Mistah F.A.B.

Stanley P. Cox was born on January 23, 1982, in Oakland, California, the son of Stanley Cox Sr. and Desrie A. Jeffery. He was raised by his mother and grandparents. F.A.B.'s father was incarcerated for much of his childhood. His father died of AIDS-related complications when F.A.B. was twelve years old.[15] He is the cousin of NFL running back Marshawn Lynch.[16]

He attended Oakland Technical High School and transferred to Emery High School where he later graduated. As a teenager, F.A.B. was an avid basketball player and point guard of his high school team. F.A.B. was forced to quit basketball after he sustained an injury on the court.

Soon after, he began to enter local freestyle rap competitions and earn a reputation as a formidable rapper and freestyler.

Mistah F.A.B., began his musical rise in Oakland, CA, as a young artist signed to Straight Hits Entertainment, where he dropped his debut album, Nig-Latin in 2003. Although this album garnered some success and recognition, F.A.B.'s recognition came from his skills as a battle rapper. F.A.B. won battles against the likes of Clyde Carson from The Team and Royce Da 5'9. His popularity lead to F.A.B. getting signed to Mac Dre's Thizz Entertainment in 2004. Under Thizz ENT, F.A.B. blossomed as a front runner in the Bay Area's hyphy movement. With songs like "Super Sic Wit It," "N.E.W. Oakland," and "Kicked Out The Club," F.A.B.'s Son of a Pimp album was an instant success around the Bay Area, with featured collaborations Dre, E-40, Turf Talk, and G-Stack of Oakland heroes the Delinquents—as well as Kanye West.

However, a series of obstacles staggered F.A.B.'s career momentum. KMEL-FM, the Bay's top urban station, imposed an unofficial but crippling blacklist of F.A.B.'s songs and guest appearances, due to petty personal grievances as well as the perceived slight of his successful show on a rival station, thereby significantly undermining his hometown visibility. Later, his breakout single, "Ghost Ride It," was the subject of controversy on two fronts – a national clamor over the hyphy practice of "ghost riding" described in the song (throwing a car in neutral, then jumping out and walking alongside or riding on the roof as it continues to move)[17] and Columbia Pictures' threatened legal action over the use of the Ghostbusters logo in the video (the track samples the movie's theme song). This caused the video to be first heavily censored and then pulled from television altogether.[18]”

Da Yellow Bus Rydah, F.A.B.'s debut studio album for Atlantic, originally scheduled for spring of 2007, was delayed by over two years (and most recently slated for a 2009 release under the revised title The Bus Ride). However, thanks to an unusually liberal contract, he was able to keep busy with work on independent labels, instead releasing a Thizz full-length album, Da Baydestrian, in May 2007, and continuing his steady stream of mixtapes and album-length collaborations with G-Stack, Turf Talk, the Alchemist, and Glasses Malone through 2015 (including Hyphy Ain't Dead, a collaboration with Turf Talk).[19]”

In October 2011, Mistah F.A.B. was featured in a mobile battle rap game, Battle Rap Stars by Jump Shot Media.[20]

MC Hammer released "Raider Nation (Oakland Raiders Anthem)" along with a video in late 2013 and "All In My Mind" (which samples "Summer Breeze" by The Isley Brothers) in early 2014 with his newly formed group called Oakland Fight Club which features Mistah F.A.B.[21][22]

In 2014, F.A.B co-wrote and published two record charting platinum lead singles Headband,[23] off of B.o.B third album Underground Luxury, and Loyal[24] by Chris Brown.

In 2015, F.A.B reemerged in the competitive freestyle circuit in a lyrical exchange with Arsonal at the Battle of the Bay 7[25]

Personally, I am going to say how I feel and exhibit that in my music. I’m not afraid to lose. I can take a chance and start again if I have to. I will give it my all because I’m not afraid to go to zero.[26]

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