HERE YOU GO!!!
Mistah FAB
With the Bay on His Back
2007-10-15
Written By: Corey Bloom
The first time I linked up with Mistah FAB, he was still riding the success of his debut album Son of a Pimp, and everyone in the Bay knew that big things were on the horizon. Needless to say it didn’t take long, as the Oakland native went on to ink an artist/label deal with Atlantic and cracked national headlines with his video “Ghost Ride It,” just to name a few. His hard work and commitment cannot be denied, and as things continue to move forward FAB has shown maturity and a dedication to his art. He is the epitome of an MC; lyrically sharp and articulate, energetic with a glowing passion, well balanced and able to cover all the angles and most important capable or captivating any crowd he stands in front of. On top of that he has proven to poses a business savy that is critical in an industry that will eat you alive if you’re not on your game isn‘t tight.
Hip-hop needs Mistah FAB. It needs creative minds; someone who isn’t afraid to take risks and be themselves; a leader who speaks from the heart and stands tall with confidence and mettle. He has a lot to offer, and in due time the world will see that.
Yo, what’s happening?
Hello. [Long pause] Yo, what's poppin? I had to give you my disguise voice, thought you might have been this chick I'm trying to duck. I gave you me sleepy voice [laughs]. What’s poppin’ though?
Man, ain’t nothing really. What's been cracking since I last talked to you, what like, over a year ago?
Man, just been on a crazy grind. I been doing battles, a lot of shows, working on a lot of new music, a million interviews, my video got banned, all types of shit. It’s crazy, but it’s been good for me though. It's all promotion in the fact, that we're staying out there. I been getting a lot of buzz, a lot of nation wide notoriety.
It's kinda crazy to think about it, like you really have been in every magazine, every Web site and you haven't dropped your official major label release. When those people come at you, do you feel like they know your music?
Um, I don't feel like they know the music, but I feel like they know what I'm doing and what I got going on. I feel like they know what I got going on, and they want to know about the music and learn about. Just them calling and reaching out is enough for me. Most people call and ask about Hyphy, and when they get a chance to talk to me they see that it is way more than that. That is always an eye opener for me, because it allows me to let people know like...some people just stereotype me, like they don't know I have the range that I have, or am as experienced as I am. They realize it's not an overnight thing. They don't realize I got three albums out, and a whole other list of mixtapes and other projects and I'm only 25. It's an eye opener for both sides, so it's pretty cool.
The reason I ask is because I've read your interviews, and more often than not I feel like you're explaining all these things and not really talking about your music and your message. It's like if they listened they wouldn't need to ask you know?
Definitely, that's how I feel. I'll be like, "Do you motherfuckers really listen to music, or do you just skim through it?"
One of the things I wanted to touch on right now is the AllHipHop.com battle with Royce da 5'9" because it's definitely got people talking the past weeks. I mean straight up, you murdered dude.
[Laughs] The battle was cool. It was bigger for me because, like I said, a lot of the East Coast people didn't know I had the ability to do stuff like that. So for me to go take someone out, and it wasn't just some Joe from the block, that was Royce da 5'9", someone who is renowned for doing that. So for me to go out there and and win the battle like that, it really said a lot. I don't know...it's humbling. So many New Yorkers embraced me 'cause of that. They were like, "Yo, son, yo, what the fuck son! That shit was crazy, yo!" And to get love from New York being from the Bay, that's a tough crowd, they'll be quick to be like, "Get the fuck outta here!" To be able to get that notoriety from those cats, it was definitely a good look. Since then I've done songs with Noreaga, and a couple other East Coast cats, and that was all off that one battle. It's the talk of the industry right now, everyone wants to battle me right now. All the Fight Club dudes have been calling me, wanting me to battle this person and that person.
I would consider you a pretty established artist at this point, maybe not by mainstream terms, but like you did the battles coming up and that's how you got your rep and you've gone on from that to make great albums, which a lot of battle dudes can't do. Going back and doing these battles, is it the same for you or is it just like sparring?
I mean with me, this shit is like, if anyone knows my history, they know it's not new. I've been doing the battle shit. But I feel like everything that I've done in the Bay Area is like collegiate work. I think that sometimes you have to go over and do the same thing over. Like everything that you've done at the collegiate level, you gotta do that again on a major level. If you were Greg Oden or whatever, and you tore the collegiate level up, people want to see if you can do that in the pros. That's how I look at the whole battle circuit, and everything else about grinding and getting it in again. You gotta be able to show 'em that you could do the same thing at this level. Sometimes you may have to start over, it may look like you're starting over, but what you're doing is just doing it at a bigger level.
