Fabolous

Already brash, Brooklyn, NY-bred rapper Fabolous will have yet another reason to toot his horn, as he recently unseated the late Michael Jackson from the top of the charts with his new album, Loso's Way. Legendary street bard Nasir Jones once said: "Making hits is easy, put a famous [singer] on the hook and there you go with a platinum CD." For Fabolous it's not only about the hook but also about hiring the hottest producers and artists in the industry, all serving to reaffirm that as long as you have the resources, hip-pop hit-making is a clinical process. In terms of subject matter, the listener will hear a lot about how great Fabolous is and why his enemies should fear him, and that's why a song like "Stay" is all the more intriguing. In "Stay," Fabulous juxtaposes the recent birth of his son against the fact that his father left him. He also weaves a vivid street tale in "I Miss My Love," probably the most complete track on the album. The motif for Loso's Way is meant to mirror Brian De Palma's Carilto's Way — beyond the title there are similar themes of returning to the street and connecting with one's true love embedded in the 18 tracks. However, unlike Pacino's character Carlito Brigante, there doesn't seem to be a pressing desire to live life on the straight and narrow, or at least rap about it. And why would there be? The current formula is far more profitable.