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It's not all beef and negativity in the Bay Area. Last month we brought you a series Bay Area beef in which artists aired out their issues on each other. However while that was going on, Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B was out in his community helping kids to receive the proper tools for an education with a charity event called “Ballin' For Peace.” The event successfully gave out hundreds of back-packs and school supplies and provided a positive outlet for the youth in Fab's community.
AllHipHop.com reached out because we wanted to give you an insight to the good things that Fabby is doing for his neighborhood and to showcase something very positive in Hip-Hop. Hopefully, we can see more of these kinds of community events take place. As you will see, it's not that difficult to put together if you try.
AllHipHop.com: We see that you've been doing a lot of positive things in your community lately.
Mistah F.A.B: Right now as we speak, I'm organizing another little community event. I have a non-profit organization called K.I.D.S. - Knowledge Induced Development System. Our main thing is pushing education. In the city of Oakland, there's been a shut down of over 11 schools. The enrollment percentage is at an all-time low. My main thing is finding out how we can implement an education program.
AllHipHop.com: What's the justification for the school closures?
Mistah F.A.B: Bad attendance and of course the California budget cuts. They don't have enough money to pay these teachers. Then the attendance rate is at an all-time low. It's an unfortunate situation for kids as well as parents. Once a child gets to a certain level of age, they brush off school so they can try to get money. The kids in Oakland have nothing positive to look forward to. When you see that the people you look up to don't care, you wonder why you have to give a sh*t as well. The people who have the influence or the power to dictate what goes on – don't give a sh*t.
People are wasting their energy doing negative things. Let's care for some real issues! Let's care about how one out of seven kids in the inner-cities drop-out or die before reaching High School.
AllHipHop.com: When did you start this organization?
Mistah F.A.B: Somewhere in the past two to three years but my community activism has been going for a while. I'm a child of the struggle. I've watched my mother do so much for the community. Do you remember the big Bay Area earthquake in 1989? My mother was out there helping people that were trapped when the freeway collapsed. She was out there risking her life pulling people from the freeway. Growing up, I've watched my mother put her life on the line for the benefit of others. I've always told myself that when I get in to a certain position of influence, I'm going to do things like that.
AllHipHop.com: You just had an event over the weekend called “Ballin' For Peace.” How did that go?
Mistah F.A.B: “Ballin' For Peace” was so beautiful. I'm on a natural high right now. We went up against a major event in Oakland called “Art & Soul” which has been a big event for the past fifteen years. Art & Soul brings people from around the country to it. At first I didn't care that we were going up against it but as the event neared, I became a little concerned. However I felt with my cause and the community support really behind it, we would be able to pull it off. Over a thousand people came out to our event. I gave out eight hundred backpacks full of school supplies. I was humbled to see the looks on the faces of those kids. What I've done in music as far as my career goes, it could never compare to community activism. Another thing that I was humbled by, was that the news was there. They put it on the news that night – and you know they never show anything positive! For them to put it on the news, let me know that we were really doing something.
AllHipHop.com: I know that you invited some guests to participate. Who showed up?
Mistah F.A.B: Dorell Wright from the Golden State Warriors. He's from the streets himself, so he knows. Too $hort showed up, of course. He's the Godfather. JT the Bigga Figga showed up. Pinky the former Porn-star – an Oakland native – she showed up too. J. Stalin, who's possibly one of the hottest artists in Oakland right now. He brought his followers and fans – a lot of the kids were real happy to see him.
AllHipHop.com: Ok. So it sounds like you all had a good time. It's very self-less to do something like this.
Mistah F.A.B: It's self-less but at the end of the day it is selfish too – but it's a great selfish. The feeling that I feel right now is very selfish because I feel great for what I did. Even though I didn't do it for myself, the feeling that it has given my body makes me feel great. If that makes any sense. Giving back is a good form of selfishness because: you are able to do it, you want to do it and it makes you feel good. My music career will play out to be whatever it will be. People might say I'm one of the most under-rated artists or one of the best networking artists – whatever – that doesn't matter much to me. However when they speak of my presence in the community or my activism, they will say that I'm someone who puts his life on the line. Someone that paints a positive picture for the community, who tells kids that they don't have to sell drugs or rob, kill and pimp.
AllHipHop.com: Was there one particular incident that gave you the extra motivation to do this event?
