From Nothin' to Somethin'

From Nothin' to Somethin'
From Nothin' to Somethin'
Studio album by Fabolous
Released	June 12, 2007
Recorded	2006–2007
Genre	Hip hop
Length	63:24
Label	Desert Storm; Street Family; Def Jam;
Producer	Reefa; Freebase; Akon; Jermaine Dupri; LRoc; Just Blaze; Timbaland; Polow da Don; Big Tank; Steve Morales; Raymond "Sarom" Diaz; Versatile; Don Cannon; Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson; Nova;
Fabolous chronology
Singles from From Nothin' to Somethin'
	"Diamonds"; Released: April 3, 2007; "Return of the Hustle"; Released: April 24, 2007; "Make Me Better"; Released: May 15, 2007; "Baby Don't Go"; Released: May 22, 2007;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
About.com	^[1]
AllMusic	^[2]
DJBooth.net	^[3]
Entertainment Weekly	B+^[4]
HipHopDX	^[5]
The Independent	(unfavorable)^[6]
PopMatters	^[7]
RapReviews.com	^[8]
Slant Magazine	^[9]
USA Today	^[10]

From Nothin' to Somethin' is the fourth studio album by American rapper Fabolous. The album was released on June 12, 2007, by Desert Storm Records, Street Family Records and Def Jam Recordings. The production on the album was handled by Akon, Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri, Just Blaze and Polow da Don, among others.

From Nothin' to Somethin' was supported by four singles: "Diamonds", "Return of the Hustle", "Make Me Better" and "Baby Don't Go". The album received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 159,000 copies in its first week.^[11] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[12]

Commercial performance

From Nothin' to Somethin' debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 159,000 copies in its first week.^[11] This became Fabolous' fourth US top-ten debut.^[11] In its second week, the album dropped to number nine on the chart, selling an additional 59,000 copies.^[13] On June 24, 2007, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over 500,000 copies.^[12] As of October 2009, the sold over 566,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.^[14]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.^[15]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"From Nothin' to Somethin'" (Intro)	John Jackson Sharif Slater	Reefa	2:54
2.	"Yep, I'm Back"	Jackson Jeffrey Contella	Freebass	4:27
3.	"Change Up" (featuring Akon)	Jackson Aliaune Thiam	Akon	4:26
4.	"Make Me Better" (featuring Ne-Yo)	Jackson Timothy Mosley Shaffer Smith	Timbaland	4:13
5.	"Baby Don't Go" (featuring T-Pain and Jermaine Dupri)	Jackson Jermaine Dupri Faheem Najm Vincent Bell	Jermaine Dupri LRoc (add.)	3:36
6.	"Return of the Hustle" (featuring Swizz Beatz)	Jackson Justin Smith Kasseem Dean Dennis Coles Robert Diggs Gary Grice Lamont Hawkins Isaac Hayes Jason Hunter Russell Jones David Porter Clifford Smith Corey Woods	Just Blaze	3:44
7.	"Gangsta Don't Play" (featuring Junior Reid)	Jackson Slater Delroy Reid	Reefa	4:23
8.	"Real Playa Like" (featuring Lloyd)	Jackson Jamal Jones S. Smith	Polow da Don	4:07
9.	"First Time" (featuring Rihanna)	Jackson Derryck Thornton Trina Powell	Big Tank	3:53
10.	"Diamonds" (featuring Young Jeezy)	Jackson Steve Morales Raymond Diaz Jay Jenkins Slater	Steve Morales Raymond "Sarom" Diaz	4:16
11.	"Brooklyn" (featuring Jay-Z and Uncle Murda)	Jackson Andrew Roettger Shawn Carter Leonard Grant Tupac Shakur Christopher Wallace	Versatile	3:56
12.	"I'm the Man" (featuring Red Cafe)	Jackson Slater	Reefa	3:28
13.	"Joke's On You" (featuring Pusha T)	Jackson Don Cannon Terrance Thornton Bo Hansson Kenny Håkansson	Don Cannon	4:31
14.	"What Should I Do" (featuring Lil' Mo)	Jackson Antwan Thompson Jeremy Skaller Robert Larow Ken Ifill Arama Brown	Amadeus	4:41
15.	"This Is Family" (featuring Ransom, Freck Billionaire, Red Cafe, Joe Budden and Paul Cain)	Jackson Scott Novelli Stephen Hacker Jeffrey Whitters Devin Copeland Joe Budden Paul Cain Jermaine Denny Angelo Bond William Weatherspoon	Nova	6:53

