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.
