A Thursday episode of The Breakfast Club proved Beyoncé is the protective big sister we all knew she was.
Fabolous, whose real name is John David Jackson, stopped by the popular New York radio show to detail how, years ago, the Lemonade performer privately called him out for lyrics that compared Bey to Solange.
As a follow up to a popular 2008 mixtape with DJ Drama, Fab released The Funeral Service: There Is No Competition 2, which included “For The Money,” a track which featured Nicki Minaj, in 2010. In the song, Fab raps, “I never do the bronze ’cause if you could have Beyoncé, would you take Solange?”
Well, Beyoncé felt a way about that.
Fab told Breakfast Club host Charlamagne Tha God he was lucky Beyonce “didn’t run down on him in the elevator” in reference to Solange’s famed elevator video confronting Jay-Z, for what some believed was a cheating scandal. Instead, he says, the Houston megastar, who recently rolled out a massive social media promo for the launch of her Ivy Park x Adidas collaboration, said “let me holler at you” and pulled him to the side. Although he didn’t want to share the exact conversation, she explained that although she “rocks” with Fab, the line was out of line and words can hurt. He then promised Beyoncé he would apologize and said he has been more mindful of his lyrics since then.
The "Can't Let You Go" rapper, who released his first album, Ghetto Fabolous, in 2001, has long been solidified in the rap industry as one of the top lyricists and fashion icons. In 2009, Fab was able to check an item on every rapper's bucket list by acquiring a hook from Jay-Z, Solange’s brother-in-law and rap legend, on the track “Money Goes, Honey Stay.”
He has also had his share of issues including facing charges in 2018 for an alleged domestic assault, as Blavity previously reported. He told Charlamagne at the time he didn’t consider the effects of his lyrics and as a “punchline rapper” he was attempting to be metaphoric and “just [tries] to say things at the moment to catch the attention.”
Turns out, the 42-year-old Brooklyn native did run into Solange at what he says was a Soho restaurant and the Grammy award-winning singer was a bit “stiff” and hit him with that short “what up” that is well-known in the Black woman pantheon as a sign of disappointment. He said he apologized to Solange and explained he meant nothing by the line, and she responded with “cool.” Charlamagne reminded Fabolous he could have caught them hands like Jay-Z in the elevator, and Fab adds that she reminded him how powerful his tongue could be.
Fabolous also reveals the sisters told him they were “bopping in the club” when the line came on and that it seriously unlit the moment. He says it taught him that although he considered the song to be a small thing on a mixtape, that his words have power and can be put on a large stage. DJ Envy, who also co-hosts the popular radio show, warns Fab that the blogs will report Beyoncé “threw Fab in the corner, hemmed him up,” but he said, "even her way of checking you is graceful.”
Let’s just hope the “Funeral Service Music” rapper learned his lesson about messing with the Knowles sisters because we already know Beyoncé don’t have a problem sending them boxes to your front door, with grace.
Watch the interview below:
