IN TODAY’S TABLOID-DRIVEN WORLD, STARS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE AN “IMAGE,” A “PERSONA,” AND A MARKETABLE “STORY” THE PUBLIC CAN LATCH ON TO. FABOLOUS JUST WANTS TO MAKE RECORDS. WHAT’S A RAPPER TO DO? WORDS THOMAS GOLIANOPOULOS IMAGES CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE 413- 5- 078 XXL MAGAZINE MAY 2007 t’s gotten to that point in the eve- That fan base, however, has never been it) and, finally, not “pushing” the video for “Do ning when someone suggests a clearly defined. Fab has spent his six-year ca- the Damn Thing,” which Fabolous shot out of strip-club run. It usually happens reer straddling the line between teenybopper his own pocket for $30,000. (That song, inci- once the bill is paid, the bottles are pinup and serious street MC—rapping candy dentally, gave an as-yet-unheralded Atlanta empty and the conversation has pe- on R&B collabos for high school girls (“Can’t rapper named Young Jeezy his first major-la- tered out. Tonight, it doesn’t get past Let You Go” with Lil’ Mo), while spitting gris- bel exposure.) the idea stage, which is probably tle for hard-rock hip-hop heads (“Keepin’ It While he accepts some blame for the fall- a good thing. “I want to lay down,” Gangsta” with Styles and Jadakiss). His ver- off (poor album cover, his choice), Fab “want- says Fabolous, who, minutes earlier, satility, in this sense, has hurt him. ed to get away from that system.” In early was the guy making the proposition. Compounding the matter, Fab has intima- 2006, he was let out of his contract and of- He’s now rubbing his belly like a preg- cy issues, lyricswise. He keeps his listeners at ficially signed with Def Jam Records, after a nant woman. “The food and the wine arm’s length. Yeah, there was “One Day” on de facto trade that sent Def Jam R&B singer got me in lay-down mode. If I’m not at a his debut, Ghetto Fabolous, where he rhymed Musiq to Atlantic. party, all drinks make me sleepy.” about the risks of hustling and the price of fame, So it’s a new day. But Fab knows his album Fabolous spent the last three hours but he’s never really bared his soul on a record. From Nothin’ to Something is entering an in- in the wine cellar, which doubles as the He’s never made a “Cleaning Out My Closet” dustry environment significantly different from VIP room, of Philippe, a posh Midtown or a “Regrets” or a “Many Men (Wish Death).” the one Real Talk was released into. Younger Manhattan restaurant, entertaining his He’s not that type of artist. “I just don’t get per- artists like Jeezy, T.I. and Lil Wayne have been party of eight. And Fab was entertain- sonal on a lot of my records,” he says. “You see anointed rap’s new superstars—a position ing. He played pranks (sharing his how Eminem makes a song about his mom? once seemingly reserved for Fabolous. appetizer, squab, with friends— I don’t make personal music. I just try to make “I’m not bitter about it at all,” he says. “I only to inform them, after they’d declared it entertaining music... My personal story isn’t don’t feel like they are in my lane. If it was some- delicious, that squab is pigeon). He told sto- mundane, but it’s not spectacular. Everybody body who made music exactly how I made mu- ries (reminiscing about teenage days spent at don’t want to hear your personal story.” sic, I would be like, ‘Okay, I dropped the ball. Brooklyn’s Empire Skating rink). He cracked That’s debatable. There’s a reason why Someone put the jersey on and stole my spot.’” jokes. (When asked if he owns a pair of those MySpace, Facebook and blogs are so pop- Rather, Fab’s confident that his new album $15 sneakers endorsed by New York Knick ular: In 2007, people want to know every- will elevate him to that realm. It’s crammed with Stephon Marbury, he said, “Hip-hop ain’t dead thing about everyone. Especially their favor- potential singles and features such currently like that. I ain’t doing that bad.”) Fully in his ele- ite rap stars. During our interviews, Fabolous bankable guests as Ne-Yo, Rihanna and Akon. ment, he was the life of the party. frequently censors himself. Anecdotes about “I still feel like I have the chance to peak,” If only the public could have seen it. his family are preceded by, “This is off the re- he says. “I don’t know how long you have Fabolous has a bit of an image