Fabolous Attempts to Clear Name

Brooklyn-bred rapper Fabolous sat down with the New York Daily News and discussed his Thanksgiving whereabouts in an effort to clear his name in the murder of his close friend at New York hot spot Duvet.

"On Thanksgiving, I think I came out of the house one time -- to go get eggnog," the rapper told the Daily News. "And there wasn't any eggnog at Club Duvet."

Fabolous, whose real name is John Jackson, was linked to Shamel McKinney's slaying when a promoter placed the rapper at the club on the night of the incident. Jackson insists he wasn't present and recalls receiving the bad news the next morning. "It was very much a shock to me," Jackson said.

"When you hear stuff happened to bad guys, you're like, 'Okay, yeah, it was coming to them.' Shamel's not that kind of person. I was waiting to hear more of the story. Unfortunately, when I heard the story, I ended up being in it."

Not only has Jackson had to defend himself, but the rapper is also defending his "Street Family" crew, who've been linked to a string of recent robberies.

"I in no way support criminal activity," he said. "Most of the people that are around me work in association with what I do in the music business," Fabolous said. "I don't have any hangers-on. I can't really afford them."