Fat Joe is recalling one of the most frightening moments of his international touring career, claiming that he was once invited to shoot rockets with members of the Taliban while visiting Lebanon.
The Bronx rapper shared the wild story during the December 2 episode of the Joe and Jada podcast, where he, Jadakiss, and special guest Bill Bellamy discussed the unexpected situations that can come with performing overseas. According to Fat Joe, what began as a regular night performing in Lebanon quickly turned into a situation that made him and his team fear for their safety.
“I was in Lebanon,” Joe said, explaining that he had just finished performing and returned to his hotel. “I do a show in Lebanon, it’s so incredible. I come back to this hotel, and when I come back, three guys stand up like synchronized swimming.”
Joe said the men approached him and told him that “the guys” wanted to see him. When he asked who they were referring to, the answer immediately set off alarms.
“‘The guys, they wanna shoot rockets with you,’” Joe recalled them say8ing. “‘The Taliban, they love you.’”
Joe admitted that the moment instantly terrified him: “My asshole got this tight, okay,” he joked, before making it clear he had no intention of entertaining the invitation.
Joe said the situation felt very dangerous.
“I met the Taliban, it’s no fucking bullshit,” he said. “The real Taliban came through and was like, ‘Yo, shoot rockets?’”
Joe said he rushed upstairs, packed his bags as fast as possible, and fled to the airport in the middle of the night to put distance between himself and the situation. However, even getting to the airport didn’t immediately bring relief.
“I went to the airport like 1 in the morning. This shit ain’t take off until 10 in the fucking morning,” Joe said. “We stood in the airport overnight just shook to death.”
Joe did not say what year the story happened. But he has indeed performed in Lebanon multiple times, including performances at Pier 7 nightclub in Beirut in 2011 and 2012.