As a hip hop icon and advocate, Fat Joe will make the virtual world more inclusive of disability, race, and gender. To do that, he’ll....run in the first marathon in the metaverse?
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Wait, is Fat Joe really going to run a marathon? Like, an actual marathon? “I have an avatar in there,” Joe tells HollywoodLife when discussing his role in the Degree Metathon, the world’s first marathon in the Metaverse. The Apr. 26 event, taking place at 6 pm EDT in Decentraland, aims to raise awareness about diversity issues plaguing these virtual worlds. The event will run 26.2 virtual miles through Decentraland’s Vegas City Sports Quarter, and Joe will be among the competitors.
“That’s a whole lot, but I let my avatar do the work for me,” Joe tells HollywoodLife over Zoom. “It is just a beautiful opportunity. I always try to be ahead of the pack, to try new stuff and be involved with everything that has something to do with positivity and progression.”
Having Fat Joe as an avatar – literally – of positivity and change makes all the sense in the world. The “Lean Back” rapper has endured adversity after adversity and has come out of the other side of Hell with a positive attitude. Fat Joe looks upon the world and sees both its flaws and potential, which is the spirit he’s bringing to the metaverse with this partnership. “The way I look at the metaverse is [right now], we’re on the iPhone 1,” he says. “It’s only going to get better. It’s only going to get more technical. It’s only going to get bigger, and I’m glad to be at the forefront of it. And I thank Degree for bringing me in on this and helping me be a part of it.”