Mistah F.A.B.

Mistah F.A.B.
Cox in Stanford, California in July 2008
Background information
Birth name	Stanley Petey Cox
Born	(1982-01-23) January 23, 1982 (age 42) Oakland, California, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop hyphy
Occupations	Rapper songwriter entrepreneur community organizer activist
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Faeva Afta SMC Thizz Straight Hits EMPIRE

Stanley Petey Cox (born January 23, 1982), better known by his stage name Mistah F.A.B. (backronym for Money Is Something To Always Have–Forever After Bread), is an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, community organizer and activist.^[1]

F.A.B.'s music career began in the late 1990s when he was discovered by Jazzy Jim and Gary Archer. He was featured on a number of Mac Dre's Thizz Nation mixtape compilations and quickly gained prominence in the San Francisco Bay Area hyphy movement.^[2] With burgeoning national interest in Bay Area hip-hop around 2005, his single in December "Yellow Bus" shortly followed by the album Yellow Bus in January 2006, F.A.B. became the subject of a major-label bidding war, signing with Atlantic Records that September, under subsidiary, Thizz Entertainment.^[3] Howbeit F.A.B., who had deep independent ties with the music business in North Oakland, decided to forgo his major label deal and ventured out to launch his own imprint Faeva Afta Music in 2008.^[4]

F.A.B. is known as one of the most prominent and colorful figures of the hyphy scene since the late 2000s, and is sometimes hailed as the scene's "Crown Prince".^[5] He quickly become a central figure of the hyphy movement, a musical and cultural offshoot of hip-hop from the Bay Area that carries a bass-heavy beat, blaring synthesizers and an emphasis on having fun. When F.A.B. boasted of doing "the dummy retarded" in "Super Sic Wit It," he was describing an emerging aesthetic and philosophical ideal evolving within the Rap culture at the time.^[6]”

F.A.B. garnered worldwide recognition on other fronts as well particularly as a battle rapper.^[7]” F.A.B. defeated many MCs in the niche genre, including Clyde Carson of The Team, Jin of Ruff Ryders and Royce Da 5'9 of Slaughterhouse. In October 2011, Mistah F.A.B. was featured in a mobile battle rap game, Battle Rap Stars by Jump Shot Media.^[8] In 2015, F.A.B reemerged in the competitive battle rap circuit and went up against Arsonal Da Rebel in the Battle of the Bay 7.^[9]

F.A.B. is an accredited multi-platinum songwriter and record producer, who has collaborated with major acts such as Snoop Dogg, Too $hort, E-40, B.o.B, Chris Brown, and Eric Bellinger. He co-wrote and published record charting platinum lead single Headband, off of B.o.B third album Underground Luxury, released in December 2013.^[10] F.A.B. went on to co-write "Loyal" by Chris Brown, and the single was rewarded "Best Hip Hop Song of the Year" by the 2014 Soul Train Awards.^[11]

F.A.B.'s community activism and philanthropic efforts have been highly visible throughout the years. Most notably, he hosts and organizes annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, backpack and school supply drives, holiday toys event and various charitable events benefiting Cancer and Domestic Violence. In August 2013, Mistah F.A.B. was named one of "10 Great Rappers With Great Charities" by Green Label a Mountain Dew Venture.^[12] In 2014, Mistah F.A.B. was recognized by Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, who declared Saturday, February 8, 2014 "Stanley Cox aka Mistah F.A.B. Day" in recognition of the multi-talented hometown hero's efforts to give back to the community.^[13]

I'm so proud to be from Oakland, and I think it's important for those of us who have been successful to come back and help to uplift the community.^[14]