Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFabolous perpetuates thug, sensitive rapper stereotype
By Alex Grosby
Posted: 11/9/04, 1:53 AM EST Section: Face the Music
Fabolous
"Real Talk"
Genre: Rap
Next of Kin: 50 Cent, J-Kwon
Rating: 1 star out of 5
A logical contradiction is a sure sign of invalidity. A set of statements wherein one can easily derive a contradiction is such that those statements are wholly inconsistent, and devoid of cohesiveness with one another, these statements can never combine to form something greater.
This problem is entirely pervasive in modern rap music, as rap stars desperately attempt to convey disparate facades ranging from a tough, street-raised alpha male to sensitive, introspective ladies' man. Unfortunately, the reality is that the differing idiosyncrasies of these discrepant personas are often quite unable to be reconciled. The listener, left with a conflicting portrait of the performer, is often left no recourse but to doubt the artist's sincerity.
Case in point: Fabolous' latest offering, "Real Talk." The fundamental irony inherent to titling the album as such is that Fabolous straddles such a diverse array of archetypal rap personalities, the possibility of "Real Talk's" actual realness is almost entirely nonexistent.
The first four tracks depict Fabolous as a gun-toting, machismo, uber-gangster. The following tracks are Fabolous' attempt to charm his way into the pants of his female listeners. Immediately after, listeners are introduced to Fabolous as a sensitive, world-weary thug, followed by the artist endlessly espousing materialist rhetoric, focusing on the size of his bank account and untouchable MC abilities.
If you grew bored simply reading my recount of the album, imagine listening to it in its entire staggering 74-minute runtime. Thus is the other problem with "Real Talk": the album drags on for well over an hour without saying much of anything.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with an artist taking on a foreign perspective for a song, the level of inconsistency on "Real Talk" is simply astounding. The album's title track contains Fabolous' dismissal of so-called "studio gangstas;" however, the following track is titled "Gangsta" without even the slightest hint of irony.
Also, Fabolous' obligatory love song attempts poetic sincerity, but contains the line "this is how I'm gonna do you, mama." This unfortunately misogynistic lyric completely topples any notion of Fabolous' attempted sensitivity, and brings further into doubt any notion of Fabolous' artistic sincerity and integrity. "Baby" simply comes off as a vulgar aping of Common's sublime love song "The Light." Additionally, the ending of "Baby" is overextended to the point of agony, a fault which extends itself to the album as a whole. Given its exacerbating length and tired lyrical content, "Real Talk" is more viable as a coaster than an album.
"Real Talk"
Genre: Rap
Next of Kin: 50 Cent, J-Kwon
Rating: 1 star out of 5
A logical contradiction is a sure sign of invalidity. A set of statements wherein one can easily derive a contradiction is such that those statements are wholly inconsistent, and devoid of cohesiveness with one another, these statements can never combine to form something greater.
This problem is entirely pervasive in modern rap music, as rap stars desperately attempt to convey disparate facades ranging from a tough, street-raised alpha male to sensitive, introspective ladies' man. Unfortunately, the reality is that the differing idiosyncrasies of these discrepant personas are often quite unable to be reconciled. The listener, left with a conflicting portrait of the performer, is often left no recourse but to doubt the artist's sincerity.
Case in point: Fabolous' latest offering, "Real Talk." The fundamental irony inherent to titling the album as such is that Fabolous straddles such a diverse array of archetypal rap personalities, the possibility of "Real Talk's" actual realness is almost entirely nonexistent.
The first four tracks depict Fabolous as a gun-toting, machismo, uber-gangster. The following tracks are Fabolous' attempt to charm his way into the pants of his female listeners. Immediately after, listeners are introduced to Fabolous as a sensitive, world-weary thug, followed by the artist endlessly espousing materialist rhetoric, focusing on the size of his bank account and untouchable MC abilities.
If you grew bored simply reading my recount of the album, imagine listening to it in its entire staggering 74-minute runtime. Thus is the other problem with "Real Talk": the album drags on for well over an hour without saying much of anything.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with an artist taking on a foreign perspective for a song, the level of inconsistency on "Real Talk" is simply astounding. The album's title track contains Fabolous' dismissal of so-called "studio gangstas;" however, the following track is titled "Gangsta" without even the slightest hint of irony.
Also, Fabolous' obligatory love song attempts poetic sincerity, but contains the line "this is how I'm gonna do you, mama." This unfortunately misogynistic lyric completely topples any notion of Fabolous' attempted sensitivity, and brings further into doubt any notion of Fabolous' artistic sincerity and integrity. "Baby" simply comes off as a vulgar aping of Common's sublime love song "The Light." Additionally, the ending of "Baby" is overextended to the point of agony, a fault which extends itself to the album as a whole. Given its exacerbating length and tired lyrical content, "Real Talk" is more viable as a coaster than an album.
