Fat Joe is looking back on how some of his most public rap feuds ended up costing him millions in the sneaker game. Appearing on Complex’s Sneaker Shopping, the Bronx legend revealed that both Air Jordan and Reebok backed out of potential collaborations during the mid-2000s because he clashed with 50 Cent and Jay Z.
Joe explained that the fallout with 50 Cent came to a head at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, where their confrontation made headlines. That moment, he says, influenced Michael Jordan’s decision to pause a sneaker deal. “Yo, Big Joe, you know, I’m not with controversy. Maybe we look at this in the future,” Jordan reportedly told him during a personal phone call.
At the same time, Reebok had put a multi-million dollar sneaker offer on the table. But according to Joe, that deal collapsed once the brand realized he was not on good terms with Jay Z. “Reebok had approached me and was like, ‘Yo, we want to do a sneaker with you for millions.’ I caught the squeeze play cause Hov was over there and 50 Cent,” Joe recalled. “They shut it down. They was just like, ‘Yo, we won’t do business with you if you give this guy a sneaker.’ That’s part of the karma. It’s part of the ins and outs. I’ve done it to other guys. It came back to me.”
While reflecting on the missed business opportunities, Fat Joe is also contending with new legal troubles. In June, his former hype man, Terrance Dixon, filed a $20 million lawsuit accusing him of illegal behavior, including claims of relations with minors and using intimidation. Joe has strongly denied the allegations, responding on social media. “I’ve never let anyone on the streets extort me, so how would I ever let a crooked attorney and a coward ex-hype man extort me?? I’m from the Bronx!”
The revelations highlight how industry conflicts can ripple far beyond music, shutting down lucrative deals and shaping the legacy of even the biggest stars.