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Fabolous | |
|---|---|
 Fabolous in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | John David Jackson (1977-11-18)November 18, 1977 (age 48) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | East Coast hip-hop |
| Occupations |
|
| Works | Fabolous discography |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | fabolous.com |
John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), known professionally asFabolous, is an American rapper. Raised inBrooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live onDJ Clue'sHot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed to Clue's record labelDesert Storm Records, in ajoint venture withElektra Records. He rose to further prominence with his debut studio albumGhetto Fabolous (2001), which spawned the hit singles "Can't Deny It" (featuringNate Dogg) and "Young'n (Holla Back)." Adopting a further commercially-oriented approach, his second album,Street Dreams (2003), was supported by the singles "Can't Let You Go" (featuringLil' Mo) and "Into You" (featuringTamia orAshanti)—both of which peaked at number four on theBillboard Hot 100.
In 2004, Jackson signed withAtlantic Records—another subsidiary ofWarner Music Group—to release his third albumReal Talk (2004), which saw continued success as his only project with the label. In 2006, he signed withDef Jam Recordings—owned by Warner competitorUniversal Music Group—and founded his own label imprint,Street Family Records. His fourth and fifth albums,From Nothin' to Somethin' (2007) andLoso's Way (2009), both yielded his furthest commercial success, peaking at numbers two and one on theBillboard 200, respectively. Between his studio albums, he amassed a number of self-releasedmixtapes, including several installments in hisThere Is No Competition,The S.O.U.L. Tape, andSummertime Shootout series. He released his sixth and seventh albums,The Young OG Project (2014) andSummertime Shootout 3: Coldest Summer Ever (2019), to continued positive reception.
Jackson's series of hits in the 2000s includes "Trade It All, Pt. 2" (featuringDiddy andJagged Edge), "Breathe," "Make Me Better" (featuringNe-Yo), "Baby Don't Go" (featuringT-Pain), "Throw It in the Bag" (featuringThe-Dream) and "You Be Killin' Em". He is also known for his appearances onR&B singles such as "Superwoman Pt. II" byLil' Mo, "Dip It Low" byChristina Milian, "Shawty Is a 10" by The-Dream, "Addiction" byRyan Leslie, "She Got Her Own" byJamie Foxx, and "Say Aah" byTrey Songz. Jackson has been nominated for twoGrammy Awards.
Fabolous was born John David Jackson on November 18, 1977, and is ofDominican andAfrican-American descent.[1][2] He grew up inBreevort Houses in theBedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of theBrooklyn borough ofNew York City.[3][4]
Jackson attendedHigh School of Art & Design andCity-As-School High School inManhattan, and eventuallyBoys and Girls High School in Bed-Stuy.[5] While in his senior year of high school, Jackson began to pursue a career inhip hop music.[6] In the early years of his career, he rapped under the nameFabolous Sport, in reference toRalph Lauren's Polo Sport line,[7] however this was later shortened to simplyFabolous. The misspelling was unintentional; Jackson originally intended to be simply called "Fabulous" but incorrectly spelled it during a freestyle and it stuck.[8] He was invited torap live on American record producer and record executiveDJ Clue's radio show, then on New York City's radio stationHot 97. Fabolous andN.O.R.E. performed over the instrumental toThe Lox's song "Money, Power & Respect", and the following day, Clue signed Fabolous to his record label,Desert Storm Records as its second artist after Clue.[6][9] Fabolous made his debut commercial appearance on Clue'sThe Professional (1998) on two of its tracks, one of which alongsideMase andFoxy Brown.[10] In the following two years, Fabolous and Desert Storm were signed toElektra Records (a subsidiary ofWarner Music Group) through a distribution deal with the label.[2] In a September 6, 2001, interview withHot104.com, Fabolous said he never planned on becoming a rapper and told the website: "I was just trying to make some money, ya know? I got tired of being broke. This was something where I could make some money. It just happened for me."[11]
Fabolous released his debut album,Ghetto Fabolous, on September 11, 2001. It debuted at number four on theBillboard 200, selling over 140,000 copies in its first week.[12][13] The album's first single, "Can't Deny It", was produced byRick Rock and features a chorus byNate Dogg, who interpolatesTupac Shakur's song "Ambitionz az a Ridah".[14] It charted on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 chart, along with two of its follow-up singles:[15] "Young'n (Holla Back)", produced byThe Neptunes, and "Trade It All", which features vocals fromJagged Edge and was produced by label boss Clue andDuro.
Fabolous released his second album,Street Dreams on March 4, 2003. Powered by aJust Blaze beat and guest vocals fromLil' Mo and Mike Shorey, "Can't Let You Go" reached number one on theRhythmic Top 40 chart and number four on theBillboard Hot 100 chart. Its follow-up, "Into You" withTamia likewise reached number four on the latter chart. Also released onStreet Dreams was the lead single "This Is My Party" and the single "Trade It All Pt. 2" which featuredJagged Edge (whom return from theGhetto Fabolous version) and a new verse fromDiddy, as well as a new instrumental.
