Fabolous facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fabolous
Fabolous in 2019
Background information
Birth name	John David Jackson
Also known as	Fabolous Sport Loso
Born	(1977-11-18) November 18, 1977 (age 47) New York City, U.S.
Education	Boys and Girls High School
Genres	East Coast hip-hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Roc Nation Street Family Def Jam Atlantic Desert Storm Elektra
Children	3

John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), who is known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He became famous after rapping live on DJ Clue's radio show on Hot 97. This led to a record deal with DJ Clue's label, Desert Storm Records.

Fabolous became a major star with his first album, Ghetto Fabolous (2001). It had hit singles like "Can't Deny It" (featuring Nate Dogg) and "Young'n (Holla Back)." His second album, Street Dreams (2003), was even more popular. It included the songs "Can't Let You Go" and "Into You," which both became top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Over the years, Fabolous has released many successful albums and mixtapes. He is known for his clever lyrics and smooth style. Some of his other famous songs include "Breathe," "Make Me Better," and "Throw It in the Bag." He has also been featured on hit songs by other artists, such as Lil' Mo, Jamie Foxx, and Trey Songz.

Life and Music Career

How It All Started

Fabolous was born John David Jackson on November 18, 1977. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. He is of Dominican and African-American heritage.

While he was a senior in high school, Jackson started to think about a career in hip hop music. At first, he called himself Fabolous Sport, but later shortened it to Fabolous. The unique spelling of his name was an accident. He misspelled "Fabulous" during a freestyle rap, and the name stuck.

His big break came when he was invited to rap on DJ Clue's radio show on Hot 97. DJ Clue was so impressed that he signed Fabolous to his record label, Desert Storm Records. Fabolous then appeared on a couple of tracks on DJ Clue's album, The Professional (1998).

2001–2003: First Two Albums

Fabolous released his first album, Ghetto Fabolous, on September 11, 2001. It was an instant success, landing at number four on the Billboard 200 chart. The album's lead single, "Can't Deny It", featured Nate Dogg and became a big hit. Other popular songs from the album were "Young'n (Holla Back)" and "Trade It All."

His second album, Street Dreams, came out on March 4, 2003. This album continued his success with two massive hits. "Can't Let You Go" and "Into You" both reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making him one of the top rappers of the time.

Later that year, he released a mixtape called More Street Dreams, Pt. 2: The Mixtape. It featured remixes and other tracks that weren't on the main album.

2004–2008: New Labels and More Hits

Fabolous at Sirius Satellite Radio in June 2007

Fabolous's third album, Real Talk, was released in 2004. It included the popular single "Breathe". That same year, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for his feature on Christina Milian's song "Dip It Low".

In 2006, Fabolous signed with a new record label, Def Jam Recordings. He also started his own label, Street Family Records. His first album with Def Jam, From Nothin' to Somethin' (2007), was a huge success. It reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart.

The album's biggest single was "Make Me Better," featuring Ne-Yo. The song was a massive hit and stayed at number one on the Hot Rap Track chart for 14 weeks. Another successful single from the album was "Baby Don't Go" featuring T-Pain.

2009–2014: Chart-Topping Success

In 2009, Fabolous released his fifth album, Loso's Way. The album was inspired by the movie Carlito's Way. It went straight to number one on the Billboard 200, becoming his first album to top the chart. The lead single, "Throw It in the Bag" featuring The-Dream, was a major hit.

During this time, Fabolous also became known for his popular mixtape series. He released There Is No Competition 2 in 2010, which was so well-liked that he released parts of it as an EP. The EP included the hit song "You Be Killin Em". He also released two mixtapes called The S.O.U.L. Tape and The S.O.U.L. Tape 2, which were praised for their creative use of soul samples.

In 2013, he released the single "Ready" featuring Chris Brown.

2014–Present: Recent Projects

Fabolous performing in 2012

On Christmas Day 2014, Fabolous released his sixth album, The Young OG Project. The album had a 1990s theme and was very popular, debuting at number 12 on the Billboard 200.

In the following years, Fabolous continued to release new music. He released the mixtape Summertime ... in 2015 and its sequel, Summertime ... 2: The Level Up, in 2016.

In 2017, he teamed up with fellow New York rapper Jadakiss for a collaboration album called Friday on Elm Street. The album was inspired by classic horror movies.

His most recent studio album, Summertime ... 3: Coldest Summer Ever, was released in 2019. It debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200, giving Fabolous another top-10 album.

Street Family Records

Street Family Records is a record label started by Fabolous in 2006. It is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Current artists

• Fabolous
• Freck Billionaire
• Paul Cain
• Broadway
• Red Cafe

Personal Life

Fabolous and his partner Emily Bustamante have three children together. They have two sons, born in 2008 and 2015, and a daughter, born in 2020.

Discography

Studio albums

• Ghetto Fabolous (2001)
• Street Dreams (2003)
• Real Talk (2004)
• From Nothin' to Somethin' (2007)
• Loso's Way (2009)
• The Young OG Project (2014)
• Summertime ... 3: Coldest Summer Ever (2019)

Collaboration albums

• Friday on Elm Street (with Jadakiss) (2017)

Film and Television Appearances

Awards and Nominations

Fabolous has been nominated for many awards throughout his career. Here are some of them:

• American Music Awards: Nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Male Artist in 2007.
• ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards: Won for Top Rap Song in 2008 for "Make Me Better".
• BET Awards: Nominated multiple times, including for Best Male Hip Hop Artist.
• BET Hip Hop Awards: Won the Viewer's Choice award in 2009 for "Throw It in the Bag".
• Grammy Awards: Nominated twice, including for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Dip It Low" with Christina Milian.
• Teen Choice Awards: Nominated for several awards, including Choice Rap Artist.

Images for kids

• 

  Fabolous at a nightclub in 2015

See also

In Spanish: Fabolous para niños