Mistah F.A.B: Yes. In the month of August alone, a three year old child was killed. His name was baby Carlos. I met with his parents and the Mayor of Oakland the other day. It was a senseless act of murder. Last week they shot a two year old and then days after a five year old got shot too. I'm like, “Yo! This is crazy!” The backpack event was planned within a week, bro. We put this together in a week! Some great people made some great contributions. Jamal Crawford from the Atlanta Hawks was one of them. Another was William Breed, a street icon in Fillmore, CA. He told me, “I've done so much negativity in the community, I love to see someone give positivity back.” We also had donations from others in the city of Oakland. I challenged people to put their money where their mouth is. I put up my own money, let's do this. And all of this at time where people are talking about the internet controversy, saying that I vouched for someone saying the word “n****.”
The word “n****” is not my biggest concern. If your biggest concern in life is who's saying the word “n****” - I would love to be you! I would love to have those worries. There's kids getting killed in my city. My mother died of cancer. My father died of A.I.D.S. My brother is serving a one hundred year sentence in jail. His release date says, “deceased.” Do you think my major concern is who's saying the N-word? I've got real life sh*t to deal with.
AllHipHop.com: I take it you are talking about your recent comments on V-Nasty using the N-word?
Mistah F.A.B: Yeah! That's the whole Internet frenzy because I told people, “Is this your major concern?” Hip-Hop has popularized this word and made it recreational. It no longer has the malicious intent of a derogatory term or the defamation of one's character. I humble myself to people in other regions that are more segregated than my region but in Oakland we are more desegregated. Our neighbors next to each other may be white, Indian, Filipino – we all look to each other as, “that's my n****.” My whole thing is raising the intellectual output and it starts with people of influence.
Now this next quote that I'm going to say may stir people the wrong way; “In today's age, Hip-Hop is bigger than Religion.”
AllHipHop.com: Bigger than Religion? Can you clarify that please?
Mistah F.A.B: More kids are in to Hip-Hop than Religion. If you ask one of them to quote you a Lil Wayne verse, they'll do that. Then turn around and ask them to quote you a scripture from Psalms? Or how many books does the Bible have? You won't get an answer. Then again, ask them how many tracks were on the Game's last mixtape – and you'll get an answer. These kids are more interested in Hip-Hop trivia than Religion. The power and influence that Hip-Hop has over these kids is just as big as Religion. A Pastor can come and tell these kids, “We've got to get our lives together” and the kids will be like “whatever.” Then let Drake come out and tell these kids, “We need to do this or that” and they'll be like, “we're there.”
AllHipHop.com: When you first stated that, I wasn't sure what you were trying to get at. But now I see that you are explaining the power and responsibility that comes with being a Hip-Hop star.
Mistah F.A.B: Yeah – and that's what makes me mad about certain Hip-Hop artists. I used to be one of those artists that didn't realize my ability and power of influence. I started talking to the pastors and the brothers from the mosque. They would tell me that I was more powerful than they were, because the kids didn't want to hear them preach. They explained that I am able to reach the kids in ways that they can understand. They all said, “You have to utilize your power of influence for the greater good not only of your neighborhood but for people in other areas.” The media too! Like you told me earlier about how you've been covering stories about Bay Area beef and wanted to highlight something positive. If all journalists and media outlets had that take on things and started covering more positive events – you would see the power of positive artists take effect.
I want to see a “Ballin' For Peace” in New York, Chicago, and other cities that have been ravished with senseless acts of violence. I hope that other artists seeing me do this in Oakland will motivate them to do it in their communities.
AllHipHop.com: You're not letting media and websites off the hook, huh?
Mistah F.A.B: Once you get put in to a position to where you can say something where thousands or hundreds of thousands have the chance to read it – you have stepped across the boundaries of leadership. You can lead through positivity or negativity. I speak from both spectrum's because I once led through negativity.
AllHipHop.com: How were able to put such an event together in just a week's time?
Mistah F.A.B: It's easy. Do you know what's the most expensive part about giving back?
AllHipHop.com: What?
Mistah F.A.B: The most expensive thing is “giving a f***.” Most people don't give a f*** and that's the problem. Let's say you've got sixty thousand followers on Twitter. Start with a tweet that says, “I'm about to do an Educational Movement. I bought two hundred backpacks myself. Is there anybody else who would like to join in? Hit me up.” You may get a few people replying back. Ask them to buy five backpacks each or ask one of them to buy some school supplies. The more you tweet this out throughout the day, the more attention and replies it will get. Then you can start tweeting this out to other rappers. I myself hit up MC Hammer who has over a million followers. He re-tweeted my request to his people. Then you put together a flier for the event and make a community on Facebook. I did this and within two to three days, I had fifteen thousand views on my flier.
AllHipHop.com: So you don't even need to rely on Corporate sponsorship to pull this off?
