Rapper Fat Joe has no intention of changing his stage name after slimming down by more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms) - insisting he'll always be "fat at heart".
The Lean Back hitmaker's portly frame earned him his rap moniker when he was young, but he recently underwent a drastic diet overhaul to help him shed the excess weight.
Now the star, who openly admits he's "addicted to food", has managed to get his weight down to 260 pounds (117.9 kilograms), but he's dismissed speculation he's set to adopt a new stage persona to reflect his new figure.
He tells WENN, "So far so good, I'm Fat Joe. I'm fat at heart.
"Let me tell you something: I love being fat; I love eating. If statistics could've said you could be a thousand pounds but be healthy, I woulda done it! But because they're saying if you're overweight and you're not active, you're gonna get a heart attack and die... I really wish I could eat the whole (of) Baskin Robbins (ice cream); I really wish I could go and eat 30 Big MACs. Done! Done! But I don't wanna die, so I'm trying to eat right."
Fat Joe admits his lifestyle change has made him more active onstage - but he's still the "same old Joe".
He says, "My stamina, everything, there's so much more energy at the show, so much more, so it's a huge difference. And the fans, they get to appreciate that. I know they looking at me at the show because even though I was always the big guy with energy I know they looking at me like, 'Damn, this guy's all over the place! He's really got energy.'
"It's definitely a new me, but it's the same old Joe as well."