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Fat Joe Clowns Hot 97's Reported Money Problems, but Says He Owes His Career to Funkmaster Flex

Joe had jokes for days about the station's reported turmoil, then made sure Flex got his flowers.

Fat Joe Clowns Hot 97's Reported Money Problems, but Says He Owes His Career to Funkmaster Flex
Photo: Eva Rinaldi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). 2011 file photo of Fat Joe at Supafest in Australia, shown in full on a blurred backdrop. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FatJoeApr2011.jpg)

Fat Joe could not resist taking a few shots at Hot 97. On the latest episode of "Joe and Jada," the Bronx legend and Jadakiss got into the reported turmoil at the New York station, and Joe had Funkmaster Flex squarely in his sights, HotNewHipHop reports.

The conversation kicked off when their producer brought up reports that Hot 97 staffers were allegedly going unpaid and that some employees had been furloughed. Joe immediately asked who was actually getting a check, then joked that Flex must be on payroll because he defends the station so hard, cracking that the DJ probably has Hot 97 tattooed somewhere you would not want to see it. Jadakiss jumped in to correct where exactly that imaginary tattoo would be.

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Joe also took aim at Summer Jam, saying some of what he saw the last time he showed up to perform with Yung Miami had him heading straight for the exit.

It was not all roast, though. When the talk turned to whether Flex is at odds with morning hosts The Kid Mero and Kaz, Joe pushed back, saying he does not think Flex should be blamed for calls made by management. "Fat Joe ain't who he is if it wasn't for Funkmaster Flex," he said.

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The station has been under a microscope since an Oct. 14 broadcast in which Mero and Kaz openly criticized leadership. Former producer Scottie Beam later alleged furloughs and unpaid obligations, and ex-Hot 97 voices Ebro Darden and Peter Rosenberg have also taken swipes at parent company MediaCo. According to HotNewHipHop, MediaCo has not publicly responded to the pay and furlough allegations.

Sources: HotNewHipHop, "Joe and Jada" on Apple Podcasts

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