Tag: Fashawn

Fashawn – “Lost Pages” review

This is the 5th extended play from Fresno, California emcee Fashawn. Breaking out in ‘09 his 7th mixtape The Antidote, his profile would begin to increase from there whether it be the Exile-produced debut album Boy Meets World or The Alchemist-produced debut EP FASH-ionably Late & the Mass Appeal Records-backed sophomore effort The Ecology during my senior year of high school. Although his music since for me personally has been hit or miss such as You Owe Us with Interest for example, I did enjoy Carte Blanche fully produced by Little Vic & expected no different out of Lost Pages after finding out about Drega33’s involvement behind the boards.

“Gimme Your Love” chops up a drumless soul sample to get things going by letting everyone who’s sleeping on him know to stay ignorant to his artistic talents whereas “Ma Chérie” turns up the chipmunk soul vibes talking about catching wins with the kind of women he has around him. “Perfect” incorporates a prominent woodwind to ball harder than Allen Iverson while “Shoebox of Rhymes 2” continues with a sequel to his “Book of Rhymes” freestyle off his 5th mixtape 1 Shot 1 Kill.

The song “Missing U” instrumentally takes the chipmunk soul route so he can talk about liquor being the only remedy to this pain he’s been feeling regarding someone in his life who’s no longer here with us & numbing the memories of this person that come with it while “Eastside Gunn” demands his flowers over some bare pianos & reminding us he was carrying big hammers until Pro Tools came into his life. “Mascot” however spends the last couple minutes of Lost Pages talking about his dangerous lifestyle.

Capital & All Hail the King 2 were both ok, but Drega33 solely handling Lost Pages was the most I’ve been excited for Fashawn’s music in a couple years considering the handful of EPs Drega has done with the likes of Tha God Fahim to RJ Payne & FlyG have been elevating him as quite possibly my favorite producer to come out of France recently. Surely enough, I’d put it above Manna & below FASH-ionably Late for a spot amongst the top 3 EPs the Fresno artist has ever made from the drumless sampling to the needed lack of features.

Score: 4/5

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Fashawn – “Carte Blanche” review

Fresno, California emcee Fashawn tapping in with New York producer Little Vic for his 5th studio LP. Breaking out 15 years ago off his 7th mixtape The Antidote, his profile would begin to increase from there whether it be the Exile-produced debut album Boy Meets World. or The Alchemist-produced debut EP FASH-ionably Late & the Mass Appeal Records-backed sophomore effort The Ecology during my senior year of high school. Although his music since for me personally has been hit or miss with this fall’s You Owe Us with Interest being a more recent example, I have enjoyed Little Vic’s production work in the past & that made me anticipate Carte Blanche.

“Crown Vic” is this piano-driven boom bap intro turning muhfuckas into sacrifices similar to that of Jesus Christ himself whereas “1 Eyed King” works in a soul sample with some kicks & snares giving handcuffs for Christmas in addition to a middle finger for the already corrupt system. “Pearly Gates” featuring Rasheed Chappell finds the 2 promising that they’ll still rising like murder rate even when they’re gone leading into “Autumn in New York” providing a boom bap anthem dedicated to fall in the City of Dreams.

As for “168”, we have Little Vic keeping it in the basement instrumentally as Fashawn looks for a 187 while “Victim” talks about everyone being soft & this being as hard as it gets. After the “Waygu” interlude, “Mac n Cheese” returns to the boom bap unloading a short but deadly 37 second verse on top of it just before “Capo” brings back the soul sampling getting in his battle rap bag. “Spaghetti Western” though ends Carte Blanche talking about pumpin’ weight instead of pumpin’ fake.

Coming from 2 different worlds, these guys bring unique stories & sounds that excellently blend the raw with the refined. Little Vic’s production creates a soundscape that mirrors the rags-to-riches journey that he & the Fresno lyricist represent flexing between hard-hitting rhythms & delicately soulful sounds that match the conceptually gritty yet sophisticated journey through life’s harsh realities & ultimate triumphs that Fashawn vividly paints.

Score: 4/5

Keep up with @legendswill_never_die on Instagram & @LegendsllLiveOn on Twitter for the best music reviews weekly!