Do you get the same feeling now as you did back then?
Hell yeah, I get the same energy and put out the same energy.
But the victories are a little bit sweeter now?
Oh yeah, the victories are much sweeter, 'cause now you're knocking out top contenders. It's like as an amateur, you knock out a couple people they're like okay, well he's an amateur, but once you start knocking out some known champs, you get a lot more respect. I gotta be like the Floyd Mayweather of that shit. A lot of people don't give him his credit as being one of the greatest fighters, if not one of the greatest pound for pound, and then they put him in front of everybody, like Arturo Gatti is gonna knock him out, or Zab Judah is gonna knock him out 'cause he hasn't fought a fighter like that. And every time he knocks 'em out. That's how I am, 'cause before every battle, everybody is like, "Oh you've never been in a battle like this," or, "You can't battle a person like this, you can't do it," and as soon as I get em in the ring it's the same story. I make great fighters look like rookies.
That's real though. Alright, to switch things up a little bit, I know you've traveled all over the world doing shows and whatnot. Just talking to a lot of artists, that is something that really changes their perceptions on music and life. Have you had a similar experience?
Yeah, to realize that there's mother fuckers who buy and listen to your music all over the world, it's crazy. You'll find a mediocre artist who may be from your area who you overlook, and you catch 'em on tour overseas and he's the dude. He's like the Jay-Z over there.
Who are you talking about?
Man, you know I can't give you any names. But it's just funny, like mediocre artists can go to certain areas and become extremely big. What that shows is that music shouldn't be limited to a certain demographic. You have the ability to travel around the world, and if your not hot in a certain area, go somewhere else and do what it do. Make it pop somewhere else, the world is much bigger than what you're used to seeing.
Has it changed your approach to writing, knowing that your music exceeds your area and on a larger scale your country?
Um, it definitely makes you re-write things or put certain things in a more simplistic form, 'cause you want people from everywhere to understand you. You want to be able to go to a different country where they barely speak English but can repeat your music word for word. It's all a part of learning and realizing that everybody has a different approach and different likings. Like right now, I have a hot song in Europe and when I did it, I didn't like it.
Are you talking about the Groove Armada track?
Yeah, how'd you know?
Come on now, I saw your name on the tracklist, you know I had to check it out.
Bro, that shit is crazy. That's crazy you know that. That's why I like you, you're a music listener. When I found out how hot that song was out there, it tripped me out. I did that song with Groove Armada in New York. I didn't even know who they were, but they flew me out there like we want you to get on this song. I'm like, "Me?" I'm asking around like who the fuck is Groove Armada, and some of my homies are like you don't know who they are? They're huge. So for me to get on that song, and what it's doing right now. It's like chart topping song out there. My homeboy called me up like I was in Spain the other day, it was Shadow actually, and was like man they were playing that DJ song that you made over there, and I couldn't believe it.
I take it you haven't been out there since it came out?
Nope. I'm trying to set it up right now though. I'm trying to set up a lot of stuff right now. Me and Planet Asia are doing an album together, which is under the wraps until now, you're the first media outlet that I let know. So we're doing an album together and that is gonna be crazy. We're just combine both of our sides. Like I'm a backpacker who has street love. It's crazy because we're opposites of each other but the same. He's the street rapper who gets backpack love, and I'm the backpacker who gets street love. So we're just gonna combine that, and let people know. We're gonna really get it in on this album. Our main thing is the tour; just go overseas and tour. The music industry is so big, it's like people aren't buying albums or whatever, but people still go to shows. Really, I'm just trying to blend in with everyone making music, and have fun doing it.
With that, you strike me as the type of person who can go anywhere or be around anyone, and fit in.
Yeah, my whole life I've always been the guy who was cool with the thugs, the nerds, the athletes, the foriengers, everybody. I was always cool with the blacks, the whites, the Asians. I have a very adapating personality, and not only am I able to adapt, but people can adapt to me. I blend well with people.
And that translates into your music and how you're able to touch on all bases and not just hit from one angle.
Exactly. And my shows are like melting pots, everyone comes out. People come from out of town to our shows and trip out. It's like the diversity of the Bay Area exemplified in our shows. And you know, all people have pain, all people want to have fun, and all people have a story to tell. I just try to be the voice for that story.
I wanted to talk about the Atlantic situation for a second, and see if you had any info on when we can expect to hear it.
