Overview

• On Joe and Jada, Fat Joe said he approached Bruno Mars at an awards show after waiting about 15 years to meet him.
• He recounted asking whether Mars was Puerto Rican and said Mars stood up, declared he was a “real Puerto Rican from Bushwick, Brooklyn,” and left the area upset.
• Fat Joe said he was excited to meet Mars and wasn’t challenging him, adding the exchange “broke” his heart.
• He told listeners he forgives Mars and joked that perhaps a past run‑in with Mars’ father could explain the reaction.
• Reports note Mars was born in Honolulu and that his father is of Puerto Rican and Jewish descent from Brooklyn, and Billboard said Mars’ representatives did not respond to a request for comment.