#178
Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006, Atlantic)
While Kanye West and Common spent 2005 raking in the love and critical acclaim afforded by their two monstrous releases, another personality was starting to build buzz throughout Chicago and the hip-hop blogs. Lupe Fiasco, formally introduced to the wider world via West's terrific "Touch the Sky", was a self-proclaimed nerd that brought a novel approach to hip-hop thanks to his off-beat passions and pride in his Muslim upbringing. When the fantastic single "Kick, Push", a triumphant blast of nostalgia featuring a smooth horn-laden beat backing up a truly compelling metaphor, it was clear that Chicago was home to yet another brilliant young mind and Lupe quickly shot to the top of "next big thing" lists. The single was endearing, charming, and impossible to deny. But was that disarming approach going to be enough to help Lupe last in an increasingly fickle genre? When the debut full-length came out in the fall of 2006, it became very clear that there was more to Lupe than skateboard videos and an easy-going flow. With a whole host of big name collaborators (Jay-Z, Kanye, Neptunes, Jill Scott), Food & Liquor introduced us to a Lupe that was ready to tackle all the big issues without losing touch with what made him such an individual presence. "Hurt Me Soul" detailed his love-hate relationship with the misogyny and violence of hip-hop music, while broadening the scope to take in struggles around the world. From the psychedelic sample that makes up the hugely lovable "Daydreamin" to the thrilling meta-concept of "The Cool" (later expanded on to fill out his second album), it was clear that this was a man of many ideas and, more importantly, he was able to turn them into engaging music. "Sunshine", with its retro-futuristic, digital vibe, gave us a peek into the world Kanye would explore a few years later with 808s & Heartbreak. Another standout was "Kick, Push II" which flipped the sunshine nostalgia of the original into a darker place, reflecting on the troubled worlds that pushed a ragtag group of misfits into the streets and onto their boards. A bittersweet tale that hints at dark, dark depths, but also an example of the masterful storytelling that doesn't appear enough in hip-hop music these days. A truly stunning debut by a rapper that, in retrospect, was the driving force behind today's crop of quirky young rappers. For better or worse, I don't think we'd have a Drake or a Kid Cudi or a Wale today without Lupe.
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