Well, you know, being on a major, it's kinda hard to pinpoint a date, and say when an album is gonna come out. I have my lawyer working on it right now, and hopefully we can put together some stuff, get things right. It's just an unfortunate situation when you have a label like Atlantic who have artists like myself, Saigon and Little Brother, who have a story to tell, but their main thing is getting a single. They don't care about the story, or how many people are expecting your album to come out, they'd rather get behind whoever has a hot single. It's unfortunate, 'cause like myself and those artists that I named, we have a lot to say. We have a lot of people who are awaiting our album and who want to hear what we have to say. But you have to play the game, and you have realize that before you ever even get in that situation. I realized that, and I realize that they don't really give a fuck. I could have the hottest song of the year on a political level, but they just want to know what's the single. I knew this all when I went over there. And it is...uh...it gets to where you're like wow. But, I'm gonna give them their single or whatever and really try to force their hand. My main thing is to create a buzz to where they come to me like, "FAB, we gotta get this album out." I'm like the talk of the industry right now, from the battles, to the appearances, and people are wondering how I'm everywhere. They're very supportive once they get behind you, but it's just getting them behind you. I would love to have my album out by March, that would be beautiful, but you know, hey, you never know. I'm just going to continue doing what I'm doing; you will see the Planet Asia album, and maybe another independent album.
At least you got that you know. So is that because you signed an artist/label deal then?
Yeah, because of that label deal, so that allows me to do whatever I gotta do.
So I imagine that was one of most important aspects when you signed?
Yeah, that was the main thing. Like I said, I anticipated them lagging and delaying things, so I was like fuck it, I gotta do it. I can't let my fans down. I still have to give them what they want to hear. I went two years between Son of a Pimp and Da Baydestrian, I'll be damned if I ever go another two years in my career without dropping an album. So much changes, so I want to be able to drop another album, and that's what I'm gonna do. When I get home I'm gonna talk to them, and hopefully they'll be ready to do what we gotta do, but until then I'm gonna keep working. I'm not really worried about them. I'm waiting on them to call me. When you call them, they put you through the hold process and then they'll say they need the single cause people aren't buying albums. But I'll laugh at 'em 'cause I know have consistent fans who will buy my albums.
Man, I don't even want to get on that label shit. I'm convinced no one running those things knows what the fuck is going on.
[Laughs] Yup.
This next question may be kind of generic, but what do you think you bring to hip-hop?
I bring a voice that not only speaks for myself , but speaks for a group of people who have wanted to speak for years but haven't had the right words to say, or who have been talking, but their mics weren't loud enough to reach a nation or worldwide audience. I rep for the oppressed people, suppressed people. And my originality is something that you don't see anymore in the game. You don't see anyone wanting to be themselves. Not too many artists do that anymore. They're worried about what someone will say about them, or what the media might say, or how this song represents them. Me, I'm an unadulterated artist. I speak with feeling and emotion. I'm like the Kanye of the Bay. I'm a person who will really pull out my soul and give it to you on all levels. I may not always be happy, I may not always be sad. But creating a balance is something that artists don't do anymore. I create a balance, and people want that. The human race is a contradiction, the whole existence of life is a contradiction: you're born to die, that's a contradiction. How can a positive end up with a negative, because life is a contradiction and our music gives examples of that. There have been very few who exploit that, and and admit that. We're all contradictions. For someone to embrace that, and exploit that, that's an artist. That's who I am. And the game is missing so much that's very essential to me, 'cause hardly anyone speaks from the soul and with passion. That and to have relevance. I represent my whole area, not just one city, I bring over 30 cities; I'm the voice of the whole Bay Area. And then now, I'm getting love all up the coast to where all of California is embracing me from Snoop to Game. To reach out and get love in LA, that's bringing a whole coast; nobody can say they're doing it. I did a show in Alaska last month that was sold out, that's bringing a whole coast. Alaska to San Diego.
I'm sayin, though. I can't wait to see what happens when people beyond the coast get to really hear the music, and see what you bring as a whole.
It's gonna be crazy. Not only do I bring an artistic approach, but I'm just a good person. You don't find many good people in the industry. That and my work habit, like I'm writing right now, I got my notebook in my lap right now. You don't find that too much. I don't really like describing that amongst myself, 'cause people will be like oh you just putting it on yourself. But I film it to show them this is how I really do. And then get other people to say it, 'cause it's better to get accredited by other people than to always try to boost yourself up cause it's not bias. I just constantly want to keep getting better, 'cause if I get complacent and get too confident about how talented I am now, then I'll never maximize my potential. I'm never amused at myself. To some people it may sound cocky, but I'm so hard on myself that I always feel like I could do better.
