John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his
stage name Fabolous [sic], is an American recording artist. Born
and raised in Brooklyn, New York, part of his early popularity arose
from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut
album Ghetto Fabolous. The album reached number-three on the Billboard
200 chart and sold over 1.05 million copies by 2003.[1] His followup
album, Street Dreams (2003), produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-four
hits "Can't Let You Go", featuring Lil' Mo & Mike Shorey,
and "Into You", featuring Tamia.
In 2004, Fabolous released the album Real Talk, which peaked at
number-six on the Billboard 200 with 179,000 copies sold in one week
and contained the charting singles "Breathe" and "Baby".
Following a three year hiatus since Real Talk, the artist released
his fourth studio album, From Nothin' to Somethin' (2007), which
debuted at number-two on the Billboard 200 and number-one on the
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and sold 159,000 copies in its
first week.[2] The album spawned the singles "Diamonds", "Return
of the Hustle", "Make Me Better", featuring Ne-Yo,
and Baby Don't Go, which featured Jermaine Dupri and T-Pain.
Fabolous' success continued with his 2009 album, Loso's Way, which
debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200, selling over 99,000 copies
in its first week, and became the artist's first album to top the
chart. Loso's Way produced the singles "My Time", "Everything,
Everyday, Everywhere", "Throw It in the Bag", and "Money
Goes, Honey Stay (When the Money Goes Remix)". He later released
an extended play entitled There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving
Music EP, which contains the single "You Be Killin' Em".
To date, Fabolous has released five albums, which have collectively
sold over three million copies in the United States.[3] In September
2009, the rapper was ranked number eight on MTV's Hottest MC in the
Game list.[4]
Fabolous was born John David Jackson on November 18, 1977, of African
American and Dominican descent.[5][6] He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant
neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.[7][8] While in high school in
twelfth grade, Fabolous began to pursue a rap career.[3] He was invited
to rap live on DJ Clue's radio show and on WQHT Hot 97, where he
was signed to Desert Storm Records.[3][9] He was featured on several
DJ Clue mixtapes and mixtapes with Roc-A-Fella artists.[citation
needed] This earned Fabolous and Desert Storm a distribution deal
with Elektra Records.[6]
[edit] 2001–02: Ghetto Fabolous
Fabolous released his debut album, Ghetto Fabolous, on September
11, 2001. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling
over 143,000 copies in its first week.[10][11] The album's first
single, "Can't Deny It", was produced by Rick Rock and
features a chorus by Nate Dogg interpolating Tupac Shakur's song "Ambitionz
Az a Ridah".[12] It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, along
with two of the subsequent singles.[13] The other charting singles
were "Young'n (Holla Back)", which is produced by The Neptunes
and "Trade It All", which features vocals from Jagged Edge
and is produced by DJ Clue and Duro.
[edit] 2003: Street Dreams
Fabolous released his second album Street Dreams on March 4, 2003.
Powered by a Just Blaze beat and guest vocals from Lil' Mo and Mike
Shorey, "Can't Let You Go" reached number one on the Rhythmic
Top 40 chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Into
You" with Ashanti / Tamia also reached number four on the Billboard
Hot 100. Also released on Street Dreams was the lead single club
banger "This Is My Party" and "Trade It All Pt. 2" which
featured Jagged Edge as it did on the Ghetto Fabolous version, as
well as Diddy.
Exactly seven months later, on November 4, 2003, Fabolous dropped
his official mixtape, More Street Dreams, Pt. 2: The Mixtape. It
was an official release by his record label, Elektra. The album featured
remixes and tracks not originally slated on Street Dreams. This album
was also an outlet for his three man crew, known as the Triangle
Offense, consisting of himself, Paul Cain, and Joe Budden. The album
actually features a remix to song Fire, which was originally on Joe
Budden's self-titled debut album.[14]
[edit] 2004–06: Real Talk
Fabolous' third album Real Talk was released on November 5, 2004.
It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 with 179,000 copies
and had two charting singles, the lowest in his career. The two charting
singles are his street anthem "Breathe" and "Baby," which
features Mike Shorey, and shows his more sensitive side that he has
shown on many songs in the past. His second single was not promoted
until weeks after the album's release. "Tit 4 Tat" was
his third single. Pharrell of The Neptunes produced it and did the
hook. Fab feels that the single didn't hit it as big as it should
have due to poor advertising. Making the music video for his fourth
single, "Do the Damn Thing" cost Jackson $30,000. The song
featured Young Jeezy, who became known to the public through the
video.[15] The same year, Fabolous was nominated for a Grammy Award
for his collaboration on the "Dip It Low" remix by Christina
Milian. In early 2006, Fabolous moved to Def Jam and left Atlantic
Records who received Musiq in return.[15]
[edit] 2007–08: From Nothin' to Somethin'
His fourth studio album, From Nothin' to Somethin, was released
in June 2007. Fabolous took the number one spot on Billboard's Top
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts for the first time
in his career and it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200,
selling 159,000 copies in its first week.[16] The album was certified
Gold in July 2007. It is his first album on Def Jam Recordings.
The first single and video, "Diamonds", features Young
Jeezy who also appeared on the Real Talk track "Do the Damn
Thing". Lil Wayne and Remy Ma are featured on the remix. His
second single was "Return of the Hustle" which featured
Swizz Beatz, also came out before the album release, to some acclaim,
but little airplay. His third single though, "Make Me Better," which
features fellow Def Jam artist Ne-Yo, and is produced by Timbaland,
was his biggest hit to date, spending 14 weeks at number one on the
Hot Rap Track Billboard Chart. The fourth single was "Baby Don't
Go." Jermaine Dupri produced it and T-Pain sings the hook. However,
in music video version of the song, Jermaine Dupri sings the hook.
