On this date in 1998, Terror Squad normal Fats Joe launched his third full size album Don Cartagena on the Atlantic/Large Beat/Terror Squad imprint.
On his first “official” launch of Terror Squad as a crew and label, Fats Joe garnered the help from his then TS crew Armageddon, Triple Seis, Cuban Hyperlink and new recruit standout Large Punisher to tug collectively a superstar-laden album that will catapult TS to an equal degree of success. With Pun’s nearly in a single day stardom from the smash single “Nonetheless Not A Participant”, it gave Joe the leeway to herald the remainder of the crew sans Remy Ma, who was in Bedford Hill Correctional Facility. Singles resembling “Wager Ya Man Can’t (Triz)” and “The Hidden Hand” left followers in search of that Terror Squad album with the unique forged members, however inside strife solely allowed these tracks to deliver these ideas into fruition. The true album function was after all the Ski-produced “John Blaze”, which featured Nas, Jadakiss, Raekwon and Pun, continues to be thought of one of many biggest joint tracks ever laid.
The album’s business success mirrored the response from the followers, being Joe’s first prime ten Billboard 200 launch, grabbing a A- from EW and promoting 100,000 in its first week was proper in line of the considering of The Don. Inside a month, Don Cartagena was licensed gold by the RIAA.
Salute to Joe, Pun(RIP), all the unique Terror Squad, Simply Blaze, Dame Grease, Preemo and everybody else concerned within the making of this Hip Hop traditional!
