89
Lyrics 9
"Heard when they thinner you get deeper in her, I heard when they thicker make you cum quicker." Dominating a lane that’s occupied by most artists in Hip Hop, Fab is simply more clever than all the game spitters beside him. His lyrics are sharp, to the point, and vivid enough for you to get the picture that Fab’s lifestyle is just as smooth as his penmanship. Not at all complex but he doesn’t need to be, Fab stays within his comfort zone and for that reason has dominated the last 10 summers.
Delivery 10
"Be lying to me every night, I'm trying but I'm never right, buying shit you never liked, two wrongs just make us wrong, why even stay together right? we used to be lovers, now we used to each other, keep accusing each other, of us using the other." Smooth like butter, Fab’s delivery is downright perfect. To say he flows like water is an understatement, and while his lyrics aren’t complex and his content isn’t that deep, his delivery is always enough to make you say… damn… fab can spit...
Structure/Songwriting Ability 8
"You plus me, it equal better math, your boy a good look but, she my better half." If you go back you’ll remember Fab has some records, Young’n, Can’t Deny It, Breath, and Throw It In The Bag to name a few. He even has a Platinum record in Make Me Better yet that was almost a decade ago and he hasn’t really come close to that since. His Soultapes however are complete with good moments up and down, with street records and party anthems that fulfill their purpose every time.
Content/Meaning 7
"Range on the runway, driver to pop doors, straight to Barney's, something we need to stop for, she be like it's early, 'what we gonna shop for?', how bout green grass breakfast, top floor." Don’t listen to Fab if you want to hear Kendrick Lamar, and of course that same sentiment can be reversed. However if you got a fly outfit to and you need a soundtrack to go with it, Fab is that guy. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that at all, as Fab puts you in a zone that can be qualified as “feel good” music, considering that sometimes life doesn’t always have to be that deep. Sometimes however he uses current events to a fault, in which case the music doesn’t have enough of a lasting impact.
Self Made 9
"You see I got a Forte Greene lean, Clinton Hill chill, Red Hook look, man, ain't no shook hands in Brooklyn." Coming up in the Clue era, Fab has maintained relevance for almost two decades now. Part of his formula is working with great production, working with Timbaland, The Neptunes, and Ryan Leslie just to name a few.
Image/Branding 9
“I milly rock on your baby mama block boy!” If you need that feature for the remix to your hit record, Fab is your man. Fab was made for the remix, and honestly that’s been clear since he showed out on a record with Lil Mo back in 01. From that point on he’s been relied upon to put out fire verses every summer, and honestly he’s delivered every time. Also a trend setter whose known to have the cleanest throwbacks, Fab’s image is pristine in every way.
Sales 7
"She won't care if I'm a Platinum rapper, if she catch me with an empty Magnum wrapper." In the early years he went Platinum and Gold, yet for the better part of the last decade he hasn’t charted particularly well at all. It should be noted however that he can still sell a hundred thousand units, which of course is a lot more than most in which case it’s all relative.
Ability to Rock an Instrumental at a Radio Station 10
"Straight out of Brooklyn, a baby mama snatcher named Ghetto, invisible set glow, full clip to let go, back in the metro, fresh off the jet though, 50 grand richer from a 30 minute set show, gangsta... " This is more or a less a rhetorical question in Fab’s regard, as his entire existence is built on swag surfing on top of all types of instrumentals, so yes, he can do this with the best of them.
Ability to Fuck Up a Rewind Button 10
"He said you the type I don't invite in, but since you got a like friend, I can get you like ten, (ten?), I told him I could move like ten by nights end, put that white over the plate like I'm throwin strikes in, El Duque, got a dude in the UK, buy five bricks a time, 22K, he send the Euros, I send the pure dough, and that's the real meaning of a foreign exchange." Fab is good for that whether he gets the recognition or not. Only because he’s not complex do people leave him off their Top 5 and Top 10 lists, but he’s a legitimate flamespitter all the same. You’re lying to yourself if you say when Fab spits you never said run that back, because in a certain zone there’s nobody better for the occasion.
Longevity 10
"You ***** can't share my air, or walk a mile in the pair I wear, and I'm getting better year by year, like they say wine do." Active and relevant since 2001 he’s clearly doing something right, and even though it’s been awhile since he’s released a studio album that’s made a real impact, still to this day when he spits most people listen. All of that is evident when you consider how he’s managed to stay around for so long, especially when the history of Hip Hop indicates that staying relevant for 15 years is highly unlikely; and as a swag rapper it’s next to impossible. Therefore make no mistake about it, Fab has skills, and for that reason more than anything else he’s stood the test of time.