Fashawn’s no stranger to a Bay Area audience—he’s shared the stage with artists like Wale, Blu, U-N-I, Evidence, Alchemist, Redman and Method Man. October 20, 2009—the day after his 21st birthday and his first album release, Boy Meets World, Fashawn rocks the Slim’s stage, opening up for Souls of Mischief and Ghostface Killah.

The Oh Dang! crew and I catch up with Fashawn after his performance and meet DJ Hecktik outside for some air and nicotine. I’ve known DJ Hecktik since we’d worked together at Fresno clothing store FTK, and I was introduced to Fashawn when Hecktik started producing and managing, so it’s always a pleasure to be able to catch up whenever they’re in the area.

With backpacks, cameras and equipment in-tow, we follow Hecktik’s Armenian afro, bobbing-and-weaving through the sea of Ghostface shirts and sloppy drunk chicks towards backstage, bypassing the Strong Arm Steady crew in the heavily weeded artist lounge. Hecktik brings us to a green room, (which we later learn was Souls of Mischief’s but ‘someone’ erased the chalkboard and it became Fashawn’s) and announces Boy Meets World ranked in the top five best selling hip-hop albums on iTunes that day and I can hardly breathe. The whole time I’m thinking back when I’d first met Fashawn and seeing the passion in his grind develop from a young, humble local rapper with that rugged cerebral street spit evolve into an internationally-recognized artist and a beast onstage. It's enough to make me get all emo. In my attempt to mask the overzealousness for my homie’s success, I insist that the Oh Dang! squad and I indulge ourselves to the bucket-o-brew in the green room.

Cozied up on the couches in the green room with Fashawn, Hecktik, cameraman and music video producer Punit Dhesi (also an old friend), the Oh Dang! clique and I drink to Fashawn’s success and turn what was supposed to be a proper Q&A into a drunken group discussion on the success of the album, the tour, Boy Meets World (the TV show, not the album), his recent birthday escapades, and Halloween ideas. Let the chuckle-fest begin.

(Scroll down to see photos from the concert, a clip from Ghostface's performance and Fashawn freestyling.)

Jessica Barcenilla is a 23-year-old pirate-mouthed, chain-smoking insomniac. Indulgences include: shoes, dope art, live music, cheap beer, expensive liquor, drunken banter and bootleg snacks. Oh, and the daily chuckler.

Jan C. Ferrer is a freelance contributor to Oh Dang! Check out his blog here.

Comments (1)

Zee! says:

November 4, 2009 11:22 AM

Great interview. Fashawn and Exile really crafted a certified gem with this album. Props and respect.

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