Welcome to Fazoland

“Welcome to Fazoland” is the debut mixtape by Chicago rapper G Herbo, released under the name Lil Herb on February 17, 2014, through Machine Entertainment Group.

The story

The tape is dedicated to Herb’s late friend Fazon Robinson, whose name his neighborhood crew adopted, calling their area “Fazoland.” Herb described the project as an attempt to tell listeners who he was and where he came from. Guests included Lil Durk, Lil Reese, Lil Bibby, Young Cocky and KD.

Sound and production

Spread over 19 tracks and about an hour, the mixtape draws on many producers, among them DJ L, J Block Music, Brian “AllDay” Miller, Da Internz and Nascent. Alongside hard drill beats, several songs use soulful or atmospheric samples, including material from Dead Can Dance, Vangelis and The Stylistics, giving room to Herb’s rapid, detailed verses.

Legacy

The mixtape was downloaded more than 375,000 times on DatPiff and received generally positive reviews, with critics singling out Herb’s storytelling and lyrical ability as a counterpoint to assumptions that drill was lyrically thin. It established him as one of the strongest writers of the Chicago drill generation, and he later went on to a major career as G Herbo.

Released February 17, 2014. More from hip hop in 2014.