Wasalu Jaco as he was named by his parents is a Chicago bread hip-hop artist, who has been a mainstay in pop culture for the last decade. Jaco had an extremely rough upbringing, and has been very vocal about it in interviews and his music, and it definitely has a huge influence on who he is as a musician. His father, who he went to live with full time when he was in the sixth grade was in the Black Panther party, and would teach Jaco and his eight siblings how to use guns to defend themselves, and also would teach them Karate out of the studio that he owned. Jaco says his upbringing taught him a lot, and that he was given a diverse knowledge of how to survive. The way Chicago is currently portrayed in the media as a murderous wasteland due to rap culture and nicknames like "Chiraq" it's not surprising that Lupe had a tough childhood, but he seems to have made the most of what he was given.
Fast forward to his musical life. Lupe Fiasco is self recording songs out of his dad's basement, and eventually remixes the Kanye West song, Diamonds From Sierra Leone. This led to Kanye featuring Lupe on the hit song Touch The Sky. Lupe's career was then fast tracked with the release of his first, and quite possibly most recognizable single to this day, Kick Push. This love ballad of two people who share a passion for skateboarding was foreign to hip-hop at the time, but was accepted and wildly popularized. This single was on his debut album Food and Liquor, and thus begins the debate. Was Food and Liquor any good? People enjoy sighting Lupe as having two great albums before falling off, and I don't think anyone will argue about The Cool, but in retrospect his debut really doesn't hold up. So now we are working with a rapper who obviously has a lot of talent, but has only made one really good album. It's gotten to the point where you have to question if The Cool was just a fluke, and this is a guy who can't put together an album. It wouldn't be the first time in the history of music that a talented act failed to make a great album, but it would be a shame if Lupe were to fall into that category. That is why I so eagerly await each knew Lupe release. I am hoping that each album is the one that breaks the Lupe mold. Interest is definitely dwindling in Lupe Fiasco, and if he is to put out a follow up to the quality of The Cool now would be the time. While people are still holding out hope for Lupe Fiasco.
While I do hold out hope for this album, I have no expectations of enjoying it. Another train wreck like Lazers would not surprise me in the slightest, but he could very well release his career defining album. With all of the talent that he has, and a legion of fans who swear that each one if his albums is going to be his next classic, Lupe has all of the tools for success, but he has yet to prove if he has what it takes musically to make another good album. I'm going into this album with no prior thoughts of what the quality may be, and quite frankly I didn't even hear the singles, so I'm going in completely blind. Hopefully Lupe doesn't do what he's become known for doing, disappoint.
1. Summer
If you would, take a quick look at the track list and make not of the fact that each of the four seasons is represented in a track, each of which is a simple instrumental that kind of sounds like the month. To explain, this one sounds like children having fun, and generally gives off a warm vibe. Some people say that it offers as a buffer, or a calm before the storm. The storm I assume being the next song.
2. Mural
This is the type of song that makes me hate Lupe Fiasco. After years and years of releasing nothing but utter trash, he proves all of his unwavering fans that he is just as good a rapper as they have been claiming he is. This is by no means the most well put together song I've ever heard. The production is over the top and way too heavy for a song that should have been completely centered around Lupe's ability, but none of that really matters after you give this one a listen. For nine minutes straight Lupe rattles off bar after bar of quotables and dope lines, and offers one of the more impressive showings of his career, if not the most impressive. There is not one dull moment on this entire epic of a song, and you will find yourself replaying the shit out of it just to hear all of the different things he has to say. The most entertaining part of the song that I just have to touch on is the extended use of homophones to address different meanings of the words he is saying. The word play is incredibly entertaining, and it's obvious to me that Lupe was having fun flexing on this song. Once more, this isn't a terrifically organized song by any means, but you have to respect the skill displayed by Lupe on this one.
3. Blur My Hands (ft. Guy Sebastian)
First of all, there is nothing inherently wrong with this song. Lupe sounds good, and of course the lyrical caliber of this track does not hold a candle to the last, but he is still on top of his game. While not nine minutes, this song does run rather long, and Lupe delivers three solid verses that I enjoy, and I could take or leave the hook courtesy of the guest feature. The problem I have with this song is the problem I have with almost every song on this album, so I might as well address it now. The production is way too dense. There is so much fucking happening that you can hardly enjoy any of it. This doesn't ruin the songs, but holds a lot of them back from being great. Someone needs to share the less is more cliche with Lupe, because every beat he chooses is wildly over produced. I apologize to this song, and Guy Sebastian for that little tirade. It's not your fault, Guy.
4. Dots & Lines
Now, I know I'm one for bold statements, but take head to what I am about to say. The beginning and conclusion of this song is occupied by the single greatest banjo solo in the history of hip-hop. I know, it's crazy to think that this one is the best, but you can quote me on saying this, there has never been a better banjo solo on a hip-hop song. That already puts this song into legendary status, but even beyond that, this is a very good song. The hook is crazy catchy, and all of the verses are very entertaining. This also happens to be one of the cases when the production actually adds to the quality of the song. Aside from the absolutely horrible Steve Urkel line, Lupe is still on top of his game, and it all really clicks on this song. Highlight for sure.
5. Fall
Significantly more melancholy than Summer, this is obviously the second season instrumental. It contributes to a slight shift in the tone of the album as we prepare to have less fun. (the music is still good, but the subject matter is heavier. I'm sure you will have just as much fun if you keep listening.)
