to Mulero, by a door.^[50]

Miami Beach police also named Fat Joe as a witness in a Memorial Day double homicide outside David's Cafe II in South Beach. Jermaine Wufgang Chamberline of Miami Gardens was accused of shooting Lessli Paz and Joey Navarro to death on that morning; Fat Joe and the two victims were sitting in a rented Cadillac Escalade parked outside the restaurant when a fight broke out between passengers and another man.^[51]

LGBT people[link]

During an interview with Vlad TV, Joe stated that while not gay himself, gay people should not hide their sexuality and stand by what they are. He mentioned that it's possible that he has done songs with gay rappers and that there are likely several gay people besides just rappers in the Hip Hop industry who are in the closet, describing it as a "Gay Mafia".^[52]

His comments came after being asked to comment on Mister Cee being arrested for public lewdness with a transgender.^[53]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Represent (1993, as Fat Joe da Gangsta)
• Jealous One's Envy (1995)
• Don Cartagena (1998)
• Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) (2001)
• Loyalty (2002)
• All or Nothing (2005)
• Me, Myself & I (2006)
• The Elephant in the Room (2008)
• Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2) (2009)
• The Darkside Vol. 1 (2010)^[36]
• TBA^[38] (2012)

Filmography[link]

• Thicker Than Water (1999) - Lonzo Medina
• Prison Song (2001)
• Empire (2002)
• Scary Movie 3 (2003) - As Himself
• Happy Feet (2006) - voice of Seymour

See also[link]

• List of famous Puerto Ricans
• Latin hip hop
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References[link]

External links[link]

• Fat Joe on Myspace
• Official website (archived from 2009)
• Fat Joe on Twitter
• Fat Joe at the Internet Movie Database

Joell Ortiz (born July 6, 1978) is an American independent rapper from Brooklyn, New York, and a member of the group Slaughterhouse.

Biography[link]

Joell Ortiz was born to Puerto Rican parents. Ortiz grew up in the Cooper Park Houses in the East Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, formerly signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label. He was featured in the Unsigned Hype column of the March 2004 issue of The Source Magazine and was also selected as Chairman's Choice in XXL Magazine. During the same time Joell also went on to win the 2004 EA Sports Battle which earned his song Mean Business a spot on the NBA Live 2005 soundtrack. The same year he was offered a contract to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label. The deal quickly went sour which caused Joell to start beef with Jermaine. Joell has since collaborated with KRS-One and Kool G. Rap. Joell released his street album called "The Brick: Bodega Chronicles" April 24, 2007, on Koch Records. The album was recorded while Joell was trying to get signed and going through some tough times personally. Even though he was signed to Aftermath Entertainment, Dr. Dre allowed him to release the street album on Koch Records. The Brick features productions from Showbiz, The Alchemist, Domingo, Ho Chi from Killahertz Productions, Lil' Fame of M.O.P., Novel, and Moss, among others. Guest spots include Big Daddy Kane, Styles P, Big Noyd, M.O.P, Akon, Immortal Technique, Grafh, Ras Kass, Stimuli, and Novel. Joell Ortiz is 1/4 of supergroup Slaughterhouse who released their highly anticipated Slaughterhouse EP on February 8, 2011. The group are also releasing their highly anticipated second studio album "Welcome To: Our House" in late June.

Music career[link]

The Brick (Bodega Chronicles)[link]

Though signed to Aftermath, Ortiz released an album titled The Brick (Bodega Chronicles) April 24, 2007 on Koch Records.^[1] The Brick features production by Showbiz, Street Radio, and The Alchemist, among others. Guest artists include rappers Big Daddy Kane, Styles P, Big Noyd, Akon, Immortal Technique, Grafh, and Ras Kass.^[2][3]

Ortiz performing in Amager Bio, Denmark in 2007.

