But what about lyrical content? Can a rapper really stay true to his street roots when his neighbors are horseback-riding hedge-fund managers and wild deer are scampering across his dew-covered front lawn?
"First of all, when you talk about New Jersey, you're not talking about Beverly Hills," Harrell said. "The influence of the urban experience is 30 minutes away, but you don't have to be in the noise all the time." He added, "You have to have quiet as an artist to hear your inner voice."
And Fabolous said he had not entirely isolated himself. "I still go back to Brooklyn all the time," he said, "just to remind myself how far I've come and get inspiration from that. And I don't think if I see a deer on my lawn, it will shake me too much." He added, laughing, "If I do see a deer, it might be something funny I can put in a rhyme."
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