Fat Joe's "Lean Back" Was Allegedly Inspired By Writer Who Taught Him The Dance

BY Erika Marie 6.2K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Theo Wargo / Staff / Getty Images
Fat Joe, Remy Ma
A chance meeting apparently turned into a hit.

Sometimes random questions posed on Twitter result in interesting stories. Terror Squad's "Lean Back" is a hip hop classic that's had clubs around the world leaning for the last 15 years, but a woman on social media claims that her happenstance meeting with Fat Joe was the inspiration behind the track. Someone asked the Twitter public to "Tweet your most random music fact," and writer Bee Quammie stated she was the reason "Lean Back" now exists.

"I snuck into a Club Bed in Miami when I was underage, was dancing during the reggae set, and Fat Joe asked me to teach him the dance I was doing," Bee wrote. "It was the Rockaway, and he recorded Lean Back the next week. I had told my brother about meeting Fat Joe, then literally a week later he told me he had something to play for me. He had downloaded Lean Back off Napster 😭😭😭."

She was never credited for teaching Joe the Rockaway, but she did say that she "pulled every Vibe/The Source/XXL I could find hoping for a mention but he apparently shouted out 'the girl from Toronto' on 106 & Park when they asked him about the dance move LOL." Bee added, "LOL it was such a random night. Joe was so nice and we took a bunch of pics. Timbaland was there too but he wanted no parts of a picture with me 😭." When someone told her that Fat Joe owes her money for taking the dance, she said it's bigger than her. "He owes Jamaica money! I remember this cause I was a kid and Jamaicans were furious and I think a few artists made songs about it too 😂😂😩😩."

People commented that the impact she made is astronomical, but Bee just said, "I don't know if he would even remember that night but he was so nice in the club that just teaching him dances was fun enough. The song was extra LOL." Check out her tweets below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

Comments 2
Page was generated in 0.071502923965454