‘I was in a really dark place’: Fat Joe opens up about his struggles with depression
Fat Joe is lifting the lid on his battles with mental health.
In a new episode of “On Purpose with Jay Shetty,” the local rapper opened up about how a number of tragedies led to a serious bout with depression and how therapy helped get him through.
Joe (real name Joseph Cartagena) burst onto the hip hop scene with his debut album “Represent,” in 1993. Almost immediately, the lead single, “Flow Joe” shot to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. Two more records followed in quick succession, and life was good for the Bronx born solo artist.
But around 2000, life took a tragic turn. Within weeks, he lost his grandfather; his sister, who died from complications of giving birth; and his good friend Big Pun. The latter rapper, who was obese, suffered a fatal heart attack at the age of 28.
“All that together, it was like perfect storm,” Joe admitted on the podcast. “I never dealt with so much death like that, and so I was really in a dark place. I’m not talking about a regular dark place ... sleeping in the bathtub with no water running.”
The father of three, 53, began emotionally eating and drinking more than ever.
“If I looked outside and it was sunny, it looked dark,” he said, adding that even a visit to tropical Miami didn’t fix things. “I’m going to try and erase it, but I can’t, it’s with me, everywhere I go.”
Joe finally sought therapy, and fortunately, the sadness began to lift after about two years.
These days, the “All the Way Up” singer is doing fantastic, mentally and physically.
Last summer, the rap star, who at one point weighed 470, told Men’s Health how he was able to keep off 200 pounds with proper diet and exercise.
“I’ve gotten health conscious on another level,” he told the outlet.