Mistah F.A.B: We didn't have anybody, bro. This is a week. Just me reaching out in my phone book and calling some athletes and rappers that I know. I was like, “I don't even need you to put money in. Just show up.” I called Pops up – that's what I call Too $hort. He said he was in L.A. and would fly up for the event. I called a few others to see if they could show up and if they couldn't, if they could send two or three hundred dollars for backpacks. I went in to the community where I know dudes that have money – legally or illegally – that's none of my business. But I asked them to pitch in for the kids. Within a week we've got hundreds of backpacks. You can go on the Internet and find good deals. They don't have to be Jansport backpacks.
The next step is going back to your social networks or the neighborhood to see if someone wants to cook or bring cupcakes. That way everybody from the community can know that they played a part in this. A week later, you've got yourself a successful event.
AllHipHop.com: Is there another part to this plan? They've been given the tools but they are missing school for a reason. Is there someone for them to talk to as well?
Mistah F.A.B: That's where the non-profit group that I'm forming called K.I.D.S is coming in to play. It's sole purpose is to come back and give mentor-ship to these children and provide someone that they can talk to. I make myself very much available to talk to these kids, when I can. My sister is my contact person and her name is Teresa Downs. When I'm not in a position to do so, she organizes things for me. She shares the same passion that I share for our community. We are here. We are not hard for these kids to find. When you had called me earlier to set this interview up, I was at a Community Center helping those who had just gotten out of jail trying to find employment.
The thing with rappers and entertainers, they forget that this is just a job. You are a person at the end of the day. I don't care how much money you've got or women you've slept with. You wake up like everybody else does and you go to sleep like everybody else.
AllHipHop.com: How does someone who's reading this, contact you to get involved?
Mistah F.A.B: Our email is [email protected]. It's a straight-up education movement. I'd like to encourage people to do it in your own neighborhood. If you have the power of influence, use it. Throw a picnic. Throw a basketball tournament, softball or flag-football game. At my event, my homeboy Compton Menace from L.A. drove up five hours just to come! To me, that right there is loyalty and that's somebody that cares. I didn't ask him to do anything but show up. People think that it's all about money. Sometimes it's about showing up and letting people see you. When these kids see you on TV or in these magazines it's important for them to see you. They can tell their friends that they gave you hug, handshake and got a picture with them. People from the hood who get success, like to leave and never come back. We've got to come back and show these kids what success looks like.
It's not all beef and negativity in the Bay Area. Last month we brought you a series Bay Area beef in which artists aired out their issues on each other. However while that was going on, Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B was out in his community helping kids to receive the proper tools for an education with a charity event called “Ballin' For Peace.” The event successfully gave out hundreds of back-packs and school supplies and provided a positive outlet for the youth in Fab's community.
AllHipHop.com reached out because we wanted to give you an insight to the good things that Fabby is doing for his neighborhood and to showcase something very positive in Hip-Hop. Hopefully, we can see more of these kinds of community events take place. As you will see, it's not that difficult to put together if you try.
AllHipHop.com: We see that you've been doing a lot of positive things in your community lately.
Mistah F.A.B: Right now as we speak, I'm organizing another little community event. I have a non-profit organization called K.I.D.S. - Knowledge Induced Development System. Our main thing is pushing education. In the city of Oakland, there's been a shut down of over 11 schools. The enrollment percentage is at an all-time low. My main thing is finding out how we can implement an education program.
AllHipHop.com: What's the justification for the school closures?
Mistah F.A.B: Bad attendance and of course the California budget cuts. They don't have enough money to pay these teachers. Then the attendance rate is at an all-time low. It's an unfortunate situation for kids as well as parents. Once a child gets to a certain level of age, they brush off school so they can try to get money. The kids in Oakland have nothing positive to look forward to. When you see that the people you look up to don't care, you wonder why you have to give a sh*t as well. The people who have the influence or the power to dictate what goes on – don't give a sh*t.
People are wasting their energy doing negative things. Let's care for some real issues! Let's care about how one out of seven kids in the inner-cities drop-out or die before reaching High School.
AllHipHop.com: When did you start this organization?
Mistah F.A.B: Somewhere in the past two to three years but my community activism has been going for a while. I'm a child of the struggle. I've watched my mother do so much for the community. Do you remember the big Bay Area earthquake in 1989? My mother was out there helping people that were trapped when the freeway collapsed. She was out there risking her life pulling people from the freeway. Growing up, I've watched my mother put her life on the line for the benefit of others. I've always told myself that when I get in to a certain position of influence, I'm going to do things like that.
AllHipHop.com: You just had an event over the weekend called “Ballin' For Peace.” How did that go?
