Fresno rap up-and-comer and local pot promoter (hey, bruh, keep the green in Grizzly City), Fashawn has just dropped a new mixtape/free album via XXL Magazine. You should cop it, if only to hear what a black Bart Simpson sounds like rapping. (We actually think Fash owes West Coast Sound some royalties for the excellent Photoshop job we did mashing up his and Bart's image a few months back.) J.Cole, Common and John Legend make appearances, as do Nina Simone and Freddie Mercury (in sample form, of course). Also, word is Fashawn has been working with the Roots. Check it out:

The disc, hosted by DJ Ill Will and DJ Rockstar, features 21 tracks with appearances by GLC, Tony Williams of G.O.O.D. Music, Gilbere Forte' and fellow XXL Freshman alum J. Cole, who spits on two tracks and contributed three beats for the project.

Asked how he linked up with the Roc Nation signee, Fash told XXL: “I met J. Cole in New York about a year ago, maybe a month prior to [the XXL Freshman shoot]. I was working with The Roots, we were rocking up in NYC, and we went straight to the studio with J. Cole. We just vibed man…I'm just a cool cat and I like to vibe with people and if that goes well then let's get to the music.”

Here here. Download Higher Learning 2. Fashawn kicks off his Higher Learning tour, accompanied by Evidence of Dilated Peoples, tonight in Santa Barbara. Tour dates here.

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