http://www.hhnlive.com/features/more/173
All Aboard The Yellow Bus: Mistah F.A.B.
Posted: 12/13/2006 by: Quinton Hatfield
Since the beginning of HHNLive.com we've been holding the game down with features on the current and upcoming stars from the Bay area. From the legendary Too Short, to the grimey-spitting Big Rich to the wilding out crew The Pack these acts show the movement of the Bay area is spreading like crazy. With the cultural hip-hop movement known as hyphy the Bay area has a way with their style you just have to dig. Coming from the city of Oakland, Ca we got to chop it up with new Atlantic Records recruit Mistah F.A.B. and yes he's one of the most intelligent people in this game...let him be your motivation to go dumb.
Q: Okay Mistah F.A.B. what's been good with you lately, what's been the latest hustle?
Mistah F.A.B.: My latest hustle right now is definitely getting this album done hitting these streets and traveling. I been networking with a lot of producers and artists trying to put up the best album I can put together.
Q: How do you feel about your new deal with Atlantic Records?
M: It's one of those deals where I definitely appreciate it. I'm happy to be one of the people that's very happy to get a major label deal, but at the same time I realize this is just where the work starts. The deal is nothing, the deal is only the first part and if you don't put together no good music or anything for them to get behind you then you are just going to be another artist on the shelf.
Q: What made you choose Atlantic in the first place?
M: I think Atlantic was the label that was the most persistent. Everybody was playing that they were interested, but Atlantic records proved to me they were interested and they cut the check.
Q: How did you get discovered by Atlantic in the first place?
M: Just grinding man, as far as the Bay Area it ain't too many people that grind harder than me. We all are on our grind collectively as a whole unit, but just by grinding ripping shows becoming the talk of the town. Major labels they be listening having their ears in the street and people that report back to them. When you constantly getting reports back "This kid is doing his thing" their gonna be interested just like a lot of other labels were. They just wanted to see what I would be willing to take and it took seven to eight months to cut me a deal I couldn't really refuse.
Q: Now a lot of artists claim being independent has more advantages as far as money and decision making is concerned. Does any of that concern you with Atlantic, especially the situation with someone like Fat Joe?
M: My deal is structured independent, I have a label deal so my deal is where I'll still be able to keep my independence of what I got going on. My deal is not like nobody else's deal, so I'm definitely seeing what I saw before we even inked up the deal.
Q: I heard you was a member of the popular Thizz Entertainment, so for those that don't know about it can you speak about that?
M: Well our movement is like the Dipset movement you know. Anything we do the streets is like supporters, you can't go to New York and not holla Dipset. Their just feeling it and it's spreading out for the whole east coast and a lot of other cats. Their whole movement is just so big right now and that's how our movement is. Cats that are not even affiliated are just hollering "Thizz, Thizz, Thizz". Our movement is definitely big and it was started by our late great father Mac Dre who is no longer with us. We are definitely going to keep his legacy alive by continuing this movement and blowing it up. We all have an independent grind and it's a bunch of labels under one umbrella. A lot of cats be like "You signed with Atlantic so you not with Thizz no more" and it's funny because we already have our own label that we have under the Thizz umbrella. It's like the Swishahouse they have a lot of artists, but their all under the same camp.
Q: What sets you apart from other artists in the Bay Area?
M: Nothing sets me apart I just do my own independent thing. In the Bay area we all got our individual personalities that allow us to be us. We are all the same, I'm not tryna be no better than none of my fellow artists. I'm not tryna be no different than The Pack, Turf Talk, E-40, we all just got our individual personalities.
Q: It's not like let me do my thing and forget everyone else.
M: Definitely, it's like the Chicago Bulls you had Jordan, Pippen and Paxson. Jordan was great, but without his other players and his people behind him he was nothing. He couldn't win no ring by himself, everybody was like that and that's how we are in the Bay area. We all need each other regardless if people admit it or not, we all play off each other, feed off each other so I just bring an individuality to the table. I bring a hard-working role player who is willing to play his position and represent for the movement.
Q: It's like they say "There is no I in team".
M: Definitely no I in team and that's what we're trying to get out to people and let them know. Let them know there is no I in team and in order for us to get paid like Atlanta and Houston we all have to respect that. We have to realize as an individual I can do Mistah F.A.B. and I can't do nobody else, but together we can do the Bay area and Mistah F.A.B. plays his part in that.
Q: In your opinion what made the hyphy movement so popular?
M: It just began to become something that was intriguing and anything that's intriguing is worth checking out. The interest level of it was just so phenomenal, everybody was talking and people just wanted to see what was going on. It's just like that new girl in school, everybody be like "You seen that new girl, she so fine", but you be the one that be like "I didn't see her, where she at!" so you just go looking for her. You go to her class or something trying to find her and that's what the Bay area is right now. We're like that new girl in school where a lot of people are talking about us, but a lot of people have not seen us. Their trying to find us right now and with that we have to show were worth the recognition.
