''The Ecology'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American hip hop recording artist

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 pro ...

. The album was released on February 24, 2015 by

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

Mass Appeal Records Mass Appeal Records is an American independent record label founded in 2014. The label is the music division of the Mass Appeal Media Group. In May 2014, it was announced that American rapper Nas was launching an indie label with Mass Appeal ...

serves as executive producer for the album, and guest features include Nas himself,

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 th ...

, BJ the Chicago Kid, and

Dom Kennedy Dominic Ross Hunn (born August 22, 1984), better known by his stage name Dom Kennedy, is an American rapper from Leimert Park, Los Angeles, California. Since 2008, Kennedy has released 5 independent mixtapes, most notably his 2010 critically accl ...

. The album's production, similar to Fashawn's debut album ''

Boy Meets World ''Boy Meets World'' is an American coming-of-age sitcom created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly that aired on ABC for seven seasons between September1993 and May2000. The series centers on Cory Matthews (Ben Savage) and his friends and famil ...

'', is handled primarily by

Exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

, with additional contributions by

DJ Khalil Khalil Abdul-Rahman Hazzard (born October 16, 1973), professionally known as DJ Khalil, is an American music producer and DJ from Los Angeles. He is the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Self Scientific (along with rapper Chace Infinite) an ...

The Alchemist An alchemist is a person who practices alchemy. Alchemist or Alchemyst may also refer to: Books and stories * ''The Alchemist'' (novel), the translated title of a 1988 allegorical novel by Paulo Coelho * ''The Alchemist'' (play), a play by Be ...

, and more. The title and concept of the album entails exploring the "ecology" of one's environment: the people, objects, and events surrounding one's life, the things that provoke human behavior, how individual choices lead to different paths, and how everyone and everything is ultimately interconnected. In its first week of release, ''The Ecology'' ranked among the top 10 most downloaded albums on the iTunes Hip-Hop Chart. The album was met with widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its heartfelt lyricism and soulful production. Since then, songs from the album have been featured in various forms of popular media.

Background

Following the release of his critically acclaimed debut solo album ''

'' in 2009, Fashawn spent the subsequent years involved in numerous musical endeavors. Through collaboration albums, mixtapes, and guest appearances, he worked with many high-profile artists and producers such as

J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...

Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...

Murs Murs may refer to: People * Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist * Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter * Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper Places * Murs, Indre, France * Murs, Vaucluse, ...

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...

DJ Dahi Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), professionally known as DJ Dahi, is an American DJ, songwriter, record producer and singer from Inglewood, California. Dahi is perhaps best known for producing " Money Trees" by American rapper Kendric ...

, and

9th Wonder Patrick Denard Douthit (born January 15, 1975),
better known as 9th Wonder, is a He also continued to tour around the United States and overseas, including joining

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...

on stage for a duo freestyle at

Hip Hop Kemp The hip hop subculture in the Czech Republic emerged after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Since then the subculture has become an influential urban phenomenon, with hip hop groups, clubs and festivals appearing across the country. Notable hip hop ...

, as well as performing the entrance theme to WBO welterweight champion

Timothy Bradley Timothy Ray Bradley Jr. (born August 29, 1983) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2016. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the WBC light welterweight title twice between 2008 an ...

's rematch against

Manny Pacquiao Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. (; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician and former professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He served as a Senator of the Philip ...

at the

MGM Grand Garden Arena The MGM Grand Garden Arena (originally known as the MGM Grand Garden Special Events Center) is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena located within the MGM Grand Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. Sporting events From its opening on December 18, 1993 ...

. As Fashawn garnered more mainstream attention, anticipation for his sophomore album grew. After nearly five years since the release of his debut album, it was announced in 2014 that Fashawn's second full-length solo album ''The Ecology'' was in the recording process, with Exile once again handling most of the production. In an April 2014 interview, Fashawn stated, "''The Ecology'' has been a concept that started at least five years ago for me. I took the time to really work on this project because I knew that it would be important not just for my career, but for hip-hop. There could be no better time for all these blessings to be coming my way, and I'm just so happy to say that ''The Ecology'' will be coming out."

Release and promotion

On June 9, 2014, a variety of media outlets reported that Fashawn had officially signed to

, and that ''The Ecology'' was scheduled to be released under the new label. "Fashawn is one of the most underrated in the game," Nas said in a statement. "The world is gonna know soon. We're excited to have him as a part of the family." On August 21, 2014, Fashawn held a private listening party for ''The Ecology'' at a sold-out venue in his hometown

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, makin ...

, where attendees heard the entire album for the first time. He continued to keep busy with shows, including a performance set at Nas' 20-Year

Illmatic ''Illmatic'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Re ...

Anniversary Concert at the

Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (commonly referred to simply as The Cosmopolitan or The Cosmo) is a resort casino and hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The resort opened on December 15, 2010, and is located just south of the B ...

in October 2014. As a prelude to his new album, Fashawn also released an EP with

titled '' FASH-ionably Late'' on December 18, 2014. In January 2015, Fashawn announced that ''The Ecology'' would be officially released on February 24, 2015, and that he would also embark on a nationwide tour soon after its release. An official track list soon followed, which confirmed guest features by

, BJ the Chicago Kid, and

. On February 20, 2014, Fashawn surprised eager fans by releasing ''The Ecology'' on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

ahead of schedule, with the album debuting on its Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums Chart. Physical CD and vinyl copies of ''The Ecology'' maintained the original release date of February 24, 2015. To kickoff ''The Ecology'' tour in the United States, a special album release concert took place at

Echoplex The Echoplex is a tape delay effect, first made in 1959. Designed by Mike Battle, the Echoplex set a standard for the effect in the 1960s—it is still regarded as "the standard by which everything else is measured." It was used by some of the ...

