"This Story Takes Place, Back In The South Bronx, Where At The Age Of 14 I Was Already Knockin' Off Punks"

CHRIS LIVE AKA SHAKER SAYS: Believe me, I can understand why Y.O.U. probably don't like Fat Joe. His current incarnation as a 1st class hater with delusions of grandeur is not nearly endearing and, coupled with his shameless bandwagon hopping (from anything having to do with Miami to, most recently, mooching a decent record off of Harlem, New York's current paint-by-numbers hitmaker, Ron Browz), would make most level headed Hip Hop fans ask, "Why should I care about Fat Joe?". Fair question. However, allow me to retort with this DJ Premier produced "Shit Is Real (Remix)" visual short. See, Fat Joe is Hip Hop and, today, I submit this classic (yes, classic) video for your consideration.

Although credited to Fat Joe's 1995 "J.ealous O.nes E.nvy" album, I initially discovered this joint on an archaic audio dissemination device known as the "promotional cassette tape sampler" - the particular tape that I'm talking about was released by the now defunct Relativity Records in like 1994 or something like that. Anyway, before Hip Hop forced Fat Joe and other mega star power deficient, albeit moderately talented, MC's to scramble for cheap sales gimmicks, he kept up with the pro-jects instead of exhausting himself trying to keep up with the Joneses, the Combses and the Carters. Yeah, the "The Shit Is Real (Remix)" is official my nig.

Stripped of hyperbole and the requisite Hip Hop bravado, Fat Joe weaves a lyrically simple, yet ruthlessly detailed, South Bronx tale of a "have not" kid going all out in the literally burnt down battlefield of The Bronx in the 1980's to get what the "haves" have got. Sure, we have all heard this story before and, some of us, have even lived it, however, minus the romanticizing and gangster fantasizing, Y.O.U. get this - some unadulterated real shit from a real nigga. Now, tell me, what's fucking with that?


A Young Fat Joe & Lord Finesse Circa 1988-1989.

P.ost S.cript: This video is true Old New York right here. I feel like I used to see it all of the time, but, now, I honestly can't remember the last time that I saw people huddled around an inferno in an oil drum keeping warm in front of an abandoned building. Woooooooooooow! Yeah, sorry retrosexuals, no amount of hollow electroplated rope chains, skin tight jeans or "look-@-me-I-just-disovered-the-wonderful-world-of-vintage-thrift-shops" clothes could ever compare to this. This is Livestyle.