Exactly seven months later, on November 4, 2003, Fabolous released the 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 on the commercial release ofStreet Dreams. This album was also an outlet for his three-man crew, known as the Triangle Offense, consisting of himself, Paul Cain, andJoe Budden. The album features a remix to songFire, which was originally on the latter'sself-titled debut album (2003).[16]
Fabolous' third album,Real Talk was released on November 5, 2004. It debuted at number six on theBillboard 200 with sales of 179,000 copies, and had two charting singles—the lowest in his career at the time. The singles, "Breathe" and "Baby", featuring Mike Shorey, and show a more sensitive side of the rapper that he had shown in many songs in the past. His second single was not promoted until weeks after the album's release. Its third single, "Tit 4 Tat", featuredPharrell ofThe Neptunes, the latter of whom also produced the song. Fabolous admitted that the single failed due to poor promotion. Making the music video for his fourth single, "Do the Damn Thing" cost Jackson US$30,000. The song featuredYoung Jeezy.[17] That same year, Fabolous was nominated for aGrammy Award for his guest feature on the remix of the single "Dip It Low" byChristina Milian. His own clothing line, "Rich Yung Society" was launched in 2006 after being discussed two years prior.[18][19]
In early 2006, Fabolous was let out of his contract with Atlantic and signed a recording contract withDef Jam Recordings, following ade facto trade that sent Def Jam artistMusiq Soulchild to Atlantic.[17]
His fourth studio album,From Nothin' to Somethin, was released in June 2007. Fabolous took the number one spot onBillboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts for the first time in his career, while it debuted at number two on theBillboard 200, selling 159,000 copies in its first week.[20] The album was certified Gold in July 2007. It is his first album onDef Jam Recordings. He was featured on the cover of video gameDef Jam: Icon.
The first single and video, "Diamonds", featuresYoung Jeezy who also appeared on theReal Talk track "Do the Damn Thing".Lil Wayne andRemy Ma are featured on the remix. His second single was "Return of the Hustle" which featuredSwizz 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 artistNe-Yo, and is produced byTimbaland, 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 andT-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.[21]
Fabolous released his fifth studio album,Loso's Way, in July 2009. The album is based on the 1993 filmCarlito's Way, similar toJay-Z'sAmerican Gangster. The first official single is "Throw It in the Bag", featuringThe-Dream, and is produced byChristopher "Tricky" Stewart. The second single is "My Time", featuringJeremih, and is produced byThe Runners and Kevin "KC" Cossom. The third single is "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere", featuringKeri Hilson, and is produced byRyan Leslie. The album debuted at number one on theBillboard 200, selling 99,000 copies in its first week. It became Fabolous' first album to top the chart.[22] In its second week of sales, the album dropped 8 spots from number one to eight, 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 restaurant 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.[23] In September 2009, Fabolous was ranked number eight on MTV'sHottest MC in the Game list.[24] 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.
On March 5, 2010, Fabolous releasedThere Is No Competition 2: The Funeral Service, his fourth solomixtape and the sequel to 2008'sThere Is No Competition.[25] Due to the popularity of the mixtape, Fabolous re-released it for retail in the form of anextended play (EP) titledThere Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music EP. The EP, which was preceded by theRyan Leslie andWidens Pkolo Dorsainville-produced single "You Be Killin Em", was released on August 29, 2010. The single peaked at number 68 on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100.
