by SCOTT C

Fat Joe has come a long way since people used to call him Joey Crack. The Bronx native has been making his contributions to hip hop since his debut LP Represent came out back in good ol' 1993. Remember "Flow Joe," "Shit Is Real" and "Watch the Sound"? Joe's young New York gangsta flow and block-approved lyrical style got unanimous support from the legendary hip hop circle known as DITC (Diggin in the Crates), and joined AG, Lord Finesse, Big L, Buckwild, Diamond D, O.C. and Showbiz as an honorary member. He also got the nod of approval from friends like the Beatnuts, KRS One and DJ Premier, the latter of whom regularly blessed him with great beats. Joe's success in the game allowed him to shine the light on his own people, including Big Pun (R.I.P.), and the original Terror Squad (Cuban Link, Armageddon, Triple Seis and Prospect). The crew changed a bit following the death of Pun in 2000, dropping Seis and Cuban Link for Fat Joe's battle-champ protégé Remy Ma, R&B singer Tony Sunshine and original members Prospect and Armageddon. Although Terror Squad definitely had their breakthrough year with 2004's big tune "Lean Back" and the accompanying LP True Stories, I would have liked to have seen Pun in the mix in 2005. You can catch Fat Joe and Terror Squad tonight at Club Dome, 8 p.m., $40.

Even more good causes to get you open! Saturday, Jan. 22, is the night for Clubbers Care 2, when B'ugo's Boudoir over at the Parking Pub tries to raise some money for CECI (Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation) and our friends on the other side of the world. Seven DJs playing 45-minute sets for a mere $5 is all you need to know. Talent on hand will include B'ugo, Jan Pienkowski, Misayo, Simon B, Miss Molly, DAV, Michael Terzian and DJ Bear. Meanwhile, uptown on the very same night, Andy Williams and I team up with CKUT 90.3 FM's WeFunk DJs, Professor Groove and DJ Static, for a special installment of the Goods. Dig Deep! is a benefit party with proceeds going to Oxfam Canada, so that the people who need help get it. In addition, a benefit for Initiative Sunrise Lanka put on by QPIRG-McGill on Sunday, Jan. 30, aims to help out too, with a stacked lineup coming together for another great cause. The party happens at le Divan Orange and starts at 8 p.m. People donating their time include Nomadic Massive, Soul-Soul Sessionistas, Kaie Kellough, DJ Kobal, Moonstarr, DJ Tashish, Claudio Marzano and more. For more info on Initiative Sunrise Lanka or QPIRG-McGill, contact Samira Rahmani at 398-7432 or Tasha Anestopoulos at tashish@sympatico.ca. Lastly, check out edible, incredible DJ Killa Jewel as she hangs 'em out to dry this Friday, Jan. 21 at Bustin' Loose over at Blizzarts with DJ Kobal.

Ron Reusch, king of late night... fathead@videotron.ca

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