During a break in shooting from his Complex feature, F-A-B-O gets his brag and boast on:
Complex: Which of the new crop of young New York rappers do you feel like you’re competing with?
Fabolous: None. I’m not…there’s no New York rapper who’s out that is competing with me because first of all, I’m the best and—
Complex: [Laughs.]
Fabolous: [Laughs.]—second of all, I’m not like a new jack, I’m not just coming out, this is not my first album. I’ve been out for years and I’ve had numerous hits, I’ve had numerous endorsements. It’s my fifth album, like, this is not new. I’m not just rapping because I like it anymore—this is like almost my career now, you know? Not almost, it is! This is what I feed myself and my family with, so I attack it that way. You know, certain people, they do what they do, and I’m sure they’re good at what they do but I just don’t put anybody—especially in New York—in my category because they haven’t been through all the things I’ve been through, throughout my career. And I’m still going, I believe. I still haven’t peaked, there’s a lot of guys who’ve came, peaked, and I think now people look at them and are like, “OK,” but I think people still want more of me because they feel like I haven’t peaked. Sometimes I even hear people say, “I don’t think Fab has lived up to his full potential yet,” you know what I’m saying? I believe this album right here is a classic album and I listen to it as a fan; I just rode in my car listening to it and I was very pleased.
I’m not mad. If you don’t think you’re the best at what you’re doin, you shouldn’t be doin’ it.
Great breakdown of Statik Selektah’s *Round Trip*! Honestly, this 2023 Mass Appeal release is pure boom-bap bliss from start to finish. Statik really outdid himself with those smooth, jazzy sample flips and turntable scratches, creating the exact kind of laid-back, golden-era hip-hop vibe you want playing in the background while relaxing at Denmark holiday cottages over a quiet weekend. The guest list alone is stacked—having legends like Posdnous kicking things off on the opener "Round Trip (For Dave)" alongside heavy hitters like Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Inspectah Deck on "Unpredictable" makes every track feel like a proper event. Even the newer-school features like Benny the Butcher, Conway the Machine, and Joey Bada$$ fit effortlessly over the dusty, soulful production without a single wasted verse. Definitely one of his most cohesive projects in years and an easy front-to-back spin for anyone who appreciates real hip-hop craftsmanship.