Today, the legendary Terror Squad emcee Fat Joe celebrates his fiftieth birthday. In honor of the major milestone, it feels fitting to revisit one of Joey Crack's many triumphant moments -- taking a classic single, arguably the biggest of his career, and giving it new life with an epic remix. For the second coming of "Lean Back," Joe enlisted Mase, Eminem, Remy Ma, and Lil Jon. A random assortment of characters, especially when you consider who is producing the cut, but one that still manages to work quite nicely -- even if it doesn't strike the same imposing chord as the original.
Given the lyrical pedigree of those involved, one might have thought "Lean Back" remix would be heavy on the bars. In reality, Mase, Em, and Remy understand that the goal is to craft a club banger, dialing it back and shifting focus on their respective flow schemes. As Joe once revealed, Eminem actually sent him thirty takes of his verse, all of which featured different nuances to the performance. That's not to say each rapper isn't spitting, but it's one of those posse cuts that shine as the sum of its parts, rather than on the individual merit of a single standout emcee. Be sure to check this one out, and show some love to Fat Joe for hitting that big five-oh in style.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
The model from White America
Then Joe, the spokesperson for the Latino
Then we got Mase back to represent
Everything else in between
Including the percentages of the rest we don't
The best from each coast
