Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor
by Oliver Layco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco is a Chicago raised rapper who first came onto the scene in 2006. He is more commonly known as Lupe Fiasco. He’s had mixtapes and has been featured on other artists’ works; most notably on Kanye West’s Touch the Sky. In 2006, he released his first album Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor. While initially it did not have commercial success, that didn’t take away from the fact that this album was the most innovative rap album in a few years. Especially for trying to break into mainstream rap, Lupe is an intelligent rapper who rapped about topics not commonly related to rap. The first single, and biggest hit off the album, is about two lovers meeting through skateboarding. Skateboarding in itself is a rare air for rappers to associate themselves with. Lyrically, he premiered as one of the smartest and most in depth artists of the time; even today he holds up compared with the simplistic minds of others. The metaphors and double meanings he uses in his words can easily go over people’s heads the first time they listen through. His delivery never waivers as well; he is always passionate and it’s even more apparent when he performs live. As for featured guests, he didn’t skimp there and some would even become mainstays through his other albums; these include Sarah Green, Gemini, Pharrell, Jonah Matranga, Jill Scott, Matthew Santos, and Jay-Z. It also helped that the beats through each song didn’t sound generic like every other artist. Personally, he is a top 5 rapper with the combination of his talents and passion for staying true to himself. It’s a shame that he didn’t get the popularity that others at the time did, but that would change over the years.
8.75 out of 10 Bigbluebullfrog Leaps!
Nutshell Reviews is a collection of very short reviews of the most significant movies, books, music, and video games, from both the present day and days gone passed.
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