Lupe Fiasco: Chi-town's Latest Phenom

There seems to be an overbearing need for cars, money, drugs and sex in the world of hip-hop these days and one would have a hard time finding some sensible or artistic meaning within the songs. Synthesizers and cookie-cutter lyrics give the title of MC a bad name. Chicago has come up recently as a force in the hip-hop world with acts like Kanye West and Twista fusing instrumentals with hip-hop lyrics. If I had to describe Lupe Fiasco’s Debut effort what comes to mind is a humble version of Kanye West. Lupe takes an approach that is very unique to hip-hop by using slower beats and intricate lyrics that show his true intentions for making music. His style isn’t exactly what you’ll here in the clubs these days but he creates an album that you can truly sit down and listen to.

Earlier this summer I was randomly watching MTV and a video came on with a rapper that I had never heard of. He had a ridiculous name that I had never heard of but his music was pure. The song was called “Kick-Push” and it was basically about the life of a boy who had taken up the hobby of skate boarding. The first thing I noticed was the use of strings and brass. Today hip-hop has been over-taken by synths and drum machines that it is refreshing to hear a true artist these days.

Lupe’s next single is “Daydreamin’” which takes a mix of soul and jazz with a sample of I Monster’s “Daydream in Blue” and features soul singer Jill Scott. The first verse of the song deals with a projects building becoming a robot and describing the activity of the people around the building. He describes happenings in the ghetto taking place around the project building/robot. It’s a visceral scene to imagine and not quite what you would expect from a rapper but Lupe shows that he is a true lyricist in this song.

Lupe has a very unique play on the life that is typical of rappers growing up in the ghettos with gangs and drugs and drive bys. In the CD booklet he depicts two scenes with children receiving guns in schools and gangs using books in the place of guns. It’s a unique and darkly humorous view of that life and it shows that his mind works in a new way that people would never expect from an MC these days.

This is an album that can be listened to by everyone because it is not a typical rap album. Lupe shies away from the lifestyle portrayed by rappers today and conveys a message of what really matters. He shows a wide range of subject matter and has a distinct flavor that you can’t find anywhere else these days.