Departure from Aftermath and joining Slaughterhouse[link]

Ortiz parted ways with Aftermath Entertainment on April 15, 2008.^[4]

Joe Budden reached out to Crooked I, Royce Da 5'9", Joell Ortiz, and Nino Bless for a track titled "Slaughterhouse" on his digital release, Halfway House.^[5] Based on the reception of the track, they decided to form a super-group, minus Nino Bless, and named it after the first song they made together.^[5] They released numerous songs throughout early 2009, building a buzz for their self-titled album which was released through E1 on August 11, 2009.^[6] The album features production from Alchemist, DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, Streetrunner, plus guest appearances from Pharoahe Monch, K-Young, and The New Royales.^[7] In 2010 the group signed to Shady Records and left E1 Entertainment.^[8]

A remix of Joell Ortiz' "Hip Hop" featuring Jadakiss and Saigon appeared on a fictitious urban radio station in the popular video game GTA IV.

[edit] Free Agent and new labelr

Ortiz started to have problems with E1 Entertainment and after almost a year, Ortiz left the label on November 5, 2010.^[9][10] In August 2010 Ortiz was in talks, about signing a deal with Steve Rifkind's label SRC Records. However the deal was never finished.

In an October 31, 2010, interview on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, Ortiz discussed his relationship with Eminem and the flood of record labels that have flocked to sign him after his Free Agent album is released. He also spoke of Eminem's excitement at working with him.^[11]

In 2011, Ortiz became an unsigned independent artist, after failing to sign with SRC Records.

During Slaughterhouse 2012 tour, the group stopped in Las Vegas, Nevada at Bootleg Kev's radio show, where they talked about their upcoming album Welcome to: Our House, their work with Eminem, and was revealed that Ortiz is now signed to Shady Records as a solo act.^[12]

Controversy[link]