Q: No doubt, the Bay is doing their thing right now!
M: Were definitely doing our thing, you got a lot of cats that's definitely getting a lot of money feeding their family and creating a new sound of music.
Q: The Bay's been on a full-time hustle.
M: We been on the grind for several years and it's a beautiful thing were finally getting our recognition. Once people start getting their new deals it's time to make some good albums.
Q: How did you come up with your name?
M: Mistah F.A.B. is a hustle, it's actually an acronym and it stands for "Money Is Something To Always Have Forever After Bread". Growing up in the city of Oakland that's a code you live by, you realize you have to have money to survive so that's just a main thing that you do. You just get your mind right and stay forever after bread, you just stay on your grind.
Q: Forever after bread, that's a nice concept!
M: Forever after bread it is, we just try to stay on our grind and it's a hustler's name. I represent for all the hustlers out there. Whether you're selling T-shirts, or whatever you're selling. If you selling teddy bears on Valentine's Day get your money man and stay hustling man, don't stop hustling.
Q: No doubt you can't knock anyone's hustle, everything is a hustle.
M: Yeah everybody got a hustle man just like this interview right now is a hustle. This is something your inspired to do as a young man wanting to get your interviews going as far as becoming a great journalist. Everything like that is what the whole movement's about, just inspiring to be what you want to be going after your dream and staying on your hustle.
Q: You know it, you're going to be on my show one day [laughs].
M: That's how it's going to be man, were just gonna grind and do some big things.
Q: Now tell me about this new album "Yellow Bus Rydah".
M: "Yellow Bus Rydah" is definitely like an emotional roller-coaster in which I gained a lot of people's attention with the hyphy movement. Outside the hyphy I drag you into my own world and let you know who I am based on my perceptions and ideas of what's going in the musical world today, along with what's going on in reality. Through this rollercoaster it will definitely give people a rude awakening on something they didn't expect.
Q: I read that it's a double disc album, can you tell me about that?
M: Yeah it's going to be the front of the bus and the back of the bus. What I mean by that is when you see the yellow school bus you think "Aw, look at the slow kids cracking jokes having something funny to say". If you ever were friends with anybody on that bus you realize they was just slow, you realize they just had a mental problem that keep them from not being as fast as everyone else on a conversational level. If you dug deep into their minds you realize they were highly intelligent. They had great artistic abilities within their differences, so the front of the bus is definitely the time being able to enlighten people from a point of view where they thought you were stupid. The back of the bus is just catering to the demographical genre of music we have in the Bay area with the same ideology of being in the back of the bus and just wilding out. I'm definitely giving people two sides.
Q: What are fans going to like most, the back of the bus or the front of the bus?
M: That's why I called it the front of the bus and the back of the bus, because I'm able to sit in any seat of that bus and feel comfortable. I'm able to sit at the front of the bus and feel comfortable from a political point of view and sit in the back and wild out. It's going to be an even field, because I'm comfortable in any seat.
Q: [Laughs], I respect you for that, because that's some creative shit.
M: It's definitely one of the things a lot of cats in the Bay area are doing. We are definitely creative people from the Black Panthers to any other revolutionary point of view. A lot of things come from this Bay area, were definitely creative people it's just some times people don't know how to get their creative ideas out to the masses. Thanks to Atlantic Records I've been given this ability and I just have to take advantage of the opportunity.
Q: What should fans expect next from you?
M: Just of a lot of growth, especially with music. When you love the people you grew up listening to you just want to see them grow. You want to see growth in every project from a mixtape to an album to a DVD, you just want to see them grow. I'm allowing myself to grow along with traveling and seeing new things. I'm able to open my mind and expand my mind into new directions of music. That's what I want to do as it's for the fans and critics, I want be able to give them things to talk about.
Q: I Appreciate the interview Mistah F.A.B., anything to say to the readers of www.hhnlive.com and where fans can look you up?
M: I'm on myspace and it's www.myspace.com/mistahfab . I have my own radio show on Friday nights. Also me and Too Short have a movement on the show called "It's cool to go to school". Within that whole thing is influencing a lot of kids in the inner-city to stay in school. Every week we go to at least two schools one high school and one middle school. We have an assembly talking to the kids and influencing them to do positive things. One thing they can't take from you in life is knowledge and we try our best to push that. Without the information or intelligence we have nothing, were definitely pushing these kids to stay in school. With all the musical influence that we have I want to instill and enlighten that movement heavy on these kids to stay in school.
Q: Man I appreciate your love on that and shout-out to the kids out there too!
M: Thank you man and that's what were doing, so I appreciate your love on that brother.
