Who Is Fat Joe's Wife? All About Lorena Cartagena

Fat Joe has been married to his wife Lorena Cartagena since 1995.

The rapper, whose birth name is Joseph Cartagena, began his career as a member of D.I.T.C. in 1992 — three years before he married Lorena. He went on to enjoy a solo career, originally going by the name Fat Joe da Gangsta.

The New York City-born artist has worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B, including Lil Wayne, French Montana, Ashanti and Remy Ma. He’s appeared in a number of movies too, including Happy Feet and Night School, and his wife Lorena has been with him through it all.

Joe's manager at the time, Steve Lobel, introduced the pair in Miami in the early '90s, and as Lorena and Joe both said in the 2017 documentary Unsung, it was "love at first sight."

"He introduced me to her and I was like man this girl's so beautiful, I couldn't believe it and I fell so in love with her," Joe said in the documentary. The couple got married in 1995 and have supported each other through Joe's public career and in building a blended family.

Joe and Lorena have three children: sons Joey and Ryan from Joe's previous relationships, and one daughter, Azariah, who Lorena gave birth to in 2006. Lorena often uses social media to post pictures of herself with her husband, her family and her friends.

So, who is Fat Joe’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Lorena Cartagena and her relationship with the rapper.

She married Joe in 1995

Lorena and Joe married in 1995. In the 2022 documentary series Origins of Hip-Hop, Joe reflected on his commitment to Lorena since their wedding day over 25 years ago.

“We made an oath. We said, 'No matter what comes our way, we're gonna always be together.' We live by that rule," he said. "We want to show our people that you can be a family man. You can be with your wife and still be successful and show people a great example."

She has a daughter and two stepsons with Joe

Lorena and Joe welcomed their only child together, a daughter named Azariah, on May 12, 2006. Joe also has two sons from previous relationships: Joey, who was born when Joe was 19, and Ryan, who was born in the mid-'90s.

The couple threw an N.Y.C. baby shower in 2006 to celebrate Lorena's pregnancy with Azariah, which was attended by a range of stars, including DJ Khaled, Angie Martinez, LL Cool J, Mashonda and Swizz Beatz.

Lorena has complimented Joe's parenting, too. "He is very concerned with all of his kids and he is very in tune with what's going on in their lives," she said in Unsung.

She appeared in a documentary with her husband in 2017

Joe appeared on an episode of Unsung, a documentary series profiling big-name R&B, soul and hip-hop artists, in 2017. Also profiled in the same series were Wyclef Jean, James Brown, Ice-T, Jagged Edge and SWV.

Some of Joe’s former collaborators, like 50 Cent, DJ Khaled, and Remy Ma, as well as Joe’s family, were also featured in the episode. His son Ryan and daughter Azariah both appeared, complimenting their dad on his parenting skills, while Lorena chimed in to share how the pair met and fell in love.

She shares her love for Joe on Instagram

Lorena is a frequent Instagram user and has over 245,000 followers on the social media platform. She often shares photos of her husband on her account and paid tribute to him on Father’s Day in 2023 with a series of pictures, including Joe with their children and with his own father.

"Today is your day and you earned it," Lorena wrote in the caption. "Thank you for being such a great representation of what a great father is and always making sure everyone always feels loved."

Joe has also praised his wife on Instagram, sharing photos of him and Lorena on Mother's Day. "Whatever LOLA wants LOLA gets," he wrote.

She has famous friends

Joe isn't the only one with famous friends, Lorena has plenty of celebrity buddies, too. On Instagram, she’s posted photos of herself hanging out with Alicia Keys, DJ Khaled and Mary J. Blige.

The couple also attended Jennifer Lopez’s 50th birthday party in 2019, alongside DJ Khaled and his wife, Ashanti and Lopez’s former fiancé Alex Rodriguez.

She accompanies her husband to award shows

Joe and Lorena were pictured together at the BET Hip Hop Awards in September 2022 and at an event for The Book of HOV: A Tribute Exhibition Honoring JAY-Z in July 2023.

The rapper has won or been nominated for a number of awards himself, winning an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Award in 2005 and a Billboard Latin Music Award in 2006. He’s been nominated for five Grammy Awards, two BET Awards and an MTV Video Music Award.

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