While achieving commercial success is no easy task for rappers, regaining respect in the street after finding fame can present an even bigger challenge. Luckily for Fabolous, who has already proved he can scan millions of units, his subsequent street tapes have always held up in the hood. Inspired by the ’05 prequel to the ’93 flick Carlito’s Way, Fab enlists his old buddy DJ Clue to host his first double mixtape, Loso’s Way: Rise to Power.
Clever one-liners continue to put Fabolous a rhyme ahead of the competition, as he proves on “Whatever I Wan’ Do,” where the kid from B-Stuy, sets up a nice double entendre: “I hear the rumors, but niggas won’t say they said it/You know Duke got a shooter like J.J. Redick.” The slick talk continues on “Murda (We Don’t Believe You),” where L-O-S-O mocks the G-Unit reverend’s change of spirit: “Might give him a full clip for standing on the pulpit/Sayin’ all that bullshit/He’s more Jim Baker than Creflo/I know Ma$e Beth, though, the nigga ain’t tef, yo.”
The majority of the two-disc set is tailor made for the boys on the block, but Fab does find time to craft a couple songs for the ladies. First, the canary-diamond-dipped MC reunites with Lil’ Mo on “Baby (Remix),” then he rides with Mariah Carey on “Don’t Forget About Us (Remix).”
Amid the 24-track effort there are some forgettable cuts. On “They Like Me,” Fab attempts to re-create Young Jeezy’s “Trap Star,” but proves the ad-libs are best left to Da Snowman. Even worse is Red Café’s strange concoction of mismatched phrases on the hook for “Bling Bloaw Pt. 2.” Aside from these miscues, Fabolous’ greezy delivery doesn’t disappoint throughout Loso’s Way, proving his name still holds weight with or without the platinum plaques.—ROB MARKMAN
