Stop Sleepin: Fashawn

Putting Central California, Fresno to be exact, on the hip hop map, is a young MC who has been tearing up the mixtape circuit with his unbelievable ability to jump on the most obscure beats and make them hot. Going in on these obscure beats that other MCs normally would stray away from has given Fashawn a genuinely fresh sound in a game that is finding itself oversaturated with uncreative artists who bite whatever sound is popular. (Check out “Shut Up and Let Me Go” which Fashawn created by borrowing a track from British pop-rock band The Ting Tings)

To get a first hand glimpse at Fashawn’s talent, watch the video for “F.A.S.H.A.W.N.” off of his latest mixtape entitled, One Shot One Kill. I haven’t heard someone spit like this since Papoose released Alphabetical Slaughter.

Here is what Fashawn spits for the letter N:

“N for the Nubian King, niggas knew I been nice, that’s on my new pair of Nikes, Nasty as Nassir on some ’88 shit, equivalent to Napalm, peep the narration, flow greater than your Lex or your Navigator, I let my mind take flight like a Nassau spaceship, back to the basics, What the rap game need? F.A.S.H.A.W.N. Indeed.”

Another standout track from One Shot One Kill is “What Goes Around,” where Fashawn brings us into his life revealing what it was like coming up in Fresno, his view on Major Record labels, and how he sees the West Coast hip hop scene. In contrast to the song’s laid back feel, Fashawn comes hard by laying out his feelings on the track.

Here is a closer look at the second verse:

“They say the new west is U-N-I Pac Division BLU, I wonder why I’m never mentioned, My shoes tied so if it sounds like I’m trippin, I packed my bags ready to pay the world a visit, They look inside, criticize because I’m different, couldn’t get singed off that fly shit I was dribbling, How many MCs I gots to burn before they stop tellin me its not your turn, I just brush it off, far as labels fuck em all, and that’s from the heart, keep it rough rugged and raw, I remain Shawn with or without an applause, they cant contain what’s coming out of these jaws, Go hard, game of life new deck of cards, If I play it right, I just might become a star, but what’s fame? A few chains a couple broads, a contract to spend money that aint yours?”

Another notable aspect of Fashawn’s game is his ability to freestyle, which he displays on the track,”100 Bars,” off of his mixtape The Phenom (Vol. 2). Being an expert at riding any beat thrown his way, this freestyle has Fashawn going in over 8 different beats with flawless transitions. Here is a quick excerpt from “100 Bars” :

“I’m about business, Nevermind hoes, They call me Fashawn, But I don’t design clothes, Hood rich from shilled ave to hoolygrove, I send a couple out the shotty, It’s adios, RIP’s for those who appose, I’m what separates the amateurs from the pros, I am 40 below, The definition of cold, Adapt to my weather or forever remain froze, I get it how I live, You know how the game goes, Began when you seen my ribs, We getting doe, Shot nobody, How he make the paper?”

With critics comparing his flow and style to a young Nasir Jones, the sky seems to be the limit for this West Coast MC. The next big project to keep an eye out for is the much anticipated debut LP from Fashawn and renowned producer Exile entitled “Boy Meets World!”