Interview: F.A.B.L.E.

Fresh out of Chicago, there is a beast coming that is surfacing to the top. It’s F.A.B.L.E., the multi-talented musician and producer. He has a classic soulful Chicago feel, with clever lyrics and immense crowd control. The Chi-town native lends us a moment to rap about his
musical ascent.

JGM: Chicago is a very competitive place, what makes you different from
other artists in the industry?

F.A.B.L.E.: I think the thing that makes me stand out the most is that I have my own identity when it comes to music and being a man in general. A lot of cats find it intimidating when a n***a that’s only 22 years old carries himself with such confidence and pride like I do. I understood at a young age that being myself is okay. In their life, everyone goes through that “I’m trying to find who I am” stage.

By the grace of God, I was able to find myself early on due to the principles that were instilled in me when I was young and it’s apparent in my music. My mother raised me in the church and taught me the necessities of life and how nothing in this world is possible without God. A lot of shorties, especially now, don’t have parents
that plant seeds of wisdom into them, which is part of the reason why it’s so crazy in the Chi right now. So I thank God everyday for putting good people around me. That’s what makes me stand out.

JGM: What are some artists that influence you in your music career?

F.A.B.L.E.: J Dilla, Steely Dan, Madlib, Slum Village, Rakim, Nas, ‘Ye, Busta
Rhymes, Miles Davis, Rance Allen, James Brown… This list can go on
forever. I’m influenced by all genres of music.

JGM: What do you do to get yourself ready for a performance?

F.A.B.L.E.: I don’t really have any rituals before I perform. I just picture
myself killing the stage with energy and I just go for it.

JGM: How did you get your name F.A.B.L.E.? And how did you and J.Ricks meet?

F.A.B.L.E.: The name F.A.B.L.E. is actually an acronym for Fully Able-Bodied and Living Eccentric. That’s so backpack, ha ha, but it actually has a deeper meaning. A fable is a tall-tale, like Jack and the Beanstalk, that teaches a lesson but in essence is a fictitious story. So I flipped it and said since humans are flawed and God is perfect, that means that humans are fables. We can speak words of wisdom and truth, but our nature is wicked.That is how the name came about and it stuck.

Me and J.Ricks met in high school. This was before I started producing. We were in video production class in high school and a cypher kicked off because somebody turned an instrumental on on the computer. So I decided to jump in. When I rapped my 16, people were saying how crazy my rhymes were. Nobody knew that I even rapped. J.Ricks happened to be in the room when I was spittin’ and he invited me to his crib to kick it. Before I knew it, we came up with Get Right Music and we been goin’ strong ever since. He’s actually the one that showed me the basics to sampling and makin’ beats. Ever since then I’ve been a monster! I love that dude.

JGM:How would you describe your music?

F.A.B.L.E.: A genuine perspective on life. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad, the ups, the downs. I feel that my music can relate to many different people because of my trials, tribulations and triumphs.

JGM: I would like to know, does your personal life affect what you say in your music?

F.A.B.L.E.: Yes. Like I said before, my up-bringing has molded my voice in music. You have too many people who are in the limelight. They paint these vivid pictures of a life that they do not lead which sets them up for the consequences and repercussions that they don’t know how to overcome. I feel an artist is much more credible if he/she is true to him/herself.

JGM: What are some things we should be looking forward to in your new work?

F.A.B.L.E.: My album, ‘The Last Shall Be First” will be droppin’ in September and it will be available on iTunes in October. I produced the whole album, so you’ll be able to see how I get down behind the boards as well as on the mic. I have a crew called The CoLLeKtiVe and it’s comprised of Get Right Music (Me & J.Ricks), Black Table Committee (Infamous & Jeanyus), and Yellowmask Music (Jae R, Projeck, T.R.E., Average Joe, K, Kay-Lo, and Beans). I have some production on Jeanyus’s upcoming solo project “The Declaration” which is sick!

Yellowmask Music has a compilation coming out called “Smokehouse presents: Smoke Is Everywhere Vol. 1″ that I’m working on right now. Me and Projeck (ProFerb) also have an album that we’ve been workin’ on for about 4 months, called “True Stories” that is gonna be a classic! Projeck is heavenly on beats… Just wait and see. I’m just takin’ tasks as they come.

JGM: What is your style because we know y’all holding it down right now ?

F.A.B.L.E.: My style is eclectic but very soulful. Chicago has a strong Soul, Gospel, and R&B history so it’s in my blood. Chicago n****s for the most part make real/soul music.

JGM: How long have you been doing music?

F.A.B.L.E.: I’ve been doing music seriously for 6 years. When you’re tryin’ to build from the ground up, it takes time.

JGM: How do you feel about the music today? Because they keep saying Hip-Hop is dead, do you believe that?

F.A.B.L.E.: As long as there are people who are passionate about Hip-Hop like me, then I feel that we will make it through whatever drought we’re having. Could it be better? Yes! Is it dead? Not yet.

JGM: How do you get the crowd to get hype when you are performing?

F.A.B.L.E.: ENERGY, ENERGY, ENERGY! I look up to cats like Busta Rhymes and Kanye West, because they put their heart and soul in their performances and that is the key to being a successful MC. That’s what I try to do when I go on stage.

JGM: Can you name your top 5 favorite MC’s?

F.A.B.L.E.: In no particular order:
Common Sense
Talib Kweli
Nas
Jay-Z
Mos Def

JGM: How do you take criticism?

F.A.B.L.E.: I’m a very selfless dude so I take everything into consideration. In this industry, you gotta have tough skin. I’m striving to be one of the greats, so I can’t get upset when someone criticizes me. I’m a student before anything.

JGM: What are some new things we should look for in the Future of F.A.B.L.E.?

F.A.B.L.E.: Just look out for my crew, Get Right Music, B.T.C, and Yellowmask to shake the world up. My team is mean! I’m just building a brand that will inspire others to follow their dreams.

JGM: I downloaded your “Where is my Mp??? ” mixtape. What are some of the artist you have made beats for?

F.A.B.L.E.: Right now I’m currently doin’ some stuff with Twista’s new artist out of the Chi from my side of town named Skooda Chose. I’ve already done 2 beats on Pugs Atomz latest album, “Rooftop” (It’s on iTunes, Go get it). I’m just trying to work with people who are on what I’m on, and that’s takin’ over the game.