It takes talent to make the struggle to succeed seem effortless, but that is the gift that separates artists like Brooklyn's John Jackson, aka Fabolous, from the everyday MC. While most rappers spend more and more time convincing the masses of their "hustle," Fabolous lets his work speak for his effort. With two platinum albums (2001's Ghetto Fabolous and 2003's Street Dreams) and one Gold (2004's Real Talk) to his credit, the veteran hitmaker still exudes a rookie-of-the year swagger. After recording for both Elektra and Atlantic Records, Fab is enjoying a home coming with the legendary Def Jam label. His first recorded song was "If They Want It" from DJ Clue's The Professional, which was released by Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam in 1998.
"I had people in my corner already over there," Fab says of DJ Clue and A&R Skane, the Desert Storm duo who discovered Fabolous. "So it wasn't like I was coming to a new neighborhood."
While he doesn't site any one reason for his move, Fabolous has learned a lot from his time in the industry and is eager to capitalize on his experience. "I haven't peaked yet," he explains. "I was happy with the past records, but I have some adversity to learn off of for the future."
It's appropriate that Fabolous is getting a fresh start for his latest release because he wants From Nothin' to Somethin' to be a rebirth for his fans old and new. "Everybody is trying to take what they have and make something more," says Fabolous, explaining the album's title. "It's a new year, everybody's on their hustle, back in the gym and I'm trying to give them some inspiration. This is music to chase your money too, work out--motivation music.
The first single "Make Me Better" is produced by Grammy Award winning producer Timbaland and finds Fabolous doing what he does best; blending radio ready sound beds with clever and memorable lyrics. Rapping that he needs "a Corretta Scott to make me King" Fab picks up with his female fans where "Baby" left off. "It's a great feel good record, it's got a lot of style to it," he says. "I wanted a record that could show that I could touch different people with my music."
Already recognized for his hit-making ability, Fabolous is eager to show the diversity of his technique while staying true to his blueprint for success. On the cocky "Make Money" he cleverly borrows Notorious B.I.G's trademark chuckle to comment on the laugh-ability of his competition: "these dudes is stand up rappers, hip-hop comedians, I start laughin as soon as I put your CD in." His wit and wordplay is not something he gets enough credit for, but the MC is confident people will come around. "Certain people recognize it," he says, "but its like they'll sing it in the shower, but they won't sing it outside. It's all good though. One of them days you gonna get drunk and start singing that song."
Enlisting a whose-who list of guests that includes Akon, Young Jeezy, Ne-Yo and Junior Reed, Fabolous plays to a variety of audiences on this disc, but there is no mistaking that it's his show from beginning to end. The anthemic "Brooklyn" features a yet to be disclosed surprise guest and "Change Up" pairs Fab with singer, producer extraodinaire Akon helping him reflect on his life and career.
"Anytime you become a successful person, people may look at you and say you changed," explains Fabolous, who references the October 2006 shooting that took place outside of Justin's restaurant in the lyrics of the song. "That record just talks about people changing as a person for money, how they carry themselves and treat other people. For me, I might have changed where I live or my number, but I haven't changed as a personβ¦I slid a line or two about what happened in October but I'm not coming out with a bullet proof vest or anything."
The playful "Foggin Up The Windows," produced by Miami's The Runners, features R. Kelly's chopped and screwed vocals from his hit "Ignition" to prop up Fabolous' ode to parkin' lot pimpin' of the more carnal kind.
"I just took it back to trying to get some in the car," he says with a laugh. "Everyone's either done it or tried to get some in the car. It may not have been the place of choice but everybody's had a hotel on wheels."
Other rewind worthy tracks like "Real Playa" featuring Lloyd, "Diamonds" featuring Young Jeezy and the Just Blaze produced "Back To School" round out an impressive collection that makes From Nothin' to Somethin' worth the two-year wait. In his absence no artist has come close to matching his boyish charm, wit and unassuming cool both on and off the mic. With a new team and a pop of his collar Fabolous is indeed "fresh to Def."
"I'm trying to bring good music back to the game," he says confidently. "And anybody that's bringing good music, the hype is gonna follow them."
Holla Back Young
Fabolous Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Huh, huh, uh-huh, do it, yeah, do it now, come on
Uh, uh, uh, uh, what y'all want? Uh
Rollin', gold two seater
Stash in the dash hold two heaters
Blocka put holes through beaters
Ghetto Fab stroll through Cheetahs
Addicted to Cris' hooked on Dom
50 G's, hook and song
Ma, I wanna see how you look in thongs
Hustlin', guys that send Po's
'Cause I chop rocks the size of Mentos
Blame me, I charge the hen hoes
Look at the hurt your eyes will squint close
Pimpin' here's a new way to flirt
Now listen to the two way alert
It goes
Let's go V.I.P., boo, raise your skirt
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
I'm gangsta
Y'all just wannabe's
Federal agents on their P's
30 a gram, 28 on the keys
Got a good lawyer, I'm gonna squeeze
Thuggin', jeans and Tim's
Fitted to the front lean the brim
Ride but never on teenage rims
And I keep a chick's face between limbs
Stylin' y'all heard about my kick game
I'm on the parquet, you see me at the Knick game
Probably seen this tatted on your chick frame
F-A-B-O-L-O-U-S
Ridin' y'all know as well I do
That's the way you can tell I flew
So I got a deal, I sell pies too
'Cause before I hit the pens I'm gettin' bailed by Clue
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Cruisin', top on the 'Cedes low
Turn us up when you hear this on the radio
Blastin' with the nineteen eighty flow
Make the necks on the ladies go
Holla that's what a pretty thug will do
Hit Branson, get a fifty jug or two
Y'all throwin' on them gritty mugs for who?
Like y'all don't know what fifty slugs will do
Hatin' I just bought the Uz'
I put y'all in them front page articles
I got 'em lookin' at the Billboard charts confused
And I still freestyle to start the Clue's
Reppin' I'm that kid who 'bout the dough
I done copped coke and started droughts before
Shit platinum out the door
Now I drop the top down just to shout to hoes
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back (wooo-wooo)
Holla back young'n (wooo-wooo)
Holla back, back, back, back
(Wooo-wooo)
(Wooo-wooo)
(Wooo-wooo)
(Wooo-wooo)
Uh
Yeah
Yeah
(Wooo-wooo)
In "Holla Back Youngn'" Fabolous depicts his experience as a drug dealer and a player in Brooklyn. Fabolous's verses, filled with metaphors, similes, and punchlines, focus on his success, lifestyle, and the things he has done to get there. The chorus, with its repetition of "Holla Back Youngn'" and its call-and-response structure, invites the listener to engage in the same kind of bravado and showmanship that Fabolous portrays in the verses.
In the first verse, Fabolous brags about his wealth, women, and status. He describes his "gold two-seater" with stash in the dash, implying that he is rich and flamboyant. He mentions "holes through heaters" and "blocks," referring to guns and his willingness to use them. He also mentions "Cheetahs," which is a strip club in New York City, reinforcing his reputation as a player. The second verse continues along the same lines, with Fabolous boasting about his "gangsta" persona, his money-making schemes, and his fashion sense. He describes himself as "Thuggin jeans and Tim's," which are common items of clothing worn in the hip-hop community. The third verse brims with confidence and self-promotion, as Fabolous talks about his success, record sales, and chart-topping hits.
Interestingly, the song's chorus uses a reggae-style hook that was popularized by Jamaican artist Ini Kamoze in his 1984 hit "World-A-Music." Ini Kamoze's hook, which says "Holla fi the youth 'em," was sampled and modified to become "Holla Back Youngn'" in Fabolous's song. Additionally, "Holla Back Youngn'" was not Fabolous's first hit. Before this song, he had already released his debut album, "Ghetto Fabolous," which included the hit single "Can't Deny It."
Line by Line Meaning
Rollin, gold two seater
I am driving a gold two-seater car
Stash in the dash
I have hidden something valuable in the car dashboard
Hole through heaters
I shoot guns and make holes through cars with them
Blockahhhhh put holes through beaters
I shoot guns and make holes through old and cheap cars
Ghetto Fab stroll through Cheetahs
I enjoy walking around the club Cheetahs in my ghetto style
Ballin, Brooklyn don
I am living the high life like a boss from Brooklyn
Addicted to Cris' hooked on Dom
I am addicted to Cristal champagne and Dom Perignon
15 G's hookers on
I have $15,000 to spend on prostitutes
Ma, I want to see how you look in thongs
I am trying to flirt with a woman by asking her to show me her thong underwear
Hustlin, guys that send Po's
I am involved in illegal activities with men who send police officers to arrest people
Cause I chop rocks the size of mentos
I am cutting drugs into small pieces to sell them
Blame me, trials aquit those
People blame me for crimes, but I always get acquitted in court
Look at the hurt your eyes will squit close
If you look at me with anger or jealousy, your eyes will squint and hurt
Pimpin' here's a new way to flirt
I am suggesting a new way to pick up women like a pimp would
Listen to the two way alert
Pay attention to the sound of a two-way pager that I use to communicate
Lets go VIP boo raise your skirt
Let's go to the VIP section and take off your skirt
I'm Gangsta
I am a gangster
Ya'll just wannabe's
You are all just trying to be like me
Federal Agents on their P's
Police officers are watching me carefully
30 grand 28 on the keys
I paid $30,000 for something valuable that I am selling for $28,000
Gotta good lawyer I'm gonna squeeze
I have a good lawyer who will help me win my legal battles
Thuggin' jeans and Tim's
I am wearing baggy jeans and Timberland boots like a thug
Fitted to the front lean the brim
My baseball cap is fitted to the front and the brim is angled down
Ride but never on teenage rims
I drive a car that is not pimped out with flashy rims like a teenager's car
And I keep a chick's face between limbs
I keep a woman's face between my legs while having sexual relations with her
Stylin ya'll heard about my kick game
You have heard about how stylish my shoe collection is
I'm on the parkway see me at the Knick game
I am driving on the parkway and going to see the Knicks game
Probably seen this tatted on your chick frame
You may have seen my name tattooed on a woman you know
F-A-be-O-L-O-you-S
My name is Fabolous
Ridin Ya'll know as well I do
You know that I am riding high in life
That's the way you can tell I flew
The way I am living my life shows that I have flown to success
So I got a deal I sell pies too
I have a record deal and also sell illegal drugs
Cause before I hit the pens I'm gettin bailed by Clue
My friend DJ Clue helps me out of trouble before I end up in prison
Cruisin top on the Mercedes low
I am driving my Mercedes convertible with the top down
Turn us up when you hear this on the radio
You should turn up the volume when you hear my music on the radio
Blastin with the nineteen eighty flow
I am rapping with a style that is reminiscent of the 1980s
Make the necks on the ladies go (wooo wooop)
My music makes women turn their heads and notice me
Holla that's what a pretty thug will do
I am using my thug style to try to impress women
Hit Branson get a fifty jug or two
I am going to Branson, Missouri to buy large amounts of liquor
Ya'll throwin on them gritty mugs for who
Why are you giving me dirty looks?
Like ya'll don't know what fifty slugs will do
Don't act like you don't know how dangerous I can be with my gun
Hatin I just bought the uz'
People may be jealous of me buying a gun, but I don't care
I put ya'll in the front page articles
I will make you famous by mentioning you in the news
I got em lookin at the billboard charts confused
Other artists are confused about how popular my music is
And I still freestyle to start the Clue's
I am good at improvising my raps and showing off my skills, especially when DJ Clue is involved
Reppin I'm that kid about the doe
I represent and identify with young people who care about money
I done copped coke and started droughts before
I have bought and sold cocaine and caused drug shortages in the past
Shit Platinum out the door
My music is so popular that it is selling well and receiving platinum awards
Now I drop the top down just to shout to hoes
I am driving my convertible with the top down and shouting at women on the street
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chad Hugo, John David Jackson, Pharrell L. Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@seanmelendez1430
Its crazy how music like this dont exist no more
@josenooitmeer
Right......
@miaporche2256
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@josenooitmeer
Thanks mia#πβ€β€β€β€β€β€β€β€β€β€
@Gods_Real
Obviously does. Memories memory.
@supermariopartyfan27
@@josenooitmeerqq
@terrellhorton1978
This was that heat when I was a senior in high school I'm 40 now man how times have changed but I'm glad I can say through it all I'm still here
@kellyf5004
It was out in like 2001 I believe ? Man where has the time gone
@Joe-dh2bf
34 in September, '88 baby from sleepy hollow. The headless horseman ain't got me yet
@p1critter409
31 this year. Man kids these days just dont know what real heat is