Real Talk

Maybe it's his sly, laid back style or maybe it's his "Hollywood-ready good looks" (Rolling Stone), but who knew that when John Jackson chose to call himself "Fabolous," the name would define his career? Real Talk is Fab's third studio album featuring such notables as Sean Paul, Lil' Mo and T.I. Hit makers like Just Blaze, Scott Storch and the Neptunes contribute to this amazing sounding collection of joints. On this latest set he continues to walk the line between massive mainstream hits and satisfying the streets simultaneously. Real Talk promises to deliver. If you speak about it, be about it. REAL TALK.

Taken in small doses, Fabolous's for-the-club raps work nicely… well, for the club--and nothing much else. On the addictive "Breathe" he reluctantly ditches his usual drawl and spits some urgent ghettocentric punch lines with great effect. Interestingly, on "Don't Stop Won't Stop," Fabolous charges that people continue to steal his flow. Now, nobody's sure who has the copyright on the lazy delivery that Mase and Loon also employ, but that's a moot point on "Baby," where his crooner homey Mike Shorey sings over a familiar Michael Jackson sample (think De La Soul's "Breakadawn"). The obligatory Lil' Mo collabo "Holla at Somebody Real" is no "Can't Let You Go" although "Tit 4 Tat" offers a nice respite from the banality of the beats and lyrics--but that might be because the ubiquitous Pharrell is on board. Sean Paul sounds like he phoned in his verses on "It's All Right," and, on "It's Ghetto," when Fab raps about his hood exploits from the living room of his palatial estate, he just doesn't sound that genuine anymore. --Dalton Higgins