Following the release of his 2011 song "Big Pun Back", Ortiz received criticism from Liza Rios (Pun's widow) along with Tony Sunshine and Cuban Link of Terror Squad, claiming the song was "disrespectful" to the late rapper's memory. Ortiz claims the song was meant to be a tribute, and later Fat Joe spoke up in his defense.^[13]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link] Year Title Peak chart positions US US R&B US Rap US Heat US Ind 2007 The Brick: Bodega Chronicles Released: April 24, 2007 Label: E1 Music — 49 23 16 40 2011 Free Agent Released: February 22, 2011 Label: E1 Music 173 33 15 2 22 2012 Yaowa[14] Released: TBA, 2012 Label: E1 Music TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA EP's[link] 2010: Farewell Summer EP Collaboration albums[link] 2009: Slaughterhouse (with Slaughterhouse) 2011: Slaughterhouse EP (with Slaughterhouse) 2012: Welcome to: Our House (with Slaughterhouse) Mixtapes[link] 2007: Who The F*@k Is Joell Ortiz? (Hosted Big Mike) 2009: Joell Ortiz Covers the Classics 2009: Road Kill 2010: Defying The Predictable (with Novel) 2010: Me, Myself, & I 2010: Pre-Agent 2010: Project Boy 2010: Me, Myself & I (Part 2) 2011: Me, Myself & I (Part 3) TBA: The Life and Times of Sebastian Rios Singles[link] Year Song Chart positions Album U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. Rap 2007 "Hip Hop" — — — The Brick: Bodega Chronicles 2010 "Call Me (She Said)" (featuring Novel) — — — Free Agent 2011 "So Hard" (featuring Ana Yvette) — — — Featured Singles[link] Year Song Chart positions Album U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. Rap 2011 "We Keep It Rockin" (Maino featuring Swizz Beatz, Jim Jones, Jadakiss & Joell Ortiz) — — — The Day After Tomorrow 2011 "Currency" (Emcee Composition featuring Joell Ortiz) — — — Garden Statements 2012 "Venomous Ink Emcees" (J1Three featuring Joell Ortiz & Canibus) — — — TBD References[link] ^ XXL Magazine. Joell Ortiz: A Hip-Hop Happy Ending by Brandon Edwards. November 2007 ^ "News - "Joell Ortiz Set to Release The Brick"". Hiphopgame.com. http://www.hiphopgame.com/news.php3?id=1469. Retrieved 2010-11-11.  ^ AftermathMusic.com News - "JOELL TO RELEASE "THE BRICK" // Jan 16, 2007[dead link] ^ "[News] Joell Ortiz Speaks On Leaving Aftermath". Defsounds.com. 2008-01-31. http://www.defsounds.com/news/Joell_ortiz_speaks_on_leaving_aftermath. Retrieved 2010-11-11.  ^ a b "FEATURE: Crooked I, The Freestyler[Definitive Dozen". Xxlmag.Com. 2009-08-14. http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=53509. Retrieved 2012-03-30.  ^ Jeffries, David (2009-08-11). "Slaughterhouse - Slaughterhouse". AllMusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1596722. Retrieved 2010-11-11.  ^ Kuperstein, Slava (2009-08-10). "Slaughterhouse - self-titled | Read Hip Hop Reviews, Rap Reviews & Hip Hop Album Reviews". HipHopDX. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.1237/title.slaughterhouse-self-titled. Retrieved 2010-11-11.  ^ G5 (2010-04-28). "Slaughterhouse Signs To Shady Records | HipHop-N-More". Hiphop-n-more.com. http://hiphop-n-more.com/2010/04/slaughterhouse-signs-to-shady-records/. Retrieved 2010-11-11.  ^ Joell Ortiz Leaves E1 « Thomas' Official Blog (2010-11-05). "Joell Ortiz Leaves E1 | HipHop-N-More". Hiphop-n-more.com. http://hiphop-n-more.com/2010/11/joell-ortiz-leaves-e1/. Retrieved 2010-11-11.  ^ Langhorne, Cyrus (2010-03-23). "Joell Ortiz Disses Slaughterhouse's Record Label, "E1 Is F*cking C*ckblocking Us From Doing Something Monumental"". Sohh.Com. http://www.sohh.com/2010/03/joell_ortiz_disses_slaughterhouses_recor.html. Retrieved 2010-11-11.  ^ October 30, 2010 07:34 AM PDT (2010-10-30). "Joell Ortiz discusses Eminem Oct 31st Uncensored Radio Interview". Conspiracyworldwide.podomatic.com. http://conspiracyworldwide.podomatic.com/entry/index/2010-10-30T08_58_34-07_00/. Retrieved 2010-11-11.  ^ http://rapradar.com/2012/04/18/bootleg-kev-interviews-slaughterhouse/ ^ Horowitz, Stephen. "Joell Ortiz Addresses "Big Pun's Back" Controversy". Blog Article. Hip Hop Dx. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.15550/title.joell-ortiz-addresses-big-puns-back-controversy. Retrieved 2011-10-19.  ^ Joell Ortiz Shares His Tips For Success, Talks "Yaowa" Album HipHopDX. External links[link] Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Joell Ortiz Official website Champmag.com v t e Joell Ortiz Studio albums The Brick: Bodega Chronicles Free Agent Collaborations Slaughterhouse Slaughterhouse EP Extended plays Farewell Summer EP Mixtapes Who The F*@k Is Joell Ortiz? Covers The Classics Road Kill Defying The Predictable Pre-Agent Singles "Hip Hop" "Call Me (She Said)" "So Hard" Related articles Slaughterhouse Shady Records v t e Slaughterhouse Crooked I Joe Budden Joell Ortiz Royce da 5'9" Studio albums Slaughterhouse Welcome to: Our House Extended plays Slaughterhouse EP Singles "The One" "Microphone" "Hammer Dance" "My Life" Crooked I albums Hood Star Joe Budden albums Joe Budden Padded Room The Great Escape Joell Ortiz albums The Brick: Bodega Chronicles Free Agent Royce da 5'9" albums Rock City Death Is Certain Independent's Day Street Hop Success Is Certain Related articles Shady Records v t e Aftermath Entertainment Founder Dr. Dre Current artists Eminem 50 Cent Slim the Mobster Kendrick Lamar Black Hippy Former artists Bishop Lamont Busta Rhymes Eve Game Hittman King Tee Joell Ortiz Marsha Ambrosius Raekwon Rakim RBX Stat Quo The Firm The Last Emperor Truth Hurts Related articles Interscope Records Persondata Name Ortiz, Joell Alternative names Short description Date of birth July 6, 1978 Place of birth Date of death Place of death