6. Prisoner 1 & 2 (ft. Ayesha Jaco)
With the new, darker tone set by fall, we get the most serious song, or two, so far on the album, and it's a good one. Lupe is more serious in addressing the horrors of prison and the disparity between the social class and race of the people in the jails. Very socially relevant, and very well performed by Lupe. All three verses are very powerful, and separating them is a pretty killer hook. As Prisoner 1 ends, Prisoner 2 begins with Lupe's sister giving us a little spoken word intro, and I can't say I enjoy Prisoner 2 nearly as much as the first half. The beat is somewhat ridiculous and annoying, Lupe approaches his rapping with a broken, choppy flow, and also sounds much more aggressive. Prisoner 2 isn't terrible by any means, but Prisoner 1 is an amazing track that would make most of the songs on this album pale in comparison.
7. Body Of Work
This song is a good one, but is probably the single most Lupe song ever. Equipped with what I find an obnoxiously sung hook, a largely produced song, and a few relatively well crafted verses including some cultural and social commentary. That makes it a good song, but gives it no big qualities that set it apart from the rest of the songs on the album. Not every song can be that interesting, and this isn't a detriment to the album, so I'll take.
8. Little Death (ft. Nikki Jean)
This song is significantly smoother than the rest of the album thus far, not only in the bass line that rides throughout the song, but the really pleasant sounding hook courtesy of Nikki Jean, and the softer tone from Lupe over his verses. One thing that we have come to expect from this album, and something that will hold true through the duration of this project is the consistency of Lupe's rapping. He puts on another good performance here and pumps out another entertaining song.
9. No Scratches (ft. Nikki Jean)
So here we have the ever anticipated second Nikki Jean feature on the album! With it comes only a fraction of the charm from the last track. In fact, I'll call this my least favorite track on the album. I may be just saying this because of the similarity in track name, but this song kind of reminds me of a Lupe song called Battle Scars, which I hate with a passion. It's kind of corny and hollow, and the nice soothing voice of Nikki Jean is nearly completely drowned out by Lupe. People will like this one, but I sure as hell don't.
10. Winter
This is the most winter sounding thing I've heard in a while, I guess. Since this is my blog I'll take this time to start a discussion. What do you all consider the first season of the year? January is the beginning of the year, so Winter is the obvious choice, but to me, Spring has always seemed like more of a beginning to me, given all of the blooming flowers and nonsense. Literally, nothing could matter less, I Was just wondering.
11. Chopper
This song is a long one, but I'll be damned if it's not a banger. There are enough features on this one to keep it rotating, and fresh, so the length doesn't take the toll of a usual nine minute song. The hook is extremely dope, and there isn't really a bad verse to be had, so I definitely consider this one a success. I heard in an interview Lupe forgot to mention that he only wanted half verses from everyone, and they all sent him full 16s, so being the rational man he is, he fears Trae The Truth. The idea of telling Trae to redo anything was so daunting that he said fuck it and made a single mega song that just happened to be awesome.
12. Deliver
I can't take this one seriously. It's a mellow dramatic, damn near funny song about how the pizza man is too scared to deliver to his area any more. That's the sole focus of the song in its entirety. Is it bad? No, but it might just be a little too much for me to get on board with. It is however, one of the more popular tracks on the album, so something worked.
13. Madonna (And other mothers in the hood) [ ft. Nikki Jean]
You didn't get enough Nikki Jean in her two previous features? Well, neither did Lupe because she is back up in this bitch for the third, and last time, so savor the moment. Not only is this the last Nikki Jean song, it is the best. This song was mostly carried by the strange instrumentation, and the performance of Lupe. Lupe was actually pretty awesome, talking about mothers (among other things), as you could have probably gathered from the title, but the verses were interesting, and definitely worth the listen.
14. Adoration Of The Magi (ft. Crystal Torres)
This is a great example of the type of song that Lupe had been missing on his last few albums. Aside from the cringe worthy opening line about the museum that farts, Lupe Fiasco is just a good rapper. This song as a single is one of the reasons I even bothered getting this album after the last few disappointments he had put out. The hook was very interesting, and I'm sure you've seen the rap genius annotation on twitter about all of the album cover references, which if true are brilliant, but I'm not completely sold on that being intentional. Regardless, this is an awesome song, for just about every reason a song can be awesome.
15. They.Resurrect.Over.New (ft. Ab-Soul, & Troi)
The song title is an obvious reference to the classic T.R.O.Y. by Pete Rock and Cl Smooth, which if you had the misfortune of hearing his last album, you remember he used the beat to that song on the lead single. I think he might kind of like that song. This isn't the best song on the album, but I definitely like it. I think Lupe is much better than Solo, who I think of as a lesser Lupe in general. The idea of resurrection, and the gaming references in the lyrics all add for a fun listen, and the album ends on a high enough note for me not to be upset about it.
16. Spring
I was told that this is like the beginning of the album, and if you listen the whole album backwards you get a whole new sensation. I tried it, and that's bullshit.
Rating: 4/5
Maybe I'm being a little generous, but I'm proud of this little guy. Having only one album that's worth half a shit previous to this, he has now doubled the amount of album he has that are worth half a shit. That in itself is a huge accomplishment for Lupe, who for all I cared was done with the idea of making good music. I kind of see this as a fuck you/going away party with Atlantic records, and it really did sound like Lupe was happy with the product, and I'm sure Atlantic is ready to get rid of his whiny ass too. Now that he is off of the label, can we expect even bigger things from Lupe? I really wouldn't be surprised. He is clearly capable of pretty great music, and with full creative control, maybe he could create an album that surpasses The Cool. I'm sure this isn't the last we hear from Lupe Fiasco.