Platinum Hip Hop Artist Makes His Jersey Reggae Fest Debut

The platinum Hip Hop artist with the fabulously famous laid-back flow will be joining the ‘kings’ of Caribbean music at Newark’s Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium on September 20th. Island/Def Jam artist Fabolous has recently been added to the 9th Annual New Jersey Reggae Fest, this year christened the International Edition.
 
Fresh off the release of his latest album Loso’s Way, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 in late July, Fabolous–who is of Dominican decent-will be hitting the Jersey Music Fest stage with the ‘King of the Dancehall’ Beenie Man, ‘International Soca King’ Machel Montano, and iconic Roots Reggae/Dancehall champion Buju Banton.
 
“This year, we wanted to focus on the international appeal of Caribbean musicians,” states co-promoter Race Grant of Streetz96 Radio and Race Entertainment. “There are many Hip Hop artists of Caribbean decent that have made huge strides in the American music landscape. The ‘founder’ of Hip Hop is Jamaican immigrant. This show brings the best of the Caribbean to Bears Stadium-both from the Caribbean and from the Caribbean-American community.”
 
Grant is producing the NJ Reggae Fest with G City Entertainment, CCB International, and Icon World Entertainment.
 
In the late 1970’s, as the phenomenon of rapping or ‘toasting’ over the dubbed Jamaican ‘versions’ (beats)–a musical art form that eventually spawned the cultural movement known as Dancehall–was taking off on the island, Jamaican immigrant Clive “Kool Herc” Campbell introduced the idea of rapping over instrumental funk and disco versions to his new home in the Bronx, NY. Taking sound equipment to venues such as the now famous basketball courts at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Herc, along with pioneers like Grandmaster Flash, and Grand Wizard Theodore developed break-beat djing, along with cutting, scratching, and mixing. Melle Mel, Jimmy Spicer, Kurtis Blow, Afrika Bambaataa, and a host of other early emcees would rap over these break-beats developing a new genre-Rap music. Djing and rapping, along with break dancing and graffiti, became the four biggest components of early Hip Hop culture.

John ‘Fabolous’ Jackson, son of an African-American mother and Dominican father, grew up in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, home to legendary Caribbean-American Hip Hop emcee Notorious B.I.G. and Hip Hop icon Jay Z. Brooklyn is New York City’s most populous and ethnically diverse borough.  According to the 2005-2007 American Community Survey Estimates, 37.4% of Brooklyn’s 2.4 million people are foreign-born, with Jamaica and the Dominican Republic accounting for the largest groups of Caribbean immigrants. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Brooklyn houses the largest Caribbean-American population in the United States.
 
Fabolous’ first album, Ghetto Fabolous, debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #4 in 2001, powered by mega hits like ‘Can’t Deny It’ and “Young’n (Holla Back).’ Ghetto Fabolous was certified platinum in 2003, with over 1.05 million copies sold. His sophomore release, 2003’s Street Dreams, was also certified platinum, with hits like ‘Can’t Let You Go,’  featuring Lil’ Mo and Mike Shorey, and “Into You” featuring Tamia. He followed up with Real Talk in 2004, From Nothin’ to Somethin’ in 2007, both of which debuted in the top ten on the Billboard Top 200. 2009’s Loso’s Way is his first album to debut at #1. His latest hit single “Throw it in the Bag” featuring The Dream is currently positioned at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.
 
THE 9TH ANNUAL NEW JERSEY REGGAE FEST: Sunday, September 20th at the Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, NJ featuring Fabolous, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, and Machel Montano. More acts to be announced. Limited advanced tickets are available for $39.99 until September 6th. VIP Sky box tickets are available at $99.99. Children under 12 are free.