After it was announced that his sixth album would once again be delayed, Fabolous chose to release a new project titledThe S.O.U.L. Tape. The mixtape was released on April 22, 2011, and features Fabolous rapping oversoul-samplingproduction, inspired by afreestyle he had done over the instrumental toKanye West's "Devil in a New Dress".[26] On Christmas Day 2011, Fabolous releasedThere Is No Competition 3: Death Comes in 3's, the third installment in hisThere Is No Competition mixtape series.[27] On November 22, 2012, Fabolous released his seventh mixtape,The S.O.U.L. Tape 2.The S.O.U.L. Tape 2 featured guest appearances fromTrey Songz,Pusha T,Cassie,J. Cole,Wale andJoe Budden.[28][29] The mixtape's production was handled by Streetrunner, Treddy da Don,AraabMuzik andCardiak, among others, and follows the theme of the first album by utilising heavy usage of soul samples throughout.[30]
In late 2012, Fabolous announced his sixth album, then-titledLoso's Way 2: Rise to Power, would be released in 2013.[31][32] The first official single fromLoso's Way 2, "Ready" featuring singerChris Brown was released on January 17, 2013. The second single "When I Feel Like It" featuring2 Chainz was released on July 9, 2013. In an interview Fabolous revealed the list of features includedTrey Songz,Ne-Yo,FYUTCH,Rick Ross, andYoung Jeezy and stated that the album was about him "evolving and growing as a person, as a man, as an artist, as a father, as a friend."[33]Loso's Way 2 was scheduled to be released in 2013 by Desert Storm and Def Jam, however, the album was delayed all year long and subsequently rescheduled for release in 2014.[34][35] On July 30, 2014, Fabolous announced that the lead single from the album would be released by "the end of summer" and would again featureChris Brown. He stated that "Ready" was just a "warmup record" for this song and that it would be very melodic.[36]
On August 22, 2014, Fabolous announced that his much delayed sixth studio album had been renamed toYoung OG. This was later changed toThe Young OG Project.[37] On December 1, 2014, Fabolous announced the release date forThe Young OG Project to be December 25, 2014, with the announcement posted on his newKeek page.[38] Speaking to MTV, Fabolous said the album would be "very '90s-inspired and '90s themed.".[39] On the same day of the album release announcement,Roc Nation announced Fabolous had signed a management deal.[40]The Young OG Project was released on Christmas Day 2014 and debuted at number 12 on theBillboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 71,000 copies in the United States.[41]
In October 2015, Fabolous confirmed that he would be releasing two new projects by the end of the year, announcing one of them would follow the trend set byThere Is No Competition 2 andThe Young OG Project by releasing on Christmas Day.[42] On November 26, Fabolous released the free mixtapeSummertime Shootout, and announced the second installment ofThe Young OG Project for December 25,[43] however, it has since been delayed indefinitely.[citation needed]
On February 29, 2016, Fabolous andJadakiss announced that work had begun on their first collaborative project, a mixtape pre-emptively titledFreddy vs. Jason.[44] On April 2, 2016, they released a freestyle toFuture's "Wicked" that they confirmed would appear on the project, which they also announced would not be a mixtape, but a full album.[45] On April 29, 2016, Fabolous worked withK-pop artistJessica Jung as a featured artist and co-writer on a track titled "Fly", the lead single for her first mini album,With Love, J.[46] On September 3, 2016, Fabolous released the second installment of the Summertime Shootout mixtape series, titledSummertime Shootout 2: The Level Up.[47] On October 31, 2017, the first single off the album "Stand Up" featuringFuture.[48] On November 21, 2017, it was announced that the album title was changed toFriday on Elm Street. The album was released on November 24, 2017, and had features fromFuture,Swizz Beatz, andFrench Montana.
On July 8, 2018, Fabolous released a single called "Ooh Yeah" featuringTy Dolla Sign.[49]
On October 14, 2019, released a single called "Choosy" featuringJeremih andDavido.[50]
On November 19, 2019, Fabolous released a 30-second trailer on hisinstagram forSummertime Shootout 3: Coldest Summer Ever along with its release date, confirming that it would be released November 29, 2019.[51] A week later, the tracklist and the cover art were released for the album and it was also confirmed to be the final installment of the Summertime Shootout series.[52] The album debuted at number 7 on theBillboard 200 with first week sales of 44,000 album-equivalent units, making it Fabolous's seventh top-10 album.[53]
| Street Family Records | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Fabolous (CEO) |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | New York City |
Street Family Records is a record label imprint, founded by Fabolous in 2006, in Brooklyn, New York.[54]
Fabolous and his ex-girlfriend Emily Bustamante have two sons, born in 2008 and 2015, and one daughter, born in 2020.[55][56][57]
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.[58][59]
In the morning of October 17, 2006, Fabolous was shot once near his leg after exiting Justin's, a restaurant owned bySean "Diddy" Combs inManhattan.[6] After the shooting, he and his entourage were charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a defaced firearm after being pulled over for running a red light, in which police discovered two unlicensed guns.[60] Later on, Fabolous was treated at a local hospital and was released eight days later.[61]
On March 29, 2018, Fabolous was arrested fordomestic violence after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend Emily Bustamante.[62] On October 10, 2018, he was indicted by a grand jury in New Jersey on four felony charges of domestic assault.[63][64] He reportedly accepted aplea deal in March 2019.[65]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Scary Movie 4 | Gunman | Cameo |
| 2009 | Loso's Way: The Movie | Loso | Main Role/Writer |
| 2012 | Loso's Way 2: The Movie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Apprentice | As Himself | (Season 3, episode 1) |
| 2007 | Keeping Up with the Kardashians | (Season 1, episode 8) | |
| 2007, 2015, 2018 | Wild 'N Out | (Season 4, episode 5), (Season 7, episode 1), (Season 10, episode 9) | |
| 2011 | The Game | (Season 4, episode 8) | |
| 2017 | The Rap Game | (Season 3, episode 1) | |
| The Untitled Action Bronson Show | (Season 1, episode 27) | ||
| 2025 | The Real Housewives of Miami | (Season 7, episode 2) |
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