Street Dreams [PA]

Performer: Fabolous
Artist: Ashanti; Mary J. Blige; Lil' Mo; Snoop Dogg; Jagged Edge; Missy Elliott; P. Diddy; DJ Clue; M.O.P.; Jadakiss; Mike Shorey; Paul Cain; Styles
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel: Fabolous, Snoop Dogg, Mike Shorey, Paul Cain, Styles, Jadakiss, Missy Elliot, M.O.P., Jadakiss, P.Diddy (rap vocals); Mary J. Blige, Jagged Edge, Lil' Mo, Ashanti (vocals); DJ Clue (spoken vocals); Dink (keyboards). Producers include: Rick Rock, Just Blaze, Precision, Omen, Kayne West. Personnel: Fabolous, Snoop Dogg, Mike Shorey, Paul Cain, Styles, Jadakiss, Missy Elliot, M.O.P., Jadakiss, P.Diddy (rap vocals); Mary J. Blige, Jagged Edge, Lil' Mo, Ashanti (vocals); DJ Clue (spoken vocals); Dink (keyboards). Producers include: Rick Rock, Just Blaze, Precision, Omen, Kayne West. His first record was the hottest rap debut of 2001 (despite an ominous release date: 9/11), and Fabolous consolidated his commercial clout, if not his artistic importance, with a safe sophomore record called Street Dreams. There's little doubt that Fabolous has rapping talents to match his name, with the smoothest flow of any East Coaster and dozens of great ideas. To capitalize on what made Ghetto Fabolous such a big hit, Street Dreams has plenty of club tracks ("Can't Let You Go," and "Trade It All, Pt. 2" featuring P. Diddy) and a few that advertise his hardcore credentials ("Not Give a F***," "Up on Things" featuring Snoop Dogg, "Keepin It Gangsta" with Styles and Jadakiss). Elsewhere he dismisses a raft of female admirers ("Call Me," "Into You" featuring Ashanti) and shows a level of general disinterest to rival anyone with a major-label deal. One of the singles, "This Is My Party," is one of the worst tracks on the album, a lame mid-tempo grind with a one-note chorus featuring Fabolous intoning "This is my party, so get fly if you like to" over and over. The productions are much better than the songs, with good work coming from Tone & Poke, Timbaland, and executive producers DJ Clue and Duro. ~ John Bush Fabolous scored rather sudden hip-hop celebrity with his catchy crossover hit "Can't Deny It" and the mega-successful album GHETTO FABOLOUS, with a style showcasing the perfect balance of the hardcore and the mainstream. However, while his rhymes were certainly palatable, his outer brash persona belied a subtle wit and unique way of looking at the world. His skills survive the sophomore jinx with the satisfying STREET DREAMS, a hypnotic tour through a familiar world, but with an appealingly organic tour guide. Fabolous opens STREET DREAMS with an intro that closes with the declaration "I'm here to shake up the world." His twisted outlook (rhymes like "phenomenon" and "Ramadan") flavors a solid record refreshingly rife with self-reflective moments like "Call Me," one of the most conflicted takes on one-night-stands, where an admirer spouts "I like the video you played P-Diddy in" (his response "yeah, right"). Fabolous is an original rap artist reflecting a thug's poetic nature on STREET DREAMS. Fabolous scored rather sudden hip-hop celebrity with his catchy crossover hit "Can't Deny It" and the mega-successful album GHETTO FABOLOUS, with a style showcasing the perfect balance of the hardcore and the mainstream. However, while his rhymes were certainly palatable, his outer brash persona belied a subtle wit and unique way of looking at the world. His skills survive the sophomore jinx with the satisfying STREET DREAMS, a hypnotic tour through a familiar world, but with an appealingly organic tour guide. Fabolous opens STREET DREAMS with an intro that closes with the declaration "I'm here to shake up the world." His twisted outlook (rhymes like "phenomenon" and "Ramadan") flavors a solid record refreshingly rife with self-reflective moments like "Call Me," one of the most conflicted takes on one-night-stands, where an admirer spouts "I like the video you played P-Diddy in" (his response "yeah, right"). Fabolous is an original rap artist reflecting a thug's poetic nature on STREET DREAMS.

While Fabolous's style is all about flash, there's nothing particularly showy, unique, or groundbreaking about the NYC rapper's game; however, with a knack for bringing out the best in some of hip-hop's top producers and a flow that is consistently, comfortably solid, Fabolous rose to become one of the '00s masters of the hip-hop jam. Singles like 2001's "Can't Deny It" and 2004's "Breathe" featured the MC's swaggering, dragging drawl over hook-heavy Bad Boy-style beats, and soared to the upper portions of both the rap and pop charts.

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