Lance “Un” Rivera, a close confidant and former business partner of The Notorious B.I.G., is calling “cap” on Fat Joe’s recent claims that he and Biggie were working on a full collaborative album before the rap legend’s tragic death in 1997.
In a new interview with The Art of Dialogue, Rivera addressed Joe’s assertion head-on, expressing skepticism and a touch of humor while firmly questioning the validity of the Bronx rapper’s story.
Fat Joe visits SiriusXM Studios on March 28, 2024 in New York City.
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“I love Fat Joe, Fat Joe is my guy. I love the Jada & Joe show, and now I know why they’re running with the ‘Joe is the King of Cap,’” Rivera joked.
“Imma call cap, without even knowing, ’cause I don’t know for sure, but I’m calling cap […] If there was a real, legitimate album, I would’ve heard about that. I wouldn’t have heard about them doing songs.”
Rivera, who founded Untertainment Records and worked closely with Biggie on multiple projects, noted that even hearing about a few casual tracks between the two would have raised eyebrows.
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“And I wouldn’t have heard about them doing songs together, right? Because in Daddy’s House, Big go in the studio, you could get a verse or you might not get a verse, depending on his mood and how much money you had in your pocket. He was a ‘How much weed you got on you’ type sh*t, you know what I’m saying? But I call cap off that, Joe. Show me the receipts, Fat Joe.”
Fat Joe, for his part, previously shared in a 2023 interview that he and Biggie recorded several songs that were ultimately shelved—possibly destroyed—because the lyrics included disses toward 2Pac. With both icons later dying in the midst of their feud, Joe claims he chose to scrap the recordings out of respect.
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“We made a bunch of songs, y’know what I’m sayin’?” Joe said. “But it was like really disrespectful and hateful and so [Biggie] died and 2Pac died. They might have burnt them sh*ts, to be honest with you, ’cause you know, it was distasteful after the fact.”
While fans would undoubtedly love to hear unreleased music from the legendary Brooklyn emcee, Rivera’s remarks have now added fuel to the fire of uncertainty—and cast a long shadow over the legitimacy of Joe’s bold claims.
Watch Lance “Un” Rivera speak on Fat Joe’s alleged album with Biggie below.