During an Instagram Live chat with the 'Only U' singer, the 'Make It Rain' rapper confesses that record boss Irv Gotti and frequent collaborator Ja Rule wanted the Latin singer.
- May 18, 2020
AceShowbiz - R&B star Ashanti was almost replaced on Fat Joe's 2001 hit "What's Luv?" by Jennifer Lopez, according to the rapper himself.
The hip-hop heavyweight shared the news in an Instagram Live chat with Ashanti on Friday, May 15, revealing her Murder Inc Records boss Irv Gotti and frequent collaborator Ja Rule had initially pitched him the idea of having J.Lo record over the "Baby" singer's demo vocals.
Recalling how the track came about, Fat Joe said, "Irv and Ja had called me, and they woke me up (at) like three in the morning, and they say, 'Yo, come down (to the studio), we made a song for you'."
"I go to the studio, it was like four in the morning. They played What's Luv? and you on it. And they was telling me, 'Yo, this is for you and J.Lo. We want the Latinos on this (sic)'."
Clearly stunned by the revelation, Ashanti was featured mouthing, "What?".
"That's a fact," the MC confirmed, as she remarked, "Yo, I never knew that."
Fat Joe ended up fighting to keep Ashanti on the tune, which became a massive hit and earned the pair a Grammy Award nomination.
He added, "I was like, 'Yo, J.Lo? She (Ashanti) sound amazing on here.' I was like, 'Nah, we leaving her there (sic).'"
"D**n," commented a shocked Ashanti.