This song also found success, reaching number four on the Hot Rap
Track Chart.[17]
[edit] 2009: Loso's Way
Fabolous released his fifth studio album, Loso's Way, in July 2009.
The album is based on the 1993 film Carlito's Way, similar to Jay-Z's
American Gangster. The first official single is "Throw It in
the Bag", featuring The-Dream, and is produced by Christopher "Tricky" Stewart.
The second single is "My Time", featuring Jeremih, and
is produced by The Runners and Kevin "KC" Cossom. The third
single is "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere", featuring
Keri Hilson, and is produced by Ryan Leslie. The album debuted at
number one on the Billboard 200, selling 99,000 copies in its first
week. It became Fabolous' first album to top the chart.[18] In its
second week of sales, the album dropped 8 spots from #1 to #9, selling
37,000 copies. A deluxe album was released on the same day as the
standard release. The edition features a bonus DVD, ("Loso's
Way" the movie). The movie features Fabolous (and three other
of his friends). Fabolous is leaving a restaurent when he is shot.
His three friends quickly rush Fabolous to the hospital, but are
stopped by the police after running a red light. Fellow rapper Styles
P has a role in the movie. DJ Clue, DJ Khaled, Jadakiss, Swizz Beatz,
DJ Envy, and Ryan Leslie make cameo appearances. The movie "Loso's
Way" runs for 33:03 minutes. In order to view "Loso's Way",
the deluxe album "Loso's Way" must be purchased.[19] In
September 2009, Fabolous was ranked number eight on MTV's Hottest
MC in the Game list.[4] In an interview on December 10, 2009 with
MTV, he announced that he would be releasing part two to his mixtape
series with DJ Drama entitled: "There is No Competition – Part
2: The Funeral Service." Fabolous announced that it would be
released on Christmas day as a gift to his fans. He then pushed back
the release date multiple times via Twitter before he and DJ Drama
finally released the mixtape online on March 4, 2010. Fabolous said
he plans to put out a third and final part to the series sometime
in the future.
[edit] 2010: There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music EP & Loso's
Way 2
Fabolous released There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music
EP on August 24, 2010 to help promote the release of Loso's Way 2:
Rise to Power.[20] Fabolous will release his sixth album, Loso's
Way 2: Rise to Power, in March 2011.[21]
[edit] Personal life
In January and March 2003, Fabolous was arrested for possessing
an unlicensed gun in his car. His bodyguard later showed proof of
ownership for the gun.[22][23] Fabolous put his career on hiatus
for much of 2005 and 2006.[5]
Fabolous was shot in his right leg on the morning of October 17,
2006 in Manhattan after exiting Justin's, a restaurant owned by Diddy.[3]
The police saw the rapper and three other men accompanying him rushing
through a red light and found unlicensed, loaded guns in their car
leading to their arrest. After they found the weapons, Fabolous was
treated at a local hospital.[24]
NYPD linked Fabolous to a crew of robbers who targeted champion
boxer Zab Judah twice. According to police reports, the Street Fam
Crew is made up of 20 members, all former drug dealers from Fabolous's
Brooklyn neighborhood. In 2006, three men tried to rob Judah as he
stood next to his yellow Lamborghini on West 27th Street at 10th
Avenue in New York City. The three men rolled up in a minivan at
about 5 AM, and hopped out. One pulled a black handgun on Judah and
told him to put his jewelry on the hood of his car. Judah ran instead.
The muggers followed in their van, but crashed into a tree a block
away. All three scattered, but one was captured by a Homeland Security
agent on his way to work, and another was grabbed by a nearby cab
driver. "A bunch of idiots that didn't have no control over
what they were doing; they messed with the wrong guy," said
Judah.[25] Fabolous came forward to deny reports that he was involved.
On the evening of November 22, 2007, a childhood friend—Shamel
McKinney—was stabbed to death inside of a New York nightclub.[26]
Police say that McKinney may have been stabbed after trying to steal
jewelry off the neck of another clubgoer, Anthony Taylor (who has
since the incident been arrested and has to face second-degree murder
charges). The rapper further explained that despite reports, McKinney
was not part of a robbery crew connected to the rapper. Fabolous
stated, "On Thanksgiving, I think I came out of the house one
time – to go get eggnog. And there wasn't any eggnog at Club
Duvet."[27]
On February 24, 2009 Arkansas police seized 500 pounds (226 kg)
of marijuana from Fabolous' tour bus as it returned from the NBA
All-Star Game. Fabolous was not on board the bus at the time and
has not yet been charged in connection with the incident.[28]
In an interview with XXL, Fabolous revealed that he has been in
a long-term relationship that began in 2005.[15] That long-term relationship
produced a son in February 2008.[29]
[edit] Clothing line
Fabolous stated in 2005 that he wanted to release his own clothing
line in the coming years. Without publicizing detail, he went into
a search for designers and manufacturers for his line to accomplish
the task. After finding qualified staffing, Fabolous announced the
name for his line is Rich Yung Society Clothing, which has clothes
in selected stores worldwide and are currently working on relaunching
their website richyungsociety.com[30]
[edit] Discography
Main article: Fabolous discography
* Ghetto Fabolous (2001)
* Street Dreams (2003)
* Real Talk (2004)
* From Nothin' to Somethin' (2007)
* Loso's Way (2009)
* Loso's Way 2: Rise to Power (2011)