November 08, 2004 @ 8:25 am

VIBE.com Interview: Fabolous On Real Talk

Damien Lemon

He arrived on the mix tape scene at the height of the bling-bling era of hip hop, a time when the music flooded the radio with talk of diamonds, cash and as much flash as possible. His music turned out to be a true reflection of his stage name, Fabolous. Now, with his third album Real Talk on the way, can his flossy lyrics and music withstand the ever-chan

Tell me about Real Talk. It comes out November 9. This album will definitely show the versatility and growth from the last album. It's very diverse, it goes to the south and to the west coast. But I titled it Real Talk because it's what I think fans, and hip hop audiences want to hear. This is just stuff I been through the last year and a half, since my album dropped. People I met and places I've been, experiences that I have had. I want to make relatable music. Where do you think your place in the game is right now? I just try to make good music, I don't try to put any stamp or label on myself. I just try to make good music. I think good music prevails over everything. If you look at the R. Kelly case, he just continued to make good music. I wouldn't say people overlooked it, they just put it on the backburner because he makes good music. On your old LP, you said you were going to shake up the world. Do you think you have done that yet? I think I've woken up the world to me. Through different points of your album, you go through different shit. On the first album I was just talking about my life in general and what I wanted to do. It was really the beginning stages of my life until I was 18 years old. The second album was about the transition into becoming a rapper from an everyday regular guy. With this album my feet are planted. I know who I am, people know my style and music. It's about taking that and bringing the world good music. That is my step forward into shaking up the world. How do you describe your style? The best word is versatile. I can go a couple of different ways, it's not all street. Hip hop is versatile too. My style blends well with any kind of form of hip hop. From doing songs with Bow Wow, to mixing it up with Jadakiss, I can mix with any artist you can put on paper and not many artist can do that. If you heard Eminem and Bow Wow, it would be a funny twist to it. You would be like 'What the Hell.' But I mix pretty well with R&B, my style doesn't put me in a box where I can only do one thing. With this album, that is why I did the single "Breathe." It's a different kind of sound. It's something that people have heard from me in a single basis. They're used to hearing me on a party song. This is definitely a song where people will say, 'He came different.' Do you feel you get enough respect as a lyricist? I don't think I get as much respect as I deserve. Maybe people are looking at singles, but singles are made for the masses. You may have a hard street banger on your album, the people from the streets will get it, but the kid in Boise Idaho, who doesn't know the street element, won't get it. You have to be able to create songs that can appeal to the masses. When I look at the songs on my album, I think this song can be felt by cats in Atlanta, Phoenix, to Philly. That is how I look at the song, how it can be felt as a whole. In the long run, that is what a single is supposed to do, bring people together to make them buy the album. Since you came up through mix tapes, do you feel pressure to make grittier music? I really know the business, if you don't sell any records your not in the business. You can always go back to rapping on mix tapes, but I know there is a business, and it's about compromising with your fans, and putting music for the masses. I still do the mix tape and underground, but you're not gonna get a mix tape song as my single. "Breathe" is a hot street record but besides it being a street record it's a hot record. I got other street records on my album but they aren't the type of songs you lead with. "Breathe" is about exhaling and inhaling. And I want people to do that. I want them to exhale the old stuff and inhale the new music and new album. Just breathe with the music. What is the first thing that went through your mind when you heard the track for "Breathe?" I didn't get too excited, because I didn't want to blow it up and jump the gun. They played four joints for me, I kept going back to track #2, which was "Breathe." I knew that was the joint. Then I asked for the entire CD, so he wouldn't know what I was locked on. So you kept a poker face? I had to keep the poker face on him. I thought I may have snatched one of the beats for Jay. I thought I slipped one under Jay's nose. Now that Jay is gone, do you think you're built to hold Brooklyn on your back? I definitely would love to be a representative for Brooklyn. Brooklyn has always had strong representatives from Big, to Big Daddy Kane, and Jay. If he retires, I would love to be a representative. I always try to keep my music stepped up so I can be a rep. What do you think it's going to take from going from a dope MC to hip hops greatest? I think good music. Good music prevails over everything. It's not the controversy or the beefs. Besides all the other stuff Big, Jay and Pac have done, they made good music. Whether it was hard core, for the streets or for the ladies, good music always translates into success. That is what I am doing, continuing to make good music. Keep doing the music people can vibe and party to. I am happy music can do that. Who inspired you when you first got into the game, and who inspires you now? I was really inspired by the bling bling era. I was young and seeing these dudes with diamonds and flashy cars, I was from the hood, so these were things we wish we had growing up. I began listening to hip hop with Run DMC. That was the first album my mom's bought me. They introduced me to hip hop. As time went on I started liking Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Eric B and Rakim, and Kool G. Rap. Those guys to me were like all lyrical guys, they made me be about the lyrics. To this day I always try to make dope lyrics. What's a song that so dope that you wish you wrote it? One of the dopest songs I felt was Big's One More Chance remix. The blend of hip hop and R&B was what Puff was banking on. It was just a well put together record. Of course Puff and Bad Boy were slipping all those 80's hit. They brought a new sound to the game. I think Big and them, made the most songs that I listened to and made me wish I made joints like that. Now with Mase returning, do you feel that has any affect on where you stand in the game? Mase to me, when I first heard him it was a curiosity thing with me. I wanted to see how he was gonna come back. I think its even died down, if you look at his single, and what I came back with, people say we really aren't on the same page. He's making 'Welcome Back' and Fab is doing "Breathe." He is really on the shock value, he says little things in magazine, but I don't take it to heart. I just do me, if there is an issue that needs to be addressed, I will address it. I don't look behind me at these dudes. You're a big NBA fan, what player in the league represents where you're at in the game? I think someone like Allen Iverson or Stephon Marbury, I put my heart into everything I am doing. I am young, I'm humble, but I can be flashy too. I talk about cars, money and jewelry. Steph I feel because we come from the same place. He from the Coney Island projects and I am from Bed Stuy. Both Brooklyn, so I feel like we can relate. A friend of mine was referring to you as the Keith Sweat of the game, when we count you out, that's when you come with it. Do you feel that comparison? At first I thought you meant on an R&B tip. Each time I come I had to prove myself. So now with the third album, people say 'you pulled it off twice, can you do it a third time?' That's what drives me. Every time I go up to the plate, I am going to swing hard. Who is on the album? Just Blaze did two joints on there. Scott Storch who did "Lean Back." We got The Neptunes, and Rick Rock who did "Can't Deny It" from the last album, he is one of the few producers that did all three albums. We got some unknown producers with hot beats. We got Lil' Mo, my partner in crime. We got Sean Paul on this dancehall. We got T.I., my brother Paul Kane, and Nate Dogg. To watch the video for Fabolous' "Breathe" click here To listen to Fabolous' "Breathe" click here

Article tags: VIBE.com, Interview, Fabolous, Real, Talk 

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