'Hyphy' arrives
Mistah F.A.B. earns Bay Area rap scene national attention
Ian Hill
Record Staff Writer
Published Thursday, Mar 23, 2006
Local rap fans, prepare to get "hyphy."
For the uninitiated, hyphy means energetic and crazy, and it's the term used to describe the Bay Area rap scene. One of its top talents, Oakland's Stanley "Mistah F.A.B." Cox, performs Friday in a hall above C4 Records in downtown Stockton.
"There's going to be a lot of energy," said Cox, 24. "We're going to dance; we're going to laugh; we're going to make you feel like you're part of the show."
Hyphy has been called the hottest rap scene in the country by Rolling Stone magazine, and it's been featured on MTV in recent weeks. It's expected to follow Atlanta's "crunk" and Houston's "screwed and chopped" into the national hip-hop consciousness.
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C4 Records owner Carlos Talamantes said he expects Mistah F.A.B.'s appearance to be huge.
"I've done shows before but nothing as big as this," Talamantes said, adding that Cox "is the hottest thing going right now."
The rapper is being courted by major record labels as he finishes the follow-up to his 2005 release, "Son of a Pimp." His nom de rap is an acronym based on his desire to succeed: Mistah stands for "Money is something to always have," while F.A.B. is short for "Faeva (forever) Afta Bread."
"Son of a Pimp" includes thumping jams such as "Kicked Out the Club" and serious tracks such as "Mama Song," on which he praises his mother for raising him as a single parent.
Cox said he started writing poetry as a child to express his emotions. His early rhymes described what he saw on Oakland's tough streets and his feelings about his family's struggles, which included dealing with his father's death from AIDS in 1994.
Cox's career began to take off when he took third in a freestyle battle set up by The Source magazine. He was then teamed with Thizz Entertainment, a label led by East Bay rap legend Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks.
Cox described Hicks, who was murdered in 2004, as "one of the hardest-working guys in the industry." He plans to keep Hicks' legacy alive by showing a similar commitment to success.
Cox is one of several Bay Area rappers working together to promote themselves and the hyphy scene.
"The camaraderie is the highest it's ever been," he said. "Everyone has good music. I wish everybody the best. I wish we could propel a Bay Area artist into the mainstream."
And once the Bay Area makes it big, it will stay big, Cox said.
"We're not something that's going to come and go," he said.
Contact reporter Ian Hill at (209) 943-8571 or [email protected]
Concert preview
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mistah F.A.B.
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday
Where: C4 Records,
340 E. Market St.
Tickets: $20-$65
Information:
(209) 430-3037
Mistah F.A.B. earns Bay Area rap scene national attention
Ian Hill
Record Staff Writer
Published Thursday, Mar 23, 2006
Local rap fans, prepare to get "hyphy."
For the uninitiated, hyphy means energetic and crazy, and it's the term used to describe the Bay Area rap scene. One of its top talents, Oakland's Stanley "Mistah F.A.B." Cox, performs Friday in a hall above C4 Records in downtown Stockton.
"There's going to be a lot of energy," said Cox, 24. "We're going to dance; we're going to laugh; we're going to make you feel like you're part of the show."
Hyphy has been called the hottest rap scene in the country by Rolling Stone magazine, and it's been featured on MTV in recent weeks. It's expected to follow Atlanta's "crunk" and Houston's "screwed and chopped" into the national hip-hop consciousness.
::: Advertisement :::
C4 Records owner Carlos Talamantes said he expects Mistah F.A.B.'s appearance to be huge.
"I've done shows before but nothing as big as this," Talamantes said, adding that Cox "is the hottest thing going right now."
The rapper is being courted by major record labels as he finishes the follow-up to his 2005 release, "Son of a Pimp." His nom de rap is an acronym based on his desire to succeed: Mistah stands for "Money is something to always have," while F.A.B. is short for "Faeva (forever) Afta Bread."
"Son of a Pimp" includes thumping jams such as "Kicked Out the Club" and serious tracks such as "Mama Song," on which he praises his mother for raising him as a single parent.
Cox said he started writing poetry as a child to express his emotions. His early rhymes described what he saw on Oakland's tough streets and his feelings about his family's struggles, which included dealing with his father's death from AIDS in 1994.
Cox's career began to take off when he took third in a freestyle battle set up by The Source magazine. He was then teamed with Thizz Entertainment, a label led by East Bay rap legend Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks.
Cox described Hicks, who was murdered in 2004, as "one of the hardest-working guys in the industry." He plans to keep Hicks' legacy alive by showing a similar commitment to success.
Cox is one of several Bay Area rappers working together to promote themselves and the hyphy scene.
"The camaraderie is the highest it's ever been," he said. "Everyone has good music. I wish everybody the best. I wish we could propel a Bay Area artist into the mainstream."
And once the Bay Area makes it big, it will stay big, Cox said.
"We're not something that's going to come and go," he said.
Contact reporter Ian Hill at (209) 943-8571 or [email protected]
Concert preview
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mistah F.A.B.
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday
Where: C4 Records,
340 E. Market St.
Tickets: $20-$65
Information:
(209) 430-3037