All Aboard The Yellow Bus: Mistah F.A.B.
Posted: 12/13/2006 by: Quinton Hatfield
Since the beginning of HHNLive.com we've been holding the game down with features on the current and upcoming stars from the Bay area. From the legendary Too Short, to the grimey-spitting Big Rich to the wilding out crew The Pack these acts show the movement of the Bay area is spreading like crazy. With the cultural hip-hop movement known as hyphy the Bay area has a way with their style you just have to dig. Coming from the city of Oakland, Ca we got to chop it up with new Atlantic Records recruit Mistah F.A.B. and yes he's one of the most intelligent people in this game...let him be your motivation to go dumb.
Q: Okay Mistah F.A.B. what's been good with you lately, what's been the latest hustle?
Mistah F.A.B.: My latest hustle right now is definitely getting this album done hitting these streets and traveling. I been networking with a lot of producers and artists trying to put up the best album I can put together.
Q: How do you feel about your new deal with Atlantic Records?
M: It's one of those deals where I definitely appreciate it. I'm happy to be one of the people that's very happy to get a major label deal, but at the same time I realize this is just where the work starts. The deal is nothing, the deal is only the first part and if you don't put together no good music or anything for them to get behind you then you are just going to be another artist on the shelf.
Q: What made you choose Atlantic in the first place?
M: I think Atlantic was the label that was the most persistent. Everybody was playing that they were interested, but Atlantic records proved to me they were interested and they cut the check.
Q: How did you get discovered by Atlantic in the first place?
M: Just grinding man, as far as the Bay Area it ain't too many people that grind harder than me. We all are on our grind collectively as a whole unit, but just by grinding ripping shows becoming the talk of the town. Major labels they be listening having their ears in the street and people that report back to them. When you constantly getting reports back "This kid is doing his thing" their gonna be interested just like a lot of other labels were. They just wanted to see what I would be willing to take and it took seven to eight months to cut me a deal I couldn't really refuse.
Q: Now a lot of artists claim being independent has more advantages as far as money and decision making is concerned. Does any of that concern you with Atlantic, especially the situation with someone like Fat Joe?
M: My deal is structured independent, I have a label deal so my deal is where I'll still be able to keep my independence of what I got going on. My deal is not like nobody else's deal, so I'm definitely seeing what I saw before we even inked up the deal.
Q: I heard you was a member of the popular Thizz Entertainment, so for those that don't know about it can you speak about that?
M: Well our movement is like the Dipset movement you know. Anything we do the streets is like supporters, you can't go to New York and not holla Dipset. Their just feeling it and it's spreading out for the whole east coast and a lot of other cats. Their whole movement is just so big right now and that's how our movement is. Cats that are not even affiliated are just hollering "Thizz, Thizz, Thizz". Our movement is definitely big and it was started by our late great father Mac Dre who is no longer with us. We are definitely going to keep his legacy alive by continuing this movement and blowing it up. We all have an independent grind and it's a bunch of labels under one umbrella. A lot of cats be like "You signed with Atlantic so you not with Thizz no more" and it's funny because we already have our own label that we have under the Thizz umbrella. It's like the Swishahouse they have a lot of artists, but their all under the same camp.
Q: What sets you apart from other artists in the Bay Area?
M: Nothing sets me apart I just do my own independent thing. In the Bay area we all got our individual personalities that allow us to be us. We are all the same, I'm not tryna be no better than none of my fellow artists. I'm not tryna be no different than The Pack, Turf Talk, E-40, we all just got our individual personalities.
Q: It's not like let me do my thing and forget everyone else.
M: Definitely, it's like the Chicago Bulls you had Jordan, Pippen and Paxson. Jordan was great, but without his other players and his people behind him he was nothing. He couldn't win no ring by himself, everybody was like that and that's how we are in the Bay area. We all need each other regardless if people admit it or not, we all play off each other, feed off each other so I just bring an individuality to the table. I bring a hard-working role player who is willing to play his position and represent for the movement.
Q: It's like they say "There is no I in team".
M: Definitely no I in team and that's what we're trying to get out to people and let them know. Let them know there is no I in team and in order for us to get paid like Atlanta and Houston we all have to respect that. We have to realize as an individual I can do Mistah F.A.B. and I can't do nobody else, but together we can do the Bay area and Mistah F.A.B. plays his part in that.
Q: In your opinion what made the hyphy movement so popular?
M: It just began to become something that was intriguing and anything that's intriguing is worth checking out. The interest level of it was just so phenomenal, everybody was talking and people just wanted to see what was going on. It's just like that new girl in school, everybody be like "You seen that new girl, she so fine", but you be the one that be like "I didn't see her, where she at!" so you just go looking for her. You go to her class or something trying to find her and that's what the Bay area is right now. We're like that new girl in school where a lot of people are talking about us, but a lot of people have not seen us. Their trying to find us right now and with that we have to show were worth the recognition.
