Fat Joe's 3 Kids: All About His Sons and Daughter (and Why They Think the Iconic Rapper Is ‘Old School’)

When he’s performing, Joseph Antonio Cartagena is better known by his stage name, Fat Joe, but to his three kids, he’s just “dad.”

The rapper became a father for the first time in 1990 with the birth of his son, Joey. After he was born with Down syndrome and diagnosed with autism, Joey’s biological mother left the family and Fat Joe raised his son with the help of his own parents.

A few years later, he welcomed a second son, Ryan, in 1995 from a past relationship. The same year, Fat Joe married his wife, Lorena Cartagena, and they later announced the birth of their daughter, Azariah, in 2006.

Over the years, Fat Joe has spoken about his fatherhood journey and expressed his gratitude for his sons and daughter.

"I’m so blessed to be a father to three amazing children," he wrote in a Father’s Day message on Instagram in 2021. “Every man has a different circumstance, but the most important part of fatherhood is showing up.”

Here’s everything to know about Fat Joe’s kids: Joey, Ryan and Azariah.

Joey Cartagena, 34

Fat Joe welcomed his oldest child, son Joey Cartagena, on Dec. 15, 1990, when he was just 19 years old.

“That was the scariest moment of my life,” he told HipHopDX in 2022 about becoming a dad. “It was scary. I was just a kid myself. I had just got my record deal. I didn’t even have a song out. It was just really, really scary to be so young and have so much responsibility, so that was my initial response.”

His own youth wasn’t the only challenge, though. Joey was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth, and because of that, his biological mother wanted to “give him up for adoption.” Fat Joe’s mom, however, didn't want to lose her grandson, so Fat Joe raised his son alone with the help of his parents.

During an October 2024 interview on the Club Shay Shay podcast, the "All the Way Up" artist shared that Joey, who is also diagnosed with autism, is his “biggest blessing” despite the difficulties that have come with raising a special needs child.

“This guy is happy. I swear to God, he’s always happy. He’s never sad,” Fat Joe said. “He’s happy and he does what he wants. He gets what he wants. He’s the Don.”

The rapper also referred to his older son as “the Don of the family” during an appearance on The View in November 2022.

“He inspires me. He's such a blessing in our life, he's almost like an angel,” he explained. “It's the gift that keeps giving, little Joey, and I'm so proud of him.”

Ryan Cartagena, 30

Fat Joe’s second son, Ryan Cartagena, was born on Jan. 19, 1995.

While Fat Joe hasn't revealed the identity of Ryan's mom, the rapper mentioned her in his 2022 memoir, The Book of Jose, writing, “Ryan’s mom has been active in his life, and me and her remain cool.” Over the years, Ryan has posted a few photos and tributes to her on Instagram.

Fat Joe explained that by the time Ryan was born, he’d found success in his career, meaning he could provide for Ryan and his mother. “I always did my best to take care of them,” he wrote.

In his early life, Ryan primarily lived with his mom, but eventually he came to live with his dad instead. “When Ryan was around ten years old, I moved him down to Miami with me and my wife, Lorena. We’ve raised him since then,” Fat Joe shared.

The rapper described his younger son as being “a good kid with a 97 average in school” in a June 2010 interview with Xappeal. However, he also referred to Ryan as somewhat rebellious at times, saying, “But I have to stay strict with him.”

Despite his career in the music industry, Fat Joe admitted that he didn’t want his kids to follow in his footsteps, emphasizing the importance of college.

“I want them to go to school to get a great education and be a doctor, lawyer or whatever the biggest, most positive dream for a parent is, that’s what I want,” he said. “I technically don’t want my son to be a rapper. He wants to rap but I would like it better if he did something else.”

Since then, the “Lean Back” singer has touched on how challenging the entertainment industry can be. While it might seem like Fat Joe’s successful rap career could help pave the way for his son, he told HipHopDX that he sees it as more of an obstacle than anything else, explaining that the public would undoubtedly compare Ryan with his famous father.

“I don’t like [my kids] to have that type of pressure on them,” he said.

Still, Ryan’s interest in hip-hop has never wavered. In 2019, he appeared alongside his father on the reality TV show Growing Up Hip Hop: New York where he opened up about being an aspiring rapper. “My father wants me to work at [the shoe store he owns, UP NYC],” he said. “There’s a plan B if I don’t make it in rapping, but music is where my heart is.”

Referring to his dad as “old-school,” Ryan noted that he went to college to make him happy. According to his LinkedIn, he graduated from Full Sail University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in entertainment business management.

As far as music, Ryan, who goes by the stage name RySoValid, has continued to pursue a rap career of his own. In 2016, he collaborated with his dad and rapper Remy Ma on their song “Cookin,” which also featured French Montana.

Azariah Cartagena, 18

On May 4, 2006, Fat Joe welcomed his youngest child and his only daughter, Azariah Cartagena, with his wife, Lorena.

In his 2022 memoir, The Book of Jose, Fat Joe revealed that Azariah, whom he affectionately calls “Azzy,” was conceived while he and Lorena were on vacation in Jamaica. “To this day, she loves reggae music,” he wrote.

Fat Joe and Lorena tied the knot 10 years earlier, in 1995, but Azzy was still a “surprise” for the couple. In fact, the rapper shared that he “was nervous” when he found out they were expecting, writing, “I hadn’t had a kid in years.”

Having a girl turned out to be a different experience for Fat Joe. “It’s the greatest, there’s nothing better than having a daughter,” he told Xappeal in 2010. “She’s just the cutest thing, she runs me and the whole house. She orders her older brothers around and it’s crazy!”

In 2020, Fat Joe began to transition from rapper to media personality when he launched The Fat Joe Show, a nightly Instagram Live talk show where he interviewed high-profile guests in entertainment, politics and more, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, Jamie Foxx and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. That led to even more opportunities for the “What's Luv?” rapper, such as hosting the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards and his weekly interview series, Fat Joe Talks.

Speaking to The Washington Post in November 2022, Fat Joe explained that Azariah was behind his pivot to talk show host.

“Covid came. I was terrified. I’m prediabetic so I was scared to catch it. I stayed at home for a year and four months, just me, my wife and my daughter. And my daughter one day said, ‘Hey Dad, you should go on [Instagram] Live.’ I didn’t even know what it was,” he recalled.

He decided to give it a try, though, and to his surprise, “thousands of people” came to watch him on Instagram Live. “Then the next day, my daughter was like, ‘Why don’t you do it again?’ And by the third, fourth day it became like an Instagram TV show,” Fat Joe added.

Although doing a nightly social media talk show takes a lot of work, unlike his rap career, it’s something he can do while still spending time with his family.

“My daughter’s the executive producer,” he told Business Insider in March 2021. “She’s 14. She’s excited about it ... and it gives me a sense of pride. And I like that she inspires ... young kids ... and [lets] them know they could be bosses."

Azariah turned 18 in May 2024, and Fat Joe celebrated the milestone with a sweet Instagram post.

“The love of my life, it was love at first sight,” he wrote. “It’s hard to believe 18 years went by like that. Your such a thoughtful and loving daughter, we did it all dance class going to plays everything i had to do to make you happy. Me and mom love you to the moon and back you will always be our baby.”

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