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Fashawn had a story to tell back in 2009, when he and producer Exile debuted the classic album, Boy Meets World. A little over four years later, the boy has become a man and father, among other things, as he drops jewels with the beatsmith manning the boards once again on his long-awaited sophomore effort, The Ecology.

Hip-Hop Wired spoke exclusively with the Fresno, Calif.-bred MC as he traveled through New York City with his new label Mass Appeal Records.

The Ecology — particularly what inspired its creation — was the topic of conversation. Yours truly spoke with Fashawn about fearing the sophomore jinx and more.

Get the word straight from the horse’s mouth below. Stream The Ecology here.

Photo: Instagram

Hip-Hop Wired: What are the differences between the mission statements

Fashawn: I put Boy Meets World together to introduce myself to the world. To bring people into my world, my life and this character that is Fashawn.

With this new project, the mission statement was to bring a certain authenticity back to Hip-Hop. A certain realness that I feel like doesn’t exist anymore. Ni**as ain’t raw anymore; they think so calculated and planned out. Where’s the raw? Where’s the real at? That’s what I wanted to bring that back with The Ecology. I want to give people something they can feel without touching.

HHW: Though you dropped other projects, The Ecology was essentially five years in the making. Did you save any songs or ideas from that time period for this LP?

Fashawn: Nah, not at all. You’re really just getting the last five years of my life, when ni**as were wondering where the f*ck I was and what I was doing. But there’s no old records that remind me of my childhood or anything like that. It’s really about where I’m at now as a man, as opposed to the boy heard on Boy Meets World. This project inspired by the most recent events in my life.

Continued on the next page.

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