ABOLOUS EXPLAINS JAY-Z CONNECTION, "WE CAME UP W/ THE SONGS FIRST"

Fabolous recently spoke on his relationship with Jay-Z and how the hip-hop mogul became actively involved in the upcoming Loso's Way album.

In addition to Jay, Fab also touched on how he developed tracks for the movie-theme release.

"Me and Jay built a connection through Def Jam," Fab said in an interview. "Through working together executive to artist, we built a different relationship as well. Maybe artist to artist we was in a little different space. You didn't know where each other was at. We work well. When I needed help with the [new] album and I was reaching out for people for joints for the album, he was one of the people that was like, 'Hear this.'...We got a connection. He's from Brooklyn, I'm from Brooklyn -- that's enough of a connection right there...We came up with the songs first...I made the songs to the scenario I thought of. Then I wrote a story [for a film]. Even when I was writing the story, I could hear certain songs coming up in those scenarios, in those scenes. That's why it meshed well." (MTV)

Fab previously spoke with SOHH about his record with Jigga.

"Actually, it got leaked and it was a version with Jay only rapping on it and it's called, 'When The Money Goes,' Fabolous said. "Jay had recorded something to it, I guess what you hear on the leak, forAmerican Gangster and I don't think it made the final cut so he had reached out to me, knowing that I was working on this project and knowing the theme of what I was trying to put together and said, 'Yo, I got a record that might fit in to play.' So, when he brought the record to the table it did. I re-vocaled it. Jay is just on the hook as far as that, it was his idea for the hook." (SOHH)

He also said his upcoming solo project would likely outshine all 2009 music releases.

"The album is coming June 30th," Fab announced in a video. "I've been holding the date for a little while just because I wanted to keep y'all just asking me. But now I gave y'all an answer. June 30th, Loso's Way will be in stores. It's one of the best album, nah, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it's the best. I don't know what's coming after me but what I've heard before, I'm gonna say my album is the best album coming out. So make sure you go get that and become a part of this, MyFabolousLife. We also have four trailer videos we're gonna release each week until the album comes out. So look for the first trailer which is probably gonna be called 'Toast to the Good Life,' and that should be out the first week of June. I will be in a lot of y'all cities for your Summer Jams or your summer shows this June." (MyFabolousLife)

Fab recently talked about the rap game's need for balance and why, he claimed, New York rap stylesare not getting their fair share of air play.

"I'm just trying to hold it down for the city, you know what I mean," he told radio personality DJ Kay Slay. "We gotta keep pushing from all angles, they trying to force us out. Not really trying to force us out, but take over. We need balance. Everybody can shine but we need balance and New York gotta get in where we fit in, too...[Listening to New York radio] I hear all the people they try to keep away from mainstream radio. I love everything that everybody's doing but you definitely need balance 'cause I come from that era where you had balance in hip-hop. You had De La Soulbut you had hardcore stuff too...You don't hear nothing [on Southern radio]. You might have something classic, like iconic, they don't cross that line...It's a balance too with me because I came from the mixtapes and the streets, but at the same time, I knew once you get to a bigger level and can get seen on TV, you wanna appeal to the ladies as well." (Streetsweepers Radio)