iTunes Store bonus tracks
No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
16.	"Supa"	Kanye West, DJ Clue	3:16
17.	"I Shine You Shine" (featuring Makeba)	Versatile	4:03
18.	"Chirp Back" (featuring Bleu Davinci)	Shamtrax	4:12

Sample credits^[15]

"Baby Don't Go" contains interpolations from "Finer Things In Life", written by Vincent Bell.
"Return of the Hustle" contains resung lyrics from "C.R.E.A.M.", written by Dennis Coles, Robert Diggs, Gary Grice, Lamont Hawkins, Isaac Hayes, Jason Hunter, Russell Jones, David Porter, Clifford Smith, and Corey Woods.
"Diamonds" contains interpolations from "Do the Damn Thang", written by John David Jackson, Jay W. Jenkins, and Sharif Slater.
"Brooklyn" contains samples from "Biggie Tupac Live Freestyle", written by Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, as performed by Funkmaster Flex and Big Kap.
"Joke's On You" contains samples from "Born of a Gentle South", written by Bo Hansson and Kenny Håkansson, as performed by Bo Hansson.
"This Is Family" contains a sample from "I Can't Believe You're Gone", written by Angelo Bond and William Weatherspoon, as performed by The Barrino Brothers.

Personnel

Chris Athens – mastering
Ashaunna Ayars – marketing
David Brown – engineer
Shari Bryant – marketing
Miguel Bustamante – mixing assistant
Don Cannon – producer, engineer
Jermaine Dupri – producer, mixing
King Khaliyl - producer
Aaron Heick – saxophon
John Horesco IV – engineer
Josh Houghkirk – mixing assistant
Ken Ifill – executive producer
Terese Joseph – A&R
Just Blaze – producer, mixing
Jeff Kievit – trumpet
Tai Linzie – photography, art coordinator
Supa Engineer DURO – mixing
Jonathan Mannion – photography
Rob Mathes – arranger
Darryl "Big Baby" McClary – keyboards
Steve Morales & Sarom – producer
Sandra Park – violin
Ken "Duro" Ifill – engineer
Wen Qian – violin
TaVon Sampson – art direction
Alan J. Stepansky – cello
Phil Tan – mixing
Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson – drums, producer
Versatile - producer
Andrew Roettger "Versatile" - producer
Timbaland – producer
Dan Tobiason – mixing assistant
Steve Tolle – mixing assistant
Ryan West – engineer, mixing
Jordan "DJ Swivel" Young – assistant engineer, mixing assistant
Rebecca Young – viola

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[16]	55
UK Albums (OCC)^[17]	89
US Billboard 200^[18]	2
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[19]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (2007)	Position
US Billboard 200^[20]	98
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[21]	29

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)^[12]	Gold	500,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

^ "Fabolous - From Nothin' To Somethin' - Fabolous From Nothin To Somethin (Def Jam)". Rap.about.com. 2007-07-24. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ Andy Kellman (2007-06-12). "From Nothin' to Somethin' - Fabolous | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ "Fabolous - From Nothin' to Somethin' | Album Review, Stream". DJBooth. Archived from the original on 2015-12-06. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ Vozick, Simon (2007-06-08). "From Nothin' to Somethin'". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-30. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ "Fabolous - From Nothin' To Somethin'". HipHopDX. 2007-06-13. Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ Going out?. "Album: Fabolous - Reviews, Music - The Independent". Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ "Fabolous: From Nothin To Somethin". PopMatters. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ "Feature for June 12, 2007 - Fabolous' "From Nothin' to Somethin'"". Rapreviews.com. 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ "Fabolous: From Nothin' To Somethin'". Slant Magazine. 2007-07-07. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ "Listen Up: Keith's 'Daddy' fulfills, confounds". Usatoday.Com. 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ ^a ^b ^c Katie Hasty (June 20, 2007). "Toby Keith's 'Big Dog' Heads Straight To No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "American album certifications – Fabolous – Real Talk". Recording Industry Association of America.
^ Katie Hasty (June 27, 2007). "Bon Jovi Scores First No. 1 Album Since 1988". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
^ "XXL Scans: Def Jam's Entire Discography & Record Sales". Retrieved 2015-08-01.
^ ^a ^b From Nothin' to Somethin' (booklet). Desert Storm, Def Jam. 2007.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Fabolous – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
^ "Fabolous Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
^ "Fabolous Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2020.

