Fabolous came up in the rap game when hot songs weren't determined solely on having a hot beat. Rap back in the early days of his career was heavily judged based on the lyrics that an artist spits. That is why he keeps up with new school rappers A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar, because he feels as though they're actually saying something in their rhymes, instead of letting the beat carry the track into the mainstream radio waves. He commented on the matter during an interview with XXL Magazine.
"I like a lot of new stuff, but also I'm kinda traditional and old school, so I listen to but I'm also trying to give the ear to the new people. So I'm always online and checking out the sites and hearing everybody from Kendrick Lamar to A$AP Rocky, those guys. I just like to check them out. I'm also a person who pays attention to what you're saying so it's not just your beats to me, so I gotta get into what you're saying and then I can take everything in you know."
Source: sohh.com
