Fabolous Net Worth

What Is Fabolous' Net Worth?

Fabolous is an American hip-hop recording artist who has a net worth of $8 million. Fabolous first broke through around 2001 when DJ Clue began featuring him on mixtapes, which led to his debut album "Ghetto Fabolous." Powered by the singles "Can't Deny It" and "Young'n (Holla Back)," the project went platinum and established him as a New York voice who could move effortlessly between street rap and mainstream appeal. His 2003 follow-up, "Street Dreams," cemented that duality with hits like "Into You" and "Trade It All Pt. 2," expanding his profile on both rap radio and R&B charts.

Across the 2000s and 2010s, Fabolous carved out a rare lane as an East Coast hitmaker who remained respected by purists. Albums like "Real Talk," "From Nothin' to Somethin'," and "Loso's Way" each debuted high on the charts and delivered singles such as "Make Me Better," "Baby Don't Go," and "Throw It in the Bag." At the same time, he kept his credibility sharp with fan-favorite mixtapes, especially the long-running "There Is No Competition" and "The Soul Tape" series, which showcased him as one of rap's most reliable punchline specialists.

Later releases like "The Young OG Project" and "Summertime Shootout" demonstrated his ability to adapt to new sounds without abandoning his core style. Over more than two decades, Fabolous maintained steady cultural relevance, a strong catalog of hits, and a reputation as one of the most durable and stylistically consistent rappers from New York's mixtape era.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

He was born John David Jackson on November 18, 1977, in Brooklyn, New York City, and is of Dominican and African-American heritage. He was raised in the Breevort Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where he developed an interest in music during his senior year of high school. He began rapping under the name Fabolous Sport, a nod to the Polo Sport clothing line. The name was eventually shortened to Fabolous, and the unconventional spelling came about accidentally when he misspelled "Fabulous" during a freestyle. The mistake became part of his identity and stuck.

Early Career

Fabolous' career took off after he was invited to perform live on DJ Clue's radio show. Impressed by his talent, DJ Clue signed him to Desert Storm Records. Appearances on Clue mixtapes and collaborations with Roc-A-Fella artists helped secure a distribution deal with Elektra Records, setting the stage for his debut album. He released "Ghetto Fabolous" in September 2001, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 with more than 140,000 first-week sales. His follow-up, "Street Dreams," arrived in March 2003 and produced major hits, including "Into You" and "Can't Let You Go," both of which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, he released the mixtape "More Street Dreams, Pt. 2," which spotlighted his Triangle Offense crew of Paul Cain and Joe Budden.

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Success

His third album, "Real Talk," came out in November 2004 and featured collaborations with Mike Shorey, Young Jeezy, and Pharrell. That same year, he earned a Grammy nomination for his appearance on the "Dip It Low" remix with Christina Milian. After parting ways with Atlantic, Fabolous joined Def Jam in a trade that sent Musiq to Atlantic. His Def Jam debut, "From Nothin' to Somethin'," was released in June 2007 and became his first #1 on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Rap Albums charts. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and went Gold the following month, featuring appearances from Lil Wayne, Remy Ma, Swizz Beatz, and Ne-Yo.

"Loso's Way" followed in July 2009, inspired by the film "Carlito's Way." It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and included guest spots from The-Dream, Jeremih, and Keri Hilson. During this period, Fabolous also delivered some of his most celebrated mixtape work, including "There Is No Competition 2," "The S.O.U.L. Tape," and "There Is No Competition 3."

In 2014, he released the long-awaited "The Young OG Project," shortly after signing a management deal with Roc Nation. The album debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200 with 71,000 first-week sales. He then teamed up with Jadakiss for the collaborative album "Friday on Elm Street" in 2017. His 2019 release, "Summertime Shootout 3: Coldest Summer Ever," continued the momentum of his popular "Summertime Shootout" mixtape series. Over the course of his career, every one of his studio albums has charted on the Billboard 200.

(Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

Other Ventures

In 2006, Fabolous launched the clothing line Rich Yung Society, fulfilling his earlier ambition to create his own fashion brand. That same year, he established his record label imprint, Street Family Records, which has featured artists such as Freck Billionaire, Paul Cain, Broadway, and Red Café.

Personal Life and Legal Issues

Fabolous shares two sons with his girlfriend, Emily Bustamante. In January and March 2003, Fabolous was arrested for possessing an unlicensed gun in his car. Later, his bodyguard was able to demonstrate proof of ownership of the gun. On October 17, 2006, Fabolous was shot in his right leg as he was leaving Justin's, a restaurant owned by Sean "Diddy" Combs. Following the shooting, he and his entourage were charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a defaced firearm after they were pulled over for running a red light, and police discovered two unlicensed guns in the car. He was treated at a local hospital for his injury and released after eight days.

On March 28, 2018, Fabolous was arrested for domestic violence after allegedly assaulting Bustamante. He was indicted by a grand jury in New Jersey on four felony charges of domestic assault on October 10, 2018, and is reported to have accepted a plea deal in March 2019.

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