[1] "Fabolous - From Nothin' To Somethin' - Fabolous From Nothin To Somethin (Def Jam)". Rap.about.com. 2007-07-24. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[2] Andy Kellman (2007-06-12). "From Nothin' to Somethin' - Fabolous | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[3] "Fabolous - From Nothin' to Somethin' | Album Review, Stream". DJBooth. Archived from the original on 2015-12-06. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[4] Vozick, Simon (2007-06-08). "From Nothin' to Somethin'". EW.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-30. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[5] "Fabolous - From Nothin' To Somethin'". HipHopDX. 2007-06-13. Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[6] Going out?. "Album: Fabolous - Reviews, Music - The Independent". Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[7] "Fabolous: From Nothin To Somethin". PopMatters. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[8] "Feature for June 12, 2007 - Fabolous' "From Nothin' to Somethin'"". Rapreviews.com. 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[9] "Fabolous: From Nothin' To Somethin'". Slant Magazine. 2007-07-07. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[10] "Listen Up: Keith's 'Daddy' fulfills, confounds". Usatoday.Com. 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[BB200-11] Katie Hasty (June 20, 2007). "Toby Keith's 'Big Dog' Heads Straight To No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.

[RIAA-12] "American album certifications – Fabolous – Real Talk". Recording Industry Association of America.

[13] Katie Hasty (June 27, 2007). "Bon Jovi Scores First No. 1 Album Since 1988". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.

[14] "XXL Scans: Def Jam's Entire Discography & Record Sales". Retrieved 2015-08-01.

[liner_notes-15] From Nothin' to Somethin' (booklet). Desert Storm, Def Jam. 2007.

[ac_Switzerland_Fabolous-16] "Swisscharts.com – Fabolous – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 23, 2014.

[ac_UK2_Fabolous-17] "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 23, 2014.

[ac_Billboard200_Fabolous-18] "Fabolous Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2014.

[ac_BillboardRandBHipHop_Fabolous-19] "Fabolous Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2014.

[20] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2020.

[21] "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved October 10, 2020.

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v t e Fabolous
Discography
Studio albums	Ghetto Fabolous Street Dreams Real Talk From Nothin' to Somethin' Loso's Way The Young OG Project Friday on Elm Street Summertime Shootout 3: Coldest Summer Ever
EPs	There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music EP
Mixtapes	More Street Dreams, Pt. 2: The Mixtape The S.O.U.L. Tape There Is No Competition 3: Death Comes in 3's The S.O.U.L. Tape 2 Friday Night Freestyles Summertime Shootout Summertime Shootout 2: The Level Up
Singles	"Can't Deny It" "Young'n (Holla Back)" "Trade It All" "Can't Let You Go" "Into You" "Breathe" "Baby" "Diamonds" "Make Me Better" "Baby Don't Go" "Throw It in the Bag" "My Time" "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere" "You Be Killin Em" "Ready" "When I Feel Like It" "Flipmode"
Featured singles	"Superwoman Pt. II" "Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life" "Basketball" "4Ever" "Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)" "Dip It Low" "Dale Don Dale" "Shawty Is a 10" "Finer Things" "You Ain't Got Nuthin" "Addiction" "I Can't Hear the Music" "Good Lovin'" "She Got Her Own" "Say Aah" "More Than Love" "Swagger Right" "Deuces (Remix)" "Start It Up" "Oh My" "The Walls" "All That (Lady)"
Related articles	Street Family Records Desert Storm Records Def Jam Recordings