Fashawn's Top 10 West Coast Hip-Hop Albums Of All-Time

if you followed hip-hop in 2009, then you probably noticed a new generation of artists blowing up out of the West Coast, from gangsta rappers like Nipsey Hussle to creative crews like Pac Div. But there's only one newcomer who ended up on Complex's Top 25 Albums of 2009 list: Fashawn. His stellar debut Boy Meets World, which was produced entirely by Exile, landed at #13, beating out damn near every hip-hop veteran. To see what influenced the young MC, we talked about his 10 favorite West Coast rap albums of all time. See his picks below, then keep reading for a bonus Q&A about growing up in central Cali, his next album, and how Fresno really feels about K-Fed...

#10: Kurupt Streetz Is A Mutha

Released: 1999

Fashawn Says: "Ahh, one of my favorite albums. On songs like "Trilogy," I feel like he was just spitting acid, no hook, just spitting toxic fumes through the mic, just killin' it. And hes from the West Coast—thats where i draw my inspiration from. When people say, Yo, you sound like you're from Brooklyn or Philly or something. Nah, I listen to cats like Kurupt, and that album was a perfect example of East meeting West and West meeting East."
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#9: Ras Kass Rasassination

Released: 1998

Fashawn Says: "Dope album. His flow and attitude in that record is just invincible.  He just had this confidence about him and his abilities as a wordsmith, Ras Kass was crazy. My favorite song was 'H20 Proof'—the waterproof MC! That was one of my favorite joints."
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#8: C-Bo Gas Chamber

Released: 1993

Fashawn Says: "I think that was his first album. Thats just one of my favorite albums man. Crazy, straight gangsta shit from Garden Blocc, Sacramento.  I forgot where he was specifically from.  C-Bo was the only artist that I know of, or that I witnessed going jail because of his lyrics. He said something about [former California Governor] Pete Wilson."
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#7: Snoop Doggy Dogg The Doggfather

Released: 1996

Fashawn Says: "Back in '96, it was just dope. I remember he had this one freestyle joint on there, it was a huge freestyle, I forget the name of the song [ed.—"Freestyle Conversation"]. On that album, Snoop's swagger was just invincible."
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#6: 2Pac 2Pacalypse Now

Released: 1991

Fashawn Says: "Is that considered West Coast? 'Pac, he repped for the West Coast harder than anyone. Songs like 'Words Of Wisdom,' 'Trapped,'  he really painted a picture of what it was like to be a black man in '92, or whenever it came out.  Painted that picture perfectly."
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#5: Dilated Peoples The Platform

Released: 2000

Fashawn Says: "Classic. Classic. Every song—I don't have a favorite song, there's too many West Coast classics, i love that album! I was in Fresno, I was into graffiti heavily, I was skating, and that was just the soundtrack. Everything about them, even the visuals—I love East Coast stuff too, and those were the only West Coast cats to shoot a video on a train and shit. It was like they were in New York, but they were actually in Cali—L.A. had trains then. I loved that whole combination of what they were doing."
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#4: Planet Asia Jewelry Box Session

Released: 2007

Fashawn Says: "Not just because im on it. [Laughs] Great album. Songs like 'Coming Home,' 'Street Hop,' 'G.O.D. In The Flesh.' Crazy, man. I think for me was my favorite Planet Asia album of all time."
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#3: Ice Cube AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Released: 1990

Fashawn Says: "Cube! Just the fact he put the KKK in the middle of America. It was a crazy debut. I was like 'Yo, hes off the chain!' Amazing album."
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#2: Ice Cube Death Certificate

Released: 1991

Fashawn Says: "I gotta put another Cube album back to back at number two, I love Cube, and I can't really decide which album I like more...I love the artwork on Death Certificate. I'm a huge fan of Cube!"
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#1: Dr. Dre The Chronic

Released: 1992

Fashawn Says: "Gave birth to so many careers, classic.  It inspired so much. It's The Chronic! What else needs to be said."
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CLICK NEXT FOR A BONUS FASHAWN INTERVIEW!
—He talks about growing up in Central Cali, working with Exile, and how Fresno really feels about K-Fed...