Fat Joe's "Lean Back" Was Allegedly Inspired By Writer Who Taught Him The Dance

BYErika Marie6.8K Views
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Fat Joe, Remy Ma

A chance meeting apparently turned into a hit.

Sometimes random questions posed on Twitter result in interesting stories. Terror Squad's "Lean Back" is a hip hop classic that's had clubs around the world leaning for the last 15 years, but a woman on social media claims that her happenstance meeting with Fat Joe was the inspiration behind the track. Someone asked the Twitter public to "Tweet your most random music fact," and writer Bee Quammie stated she was the reason "Lean Back" now exists.

"I snuck into a Club Bed in Miami when I was underage, was dancing during the reggae set, and Fat Joe asked me to teach him the dance I was doing," Bee wrote. "It was the Rockaway, and he recorded Lean Back the next week. I had told my brother about meeting Fat Joe, then literally a week later he told me he had something to play for me. He had downloaded Lean Back off Napster 😭😭😭."

She was never credited for teaching Joe the Rockaway, but she did say that she "pulled every Vibe/The Source/XXL I could find hoping for a mention but he apparently shouted out 'the girl from Toronto' on 106 & Park when they asked him about the dance move LOL." Bee added, "LOL it was such a random night. Joe was so nice and we took a bunch of pics. Timbaland was there too but he wanted no parts of a picture with me 😭." When someone told her that Fat Joe owes her money for taking the dance, she said it's bigger than her. "He owes Jamaica money! I remember this cause I was a kid and Jamaicans were furious and I think a few artists made songs about it too 😂😂😩😩."

People commented that the impact she made is astronomical, but Bee just said, "I don't know if he would even remember that night but he was so nice in the club that just teaching him dances was fun enough. The song was extra LOL." Check out her tweets below.


About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.