Fabolous - Rich, Yung and Fabolous
Wednesday, June 13, 2007 | Author: dominique a.h.l.o.t. howse
Six years ago, the streets were flooded with throwback jerseys, oversized fitted caps and Air Force Ones in exclusive colorways. Tons of people were spending major dollars to stay in the latest Mitchell and Ness and Stall and Dean jerseys. Hip-Hop junkies remember Fabolous as being the “go to person” for the most exclusive jerseys and freshest accessories to match. The coco colored half Black half Dominican kid with the chipped tooth was the man to watch for style and street appeal. The “Bling” culture was at its height and Fabolous was the poster child for staying fly and dropping hard punch lines.
It’s June 2007 and Fabolous just dropped his fourth album entitled, From Nothin’ to Somthin on Defjam Recordings and has sold over 3 million records to date. With his street swag, ghetto fabulous approach and dominant flow, it was only natural for the Brooklyn born emcee to invest in a clothing line.
Rich Yung clothing is the epitome of flavor and unique design. The upscale urban line is designed to bridge cultural gaps as well as capture the idea of staying rich (in the mind) and forever staying young. Word of mouth, Rich Yung is your opportunity to live “fabulous” and be a reflection of the “American Dream.”
The Evil Collector brings you inside the mind, behind another brand that is destined to ring bells. This time you can rock ‘em. Just ask Fabolous.
TEC: Let me know how Rich Yung is a reflection of the “American Dream.”
Fab: Rich Yung is a lifestyle. It’s about people that aren’t necessarily rich as far as dollars but rich in mind. Also, it’s not about age because they’re still young in mind. To think young is to be young. It’s a mindset, as well as a lifestyle about being rich and staying young. It can be easily translated as rich young and it being young and rich. It’s a little deeper.
TEC: It’s really about globalization too. The line isn’t targeted to a certain age, race or culture — from Brooklyn to Tokyo, how do you think this line embodies globalization and unity through the people?
Fab: I think globalization is something that is translated no matter where you are. It’s urban but it’s casual, it’s not kiddie…so we wanted to give the line several global aspects. We’re a universal line that speaks a universal language. Rich Yung is a line where you’re going to see the opposite of your average “rapper line.” The culture line is justifiable in the people who really dig the lifestyle of the brand. We don’t have a specific lane to where “This is how New York people dress” or “This is how Southern people dress.” It’s not pigeonholed [into one] style.
TEC: With that said, you being from Brooklyn — how much of the Brooklyn side of you was displayed in this line? How much inspiration did you obtain from Brooklyn and growing up with the people you grew up around?
Fab: Being from Brooklyn, there was a time when we had a certain crew called the “Lo Lifes” and it was a culture behind the brand Polo. (NOTE: The Lo Lifes were infamous for boosting Polo from department) stores). I think Rich Yung has that same scheme to it, where people are feeling it and they feel a different way when they wear the clothing. That’s the same way the “Lo Lifes” approached the scene. They had style and they had swagger and delivered that through the clothes that they were wearing. With me, it’s the same thing. I come from that era, so that’s what we try to mix in with our clothing. We come from a different culture with it. People should feel a certain way when they have it on.
TEC: If you could pick out three poster faces for this clothing line from anytime in history who would it be?
Fab: Artist wise, I would say myself; an athlete, I would say Allen Iverson and let me think of somebody on the acting tip…I’m gonna say Mekhi Phifer.
TEC: What is it about A.I. and Mekhi Phifer as opposed to anyone else?
Fab: I’m pretty sure it’s a lot of people (not just black people) I could pick to represent the line. But those three people posses the same level of integrity and fashion sense. I look at them as young Black people who are doing their thing and still have integrity and strive for success. I chose Allen Iverson and Mekhi Phifer, but there are definitely way more people I could have picked aside from a Black dude. I could see some white dudes — Italian dudes — I could see a Spanish dude…It’s an international line and designed not just for Black people. Yet, I wanted to give three young, Black entertainers that would represent the line.
TEC: Cool. Let’s talk about you for a minute. What do you think is a huge misconception about you and the person that you are, aside from what’s being portrayed in the media. What do you think people should know about you that isn’t being conveyed in the media?
Fab: I don’t think people see that I put a lot of hard work into what I do. I don’t know if I’m making it look easy — my laid back voice, my swagger or whatever — that makes people get the impression that I’m not a hard worker or that I don’t put a lot into everything that I do. I just want people to know that I put in a lot of hard work into everything that I do. I know that my name is a stamp and so I always think it through and try to make sure it’s the best move I can make. Another misconception is that a lot of people think that I’m arrogant. I don’t know how, I’m one of the coolest people in the game. You can ask any artist. You never heard about me in any beefs or any back and fourth rap songs. I know people who really don’t know me think I’m real reserved and to myself. I‘m from New York and a lot of people up here…if they don’t really know somebody they’re not going to open up to them.
