They're hardcore rappers, best friends, South Bronx natives, Puerto Rican, um, large -- in both senses of the word -- and they call themselves "twinz." Fat Joe and his platinum protege Big Punisher have a lot in common, but Joe's game plan for their albums is no carbon copy.

"It's a beautiful thing that Pun hit the commercial and pop arena, that's every rapper's dream," says Fat Joe of his close friend Big Punisher, whose infectious remixed single "Still Not a Player," (featuring R&B crooner JOE) dominated R&B and crossover radio all summer. "People yell 'keep it real' and this and that, but everyone wants to be a superstar." And thanks in large part to Fat Joe, who manages Pun and executive produced much of his album, Capital Punishment, Pun has sold over a million copies since its April debut.

Nevertheless, when it came to releasing his own new third album, Don Cartagena, Fat Joe himself stuck to the "keep it real" route. Instead of enticing fans with a hook-filled single a year before the album dropped -- which is what catapulted Pun's album sales through the roof -- Joe chose "Don Cartagena," a hardcore track that went to radio three weeks before the album was in stores.

"Pun is a first-time artist," explains Joe. "In the hip-hop world, everybody jumps on the new guy, but he never had a fan base that he had to answer to. I did two albums [that were] primarily hardcore hip-hop and with my first song I had to just keep it real with my 300,000 fans who've been supporting me from day one." With one small concession to the mainstream. "I put Puffy on the chorus to give it the one little [bit of] commercial appeal it does have."

Out for a month, Don Cartagena has gone gold, and Joe's shooting for platinum-plus sales. While his first single was a big kiss to his devoted fans, Joe says his second single, "Bet Ya Man Can't," has the crossover vibe. "It's still street, still ghetto, but at the same time it's got that party appeal to it," he says.

As for their styles, Joe says "I'm more like the Don, I demand respect, I'm more of a leader. People see reality through my rap. If I say something on a record, people believe it." Aside from Pun's unstoppable breath control, Joe says Pun is a deeper rapper than him. "I'm much more simple and straight to the point. I would say 'f--- the police' and he would say 'off with the heads of the king's men in their blues shields and armor.' With him you hear it and a month later you're like 'yo, that nigga's crazy.'"

On a decidedly less insane note, just before embarking on his twenty seven-city tour which begins Oct. 8, Fat Joe organized a benefit for survivors of Hurricane Georges. "The hurricane destroyed a lot of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Santa Domingo and Haiti, and I felt that there was a need for us to raise money and show awareness that our peoples back home mean a lot to us," says Joe. The $1,000-per-head and $10,000-per-table dinner at Jimmy's Bronx Cafe featured performances by Fat Joe, Big Punisher, Cam'ron, Lord Tariq, and Peter Gunz. Proceeds will be distributed evenly between Puerto Rico, Santa Domingo, and Haiti.

TIARRA MUKHERJEE