The first decade of the millennium divides quite nicely into two separate eras, conveniently split by the natural midpoint. While the first, in which producers like The Neptunes, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Just Blaze, Kanye West, and Swizz Beatz seemed to dictate the sounds of their respective camps, saw the rise of artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, The Clipse, Ludacris, Nelly, and many more, the turning point signaled a changing of the guard.
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Where veterans like Jay-Z and Nas grew frustrated with hip-hop's new direction, artists that had broken in the first half used the opportunity to re-establish their positions in a shifting landscape. As Lil Wayne steadily climbed the ranks in the "best rapper alive" conversation, and Tip Harris emerged onto the scene with a crown already custom-fitted for his head, Fabolous was preparing to drop off his fourth studio album From Nothin' To Somethin. He did exactly that on June 12th, 2007, thirteen years ago to this day.
Boasting production from Just Blaze, Timbaland, Akon, Jermaine Dupri, Don Cannon, and several others, Fab found himself connecting with no shortage of heavy-hitting guest appearances. Rihanna, Jay-Z, Akon, Lloyd, Pusha T, Ne-Yo, Joe Budden, Uncle Murda, Young Jeezy, and more backed Fab as he alternated between his romantic raps and his formidable punchlines, deftly earning approval from his contrasting target demographics. The album spawned singles like "Make Me Better," "Baby Don't Go," and "Diamonds," earning gold certification from the RIAA on July 4th; "Make Me Better" ultimately went platinum later that same year.
In honor of his album's birthday, Fab took a moment to spread awareness of its release, taking to Instagram to spark nostalgia within his fans. Check out the post below, and should you enjoy From Nothin To Somethin, be sure to sound off with your thoughts on the album in the comment section. Happy anniversary, Fab!