Fat Joe Honors Hip-Hop Legends While Receiving Key To New York City

New York City Mayor Eric Adams honored Fat Joe in his hometown on Tuesday night by presenting him with a key to the city. Joe was performing at the Up NYC concert at Orchard Beach in the Bronx when Adams surprised him on stage. “Fat Joe who’s getting the Key to the City of New York. All his legendary — his music, a real brother, authentic — we want to give you this key,” he said.

Joe used the opportunity to thank the hip-hop icons who came before him. “Shout-out my wife, my daughter, shout-out my favorite aunt in the world. I gotta thank the pioneers. From Melle Mel, Mr. Ness to KRS-One — my whole life I been trying to be KRS-One — LL Cool J, Heavy D and the list goes on,” he said. “I want to shout out everybody here because we in the Bronx and I know I know all of you. Every last one of you, I know you — I love you.”

Joe previously confirmed that he’ll be receiving the key to the city during a video on Instagram, earlier this month. Speaking to his followers, he claimed that not everyone has been happy about him getting the honor. “I get the key to the city the 20th and, boy, was that a hard one. Hip-hop got a black eye,” he said in his video. “The mayor and his crew, his right-hand girl, got me the key to the city. Everybody was a little upset. But I don’t know another guy who keeps it realer with the streets of New York than Fat Joe, who feeds more people, opens more businesses. I don’t know what to tell you guys.”

Joe receiving the key to the city comes after Adams stripped Diddy of the honor, earlier this year. He had presented the disgraced Bad Boy mogul with a key back in 2023. Be on the lookout for further updates on Fat Joe on HotNewHipHop.