Fat Joe aka Joey Crack. Rap legend with over thirty years in the game, with multiple hits under his name, actor, and lover of sports with a brand new title to match—Streetball Commissioner. The Streetball Commissioner of ClashTV to be exact. Right in line with the on-going celebration of Hip Hop's 50th anniversary, it was recently announced that Fat Joe is joining the ClashTV team and investing in the platform as its first official ‘Streetball Commissioner.' In this role, Fat Joe will be providing his years of experience in both entertainment and sports to serve as a creative advisor. We caught up with the legendary rapper to hear a bit about the emergence of the platform, his lifelong involvement in streetball and the 50th anniversary of hip hop.
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Fat Joe on the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop and Becoming Streetball Commissioner of ClashTV
We sat down with the legend
So what exactly is ClashTV and why should it be something on every sports fans radar?
To answer that question, ClashTV is an interactive live-streaming digital platform built to connect fans with the content and culture they are most passionate about.
ClashTV allows their audience to view live-streamed and VOD content, vote or clap for what they're watching, chat on-screen with other fans, purchase merchandise, take part in quizzes, promotional giveaways, and more. Oh, and they've got loads of cool partnerships to their name as well including AND1, and a recently announced multi-year partnership agreement with the Drew Women’s League.
Fat Joe is the latest big name on board for ClashTV, and it's a role he's unexpectedly been preparing for since the 2000s.
I’ve always been a huge streetball fan and supporter [...] I became the winningest coach in Rucker Park history, so it’s a personal passion of mine.
- Fat Joe
"I’ve always been a huge streetball fan and supporter. While I was dropping 'What’s Luv' and 'Lean Back,'" the rapper tells ONE37pm adding: "I was also coaching at the Rucker every summer and bringing the biggest NBA superstars to play. I became the winningest coach in Rucker Park history, so it’s a personal passion of mine. When the ClashTV team approached me about working together, it just felt like a natural fit and a great opportunity to use my experiences to elevate the culture of streetball and create a new era for a new generation."
A new era it is, one that will see Joe operating in a big role. We followed up by asking him what we can expect from him as Streetball Commissioner. "I also have an ownership stake in ClashTV, so I’ll be playing different positions with the organization. I’ll be providing creative direction, sharing perspectives on content, and using my resources to help bring streetball, music, entertainment, fashion, and media together like never before."
More and more sports are moving to DTC; we are going to grow with the market on an exponential basis and go from the leader in streetball to the leader in high-passion sports streaming.
- Jonathan Anastas
In 2023, there's no shortage of media platforms that are in business. According to Jonathan Anastas, CEO of ClashTV, the main thing that separates ClashTV from the pack is the fact that they are the owners of streetball. "ClashTV’s unique marketplace position is that we own Streetball," Anastas tell us. "We have 15+ leagues and 800 live games in 2023; no one else comes close to this volume of streetball. Sports is moving from linear to streaming, moving to DTC. We are at the forefront of that disruption.
More and more sports are moving to DTC; we are going to grow with the market on an exponential basis and go from the leader in streetball to the leader in high-passion sports streaming."
It’s a movement that’s going to appeal to streetball fans of all ages and backgrounds.
- Fat Joe
Joe agrees adding, "ClashTV isn’t your average platform. It’s designed to bring fans, creators, and athletes across the country together to engage with streetball in a powerful way. We’re going to have a SportsCenter-style recap show to highlight the country’s best streetball talent, and we’re providing a platform to showcase the women’s league. We want the youth to enjoy streetball through streaming and social media platforms but still give you the streetball feel that shaped past generations. It’s a movement that’s going to appeal to streetball fans of all ages and backgrounds."
Obviously we couldn't leave thee Fat Joe without asking about the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, and how he plans on incorporating the celebrations into ClashTV, to which the rap legend told us there's going to be some surprises in store. "ClashTV wants to bring together all the streetball leagues across the country, so I’m definitely going to have some of my peers and my brothers in the hip-hop community come through, support and help us reach that goal."
He continued: "the culture will be represented with ClashTV because it’s part of our DNA and the platform wouldn’t exist without the opportunities that hip-hop created. It’s just a blessing to be part of the team and I’m grateful that hip-hop opened doors for me to pivot and build brands outside of the music industry."
You can continue to keep up with all things ClashTV and Fat Joe via Instagram.