Los Angeles 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' ...

on February 26, 2015, in which Fashawn headlined a sold-out venue with additional performances by

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 ...

, and more. The event was also highlighted by surprise guest appearances by

Dilated Peoples Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. They have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song " This Way", a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West. Better known in the UK, they reached t ...

, and

Everlast Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage name Everlast, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter, who was the frontman for hip hop group House of Pain. He was also part of the hip hop supergroup La Coka ...

(who performed the 90s classic "

Jump Around "Jump Around" is a song by American hip hop group House of Pain, produced by DJ Muggs of the hip hop group Cypress Hill, who has also covered the song. It became a hit in 1992, reaching number 3 in the United States. A 1993 re-release of the ...

") to an energetic crowd. Following his American tour, Fashawn later embarked on The Ecology European Tour along with Exile in September 2015.

Singles

The album's first single "Golden State of Mind" was released to

on October 21, 2014. The track contains a west coast anthem vibe and features fellow California native

. A second single "Guess Who's Back" was released via digital distribution on January 27, 2015. On February 17, 2015, a third single "Out the Trunk" (featuring

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...

on the chorus) was released for online listening. On May 18, 2015,

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

debuted the official remix for "Out the Trunk", featuring a brand new verse from Busta Rhymes. "Something to Believe In", one of the most anticipated tracks from ''The Ecology'', was premiered by

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

on February 19, 2015. The song features

, who serves as executive producer for the album, and

, a long-time collaborator of Fashawn.

Music videos

The first music video "Guess Who's Back" debuted on February 10, 2015. The video shows Fashawn reflecting on overcoming challenges in his hometown of Fresno, and contains a notable scene shot inside the city's

Chukchansi Park Chukchansi Park, formerly known as Grizzlies Stadium, is a city-owned baseball stadium located in Fresno, California, United States, completed in 2002 as the home for Minor League Baseball's Fresno Grizzlies. The first game was May 1, 2002. Loca ...

with nobody present in the entire stadium except Fashawn. A second music video was released on April 24, 2015 for "Higher", in which Fashawn pays tribute to his daughter. Both his daughter and the song's producer Exile appear in the video. An animated video for "Confess" was released on October 1, 2015. The video contains over a dozen animated cameo appearances by

Earl Sweatshirt Thebe Neruda Kgositsile (born February 24, 1994), also known by his stage name Earl Sweatshirt, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Kgositsile was originally known by the moniker Sly Tendencies when he began rapping in 2008, ...

Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP ''Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single " ...

Bishop Nehru Markel Ni'Jee Scott (born August 26, 1996), better known by his stage name Bishop Nehru, is an American rapper and record producer from Nanuet, New York. He also directs and edits music videos. Career 2009–13: Early career At age 13, Nehru ...

Large Professor William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and record producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...

, and more.

Documentary

In conjunction with the album, Mass Appeal Records released "The Ecology", a 16-minute film documentary that explores the emotional and economic hardships that Fashawn had to overcome at a young age, as well as the musical journey that ultimately led to Nas signing him to Mass Appeal Records. The film is directed by Punit Dhesi, and features heartfelt reflections given by Fashawn, his mother and uncle, manager Aren Hekimian, producer

, mentor

, and others.

Critical reception

''The Ecology'' was met with universal acclaim from contemporary

music critic ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of mus ...

s. At

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a composite score of 84, indicating "universal acclaim". In a ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' article, ''The Ecology'' ranked at number 5 among the Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums of 2015. Darryl Robertson of '' XXL'' gave the album an XL rating, saying that "''The Ecology''’s core throbs with an MC offering an array of content matched with the confidence to tell his story, even if it’s not about moving tons of drugs, fucking bitches and being covered in jewels." ''

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. ...

'' gave the album a favorable review, stating that "Fashawn’s sophomore release is a strong follow-up, six years in the making, that hits hard while preaching perseverance. Mass Appeal appears to be doing all the right things, and Fashawn is in a unique position on a roster ripe with young talent. ''The Ecology'' is the great second album he needed to keep trending upwards." In a positive review for ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'', Del F. Cowie wrote that "Fashawn hangs admirably with his label boss as assertively vowing he's in it for the long haul, issuing a forthright missive that confirms ''The Ecology'' was definitely worth the wait.". Jeff Weiss of

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...

commented, "There’s heartfelt realism, raw raps and endearing warmth."

Popular culture

"The Letter F" appears on the soundtrack for the video game

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, released by

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on October 28, 2014. The game's successor

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was released on September 29, 2015, and features "Out the Trunk" as its main theme. "Something to Believe In" appears on the soundtrack for the video game

WWE 2K16 ''WWE 2K16'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is the sequel to ''WWE 2K15'', and was succeeded by ''WWE 2K17''. ...

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, released on October 27, 2015. The song also appears on

Madden NFL 16 ''Madden NFL 16'' is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League and published by EA Sports for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. ''Madden 16'' introduced the new game mode "Draft Champion ...

by EA Sports, released on August 25, 2015.

Track listing

;Notes * signifies an additional producer.

References

External links

Fashawn "The Ecology" on iTunes Watch Fashawn's "The Ecology" Documentary Fashawn Official Website Fashawn on Twitter Fashawn on Instagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecology Fashawn albums 2015 albums Albums produced by the Alchemist (musician) Albums produced by DJ Khalil Albums produced by Exile (producer) Mass Appeal Records albums RED Distribution albums Sony Music albums