Those who are only familiar with Fabolous through his studio album discography might not fully understand the depth of his lyrical pedigree. After all, this is a man who has raised glasses with some of the most revered members of the punchline royal family; some might even bend the knee and pledge loyalty to him if asked nicely.
There's a reason for that, and Fab's mixtape catalog plays a large role in shaping that particular narrative. In honor of The Soul Tape's ninth anniversary, Fab actually uploaded the entire album on his SoundCloud page, including the soulful "That's Not Love," a StreetRunner-laced track that finds Loso and Lil Wayne going bar for bar as equals. You love to see it, especially given how refreshing it is to hear Lil Tunechi's familiar cadence over a soul sample for not one, but two verses.
"Snakes in the grass, so I stay in the pavement, survived the battle with animals and cavemen," raps Weezy, in his opening bars. "And dead animals and dead men, I’m all in and my only friend is Amen." Fab matches Wayne in kind with his own kick-off stanzas, getting reflective as he spits "say what's on your heart if you're real, cause the scars you can't see be the hardest to heal." Check this one out now for old time's sake, and sound off -- which of the two had your favorite verse?
QUOTABLE LYRICS
Look, as the crooked world revolves
Love spelt backward is evol
And Evil spelled backwards is live or live
And when death comes you better have lives to give
I spit that real talk like knives to ribs
And rats die ugly, die with kids