Fashawn Grizzly City 3 (Mixtape)

After spending a few years establishing a core fan base with a slew of mixtapes, Fashawn broke through to a nationwide audience with his proper debut, 2009's Boy Meets World. Armed with stellar production from Exile, the young rapper impressed critics with his relaxed, confident flow and poignant lyricism. The album led to tours both stateside and overseas with the likes of Evidence, Brother Ali, and Blu and Exile along with being named one of XXL's Freshman 10. During and following his time on the road, Fashawn began working on a pair of mixtapes, Ode to Illmatic and Grizzly City 3. The latter, which comes three years after the second installment, features Lil Wayne and, possibly, J. Cole, among others.

Abstract by Andrew Martin