Mistah F.A.B: “Ballin' For Peace” was so beautiful. I'm on a natural high right now. We went up against a major event in Oakland called “Art & Soul” which has been a big event for the past fifteen years. Art & Soul brings people from around the country to it. At first I didn't care that we were going up against it but as the event neared, I became a little concerned. However I felt with my cause and the community support really behind it, we would be able to pull it off. Over a thousand people came out to our event. I gave out eight hundred backpacks full of school supplies. I was humbled to see the looks on the faces of those kids. What I've done in music as far as my career goes, it could never compare to community activism. Another thing that I was humbled by, was that the news was there. They put it on the news that night – and you know they never show anything positive! For them to put it on the news, let me know that we were really doing something.
AllHipHop.com: I know that you invited some guests to participate. Who showed up?
Mistah F.A.B: Dorell Wright from the Golden State Warriors. He's from the streets himself, so he knows. Too $hort showed up, of course. He's the Godfather. JT the Bigga Figga showed up. Pinky the former Porn-star – an Oakland native – she showed up too. J. Stalin, who's possibly one of the hottest artists in Oakland right now. He brought his followers and fans – a lot of the kids were real happy to see him.
AllHipHop.com: Ok. So it sounds like you all had a good time. It's very self-less to do something like this.
Mistah F.A.B: It's self-less but at the end of the day it is selfish too – but it's a great selfish. The feeling that I feel right now is very selfish because I feel great for what I did. Even though I didn't do it for myself, the feeling that it has given my body makes me feel great. If that makes any sense. Giving back is a good form of selfishness because: you are able to do it, you want to do it and it makes you feel good. My music career will play out to be whatever it will be. People might say I'm one of the most under-rated artists or one of the best networking artists – whatever – that doesn't matter much to me. However when they speak of my presence in the community or my activism, they will say that I'm someone who puts his life on the line. Someone that paints a positive picture for the community, who tells kids that they don't have to sell drugs or rob, kill and pimp.
AllHipHop.com: Was there one particular incident that gave you the extra motivation to do this event?
Mistah F.A.B: Yes. In the month of August alone, a three year old child was killed. His name was baby Carlos. I met with his parents and the Mayor of Oakland the other day. It was a senseless act of murder. Last week they shot a two year old and then days after a five year old got shot too. I'm like, “Yo! This is crazy!” The backpack event was planned within a week, bro. We put this together in a week! Some great people made some great contributions. Jamal Crawford from the Atlanta Hawks was one of them. Another was William Breed, a street icon in Fillmore, CA. He told me, “I've done so much negativity in the community, I love to see someone give positivity back.” We also had donations from others in the city of Oakland. I challenged people to put their money where their mouth is. I put up my own money, let's do this. And all of this at time where people are talking about the internet controversy, saying that I vouched for someone saying the word “n****.”
The word “n****” is not my biggest concern. If your biggest concern in life is who's saying the word “n****” - I would love to be you! I would love to have those worries. There's kids getting killed in my city. My mother died of cancer. My father died of A.I.D.S. My brother is serving a one hundred year sentence in jail. His release date says, “deceased.” Do you think my major concern is who's saying the N-word? I've got real life sh*t to deal with.
AllHipHop.com: I take it you are talking about your recent comments on V-Nasty using the N-word?
Mistah F.A.B: Yeah! That's the whole Internet frenzy because I told people, “Is this your major concern?” Hip-Hop has popularized this word and made it recreational. It no longer has the malicious intent of a derogatory term or the defamation of one's character. I humble myself to people in other regions that are more segregated than my region but in Oakland we are more desegregated. Our neighbors next to each other may be white, Indian, Filipino – we all look to each other as, “that's my n****.” My whole thing is raising the intellectual output and it starts with people of influence.
Now this next quote that I'm going to say may stir people the wrong way; “In today's age, Hip-Hop is bigger than Religion.”
AllHipHop.com: Bigger than Religion? Can you clarify that please?
Mistah F.A.B: More kids are in to Hip-Hop than Religion. If you ask one of them to quote you a Lil Wayne verse, they'll do that. Then turn around and ask them to quote you a scripture from Psalms? Or how many books does the Bible have? You won't get an answer. Then again, ask them how many tracks were on the Game's last mixtape – and you'll get an answer. These kids are more interested in Hip-Hop trivia than Religion. The power and influence that Hip-Hop has over these kids is just as big as Religion. A Pastor can come and tell these kids, “We've got to get our lives together” and the kids will be like “whatever.” Then let Drake come out and tell these kids, “We need to do this or that” and they'll be like, “we're there.”
