i-GOTNEXT: Fashawn

Fashawn is an American hip-hop artist who from Cali. Who is apart of next generation of hip-hop youth that repp the conscious and introspective ideals of the culture and people

MYSPACE BIO:

Five simple words sum up Fashawn: That kid is a beast!

Just listen to him. Pop in his latest mixtape, aptly titled “The Phenom 2” listen to him spit 100 vicious bars and you’ll be saying it, too. “That kid is a beast!”

His rhymes are ferocious, his flow full of hunger. For a 20-year-old, his raw talent, charisma, songwriting ability and versatility, is…well – it’s phenomenal.

With all the talk that hip-hop is dead, there’s no better example than Fashawn to prove that it’s certainly alive, well and being fed to a hungry new generation of Hip-Hop fans. And after listening to just 16 bars it’s evident that Fashawn is one of the hungriest. He’s a prodigal son, part of a new generation of emcees lucky enough to grow up in hip-hop’s golden era. He’s not an ’80s baby; he’s a ’90s baby. Think about that for a second. Then think about his potential.

“I was born into the culture, so it’s second nature to me,” Fashawn explains simply.

As a ’90s baby, he’s got all the style and charisma of a modern-day emcee, but the rhyming chops of a veteran beyond his teenage years. When asked to name the emcees he looks up to, he’s quick to answer with Rakim. Then add Nas, Snoop, 2Pac, Planet Asia and Common to list a few who influenced him.

Simply put, Fashawn has all the tools: His flow is insane, easily breezing through syllables, spitting out one after the other like they were sunflower seeds. He’s charismatic – enough to be recognized already as a leader in Central California's hip hop scene, steering a vibrant pack of young artist with his innovative style and originality in his music.

His content is streetwise, having grown up in rough East Fresno, hip to what’s happening in the streets but also kickin’ it with the skaters who listened to Hieroglyphics. That combination yields a street-smart rhymer who can deliver content. His lyrics are smart; keen on songwriting as well as wordplay. With so many various styles – he can deliver them all.

“A lot of people can rap and spit bars,” Fashawn says. “But I write songs.”

And the scariest thing is that he’s just getting started. He’s dropped four mixtapes within the past 18 months and has one being released August 26th with two of the Mid-West's premier DJ's - Mick Boogie and Terry Urban. Not to mention Orisue Clothing titled "One Shot One Kill". His official debut album tentatively titled "Boy Meets World" is set to be released Winter 08'/09' produced entirely by Los Angeles native Exile.

Fashan's Myspace Page

VIBE VERGE FEARTURE ARTICLE:

Fashawn isn’t who you think he is. He’s torn. Stuck between two people—Fashawn, the rapper and Santiago Leyva, the 20-year-old kid from Fresno, CA. “I’m trying to find Santiago, I think I got lost in Fashawn, “ he says, taking solace in his apartment on an idle Thursday morning. “Fashawn is someone ya’ll are just meeting right now. Santiago is that 12 year-old kid who had a notebook and was just jotting shit down. I’m trying to find him.”

Somewhere along the way, the Central Cal rapper lost his way. Raised on Fresno’s notorious eastside—known to residents as “Grizzly City”—Fashawn grew up around drugs and crime in a city home to more than 100 street gangs. “It’s that mentality that you will do anything to survive—rob, rap, anything. It’s a struggle out here. It’s not just a place, it’s a mentality,” he says. “I never had a stable home, I was always moving. My mother, unfortunately, was addicted to drugs as I grew up so I didn’t get a lot of time to spend at home.” And yet, amid the anarchy, Santiago became Fashawn. Looking within, Fashawn began honing his skills by writing about anything and everything. “I started writing at 12, scribbling poems, or rhymes, whatever you want to call them,” he says, boasting with assurance. “I’m so confident in my abilities now, it’s limitless.”

It’s true, Fashawn is ripe with promise. His first mixtape debuted when he was 16, and now he’s five mixtapes deep and working on another one with OnSmash.com and NahRight.com—tentatively titled Higher Learning—and has been working exclusively with Los Angeles beat maven Exile on his debut, Boy Meets World, scheduled to drop in 2009. “I used to rap about a lot of bullshit when I was younger, but as I got older, I got a lot wiser,” he admits. “I think I matured a lot faster than other cats. I know some cats my age that don’t write like I do.” His sound is reminiscent of a young O’Shea Jackson, but less attitude and more swag. He’s quick to denounce his gangsta sensibilities, though. “It’s some sprinkled in there because that’s just where I come from and live everyday. But I’m not on records talking bout I want to kill people or slap bitches,” he says. “It’s definitely part of my environment, and I do capture it. I’m more flexible than anything.” He also wants to make another point very clear: “That whole hipster rap, I hate that shit. I don’t want to get caught in that bubble,” he says. “I am not a hipster! I’m not a gangsta, but I will smack you in your face if you step on my toes and get too close.”

As for what’s next? “There is a lot of shit that I haven’t spoken about even though I put out like five mixtapes. That’s why I can’t wait for my career to unfold.” And aside from sonically potent production from Exile on his 2009 debut, the album will feature fellow Cali wordsmiths Blu, Planet Asia, and Evidence. “The actual music on the album is a story, it starts with the beginning of my life to now and how I formed into this kid now. It puts everything in perspective,” And as for Santiago? “The book, The Alchemist, is the story of Santiago. It’s kind of relative to my life,” he says. “I know there’s a treasure out there waiting for me.”

VIBE MAGZINE

MUSIC VIDEO: OUR WAY

MUSIC VIDEO:F.A.S.H.A.W.N.


DOWNLOAD LINK FOR MIXTAPE

http://www.mediafire.com/?azwgmym50ml