Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe, known for his work with the Terror Squad, has been awarded an honorary doctorate from Lehman College.
The celebrated artist attended the school’s 56th Annual Commencement Ceremony last Thursday, where he was honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Fat Joe, also known as Joey Crack, served as the guest speaker for the event.
During his speech, Fat Joe expressed a profound sense of achievement, sharing that he currently feels more successful than ever. He inspired the graduating class by emphasizing that success has no age limit, encouraging them to pursue their dreams regardless of age.
In an Instagram post reflecting the day, the rapper expressed his gratitude for the honor. He mentioned a promise he made to his mother to obtain a diploma and added that he never imagined he would receive a doctorate. The rapper thanked Lehman College for the humbling experience and attributed his success to divine intervention.
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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7mdEa_Mmf5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by FAT JOE (@fatjoe)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js">video of his speech Fat Joe captioned:
“God is the Greatest! i promised my moms a Diploma & who would have thought i would have a Doctorate. I’d like to thank Lehman College for this humbling experience 🙏🏽”
His career journey and image
Fat Joe’s journey from the Bronx to becoming a multi-million dollar success story has been without challenges. Recently, he recounted a missed opportunity for a significant payday during an interview with Forbes.
The rapper shared a story about an incident from his past when his “tough guy” image cost him a lucrative deal.
According to the rapper, a marketing agency’s CFO once attempted to approach him with a $2 million offer to promote a beer company. Despite having the check ready for Fat Joe, the executive could not reach him due to the rapper’s intimidating entourage.
This occurred during the peak of his hit song What’s Luv? when the executive visited a club in the Bronx where Fat Joe was present.
The CFO, who later recounted the story to Fat Joe in Miami, explained that his attempts to get past the rapper’s entourage were futile.
Each attempt to reach him was met with resistance, ultimately leading to the loss of the deal. This missed opportunity highlighted how his tough image had inadvertently blocked his blessings.
Dame Dash fires at Jay-Z and Fat Joe
Meanwhile, Dame Dash, the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, recently reignited his feud with Jay-Z and Fat Joe.
In a recent episode of his America Nu Network podcast, the record executive responded to Joe’s remarks that he was “delusional” and challenged him to “make another one [Jay-Z]”.
Dash accused Jigga of being a “double dipper” who took money from the label and his artist contract.
