Fabolous

Growing up in the Brooklyn area of New York City, he was among the first east coast rappers influenced by Southern hip hop sounds and first became popular through his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut album Ghetto Fabolous. Fabolous has released four albums, which have collectively sold over three million copies in the United States.


Early life
Fabolous was born John David Jackson on November 18, 1977, of mixed African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. While a senior in high school, Fabolous rapped live on DJ Clue's radio show and on WQHT Hot 97.

He began to pursue a rap career late into twelfth grade.
Fabolous decided that it was time for him to start rapping seriously. He would call into DJ Clue's radio show in late 1998, he ended up rapping for Clue, who would immediately sign him to his newly-formed Desert Storm Records.

He would be featured on several DJ Clue mixtapes and mixtapes with Roc-A-Fella artists. This earned Fabolous and Desert Storm a distribution deal with Elektra Records. In 2001, they began to promote Fabolous and his debut album, Ghetto Fabolous, first by placing him on the remix to popular label-mate, Lil' Mo's "Superwoman (Remix)."
Music career
Before receiving mainstream popularity, Fabolous released a single in 1998 titled "If They Want It" under his moniker,"Fabolous Sport".

It was released by Def Jam Recordings on the album DJ Clue? The Professional and as a bonus track on his debut album Ghetto Fabolous. It is also available on the DJ Kool Kid mixtape, Pound For Pound featuring Fabolous and Jadakiss.The song charted in the Billboard Hot 100, and the subsequent album, Ghetto Fabolous, achieved platinum certification. Powered by a Just Blaze beat and guest vocals from Lil' Mo and Mike Shorey, "Can't Let You Go" reached number one on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart and number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

"Into You" with Tamia also reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Also released on Street Dreams was the lead single club banger "This Is My Party" and "Trade It All Pt.

2" which featured Jagged Edge as it did on the Ghetto Fabolous version, as well as Diddy.
Exactly 7 months later, on November 4, 2003, Fabolous dropped his official mixtape, More Street Dreams, Pt. The album featured remixes and tracks not originally slated on Street Dreams.

This album was also an outlet for his three man crew, known as the Triangle Offense, consisting of himself, Paul Cain, and Joe Budden. It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 with 179,000 copies and had two charting singles, the lowest in his career.The two charting singles are his street anthem "Breathe" and "Baby," which features Mike Shorey, and shows his more sensitive side that he has shown on many songs in the past. His second single was not promoted until weeks after the album's release.

Fab feels that the single didn't hit it as big as it should have due to poor advertising. Making the music video for his fourth single, "Do the Damn Thing" cost Jackson $30,000.

The song featured Young Jeezy, who became known to the public through the video. The same year, Fabolous was nominated for a Grammy Award for his collaboration on the "Dip It Low" remix by Christina Milian. His second single was "Return of the Hustle" which featured Swizz Beatz, also came out before the album release, to some acclaim, but little airplay.

His third single though, "Make Me Better," which features fellow Def Jam artist Ne-Yo, and is produced by Timbaland, was his biggest hit to date, spending 14 weeks at number one on the Hot Rap Track Billboard Chart. The fourth single was "Baby Don't Go." Jermaine Dupri produced it and T-Pain sings the hook.However, in music video version of the song, Jermaine Dupri sings the hook. His bodyguard later showed proof of ownership for the gun.
Fabolous put his career on hiatus for much of 2005 and 2006.
Fabolous was shot in his right leg on the morning of October 17, 2006 in Manhattan after exiting Justin's, a restaurant owned by Diddy. The police saw the rapper and three other men accompanying him rushing through a red light and found unlicensed, loaded guns in their car leading to their arrest.

After they found the weapons, Fabolous was treated at a local hospital.
NYPD linked Fabolous to a crew of robbers who targeted champion boxer Zab Judah twice. The three rolled up in a minivan at about 5 AM, and hopped out.

One pulled a black handgun on Judah and told him to put his jewelry on the hood of his car. All three scattered, but one was captured by a Homeland Security agent on his way to work, and another was grabbed by a nearby cab driver.

"A bunch of idiots that didn't have no control over what they were doing; they messed with the wrong guy," said Judah. Fabolous came forward to deny reports that he was involved.
On the evening of November 22, 2007, a childhood friend—Shamel McKinney—was stabbed to death inside of a New York nightclub. Police say that McKinney may have been stabbed after trying to steal jewelry off the neck of another clubgoer, Anthony Taylor (who has since the incident been arrested and has to face second-degree murder charges). Fabolous stated, "On Thanksgiving, I think I came out of the house one time - to go get eggnog.And there wasn't any eggnog at Club Duvet."
On February 24, 2009 Arkansas police seized 500 pounds of marijuana from Fabolous' tour bus as it returned from the NBA All-Star Game. Fabolous was not on board the bus at the time and has not yet been charged in connection with the incident.
In an interview with XXL, Fabolous revealed that he has been in a long-term relationship that began in 2005. That long-term relationship produced a son in February 2008.
Clothing line
Fabolous stated in 2005 that he wanted to release his own clothing line in the coming years.

Without publicizing detail, he went into a search for designers and manufacturers for his line to accomplish the task.