problem. cord.” An admission to a recent two-year-long that chance. But there comes a time when Actually, the problem is that he doesn’t have relationship is followed by, “I don’t want to let your shit is over. If you don’t do it in a certain much of an image. There are no shocking sto- this personal stuff [be the focus of the article].” amount of time, you lose it. There is a win- ries from his past. He doesn’t have a captivat- Even his age is confidential. Sort of. (“We can dow. And then the game moves on.” ing presence. He’s not controversial. His real say late, late 20s,” he says with a smile.) But Is that window closing for Fabolous? name is John Jackson, for Pete’s sake. He’s he realizes he has to make concessions. “In “Nope. If you make that connection and just a regular guy from Brooklyn who raps re- the last two years, I’ve grown a lot,” he says. make good music, then your window is still ally well and makes good music. Sometimes “I’ve started to notice that you have to let peo- open. I just want to make the connection great music. (His 2004 single “Breathe” is ple see who you are as a person.” with the people. They know I make good one of the best displays of pure mic skills in music...‘Breathe’ did a lot for me as an artist. It recent memory.) Unfortunately, that might not Like a lot of lessons, it was learned the hard may not have done a lot for me saleswise. Real be enough. “It used to be just about the re- way. Fabolous is opening up to the idea of Talk may have been a warm-up to this record. cords,” says Fab. “Now, you have to make opening up, in part because, while both I learned a good lesson: It’s more than just that connection imagewise, with charisma Ghetto Fabolous and 2003’s Street Dreams music. We are in a different era in hip-hop.” and personality. People have to buy into your were certified platinum, his last album, 2004’s brand… It’s a little stranger.” Real Talk, barely scraped past gold. He faults Some things, though, like senseless vio- “There are some artists who make that his former label, Atlantic Records, for various lence, are still prevalent. On Monday, Oct. 16, ENTE AM connection,” he continues. “I think I’m one mistakes: coming too early with “Breathe” 2006, Fabolous went to a friend’s birthday UST of those artists where you don’t hate me, but as a lead single, not servicing the follow-up party at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ restaurant, B ILY people aren’t waving the flag like, ‘I fuck with (“Baby”) until weeks after the album’s release, Justin’s. The place was pretty crowded. Monday : EM Fab. I like Fab’s shit.’ They do like it. I mean, not releasing the Neptunes-produced “Tit 4 Night Football was on the wide-screens. After TYLIST I have a fan base.” Tat” as a single (though they shot a video for a few drinks, shortly after midnight, Fabolous S ©8-784-):-6¬<?)>16/ <0-.4)/413-«1.& 3?1<0 .)*1413-.)*¬;;0 <¬ª 080 XXL MAGAZINE MAY 2007 XXL MAGAZINE 081 ©5A8-:;76)4;<7:A1;6<5=6 ,)6-*=<1<;67<;8-+<)+=4): left with some friends to go to a release party December ’06. Coincidence or not, it didn’t mat- for Diddy’s Press Play at the nightclub Crobar. ter. “The album wasn’t ready,” says Fabolous. “Walking to the parking lot, everything felt It will come out April 17.) Regardless, Fab re- funny,” he remembers. “It was like, ‘This shit fuses to exploit something like that. “That’s not don’t feel right.’ I just felt this cool wind, like what works for me,” he says. “I make music. something you feel but isn’t there.” I’m not going to be walking around with a bul- They paid the parking attendant, and as letproof vest. That’s not my story.” they walked to the car, Fab heard someone scream, “Yo, what’s up.” He turned and saw Two weeks after the dinner at Philippe, a gun. “My first instinct was to run,” he says. Fabolous finally makes it to that strip club in “So I just ran. I heard shots and ran.” Upon the Bronx. Problem is, it’s a Thursday night, returning to Justin’s, he saw blood trickling and Wednesday is the spot’s “good night.” onto his Air Force Ones. He wasn’t sure if he (Wednesday happened to be Valentine’s Day, was shot—he never felt it. He pressed his and Fab decided that would be “kinda pathet- jeans onto his thigh, saw a hole and stuck ic.”) Thursday night, it turns out, there are no his finger in it.