AllHipHop.com: When you first stated that, I wasn't sure what you were trying to get at. But now I see that you are explaining the power and responsibility that comes with being a Hip-Hop star.
Mistah F.A.B: Yeah – and that's what makes me mad about certain Hip-Hop artists. I used to be one of those artists that didn't realize my ability and power of influence. I started talking to the pastors and the brothers from the mosque. They would tell me that I was more powerful than they were, because the kids didn't want to hear them preach. They explained that I am able to reach the kids in ways that they can understand. They all said, “You have to utilize your power of influence for the greater good not only of your neighborhood but for people in other areas.” The media too! Like you told me earlier about how you've been covering stories about Bay Area beef and wanted to highlight something positive. If all journalists and media outlets had that take on things and started covering more positive events – you would see the power of positive artists take effect.
I want to see a “Ballin' For Peace” in New York, Chicago, and other cities that have been ravished with senseless acts of violence. I hope that other artists seeing me do this in Oakland will motivate them to do it in their communities.
AllHipHop.com: You're not letting media and websites off the hook, huh?
Mistah F.A.B: Once you get put in to a position to where you can say something where thousands or hundreds of thousands have the chance to read it – you have stepped across the boundaries of leadership. You can lead through positivity or negativity. I speak from both spectrum's because I once led through negativity.
AllHipHop.com: How were able to put such an event together in just a week's time?
Mistah F.A.B: It's easy. Do you know what's the most expensive part about giving back?
AllHipHop.com: What?
Mistah F.A.B: The most expensive thing is “giving a f***.” Most people don't give a f*** and that's the problem. Let's say you've got sixty thousand followers on Twitter. Start with a tweet that says, “I'm about to do an Educational Movement. I bought two hundred backpacks myself. Is there anybody else who would like to join in? Hit me up.” You may get a few people replying back. Ask them to buy five backpacks each or ask one of them to buy some school supplies. The more you tweet this out throughout the day, the more attention and replies it will get. Then you can start tweeting this out to other rappers. I myself hit up MC Hammer who has over a million followers. He re-tweeted my request to his people. Then you put together a flier for the event and make a community on Facebook. I did this and within two to three days, I had fifteen thousand views on my flier.
AllHipHop.com: So you don't even need to rely on Corporate sponsorship to pull this off?
Mistah F.A.B: We didn't have anybody, bro. This is a week. Just me reaching out in my phone book and calling some athletes and rappers that I know. I was like, “I don't even need you to put money in. Just show up.” I called Pops up – that's what I call Too $hort. He said he was in L.A. and would fly up for the event. I called a few others to see if they could show up and if they couldn't, if they could send two or three hundred dollars for backpacks. I went in to the community where I know dudes that have money – legally or illegally – that's none of my business. But I asked them to pitch in for the kids. Within a week we've got hundreds of backpacks. You can go on the Internet and find good deals. They don't have to be Jansport backpacks.
The next step is going back to your social networks or the neighborhood to see if someone wants to cook or bring cupcakes. That way everybody from the community can know that they played a part in this. A week later, you've got yourself a successful event.
AllHipHop.com: Is there another part to this plan? They've been given the tools but they are missing school for a reason. Is there someone for them to talk to as well?
Mistah F.A.B: That's where the non-profit group that I'm forming called K.I.D.S is coming in to play. It's sole purpose is to come back and give mentor-ship to these children and provide someone that they can talk to. I make myself very much available to talk to these kids, when I can. My sister is my contact person and her name is Teresa Downs. When I'm not in a position to do so, she organizes things for me. She shares the same passion that I share for our community. We are here. We are not hard for these kids to find. When you had called me earlier to set this interview up, I was at a Community Center helping those who had just gotten out of jail trying to find employment.
The thing with rappers and entertainers, they forget that this is just a job. You are a person at the end of the day. I don't care how much money you've got or women you've slept with. You wake up like everybody else does and you go to sleep like everybody else.
AllHipHop.com: How does someone who's reading this, contact you to get involved?
Mistah F.A.B: Our email is [email protected]. It's a straight-up education movement. I'd like to encourage people to do it in your own neighborhood. If you have the power of influence, use it. Throw a picnic. Throw a basketball tournament, softball or flag-football game. At my event, my homeboy Compton Menace from L.A. drove up five hours just to come! To me, that right there is loyalty and that's somebody that cares. I didn't ask him to do anything but show up. People think that it's all about money. Sometimes it's about showing up and letting people see you. When these kids see you on TV or in these magazines it's important for them to see you. They can tell their friends that they gave you hug, handshake and got a picture with them. People from the hood who get success, like to leave and never come back. We've got to come back and show these kids what success looks like.
