Fat Joe Prepares For "Dark" Days Ahead, New Album Hits Stores Today

Terror Squad leader Fat Joe has already announced plans to prepare follow-ups to his new album, The Darkside, Volume 1, which hit stores today.

Joe believes his new album can spark a line of albums and ultimately become its own brand.

"The Darkside, Vol. 2, we already started the intro," Joe said in an interview. "We're just trying to make The Darkside its own brand. It's Fat Joe, but it's The Darkside. We come with Vol. 2, make it crazier than Vol. 1, by the time Vol. 3 come, we got a problem on our hands...Your man Raekwon, without a radio single, banged out numbers on that Purple Tape [a.k.a. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. II] because that was already an established classic. It was a brand itself. People knew 'I gotta hear that next album.'"

DJ Premier is one of many producers whose signature sound is featured on the hip-hop heavyweight's new solo project.

"Speaking of Fat Joe, I'm on his new album," Preemo recently told radio personality Tim Westwood. "He called me and said 'Preem, this album is straight gutta' so I gave him a nice little nasty head-nodding evil Premier joint. Be ready for that. That's just the warm-up."

Joe says the album features both commercial hit records and street tracks inspired by his fans.

"This album, I just wanted to take it to the streets crazy," Joe said in an interview. "When I go on tour I see a lot of my fans that are real loyal. They all kept telling me, 'Yo, Joe we want you to come back to the hardcore.' I tried to make them happy so I just took it all the way to the dark side. I'm just trying to give 'em that balance of that real street gritty Fat Joe -- the gangsta early Fat Joe -- but at the same time who also knows how to make hit records."

Joe's latest effort follows 2009's Jealous Ones Still Envy Part II.

Terror Squad leader Fat Joe's Jealous Ones Still Envy Part II got off to a rocky start landing at No. 73 this week. With seven days to his name, Joey Crack's latest effort has sold 8,300 copies.

Check out a recent Fat Joe interview down below:

Ozone Magazine Interview with Fat Joe from ozonemag on Vimeo.

Fat Joe Explains Issues W/ Capitol Records, "They Left Me To Die"

Terror Squad leader Fat Joe recently opened up about his past issues with Capitol Records and how a difference with an executive led to the company not promoting 2009's J.O.S.E. 2.

According to Joey Crack, issues arose when a Capitol Records associate left the company.

"I had signed with Capitol through a guy named Neal Levine, but he took a promotion at Sony and left. The new guy that took over, immediately me and him didn't get alone. We had bad words with each other, so he pretty much told me, 'Yo, you are going to see how I do you!' That meant no marketing dollars behind that album...no money for videos or for a promo tour. They left me to die. But that doesn't take away from it being a good album."

Last October, Joe hinted at label problems when 50 Cent began taunting his record sales.

"I've realized something really, that, [50 Cent is] my number one fan and really loves Fat Joe," Joey told radio personality Angie Martinez. "I'm really tuned in to that, I really came to that realization that he's my number one fan because I'm a little upset at the label, I felt we could have did way more promotions, but if you didn't know Fat Joe's album was coming out today, I think he said, 'Yo, my man Joe needs this little bit of promotion man, like he's so much of a formidable opponent, that you know, I gotta keep this guy around, I gotta go promote his new album.' Absolutely. Promotions. Nah, thank-you 50, man, major promotions, you really bigged me up. Nobody was thinking about me before that, thank-you, I love you. J.O.S.E. II in stores right now."

Appearing on 50's ThisIs50 website, Fif made an ad which sarcastically promoted Joey's project last October.

"THE MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUM OF THE CENTURY" it reads. "WITH 8,800 COPIES SOLD JOE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF STOPPING." -Rolling Stone "INCLUDING SMASH HIT SINGLES LIKE "JOEY DON'T DO IT, AND CUPCAKE"

Despite low first-week sales, Crack's past effort managed to secure a spot on SoundScan.

Terror Squad leader Fat Joe's Jealous Ones Still Envy Part II got off to a rocky start landing at No. 73 this week. With seven days to his name, Joey Crack's latest effort has sold 8,300 copies.

Check out Fat Joe speaking on his record label issues below: