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."
Playa
Fabolous Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ay baby girl they say the world is a beautiful place, that's right
I'm tryin' to help you open yo' eyes and see that
Ha ha, this some shit, cool shit, real playa like
[Chorus]
Hey shorty, we can do it real playa like
We can go a few places that you say you like
Girl just lay back, I'll do it the way you like
(Said it's the flyest thing, just the way we swing)
(Me and you, how we do, be so fly)
You need to leave them burgers alone and make a steak upgrade
I'm fillet mignon with a tape-up fade
I see things clear through these Mark Jacob shades
Like the clarity in these jewels that Jacob made
You sleep better knowin' you gon' wake up paid
Hairstyle, nails filed, makeup made
We can shock South Beach, shake up Dade
In a drop top Phantom with the Drakov blades
I'm a stop by the barber, you can hit the shops in the harbor
Then get the chops or the lobster
Prime on 12, dinner for dos
We, begin with a toast, end with a dose
Of the light green cheeba, rolled in a Cohiba
It's Sunday, so you know the Forge is
Weather gorgeous, not a cloud in the sky
We can show the world how to be fly, yes
[Chorus]
If you want to act Hollywood fine, but shorty let's do it
When we sittin' on the hills like the Hollywood Sign
And every man lies, but not every man flies
Privately to Van Nuys
Range on the runway, driver to pop doors
Straight to Barney's, somethin' we need to stop for
She like, "It's early what we gonna shop for?"
How 'bout green grass breakfast, top floor
Later on Fred see, or Max Fields
Real playa like dress, good black heels
No 'Hanas, we can do Katana's
You, me, and ooh-wee marijuana
Then slide through Hyde, might include Mood
Maybe go to Area, if it's in the area
The Friday's young, try things my way hon
Malibu ride, highway 1
Nothing is too much, everything you touch turns to gold
You make me better (you make me better)
I'm fly as I can be, but when you're with me
I can't help but notice, I'm more focused (but you're the coldest)
Girl you are so
Ay shorty
Bring the Maybach, we got a long way to go
Just lay back, you had a long day, I know
And they whack, do it the wrong way, I know
I play back but have the song playin' low
While we six-deuce and let you fix Goose
In a glass with some ice, maybe mix some juice in
On the way to L.I., well I, coulda took the hell-eye
But we do more behind wheel
Hampton home, two floors for nine mill'
Real playa like two doors from Seinfeld
White marble, new floors that shine still
And the help keep food stored, wine chilled
Hey, you gotta live one day right (right)
Well how 'bout from Friday to Sunday night?
Then back 'fore they notice back up in Lotus
Let the world know we back and we focused~!
[Chorus]
In Fabolous's song βPlaya,β the rapper is trying to open up the eyes of his love interest and show her the beautiful things the world has to offer. He highlights the luxurious lifestyle he can provide for her, taking her to only the finest places and treating her like the queen that she is. He encourages her to upgrade from burgers to fillet mignon, to wear black heels instead of Hanas, and to start living like the royalty that she is. The rapper takes his love interest on trips to various locations, including South Beach and Van Nuys, where they enjoy the finer things in life. The song is about embracing a lavish lifestyle, being unapologetic, and having fun.
The name of the song is spelled βplayaβ with an βaβ instead of βplayerβ with an βe.β This is because, in hip hop culture, the term βplayaβ is used to mean βone that is attractive to women.β
The song was released in 2007 as part of the rapper's album βFrom Nothin' to Somethin'.β
The song was produced by Jermaine Dupri, who also appears on the track.
βPlayaβ pays homage to the 1973 hit song βMidnight Train to Georgiaβ by Gladys Knight & The Pips. βPlayaβ uses the same melody in the chorus as βMidnight Train to Georgia.β
The song features a sample from βThe Bounceβ by Jay-Z.
The official music video for the song was directed by Erik White.
βPlayaβ features guest vocals from R&B singer and songwriter JohntΓ‘ Austin.
The song received moderate commercial success, peaking at number 24 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.
Fabolous performed βPlayaβ at the 2007 BET Awards.
The chords for the song are not publicly available.
Line by Line Meaning
Tryin' to show you somethin' shorty
I'm trying to make you see the beauty of the world and enjoy life.
Ay baby girl they say the world is a beautiful place, that's right
Many people say the world has its own beauty, which can be appreciated if you look at it through the right eyes.
I'm tryin' to help you open yo' eyes and see that
I want to assist you in opening your eyes so that you can see and appreciate the world's beauty.
Ha ha, this some shit, cool shit, real playa like
This is a cool song with a smooth, sophisticated style, perfect for people who want to be real players.
Hey shorty, we can do it real playa like
Hey, girl, we can live life in a way that suits real players.
We can go a few places that you say you like
We can go to some of your favorite places and enjoy ourselves.
See what a day is like when you be my a-alike
Experience what it's like to spend the day with me as if you were my equal.
Girl just lay back, I'll do it the way you like
Just relax, lay back, and let me take care of everything the way you want it to be done.
(Said it's the flyest thing, just the way we swing)
We are living our lives in a fly, fashionable, and impressive manner.
(Me and you, how we do, be so fly)
The way we carry ourselves and live our lives together is stylish and impressive.
You need to leave them burgers alone and make a steak upgrade
You should stop eating burgers and try something more fancy like steak.
I'm fillet mignon with a tape-up fade
I am comparable to fine fillet mignon steak, and my haircut is fresh with a smooth tape-up fade.
I see things clear through these Mark Jacob shades
I have excellent clarity and vision with these designer glasses.
Like the clarity in these jewels that Jacob made
The clarity and shine of these jewelry pieces that Mark Jacob designed are impressive and breathtaking.
You sleep better knowin' you gon' wake up paid
You can have a peaceful sleep knowing that you will wake up to a lot of money and success.
Hairstyle, nails filed, makeup made
I notice that your hairstyle, nails, and makeup all look stunning and perfect.
We can shock South Beach, shake up Dade
We can surprise and impress people in South Beach and Dade with our swag and style.
In a drop top Phantom with the Drakov blades
We can ride in a fancy drop-top Rolls-Royce Phantom car with sharp, high-quality Drakov blades.
I'm a stop by the barber, you can hit the shops in the harbor
Before we go out, I'm going to stop by the barber, and you can go shopping in the harbor.
Then get the chops or the lobster
We can eat some delicious food like chops or lobster.
Prime on 12, dinner for dos
We'll start off in the prime section on the 12th floor and have dinner together as two.
We, begin with a toast, end with a dose
We'll start with a toast when we have dinner and end the evening with a dose of weed to relax.
Of the light green cheeba, rolled in a Cohiba
We'll smoke some high-quality weed, rolled in premium tobacco wraps named Cohiba.
It's Sunday, so you know the Forge is
It's a Sunday, and you know that we should head to the Forge, a great restaurant in Miami Beach.
Weather gorgeous, not a cloud in the sky
The weather is lovely, with no clouds in the sky.
We can show the world how to be fly, yes
We can demonstrate to the world how to be fashionable and impressive, indeed.
If you want to act Hollywood fine, but shorty let's do it
If you want to be glamorously fashionable and stylish, that's fine, let's do it.
When we sittin' on the hills like the Hollywood Sign
We'll be sitting on the hills like the iconic Hollywood sign, enjoying the view and the atmosphere.
And every man lies, but not every man flies
All men may deceive, but not every man has the style and class to live their best life, which we have.
Privately to Van Nuys
We'll travel privately to Van Nuys, which is well-known for its airfield and aviation history.
Range on the runway, driver to pop doors
We'll be traveling in a Range Rover, which will be driven to the airport runway, and the doors will be automatically popped open for us.
Straight to Barney's, somethin' we need to stop for
We'll go straight to Barney's department store, where we definitely need to stop and enjoy some shopping.
She like, "It's early what we gonna shop for?"
She asks, "It's early, what are we going to shop for?."
How 'bout green grass breakfast, top floor
Let's have a scrumptious breakfast, with green grass on the top floor.
Later on Fred see, or Max Fields
We'll later visit the shopping streets or malls in Fred Segal or Max Fields.
Real playa like dress, good black heels
I'll dress like a real playa, and you'll look stunning in a pair of stylish black heels.
No 'Hanas, we can do Katana's
We won't go to Hana's restaurant, but we can go to Katana's restaurant.
You, me, and ooh-wee marijuana
We'll enjoy some marijuana together for relaxation.
Then slide through Hyde, might include Mood
We might go to the nightclub Hyde or include other clubs like Mood.
Maybe go to Area, if it's in the area
If it's nearby, we might as well check out the club Area too.
The Friday's young, try things my way hon
It's still early on a Friday, so let's try things my way, honey.
Malibu ride, highway 1
We'll take a trip towards Malibu, driving on the beautiful highway 1.
Nothing is too much, everything you touch turns to gold
Everything you do is impressive, and nothing is too much when it comes to your success.
You make me better (you make me better)
You have a positive influence on me and inspire me to be a better person.
I'm fly as I can be, but when you're with me
I am already confident and fashionable, but when I'm with you, my style and personality are enhanced even more.
I can't help but notice, I'm more focused (but you're the coldest)
I can't help but notice that I'm more focused and driven when I'm with you, and also you are the coolest.
Girl you are so
I think you are amazing and fantastic.
Ay shorty
Hey, girl.
Bring the Maybach, we got a long way to go
Bring the Maybach car, because we have a long journey ahead of us.
Just lay back, you had a long day, I know
Just relax and lay back because I know you had a long and tiring day.
And they whack, do it the wrong way, I know
I know that other people don't know how to have as much fun as we do, doing things the right way.
I play back but have the song playin' low
I'm driving, but the volume of the song is low because I'm also giving you attention.
While we six-deuce and let you fix Goose
While we drive in the Maybach car, I'll give you a six-deuce drink, and you can get it ready.
In a glass with some ice, maybe mix some juice in
Pour the drink in a glass with ice, and mix some juice if you want to.
On the way to L.I., well I, coulda took the hell-eye
Instead of driving to L.I., we could have taken the Hell-eye (Helicopter) instead.
But we do more behind wheel
But we prefer to do more and have more fun, driving in a car.
Hampton home, two floors for nine mill'
We'll visit a grand Hampton house with two floors and roughly worth a million dollars.
Real playa like two doors from Seinfeld
We'll live in a grand place, just a few doors away from the home of the famous comedian, Jerry Seinfeld.
White marble, new floors that shine still
The floors in our grand home are made of new white marble and still look shiny and new.
And the help keep food stored, wine chilled
We have staff to take care of storing food and keeping our fancy wines chilled and ready to drink.
Hey, you gotta live one day right (right)
Life is short, and we must live it in the right way.
Well how 'bout from Friday to Sunday night?
Why not live it in the right way from Friday night to Sunday night?
Then back 'fore they notice back up in Lotus
Before other people notice or realize that we were away, let's go back to Lotus nightclub.
Let the world know we back and we focused~!
We'll let everyone know that we're back and we're more focused and ready than ever before!
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats several times throughout the song, telling us to live life in a real playa-like style, together.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dulce Platero
2020 still π₯π₯
[Intro: Biggie sample]
Playa (hater), turn your head 'round (turn your head 'round)
Lay on the ground, you've been robbed
[Fabolous]
See everybody ain't balling
Most is falling
Even more is crawling
When they look up all they see is the position that you all in
So don't be so up that it blind you
Or so far ahead you don't see people are behind you, playa
Playa, playa, playa, playa
Playa, playa, playa, playa
[Verse: Fabolous]
Uhh, playa, playa
First you tell the jeweler to Audemar Piguet ya
Then you tellin' waitresses to Rose her
Bumping VIP and you meet your first Draya
In the strip club, ones in the air-ya
Nothin' but attention that they wanna pay ya
Dancers tryna welcome to L.A. ya
Shake it like a Polaroid picture, Hey Ya!
Let 'em know you balling, you that nigga playa
And you run the city you the new mayor
Tonight is full of hoes and the flyest playas
Can't forget the jackers and the playa haters
And shady hoes can't wait to be-tray ya
It's hard to tell which one is here to slay ya
It could be that pretty redbone Laiya
Texting to them niggas that are tryna lay her
The lights is coming on and you drunk as sailor
Shawty like where the after-party playa?
You grab her by the hand and tell her I'ma take ya
Shawty rolling with it she is not a faker
Now you with your wheel like a roller skater
Pulling out the lot you tell your homies "Later!"
Stopping at the light corner of La Brea
Niggas ride up on ya like a escalator
Wearing all-black Oakland Raider
Screaming run your shit 'fore they AK ya
Begging for your life hoping they don't spray ya
Shoulda left that balla shit for the Lakers
Yeah.
InsubordinateNYC TV
Here in 2023β¦ to say this track aged well is a huge understatement ππππ
Del Lightcsy
Agreed!
Q
I don't think ppl know how great this tape was ... even more so this masterpiece of a song
Steffen Flindt
People will say that about whatever but this is actual facts !!
Trap
π―
Armando Avina
I remember this tape coming out when walking home from high school, this is by far the most polished project from the 2010s for Fabolous for me
Man You All Know Who This Is Stop It
All of them. Facts.
Ernest Lewis
The most underrated mixtape to come outta NY .. the bars ...flow .. and originality is unmatched .. it sucks only tracks with features get recognized
jakal
Man i remember when this dropped. Thanksgiving day 2013. I was with family but I checking my phone every hour on the dot waiting for the datpiff counter to go down to download it and it got delayed like 2 hours. 9 years later and this tape is still in rotation.
TayFlashy
Aw man the nostalgia π’