Q: No doubt, the Bay is doing their thing right now!
M: Were definitely doing our thing, you got a lot of cats that's definitely getting a lot of money feeding their family and creating a new sound of music.
Q: The Bay's been on a full-time hustle.
M: We been on the grind for several years and it's a beautiful thing were finally getting our recognition. Once people start getting their new deals it's time to make some good albums.
Q: How did you come up with your name?
M: Mistah F.A.B. is a hustle, it's actually an acronym and it stands for "Money Is Something To Always Have Forever After Bread". Growing up in the city of Oakland that's a code you live by, you realize you have to have money to survive so that's just a main thing that you do. You just get your mind right and stay forever after bread, you just stay on your grind.
Q: Forever after bread, that's a nice concept!
M: Forever after bread it is, we just try to stay on our grind and it's a hustler's name. I represent for all the hustlers out there. Whether you're selling T-shirts, or whatever you're selling. If you selling teddy bears on Valentine's Day get your money man and stay hustling man, don't stop hustling.
Q: No doubt you can't knock anyone's hustle, everything is a hustle.
M: Yeah everybody got a hustle man just like this interview right now is a hustle. This is something your inspired to do as a young man wanting to get your interviews going as far as becoming a great journalist. Everything like that is what the whole movement's about, just inspiring to be what you want to be going after your dream and staying on your hustle.
Q: You know it, you're going to be on my show one day [laughs].
M: That's how it's going to be man, were just gonna grind and do some big things.
Q: Now tell me about this new album "Yellow Bus Rydah".
M: "Yellow Bus Rydah" is definitely like an emotional roller-coaster in which I gained a lot of people's attention with the hyphy movement. Outside the hyphy I drag you into my own world and let you know who I am based on my perceptions and ideas of what's going in the musical world today, along with what's going on in reality. Through this rollercoaster it will definitely give people a rude awakening on something they didn't expect.
Q: I read that it's a double disc album, can you tell me about that?
M: Yeah it's going to be the front of the bus and the back of the bus. What I mean by that is when you see the yellow school bus you think "Aw, look at the slow kids cracking jokes having something funny to say". If you ever were friends with anybody on that bus you realize they was just slow, you realize they just had a mental problem that keep them from not being as fast as everyone else on a conversational level. If you dug deep into their minds you realize they were highly intelligent. They had great artistic abilities within their differences, so the front of the bus is definitely the time being able to enlighten people from a point of view where they thought you were stupid. The back of the bus is just catering to the demographical genre of music we have in the Bay area with the same ideology of being in the back of the bus and just wilding out. I'm definitely giving people two sides.
Q: What are fans going to like most, the back of the bus or the front of the bus?
M: That's why I called it the front of the bus and the back of the bus, because I'm able to sit in any seat of that bus and feel comfortable. I'm able to sit at the front of the bus and feel comfortable from a political point of view and sit in the back and wild out. It's going to be an even field, because I'm comfortable in any seat.
Q: [Laughs], I respect you for that, because that's some creative shit.
M: It's definitely one of the things a lot of cats in the Bay area are doing. We are definitely creative people from the Black Panthers to any other revolutionary point of view. A lot of things come from this Bay area, were definitely creative people it's just some times people don't know how to get their creative ideas out to the masses. Thanks to Atlantic Records I've been given this ability and I just have to take advantage of the opportunity.
Q: What should fans expect next from you?
M: Just of a lot of growth, especially with music. When you love the people you grew up listening to you just want to see them grow. You want to see growth in every project from a mixtape to an album to a DVD, you just want to see them grow. I'm allowing myself to grow along with traveling and seeing new things. I'm able to open my mind and expand my mind into new directions of music. That's what I want to do as it's for the fans and critics, I want be able to give them things to talk about.
Q: I Appreciate the interview Mistah F.A.B., anything to say to the readers of www.hhnlive.com and where fans can look you up?
M: I'm on myspace and it's www.myspace.com/mistahfab . I have my own radio show on Friday nights. Also me and Too Short have a movement on the show called "It's cool to go to school". Within that whole thing is influencing a lot of kids in the inner-city to stay in school. Every week we go to at least two schools one high school and one middle school. We have an assembly talking to the kids and influencing them to do positive things. One thing they can't take from you in life is knowledge and we try our best to push that. Without the information or intelligence we have nothing, were definitely pushing these kids to stay in school. With all the musical influence that we have I want to instill and enlighten that movement heavy on these kids to stay in school.
Q: Man I appreciate your love on that and shout-out to the kids out there too!
M: Thank you man and that's what were doing, so I appreciate your love on that brother.