I’ve learned to say, “what’s up” and stuff like that from being in this industry. People are more stand offish where I’m from. It’s not like in the South…when you walk down the sidewalk, everybody that comes across speaks to you. In New York there are so many people. You could brush shoulders with people everyday and don’t say a word to them. I come from that, so I had to learn that if I walk pass somebody and I don’t speak, they take that as being arrogant. It’s not like if you speak to me, I’m not gonna speak back…but I think people take my laid back-ness as me being arrogant or cocky.
TEC: Alright cool. You’re very young yet you’ve been in the game for a while and this is your fourth album. I remember listening to your on mixtapes back in day…so how has the game changed? A lot of people have came and gone, so how have your perceptions changed as an emcee, since you brought out that crazy single in 2001 called “Can’t Deny It?”
Fab: The game has changed. Now, it’s a lot more business oriented. A lot of guys, when they first got in the game…it wasn’t about the business side of things. It was about the passion and rap. Now, a lot of people take the business angle and they’re doing the numbers on everything. Even the hood is taking numbers, and the hood never cared about sound scan or anything like that. The business aspect of Hip Hop has stepped up a lot. Music has deteriorated and devalued, and you also see that the internet has drastically changed. The web is such a big thing in the game right now. Now, you even have to do certain and separate things for the internet. You have to cater to the internet and the actual buyer who goes in stores [or the physical shoppers].
It’s a ball game, but you have to adapt. I try to make sure that with everything that I stay consistent and persistent in everything I do. I think that’s one thing that’ll keep you around — staying consistent. Consistent with other music, consistent within yourself, consistent with your work, consistent with your flow — all those things can help you sustain your longevity in the game.
TEC: Speaking of consistency, what can we expect on this album. Will it be the “girlie tracks” featuring Ne-yo or the punchline emcee that we know so much about? Or, do you think you do a good job at balancing both?
Fab: I try to balance both, especially to do an album. A lot of times, people’s perceptions are based off of the singles. Singles are what you put out to connect to the masses and your core fan base. I put out a record for the ladies the last album, but then I put out a record for more of the streets or for people who really respect the lyrical side of rap — I put out “Breathe.” This time I put out “Make Me Better,” and first I put out “Diamonds,” as an buzz leaks or as an attention grabber and to create an awareness. “Diamonds” was to get everybody’s attention to the fact that I’m coming back out.
With that, diamonds catch everybody’s attention. If somebody walks in the room with some diamonds on, you’re going to look at them even if it’s not your thing. They’re shining, so we needed that to get people attention whether it was good attention or bad attention.
I really think I provide a balance. I’m versatile as an artist. I can do different songs that provide a different air — I can do a song for the ladies, a song for the streets or a song for the clubs. I think I balance well with the times. When some people hear singles they judge (solely) by the singles and they see that I have more “girl singles” than anything. If you look at the singles that I put out like, “ I Can’t Let You Go,” “So Into You,” or “Make Me Better” — people will take those singles and assume that’s me as a whole.
TEC: Do you feel like who you are is being projected in your music or do you think you’re being limited because of the industry? Is this who you really are outside of the music?
Fab: I think I project myself as much as I want to. Sometimes, I do a little bit more. I try to make interchangeable and relative music. I don’t try to put my life story into music just to entertain people. That’s not the type of music I make. I don’t feel like I need to introduce you to my mom, my brother, or my sister in my music. Some artists have it to where it works for them. Some people also get the backlash of it too. When you talk about your relationships out in public, then your relationship becomes a public relationship, then when it gets out of control, you wonder why the industry is involved in your relationship and watching everything that you do. If you look at Eminem’s story in a sense…everybody knows his daughter, mom and his wife. Everything that happens in between there is going to get publicized. You have to introduce that in your music. If you introduce it, of course you have to take the backlash for what it does. What I try to do is make entertaining and relative music.
When I made the song, “You Make Me Better,” I knew that it was a song that people could relate to. People are trying to find somebody in life that makes them better whether it’s real or fantasy. They’re trying to find that girl or that man that makes them better. That’s a real song. “Can’t Let You Go,” was talking about being with somebody and having somebody on the side that you care about too, but you really got a wife at home and she has always been at home. That’s another relative situation. We use that format and make good songs out of it. At the end of the day, those are all real scenarios. Sometimes I might personalize stuff just so it can be lyrical and creative. I took the definition of breath and metaphorically tied into a different thing. Like I said: “Ya’ll niggas can’t share my air, or walk in a mile in a pair I wear, and I’m getting’ better year-by-year” and that’s me just talking my sh*t. That’s one of the things I do in the music too.
TEC: Cool. What’s your inspiration? What do you think about late at night and what wakes you up in the morning?
Fab: To just want more and to never be satisfied. If I go one million, I want to go two million and if I got two million, next time I want to do four million. If I got ten pairs of sneakers I want 20 pairs of sneakers. I gotta a 100,000 thousand dollar car, next thing you know my car is over 100,000 dollars. The music inspires me too. When I hear other people make great songs, it inspires me to make great songs. I love to hear great songs because it makes me figure I want to be in the same category of the people they say make good music. I don’t look from approval from critics. I’m not really doing it for critical acclaim; I’m doing it to make good music. If the people think I’m making good music then that’s cool with me.
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