Fat Joe Discusses Heavy D

Bronx rapper Fat Joe discussed the legacy of late hip hop star Heavy D and Joe's own crusade to get healthier. Joe appeared on BET's "106 & Park" and revealed that Heavy's career was a huge influence on his own.

“It was a sad occasion when Heavy D passed. He’s somebody I look up to. He was a mentor, somebody who really inspired me growing up,” Fat Joe explained. “Being a big person Heavy D was doing it so big I’ve always admired him so it was a sad note…I had confidence. I felt like I was looking at TV and I seen a guy Heavy D and I’m Fat Joe from The Bronx. And I was dancing like him and it made me feel confident about myself. And I felt like fat guys could do it.”

“I lost like six friends last year,” said Fat Joe. “They was all like 30-something and all that. And what had happened was one of my friends passed away and he was like the funniest, coolest dude in the world. Make you laugh all the time and I went to his funeral in the Bronx and he had a daughter…and I felt like I seen myself in there. And I was like ‘Yo, God gotta love him more than me so if he could pass away then I better get on my health thing so I can stick around for the peoples.’”