Fat Joe knows the difficulties of raising an autistic child first hand and he’s teamed up with Lexus to help a family facing those same difficulties.
Joey Crack — whose oldest son Joey is autistic — has been following the journey of Jillian, an autistic teen who is also a rapper and avid fan of Hip Hop. He recently pulled up to her family’s home in the Bronx to bless her with a $20,000 check on behalf of himself and Lexus, and shared footage of the surprise via Instagram.
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“I’ve been watching you, Lexus has been watching you, today’s gonna be the best day ever,” Joe tells Jillian upon meeting her. “We love what you’re doing with Hip Hop and we love that you representing the autistic community.
“My son Joey’s autistic so we’re proud how brave you are and I got a big surprise here from Lexus… really for you, but mommy’s gonna watch this one,” he continued while handing over the check.
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Joe then addressed Jillian’s mother: “We know that it’s not easy. We know you got a lot of responsibility and a lot of courage. So whatever she loves, whatever y’all wanna do and invest in, you just take the money and [know] Lexus is proud of her.”
Watch the heartfelt clip below.
A fans expressed their support in Joe’s comments, with one saluting him for giving back during the holiday season,
“This is so special,” the commenter wrote. “As a parent of a neurodivergent teen, I love this and love all your doing! Thr struggle is so real sometimes. Blessings to this family and the Lexis! As a long time Lexis fan- just amazing!”
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Joe, who has three children, referred to Joey as the “Don Of The Family” in an interview with The View last year.
“He inspires me,” the rapper said. “He’s such a blessing in our life, he’s almost like an angel. It’s the gift that keeps giving, little Joey; and I’m so proud of him.”
Fat Joe notably raised Joey as a single father with the help of his own parents; and in December 2021, reflected on that intense fatherhood journey on Joey’s birthday.
“Life is full of surprises,” he wrote. “I was just a kid at 19 years old when i had Joey. It was one of the scariest days of my life. Doctors said he wouldn’t be normal and kids like this are hard to deal with. Not once did me and my family think of giving up on Joey.”
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The Terror Squad leader added: “He’s my jr. it’s a lot of work it’s a constant sacrifice that parents make to keep their children happy and most of all safe. I’ve always kept Joey out of the limelight cause they’re bad elements out there i never wanted him exposed to.”
