MISTAH F.A.B.

MISTAH FAB may ride the yellow bus, but he's more than just a passenger. He's Cortez, Columbus, and Magellan, guiding his voyage through the Bay Area and beyond. One hand on the wheel, another gripping the compass, FAB is heading due north, straight into the national spotlight.

Tell us about your life over the past year.

Life has been crazy. Released Son of a Pimp, and the album is number one in the Bay Area. They've been playing my joints on the radio, like three tracks, and that's not just in the Bay Area. I also put out a DVD, Freestyle King, and now I'm working on my new album, Yellow Bus Rydah, which is dropping in May. Things have just been on the up and up. Getting a lot of ink in the media, had MTV following me around for a week while they were filming My Block: The Bay. That's been airing every night on MTV. Life is good.

You released Son of a Pimp last April on Mac Dre's label, Thizz Entertainment. What do you feel you did right on that album and what can you improve upon?

The passing of Mac Dre left a cloud over the Bay Area. Both the artists and the fans were heartbroken; however, with that unfortunate event, I was able to step in and fill a void. I'm not saying I replaced Mac Dre--that is impossible--but I did give the fans a bit of what they were missing. Also, I had an audience; people were waiting to see how Thizz would respond. It was the fight time. As far as the album goes, I feel I really gave the audience a chance to meet me. After listening to Son of a Pimp, you feel like you know me. What do I have to do to improve? Grow, broaden my horizons, touch upon more issues. I need to bring in a new audience beyond the Bay Area. To do that you need to bring in a few out-of-state features, which I've done with Choppa from Making the Band, Chingo Bling, Lil' Wayne, and Too Short.

The Bay seems to be gathering steam. More exposure, more radio airplay. Are we seeing a resurgence, the Bay back in the spotlight? And how do you see yourself fitting into this movement?

The Bay Area is definitely on its way back. As we speak a major video is in heavy rotation on MTV and BET. It's E-40's video with Keak da Sneak Tell Me When To Go. He brought Lil' Jon out here and some other Atlanta artists to shoot this video. Just that visual exposure fight there will bring the Bay Area lifestyle to a greater audience. Where do I see myself firing in? Not to toot my own horn, but I see myself at the Prince level of the Hyphy movement. I also got my Yellow Bus deal going on right now. I've put myself into this position with the music I've put out lately. How is the nation receiving the Hyphy movement?

I just got back from Atlanta and I spent some time in Houston during the All Star Weekend, and people are definitely feeling what we've got going but they want to see more. They've got a taste, but they want the entire meal. One thing I'd like to say about this whole Hyphy deal is that people need to recognize that Hyphy originated in the streets of Oakland, CA. Yeah, we rep the Bay, but Hyphy is Oakland. That's how we come.

Tell the people what it means to ride the yellow bus.

The yellow bus doesn't necessarily need to be a Mayflower or a Durham. The yellow bus is basically a car that you and your boys are going crazy in. It can be Bart, Amtrak, Muni, whatever You can ride the yellow bus on the airplane. It's a high-energy movement that's all about going crazy and getting dummy retarded. That's not knocking people who are mentally challenged; it's not an insult. Out here in the Bay Area we go crazy, lose all inhibitions, and just wild out. Have a good time. Let it all go. I might drool a little bit, may rock the helmet and a lunch pail, just acting like I don't care about anything.

Who are you feeling right now in the music industry? Anybody you're looking forward to working with?

Mac Dre is a given. I shouldn't even have to mention him. But we all know that's not possible. I'm feeling Young Jeezy, I like TI, E-40, Keak da Sneak, and I'm waiting for Jay-Z to return. But I'm really feeling the Bay right now, all the artists doing their thing. We got the best movement going around the country.

You became close to Dre towards the end of his life. What did you learn from him? Tell the readers something about him that most people don't know.

He taught me that no matter what, keep working. Become consistent. Every artist thinks that the project they just completed is their best work ever and nothing will top it; however, you have to develop and keep pushing. To those of you who don't know who Mae Dre is, he recorded over 20 albums. That's got to be a record for most songs recorded while alive. That's consistency. You'd hear one of his new albums and it would be knocking, then six months later he'd have a new one.

I called your cell and you were singing the song "Rumors" on the voice message. Obviously you enjoy the publicity, and the rumors are an indication that your name is on the tip of people's tongues. But do the rumors ever become distracting or consuming?

It's very distracting when people come up to you and are in awe that you're still alive. Recently I've heard rumors that I died in a car accident, that I got shot. There are rumors that Keak got shot, and yeah, they're amusing to a point, where you've obviously become a figure of attention. I like the publicity, but what people don't understand is that you have family, too. What about when my aunty hears on the radio that I was killed and she can't get in touch with me? The rumors can slow you down because consequently you have a lot of explaining to do, but you just can't let them distract you from what you need to do.

Ever feel like you're in a compromised position? Is it difficult maintaining your position as a rapper on an intellectual plane, but also getting stupid, going dumb, and riding the yellow bus?

It's crazy you ask that question, because me and Stretch were just talking about that earlier. Me, I don't want to be the dude that just goes dumb and gets stupid. It's bigger than that. I've really got something to say. My first nature is poetry. I love poetic rappers like Nas, Little Brother, Blackalicious, Hiero--you know, cats that feed back knowledge. Unfortunately, in my current demographic, the people I rap to, they're not even trying to hear that type of music. You start talking this and that about politics--and they hit skip. Oh, you don't got no go dumb songs? At the same time, I think I walk a thin line and I'm able to be a "conscious rapper" but still get stupid. I came up because I had something to say. I ride the yellow bus with my backpack on.