Hip-hop has long had an obsession with the debut album as it marks an artist’s introduction to the world and often lives on as their definitive piece of work. Nas had Illmatic. Jay had Reasonable Doubt. Snoop had Doggystyle. Biggie had Ready to Die. On October 20th, 2009, the day came for Fashawn to make his own mark with, Boy Meets World.

The result was an honest, heartfelt and witty album, the likes of which had seldom been heard from someone his age. Abound with captivating storytelling and magnificent production, the album would quickly receive critical praise. XXL gave it an ‘XL’ rating and called it an album that *“resonates a lot more than the work of some rappers decades his senior.”* HipHopDX called it “perhaps the most heir apparent to Nas’ ’94 classic.”

Meshing beautifully and exclusively over the soulful loops of producer Exile, Fashawn's audio biography touches on his series of stepfathers ("I called them all daddy/even though they didn't have me") and even a friend's suicide. Yet he still finds time to play, swapping boasts with his producer on "Bo Jackson" and plotting his way out of the friend zone with "Lupita." On “The Ecology,” Fashawn articulates the inner struggles of a good kid from a bad place, over Exile’s dramatic string sample.

Fashawn may only have been 20 years old at the time of the album’s release, but he’s possessed the wisdom of a man well beyond his years. Brimming with a nostalgic potency that makes the record just as relatable and fresh today as it was when it was first released, Dirty Science Records in partnership with Coalmine Reissues are honored to release this special edition reissue of this classic LP, right on time for the album’s 15th anniversary!