Fat Joe had Stephen Jackson followed to keep him 'straight' as a rookie

Stephen Jackson shared a number of great stories on a recent episode of The Truehoop Podcast, including how rapper Fat Joe was determined to keep him out of trouble during his rookie season with the New Jersey Nets.

The veteran forward said he'd be out shopping in New York or at the club and see the same three Puerto Rican guys following him. Naturally, he became concerned.

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"I'm telling my best friend, 'Man, I don't know if they're following us or not,'" Jackson said, according to Complex.

Jackson decided to confront the men toward the end of the season and ask them why he kept seeing them everywhere he went. As it turns out, they were working for Fat Joe.

"Joe had these three guys following me to make sure I was straight the whole season," Jackson said. "I'm talking, if I was coming out of church, they was at the end of the corner. That's when I realized it's only one real mafia boss in the rap game and that's Fat Joe."