If greatness is what defines a man, then Lupe Fiasco is well ahead of the curve. Already hailed as one of the freshest, new MC’s to the rap game, critics applauded his debut album,
Food & Liquor, for its substance over style concept and proclaimed him as the saving grace for Hip Hop. However, due to a complete lack of ignorance, as some would say, those same critics are now questioning Lupe’s respect for the game after what happened at this past year’s VH1 Hip Hop Honers. Much has been maligned about the situation so I prefer not to delve deeper into the fiasco (no pun intended) but it is what it is. Lupe pulls no punches when it comes to his thoughts and ideas and walks adjacent to what most consider the “norm” but isn’t that the reason why some of us love ‘em and others hate ‘em? Being one of those that love ‘em, I respect Lupe on the lyrical tip but you gotta show respect for those that paved the way, regardless of how strongly you may feel, because down the road, you’ll expect people to do the same for you.
All that aside, Lupe returns with his follow up to
Food & Liquor entitled
Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool. Now, for those that have heard F&L, then you’re well aware that "
The Cool" was a song on the album and basically this new CD is an expansion on that whole concept of the song. The only difference is that Lupe broadens the story and introduces a few new characters but the disappointment in all this is that this album was marketed as a “concept” album when, in fact, only a few songs even refer back to the “story”. That alone does not deter this from what I had hoped for the album, because the album is amazing. I just found it to be not as fluid as F&L and oversaturated, if I must say so myself. Cuts like “
Hip Hop Saved My Life”, “
Little Weapon”, “
The Coolest”, and even the current single “
Superstar” are among the many stand out tracks but they only work as a whole. In other words, unlike other albums that build themselves around that one smash single,
The Cool is one of those albums you press play on and have to really listen to in order to get the full effect of what Lupe is trying to get across. I’ll admit, I’m still a little lost on a couple parts but that just makes me want to listen even more. Piece by piece, it’s all starting to make sense, I suppose, but call it a work in progress.
On the flipside of things. Lupe delivers an album worthy of “classic” material but the same argument will always be made about his style. Save for his core fan base, people just don’t get him and feel intimidated. In response, Lupe addressed the situation on the track “
Dumb It Down” and I commend him for it but still, people don’t want to feel as though their out of the loop. Nowadays, most people don’t care too much for lyrics and would rather dance but for those that appreciate food for thought, artists like Lupe Fiasco, Common, Kanye West, etc…it makes you thankful that Hip Hop has such a broad spectrum and is able to speak to the perils of the common man. Regardless of the medium, the message remains the same. All you gotta do is listen and just be careful not to overdose on The Cool. The consequences are the food and liquor…
Rating: 8.5 headphones out of 10
