Great Bay;--- Hip-hop superstar Joseph "Fat Joe" Cartagena, considered to be among the world's most influential rappers, whipped up a storm at trendy night club, 1-Eleven where he performed before a standing room only audience recently. The inclement weather did not prevent lovers of hip-hop music from thronging the show, which a young adoring fan described as "simply excellent"."I was amazed to see how humble he is," the fan said, adding "Fat Joe dissed the image of the trouble-making rapper; he was simply cool and he gave a fantastic show."
The multi-platinum selling artist and entertainment impresario was here from July 16th – July 19th to perform and to shoot a video special at various locations on the island showcasing what makes St. Martin such a unique tourist destination. He was accompanied by his personal chef Mark. They were both invited to Temptation's by award-winning chef, Dino Jagtiani where they "cooked up a storm". Jagtiani said he was pleasantly surprised by Fat Joe's "culinary expertise."
The video footage will feature hip-hop's first and only professionally-trained gourmet chef, on a mission around the Caribbean to find the best restaurants and the most authentic island dishes. Chef Mark and Fat Joe will show places on the island to dine, beaches, shopping, nightlife, the local culture and how to travel while being hip at the same time. The special will run for 30 minutes.
"Fat Joe has sold over 2.5 million albums and discovered some of the hottest hip-hop artists," said Edward Dest, Director of Marketing at the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, who attended the concert at 1-Eleven.
"His appeal goes beyond the large Latino community and spans young people around the world and the hip generation. His presence on St. Maarten is in itself an endorsement of our product and the Television special he shot with his personal chef Mark, will further boost our image as the Gastronomic Capital of the Caribbean," Dest added.
No date has been established for the release of the video, but fans of Fat Joe can "lean back" and await what promises to be an exciting half-hour special on St. Martin with the artist who gave us the blockbuster hit album, J.O.S.E. – "Jealous Ones Still Envy".