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.
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Photo: Instagram
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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.
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HHW: Ok. That said, what events in your personal life shaped The Ecology?
Fashawn: Fatherhood. Becoming a father brought strengths and weaknesses that I never knew I had to the surfaced. That alone helped me find myself… being a father. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe.
Leaving my home, Fresno, I also learned a lot. Doing so allowed me to see the world and actually draw my own conclusions.
HHW: Where exactly did you do most of your recording this time around?
Fashawn: I wrote the album everywhere from America to Europe. The lyrics traveled with me, but I recorded everything in Los Angeles, California. I had to be home, in a place mentally and physically, where I was comfortable. For me, it was California.
HHW: What do you say to counter warnings of a sophomore jinx?
Fashawn: People have been telling me about the sophomore jinx. I don’t think that sh*t applies to me man. I spoke to Nas about it, and he told me “You know what? Don’t even think about it man.” I don’t really think about that sh*t.
HHW: Speaking of Nas, has he ever hear your Ode to Illmatic project?
Fashawn: That’s one of the things we spoke about when I saw him in Europe. I told him I was afraid to make it and put it out, because I know it’s blasphemous to even touch Illmatic. But he told me that I did a good job and he liked what I did. That was icing on the cake for me.
HHW: What’s the most important jewel that Nas has given you?
Fashawn: He told me not to be afraid to be honest or afraid to be myself, which is easier said than done. That’s the most valuable piece of game he’s given me, though there’s been more.
HHW: Finally, what would you like listeners to get from The Ecology?
Fashawn: I want them to have a whole new thirst for life after they listen to this project. A whole new thirst for knowledge, thirst for love, and a new perspective after listening. I want people to feel this album, and not just listen to it. Creating it was medicine for me; I hope it’s medicine for other people. This album is my newest child.
