Fat Joe on ‘Paradise’ With Anitta, DJ Khaled Friendship & More | Behind the Photo

Fat Joe shares how he filmed the “Paradise” music video with Anitta and DJ Khaled, how LL Cool J inspired him to rap and more in Behind the Photo.

Fat Joe:

Hey, what’s up, y’all? This is Fat Joe. We are on Billboard, and this is called Behind the Photo.

My big day, I promised my mother I would graduate one day. I didn’t know that somehow God would give me a doctorate. Shout out to Lehman High School in the Bronx. This is a very big day for me, and it was such an honor for me to get it. I flew right back to Miami the next day just to give my mother the diploma and tell her that I promised I would give it to her. So you don’t know how things are gonna come. You know, God blessed me in this way. I need that.

You know for being such a superstar, being so lit right now, she’s so humble in real time, and we shot the video to “Paradise” behind Khaled. We jumped out in Washington Heights with no permits everywhere. She never complained once. She did the video. Beautiful person. I need that Brazil. This guy is crazy. It’s my brother, Khaled, this is, uh, football Sunday, I believe, early in the morning in Orlando. This is just before he crowd surfed in the crowd. I was so terrified for him, because he really jumped out there and had the students carrying him, throwing them up in the air. But you already know that’s my brother. We the best, yes.

It’s me and my idol, LL Cool J. I would never rap if it wasn’t for LL Cool J, he inspired my whole life. He’s always mentored me and given me knowledge to go to the next level. So shout out, LL Cool J, James Todd Smith, my brother, I love you.