Fat Joe brings Bronx crew to NPR studio

Fat Joe performed a set of ten songs at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., for a new Tiny Desk concert.

The rapper said he wanted the session to feel spontaneous and unpredictable. He described the goal as touching the third rail, meaning the performance would break away from the standard format of the show.

Joe Cartagena, known professionally as Fat Joe, has maintained a consistent release schedule for over three decades. In the five years since his last Tiny Desk session, he expanded his work to include a book and the Joe and Jada podcast, which he co-hosts with Jadakiss. His latest studio album is titled Organized Rhyme.

The performance featured a large group of guest vocalists. Remy Ma, Stove God Cooks, Stevie Mackey, Dre, and Jadakiss joined Fat Joe on stage. The group performed a career-spanning list of tracks, including the songs I Shot Ya, All the Way Up, and The Aroma. The set also included new material from Organized Rhyme, such as Million Dollar Intro and Feelin a Way.

A six-person band supported the vocalists during the recording. Zo Harris played keys and served as music director. Ricky Strings Ramos played guitar, Keithan Foster played bass, and Antwan Amadeaus Thompson played drums. Ted Smooth operated the turntables, while Dre provided background vocals.

Bobby Carter produced the session, and Joshua Bryant served as director and editor. Josephine Nyounai handled audio engineering and mixing. The videography team included Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, and Kara Frame. Neil Tevault also worked as an audio engineer, and Ashley Pointer assisted with production.

Elizabeth Gillis took the photographs for the episode. Lars Gotrich edited the series, and Suraya Mohamed and Sonali Mehta served as executive producer and executive director, respectively. Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, and Robin Hilton created the Tiny Desk series.