Lupe Fiasco released a new mixtape this Thanksgiving. Friend of The People: I Fight Evil. I downloaded it quickly, snatching it up before I left for Thanksgiving Dinner with my family. I saw the cover posted by Sean CK on the site, and before anything, texted him saying, “Lupe’s cover is really just Jesus?”
“Yup,” was his only reply. I quickly unzipped the folder just to make sure he was correct. He was. And I bounced.
I didn’t listen to the Mixtape on Friday or Saturday, although it stayed on my mind, and came up from time to time. Lupe Fiasco has made some of my favorite music. At one point, I would easily list him amongst my favorite artists, and most certainly favorite emcees. I like Lupe as an interview subject as well. Since our first back in 2006, he has been open and honest during our talks as well as generous with his time. I last ran into him this past summer at UIC’s Welcome Back Concert. While talking with The Cool Kids, I felt a tap on my shoulder, turned around, and it was Lupe just saying what’s up. That’s not something many artists do, and definitely meant a lot to me.
I then watched his set, which was fierce, loud, full of commentary, and claims. I remember watching the performance and thinking to myself how different Lupe looked from when he first broke out with his Revenge of The Nerds mixtape and his guest verse on “Touch The Sky”. His close cut has given way to growing braids, more colorful and trendy clothing has been shelved for camouflaged and darker gear. He’s also shown a lot of growth artistically. He experiments with different sounds these days, diverging into electronic music, and referencing punk rock, both sonically and philosophically. His last album featured a heavy lean on uptempo and crossover production.
Attitude wise, Lupe appears more firm in his beliefs and shows no fear in spreading them. He takes on controversy rather than running from it. He welcomes debates, and questioning of popular opinions. Sometimes I see myself giving him the ‘right on’ nod, sometimes it’s the ‘what are you talking about?!’ shrug. I feel like Lupe has an almost mocking approach towards the music industry. On his last album, he gave into the label’s wants, rapping over production handpicked for a larger sound and audience. Simultaneously, he filled those instrumentals with messages throwing everything back in the label’s face. He contaminated their chart toppers with the reality of publishing splits, bad contracts, racism, and hypocrisy.
In addition, Lupe can also frustrate his listeners. While Atlantic pushes him to go further into the pop world, there are many of his earliest fans who want nothing more than a reclusive Lupe continually turning out an endless batch of “SLR” and “Failure”. That he creates lyrical masterpieces that can’t be questioned, over beats that make hip hop heads pull out their hair, is just another piece of Lupe’s puzzle.
More and more he reminds me of the brilliant kid that never turns in his homework. The student that is easily at the top of the class in terms of intelligence and skill, yet, because of the rules, just won’t qualify for any awards. That’s what I think of when I think of Lupe Fiasco, and what I thought of when I finally listened to his new mixtape on Sunday morning. For every electronic beat I didn’t like, there was a stinging line that I had to rewind. FOTP: I Fight Evil has it all, the intricate and highly referential Lupe on “Double Burger With Cheese”, the rap-nerd Lupe on “SLR”, the anarchist on the title track featuring Dosage, there are the claims of superiority on tracks like “Joaquin Phoenix”. It’s all there, like an open book, one that puts Jesus right on the cover…
My favorite verse on the mixtape, and the one that really sparked this whole article comes at the end of “Lupe Fiasco Back”. Over an electronic/dubstep/industrial instrumental, Lupe takes on the industry again. While listening to this in my girlfriend’s car, it stuck out immediately. “Lupe’s at it again,” I thought. Just as I was about to change tracks because of the production, Lupe’s words stole my attention, and instead of skipping, I had to hit rewind.
“Oh s**t, then these record labels prostitute you, strap’em to sushi bars, and feed’em lots of fugu, catch a bad piece, you can stick that 360 between ass-cheeks, artists lets mobilize, and unionize like the athletes, radio is making our craft weak, forced to repeat the same dumb s**t that work, only as hot as your last beat, and rappers, they relating to that last piece, album never leave they desks, you ain’t got no BDS, sacrifice your publishing, they said you really need a hook, and they ain’t gone pay you, said that you receive the look, and what’s stupid real, is what producers feel, 20 placements or you’re stuck in that producer deal, and R&B chicks so get it the wildest, all that money goes to hair dressers and stylists, got to keep up with that image, label lose they mind if they ever see a blemish, pro-activ and pills, airbrushes and trainers, managers suggest you fuck a n***a to be famous huh, but it’s all entertainment, wonder when Cobain blew out his brains, did he blame it, and if those snakes in the industry helped him aim, started pressing up records before the bullet hit the chamber, I fight evil, everyday I’m living, rest in peace to men women and the children, and middle finger to the pilgrims that’ve killed’em friend of the people happy thanksgiving.”
He perfectly breaks down some of the ills of the music business, with some of his words bringing forth clear pictures and memories from my own experience. And then I’m left with the picture of Lupe, sitting in the back of the class, head down. The one the professor doesn’t believe is paying attention, only to be schooled after putting him on the spot. That’s Lupe being Lupe. And he’s at it again.