Mistah Fab Ghost Ride It Video

E-40 popularized the term, and now, Oakland native Mistah FAB is running with it ghost riding. The rapper, via a recently inked label deal with Atlantic Records (see "Oakland Rapper Mistah Fab Inks Label Deal With Atlantic Records"), is about to make his introduction to the nation with a lead single, "Ghost Ride It."

On the set of the video for the single, which was shot in Los Angeles last week, Mistah FAB explained his intention behind leading off with a single about the Bay Area term and movement. His response, that people want to know about it, so he's giving them Ghost Ridin' 101.

"No matter what they say about the hyphy movement, everybody wants to know, what the hell is ghost riding it,". "That's all they care about, so I'm showing them; giving them a 101 on how to ghost ride."

The Sean T-produced track features the theme music for the "Ghostbusters" movie, so Mistah FAB pulled out all the stops, and brought out the original car used in the film to ghost ride throughout the video.

The video, directed by Rush Films, will feature the rapper and a slew of others ghost riding in the "Ghostbusters" car -- equipped with pronto packs and all -- through the streets of Los Angeles.

"Just the car alone... what kids and people that grew up seeing 'Ghostbusters' -- this is the original car from the movie -- isn't gonna recognize this and be like, 'Yea, that's what it is; that's crazy.' Like when I was driving, I was like, 'Damn, I'm in the 'Ghostbusters' car; that's crazy.' I was damn near finna crash," explained the rapper. "We definitely taking the theme from the 'Ghostbusters' because it's the beast, and just showing the world how to ghost ride it. We just really painting that lifestyle for the people outside [the Bay] that really wanna know. I say the video is just a 101 on how to ghost ride."

Although the movement has become a commodity for rappers from the Bay Area, ghost riding was originated in 1997, by a rapper from a city in Oakland called Ghost Town. His name is Pretty Bo, according to Mistah FAB, and that's who he credits for sparking the ghost ride movement.

"The first person I seen ghost riding was like in '97, '98 -- this dude named Pretty Bo (rest in peace)," recalls Mistah FAB. "Pretty Bo was from Ghost Town, a city in West Oakland. And he used to come through the school and jump out his car, and people would be like 'What he doing?' And he was say, 'Man, that's ghost riding, that's how they do it in Ghost Town.' So, ghost riding it, man, that's what cats do. You know how cats pull up next to you wanting to race, well, cats in the Bay will pull up and hop out."

"Ghost Ride It" is the first single and video from Mistah FAB's major label debut, Da Yellow Bus Rydah, which is expected to hit stores in early 2007.

- Jay Casteel