Fat Joe revealed what helped him maintain his weight and eat healthier: cutting carbs.

“We just try to eat everything with as few carbs as possible,” Joe, 54, said exclusively Us weekly while promoting the BET Hip Hop Awards on Thursday, October 10th. “So we try to stay away from the bread, pasta and rice. This is the smartest way to eat.”

Joe noted that “you still have to have carbs,” so portion control is key.

“When I had breakfast this morning I had this toast. I cut the corner, ate it and moved on,” he shared. “Normally I would have eaten the whole thing. But you know, that's what we do. We’re cutting carbs and trying to be smarter.”

The “All the Way Up” rapper shared that Ozempic, which he takes for diabetes, also helped him lose weight.

“Ozempic says you might only have two pieces of your favorite things,” he joked.

Although Joe has been on the weight loss journey for several years, he stressed that he would not change his rapper name because of his wife. Lorena Cartagena. (The couple share daughter Azariah, 18. Joe also has two sons from previous relationships.)

“My wife would kill me. “She likes it when I’m a big boy,” Joe shared Us. “She's hallucinating like I'm still the big boy. She loves this.”

While Joe was busy with his weight loss journey, he was also busy with his music career.

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“We have a single out now, I, DJ Khaled And Anittas called “Paradise”, where we try Stevie B 'Spring Love,'” Joe explained. “And I had always loved this rehearsal. … It's doing really, really well across the radio and on Spotify and stuff like that. It's beautiful. It’s one of those certain songs that you love your whole life.”

Although Joe has worked with several notable artists over the years, he discovered that there is one hip-hop artist that he would still like to work with.

“I would do a whole album with it Mary Jane Blige in a second,” he enthused.

Although Joe is a big fan of Blige (53), he's really into it too Jelly rolls Music – although he has no plans to move to the country any time soon.

“I love jelly rolls. “I don’t know enough about country to make a country record, but I listen to Jelly Roll – especially when I’m flying because it’s so godlike and so inspiring,” he explained. “I like it when he gets me through the turmoil. Jelly Roll, his life story, everything he went through is amazing.”

Although he appreciates country, Joe is still dedicated to rap and is even hosting the BET Hip Hop Awards this year, airing on Tuesday, October 15th.

“It's in the culture, you know, and it's one of the few times we get to see our camaraderie and connect with other artists that we love,” he enthused. “Whether they’re the OGs or the youngest ones who smoke and represent the culture. My whole life is built on this. So it’s a great honor to host.”

Joe noted that he “loves” all the new up-and-coming rappers because he has “been there.”

“So when I watch him, I think, 'Okay, he's going to evolve.' He will reinforce it.' I was there, you know?” Joe told it Us. “And so the game is constantly evolving. … I’m always impressed by what they do, how they think. And then, you know, I got my own unique style that I bring to it.”

The 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards, hosted by Fat Joe, airs Tuesday, October 15th at 8pm ET on BET.

With reporting by Travis Cronin