![\"\"](\"http:\/\/illsocietymag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Fabolous_The_Soul_Tape_2-front-large.jpg\" "\\"Fabolous_The_Soul_Tape_2-front-large\\"")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nMixtape: The Soul Tape 2
\nArtist: Fabolous
\nReleased: November 22, 2012<\/p>\n
Again, on Thanksgiving Day, Fabolous<\/strong> drops a follow-up to last year’s The S.O.U.L. Tape- the appropriately-titled The S.O.U.L. Tape 2<\/strong>. While discussing the project, Fab<\/strong> says “It’s different from some of the other music that I normally do or put out through my other releases. We kept the vibe and the music kind of soulful, sample-influenced. This one, I think I have a little bit more\u2026”. The beats are sample heavy and mellower, and the lyrics are emphasized by stories of love, Money, and experiences that he uses as life lessons. The first half of the mixtape is all Fab<\/strong>-no features and no guest appearances. But all of a sudden, everyone comes out the woodworks like J. Cole<\/strong>, Joe Budden<\/strong>, Pusha T<\/strong>, Teyana Taylor<\/strong>, Troy Ave<\/strong>, Wale<\/strong>, Meek Mill<\/strong>, Trey Songz<\/strong>, and Cassie<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The first song starts off with Fabolous<\/strong> spitting over Jay Electronica\u2019s Exhibit A (Transformations), which is one of the illest songs on The S.O.U.L. Tape 2<\/strong> from the sample alone; and Ironically, it\u2019s also called Transformation.<\/p>\n “It hurts to even think about it especially in the streets when you tryna get a drink up out it\/black hoodie I that quarto cinco out\/and put that iron to your clothes like I\u2019m taking winkle out it\/take every Franklin, Jackson ,Grant, and Lincoln out it\/ look you in ya eyes and tell you don\u2019t you even think about it…”.<\/em><\/p>\n Fabolous<\/strong> has always been known for his punchlines, so we know that he can dish them out where they may. Whether they’re clever, or corny, they’re always comical! \u201cFor The Love\u201d<\/em><\/strong> to put in plain words, is him explaining why he\u2019s rapping as a career: the love of his life, the love of money, and the love of his son.<\/p>\n \u201cMake your first million don\u2019t make it your last, don\u2019t come if you ain\u2019t ready don\u2019t make it to fast\/can\u2019t learn shit if you never make it to class\/ can\u2019t just recycle what should be placed in the trash…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A majority of the TST2<\/strong> features sound bites from The Late, Great Notorious B.I.G., and “B.I.T.E.”<\/em><\/strong> (Bitch I\u2019m Tryna Eat) is no different. It is simple as it sounds: I\u2019m trying to make a living, don\u2019t get in my way, because I\u2019ve got to eat. To \u2018eat\u2019 means that you\u2019re working hard to get to where you want to be, and at the end of the day, if you\u2019re not making money, you can\u2019t buy food, so then… you\u2019re not EATIN!<\/p>\n “Bitch I\u2019m tryin to eat before its rest in peace on m t-stone\/ want my eggs scrambled hard-extra cheese and a t-bone\/gotta recipe on these streets hoe\/take some hustle, add some muscle make a mill called success\/now I ain\u2019t say u gonna induct stress I ain’t say it don\u2019t come with pain\/couple losers don\u2019t come with game\/ they ain\u2019t eatin call it stomach pain\/ they callin you but ya number changed…”<\/em><\/p>\n “Louis Vuitton”<\/em><\/strong> features J.Cole<\/strong> and well it should have been J.Cole\u2019s<\/strong> track because he owned the song but Fab<\/strong> still dropped jewels:<\/p>\n \u201c Louis Louis all she ever talked about was\/ Louis Louis al she ever talk about is Louis Vuitton\/ and nigga I can\u2019t fuck with her no more…\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n Materialistic girls can get annoying; you just have to gravitate away from her because shallow chicks are the worst!<\/p>\n The final song, Want you Back<\/em><\/strong> comes with familiarity. We’ve had those exes that we hate that it had to end, and we want to make things right. Having Joe Budden<\/strong> as a feature on this track is perfect because Budden<\/strong> and Fab<\/strong> have similar troubles because both of their relationships are publicized. Teyana Taylor<\/strong> put in her verse as well and gave the same story but from a woman\u2019s perspective. Three tales of the heartbroken on one track leads to a pretty good ending. <\/p>\n “Ask myself why I fight when its blowin over\/God gives his hardest fight to his strongest soldier\/ so I\u2019m fighting for us long as there\u2019s reason to\/ you wanted to give up on us long as there was season 2…\u201d Make sure you download The Soul Tape 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n -Courtney Deleon <\/p>\n
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\nSee this is kind of what Fabolous<\/strong> always needed to be doing. His albums always feel, overproduced, and imprecise. Had he just released 12 tracks at a time, of his best raps, over simple, more traditionally hip-hop sounding beats… He would have been on the short list for GOAT a long time ago. <\/p>\n