''Boy Meets World'' is the debut solo album by American rapper

Fashawn Santiago Leyva (born October 19, 1988), known by his stage name Fashawn, is an American hip hop recording artist from Fresno, California. He first gained major attention after releasing his debut album '' Boy Meets World'' in 2009, which was pr ...

, with all songs produced by Exile. It was released by the independent record label One Records on October 20, 2009. The album features guest performances by

Aloe Blacc Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born January 7, 1979), known professionally by his stage name Aloe Blacc (), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. He is best known for his singles " I Need a Dollar", " The Man", which topped the charts in t ...

, Evidence,

Blu Blu or BLU may refer to: Businesses and brands *Blu (Italian company), a telecommunications company *Blu Manga, an imprint of Tokyopop * blu eCigs, a brand of electronic cigarette owned by Imperial Tobacco *BLU Products, an American mobile phone m ...

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, 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 World'' received 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 World'' is now frequently regarded as an underground classic, and garnered much interest in producer Exile, who had previously produced rapper Blu's album ''

Below the Heavens ''Below the Heavens'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Blu & Exile. It was released by Sound in Color on July 17, 2007. It serves as Blu (rapper), Blu's debut album, while Exile (producer), Exile had previously released his solo a ...

'', which also was released to similar acclaim.

Background and development

By 2007, Fashawn had gained attention in the music industry by releasing a series of successful mixtapes. Meanwhile, Exile had joined forces with

to release ''

'', an album that would go on to receive wide acclaim. Fashawn gravitated toward Exile's production on ''Below 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 tories he couldspit 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."

The album was recorded at studio sessions in both Fashawn's hometown of

Fresno, California Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...

and Exile's hometown of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. 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.

Critical reception

Upon its release, ''Boy Meets World'' received 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. '' XXL'' Magazine gave the album an XL rating, concluding that ''Boy 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." ''

HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...

'' described ''Boy Meets World'' as "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.". In addition to positive reviews from media outlets, ''Boys Meets World'' also garnered the attention of many respected artists in the hip-hop community. Legendary producer Large Professor noted, "The album is what I call traditional, real hip-hop. Mad different dimensions, I was very impressed."

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Exile

References

External links

Fashawn Official Website

Fashawn on Twitter Fashawn on Instagram
{{Authority control 2009 debut albums Albums produced by Exile (producer) Fashawn albums Sony Music albums The Orchard (company) albums