During one of the last stops on Rhymesayers “Breakin’ Dawn” tour, HipHopDX’s 2009 Rookie of the Year, took a second to reflect on his past success and provide a brief update on some upcoming projects. In addition to getting verses from the likes of Talib Kweli on “Life’s A Bitch,” Fashawn also got an assist from DJ Green Lantern, who serves as Nas’ touring deejay while remaking the Queensbridge emcee’s classic album.
Despite being about five-years-old when Illmatic originally debuted, Fashawn said he took Nas’ command “buy my whole collection” literally upon hearing “Got Urself A Gun.”
“I did the history, unlike a lot of people,” Fashawn explained when asked about his initial memory of Illmatic. “I guess that was like a return for Nas as well, and Jay-Z was at his height. I remember being on the bus to school [hearing] all the arguments about if Nas or Jay was iller.”
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After receiving instrumentals from Green Lantern as well as supportive fans, Fashawn says he’s only one song away from wrapping the project up.
“The only joint I can’t get is ‘One Time For Your Mind,’” Fashawn added. “It’s like it’s hiding from me. I already have the rhymes for it.”
Not that Ode To Illmatic is holding him up, as shown by the fact he keeps a Blackberry full of instrumentals, which he writes to constantly. He added that he still has designs on naming his sophomore album The Ecology. The non-stop writing coincides with an almost year-round touring schedule. While the “Breakin’ Dawn” tour is set to wrap up on May 2 in Des Moines, Iowa, Fashawn will have less than a week before heading out on another tour.
Remaining Breakin’ Dawn Tour Dates:
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April 29th – Mojo’s – Columbia, MO
April 30th – Otto’s Nightclub – DeKalb, IL
May 1st – Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WI
May 2nd – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
For more information about the “Breakin’ Dawn” tour, visit the Rhymesayers Web site. To keep up with Fashawn, follow his Twitter feed.
