Happy 15th Anniversary to Fashawn’s debut album Boy Meets World, originally released October 20, 2009.
I’ve shared this sentiment in Albumism’s pages before, but it bears repeating: Alec “Exile” Manfredi excels at recording great “coming-of-age” hip-hop albums. Albums that center on the growth and maturity of emcees during the formative periods of their lives, which shape their thought processes as they become adults.
By my count, Exile has produced five of these types of albums. Below the Heavens (2007), his team-up with Blu, is both the first and the best. He later partnered with Johaz as one half of Dag Savage to record E & J (2014) and with Choosey to release Black Beans (2019), both projects in a similar vein. Even Exile’s solo project, 4TRK Mind (2011), featuring him on the mic as well as on production, is ostensibly about his experiences growing up.
However, Boy Meets World, Exile’s team-up with Santiago “Fashawn” Leyva, is the second best album that he’s ever produced, and not far behind Below the Heavens in terms of quality. It’s another album featuring equal partners, both of whom are essential to the project’s success. The Fresno-born Fashawn shines as an emcee on his first official full-length project, documenting how he struggled to find his place in the world before finding his passion through rapping.
Many reviews have pointed out similarities between Boy Meets Word and Nas’ Illmatic (1994), which sets expectations pretty damn high. But there are parallels beyond the throwback photo on the cover. With their respective debuts, both Nas and Fashawn observe their environments with wisdom beyond their years, confronting the struggles that go along with growing up in less-than-ideal circumstances, but finding a way to persevere. Fashawn brings a little more youthful exuberance to this project. He’s well aware of the perils that he faces, but still intent on enjoying his life. In some ways, it’s a final draft of the concepts he explored on his One Shot, One Kill (2008) mixtape, functioning as a complete artistic statement.
Exile’s contributions behind the boards also make the album work. His production helps convey the mood of each track. He is one of the unsung production heroes of the 21st century, with his abilities in using the MPC going nearly unmatched. He chops and manipulates samples in ways that ensure they retain their swing and drip with soul. The result is one of the best albums of 2009 and one of the better albums released in the 21st century.
Fashawn starts Boy Meets World by establishing his skills as an emcee on “Freedom.” Lyrically, he fires off aggressively on an immaculately chopped guitar and vocal sample, declaring himself as a talent to watch and positioning himself as a voice of the people. “Straight up out the trenches, young black and gifted,” he raps. “Slung sacks ridiculous. Done that, you kiddin'?”
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Some of the best material on Boy Meets World centers around Fashawn’s upbringing and his views of the world during his youth. “Life as a Shorty” is particularly poignant, as he describes trying to make the best out of bad situations that life deals him. This includes navigating a revolving door of would-be stepfathers, confronting would-be bullies in elementary school, and coping with heartbreak after discovering his “first fuck” is cheating on him. “Lupita” is more light-hearted, as Fashawn copes with unrequited love from a high school crush.
Fashawn effectively channels his despair with the fucked-up state of the world throughout the album. He paints a bleak picture on “The Ecology,” detailing life on the streets of Fresno, and how tough it is “just trying to survive in these days and times.” He captures the hopelessness that can engulf residents of these areas, overwhelmed by poverty and despair, forcing them into dangerous life choices. “But I got both feet in the grave and still sinking,” he raps. “The environment will drive you insane, flooded with demons / They motive is to get in your brain, make you a heathen / Even have you sniffing cocaine, slanging that reefer.”
He enlists other emcees to help him articulate similar themes on a pair of other tracks. “Sunny CA” is especially potent, as he teams with Oakland’s Mistah F.A.B. and Los Angeles’ Co$$. Each break down how the sunny veneer of each region of their home state often papers over shelves of grit. He teams with Evidence on “Our Way,” which originally appeared on One Shot, One Kill. Over layered vocal samples, the pair break down the unsavory environments that they face on a daily basis. “You could lie in the trunk or at the blink of an eye get jumped,” Fashawn raps. “Can't say we seen it all, but we can say we saw enough.”
Other songs take on an air of melancholy. “Why” serves as Fashawn’s version of “What’s Going On?,” which is indeed high praise. But he meets the challenge, narrating how he attempts to endure the overwhelming feelings of hopelessness. “I swear life is a maze, I'm just tryin' to get it right before I fade,” he laments. “But I keep hitting walls, every day is like a battle.”
Fashawn makes it clear that he is not going to be broken by negativity and maintains a positive attitude throughout much of Boy Meets World. Joined by Aloe Blacc and Devoya Mayo on “Hey Young World,” he encourages the youth to remain steadfast in following their dreams. Fashawn converses directly with the divine on “Father,” explaining how he works to set a good example for those who may share his rough upbringing, all while seeking spiritual solace to keep him on the right path.
He breaks down his own wide-eyed pursuit of success on “Stars,” explaining his dedication to becoming a successful emcee, despite many false starts. “A lot of disappointments, a lot of promises,” he raps. “A lot of n****s fell off, they lack confidence / They had a dream but didn't know how to conquer it / It’s not your accomplishments, it’s what’s inside of us.”
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“Samsonite Man” serves as the sequel to “Stars,” with he and Blu describing the many roads that hip-hop has taken them on, allowing each to broaden their horizons by experiencing cultures around the globe. “Bo Jackson” is a goofy yet entertaining endeavor, as Fashawn shares the mic with Exile. The pair bounce off each over the horn-heavy track, passing the mic back and forth, neither taking themselves too seriously, and clearly having a blast in the process.
Boy Meets World ends with the 10-minute title track, where Fashawn details his journey to this point in his life. He portrays his troubled upbringing as well as his blissful innocence, explaining how he went from broken homes to living in a group home to discovering his love for poetry and hip-hop. During its back half, the song briefly morphs into a modified version of “Same Ol’ Song,” the final track on the aforementioned One Shot, One Kill, as he thanks everyone who’s helped shape his life and further his career. He emerges ready for the next chapter.
Fashawn has continued to be a prolific artist, sharing his life as he progresses through adulthood. And Exile has continued his successful path as one of the best producers working, helping other emcees achieve greatness. Their work together on Boy Meets World provides an inspirational look at a journey into adulthood and laid more groundwork to assist both in realizing their full potential as artists and human beings.
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