Boy Meets Worldis the debut solo album by American rapperFashawn,with all songs produced byExile.It was released by the independent record labelOne Recordson October 20, 2009.
| Boy Meets World | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | October 20, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2009 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 75:03 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Exile | |||
| Fashawnchronology | ||||
| ||||
The album features guest performances byAloe Blacc,Evidence,Blu,Planet Asia,Mistah Fab,Co$$, Devoya and J. Mitchell. Music videos were made for "Life as a Shorty", "Samsonite Man", "Our Way", "Sunny CA" and "The Ecology/The Score".
Boy Meets Worldreceived critical acclaim from critics who praised the production and Fashawn's storytelling. The album subsequently received attention and recognition from highly respected hip-hop artists.Boy Meets Worldis now frequently regarded as an underground classic, and garnered much interest in producerExile,who had previously produced rapperBlu's albumBelow the Heavens,which also was released to similar acclaim.
Background and development
editBy 2007, Fashawn had gained attention in the music industry by releasing a series of successful mixtapes. Meanwhile,Exilehad joined forces withBluto releaseBelow the Heavens,an album that would go on to receive wide acclaim. Fashawn gravitated toward Exile's production onBelow the Heavens,and both soon came into contact through their respective management teams. In an interview recalling their initial encounter, Exile said:
"The first time I ever heard Fashawn rap, my imagination just started going. I started thinking about the possibilities of his voice, and what [stories he could] spit over my beats. I could hear that there might be something special, so I wanted to get him some more beats to see what we could come up with."[1]
The album was recorded at studio sessions in both Fashawn's hometown ofFresno, Californiaand Exile's hometown ofLos Angeles, California.Fashawn wrote lyrics for the album up until six months before its release, thus making him between 18 and 19 years old during most of the album's creative process.[1]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| DJBooth | [3] |
| HipHopDX | [4] |
| The Phoenix | [5] |
| The Smoking Section | [6] |
| XXL | 4/5[7] |
Upon its release,Boy Meets Worldreceived universal critical acclaim, with many hip hop critics and listeners regarding the album as a hip hop "classic". Fashawn was acclaimed for his ability to articulate the inner struggles and dreams of a young kid growing up in a tough environment.XXLMagazine gave the album an XL rating, concluding thatBoy Meets World"is a strong debut from such a young MC, and it resonates a lot more than the work of some rappers decades his senior."[7]HipHopDXdescribedBoy Meets Worldas "one of this year’s finest albums yet, hoping to supply food for thought for the new school while staying true to the culture’s roots, balancing the lyrical and street aspects of Hip Hop with one pen.".[4]
In addition to positive reviews from media outlets,Boys Meets Worldalso garnered the attention of many respected artists in the hip-hop community. Legendary producerLarge Professornoted, "The album is what I call traditional, real hip-hop. Mad different dimensions, I was very impressed."[8]
Track listing
editAll tracks are produced byExile
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro[9]" | 2:16 |
| 2. | "Freedom" | 3:07 |
| 3. | "Hey Young World" (featuringAloe Blacc& Devoya) | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Stars" | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Life As a Shorty" (featuring J. Mitchell) | 4:21 |
| 6. | "The Ecology" | 2:42 |
| 7. | "Our Way" (featuringEvidence) | 3:32 |
| 8. | "Why" | 4:26 |
| 9. | "Samsonite Man" (featuringBlu) | 5:13 |
| 10. | "The Score" (featuringPlanet Asia) | 2:45 |
| 11. | "Breathe" (featuring Bravo) | 3:10 |
| 12. | "Father" | 3:24 |
| 13. | "Sunny CA" (featuringCo$$&Mistah Fab) | 5:40 |
| 14. | "Bo Jackson" (featuringExile) | 2:56 |
| 15. | "Lupita" | 4:21 |
| 16. | "When She Calls" | 4:18 |
| 17. | "Boy Meets World" | 10:02 |
References
edit- ^ab"An oral history of Fashawn's" Boy Meets World "five-year anniversary".thecomeupshow.com. 2014-10-22.Retrieved2015-02-10.
- ^Brown, Marisa."Boy Meets World - Fashawn".AllMusic.All Media Network.Retrieved2011-11-24.
- ^Slavik, Nathan (2009-10-15)."Fashawn - Boy Meets World".DJBooth.The DJBooth LLC. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-09-21.Retrieved2011-11-24.
- ^abTardio, Andres (2009-10-24)."Fashawn - Boy Meets World".HipHopDX.Cheri Media Group.Retrieved2011-11-24.
- ^Faraone, Chris (2009-12-02)."Fashawn | Boy Meets World".The Phoenix.Phoenix Media/Communications Group.Retrieved2011-11-24.
- ^MZ (2009-12-05).""The Ecology" - Review Of Fashawn's Boy Meets World ".The Smoking Section.The Smoking Section LLC. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-03-28.Retrieved2011-11-24.
- ^abAku, Timmhotep (2009-08-13)."Fashawn: Boy Meets World".XXL.Townsquare Media.Archived fromthe originalon 2010-02-25.Retrieved2011-11-24.
- ^"Legendary producer Large Professor talks about Fashawn's album" Boy Meets World "".youtube.com. 2009-10-14.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-20.Retrieved2014-07-10.
- ^"Fashawn" Boy Meets World "Track Listing".itunes.com. 2013-12-10.Retrieved2014-07-10.