The Emperor's Soundtrack

Don't be a douchebag and try to dismiss this as 'skater rap', because even you don't know what that means. This summer, Lupe Fiasco appeared on the Kanye West track "Touch the Sky," as Mr. West's new protege. From what I heard and read, Fiasco completely upstaged his mentor at the Chicago appearance for Lollapalooza. Then the single for "Kick, Push" came out and critics were quick to dismiss it as another 'backpacker' or 'skater rap' track. Whatever.

The full-length finally came out this past Tuesday (09/19), and it's called "Food & Liquor." Lupe Fiasco will NOT save hip hop. Nor will he fix it. But he might reinvent it. With respect from Kanye West, and an executive producer credit from Jay Z, this is definitely a mainstream hip hop record. Now, let's hope we hear the whole damned thing on mainstream radio throughout the Fall. Because I'd like that.

The skater comment comes from the first single "Kick, Push" being about a young skater finding freedom, love, and an outlaw spirit on a skateboard. The backpacker criticism comes from the lyrics being mostly positive and/or political and the music not giving in to too many hip hop cliches. Lupe Fiasco is threatening to make hip hop a safe place for geeks and iconoclasts, and I think a lot of critics don't like it. They'd prefer their rap to fit into nice little genres like crunk and bounce where every song sounds the same and the lyrics get increasingly negative.

Despite the connections to West and Jay Z, there is no obvious influence to Fiasco's sound, it is all his own. Especially the lyrics which come from his Islam-derived ethics, respect for women, and increasing love/hate for mainstream hip hop. He even takes Jay Z to task for rapping about praying to (mob boss) John Gotti instead of God.

I hope he does save hip hop and fix it and completely reinvent it, because the mainstream needs a positive voice questioning the disrespectful attitudes towards women, and the questionable goals that we hear in crap like Lil' Jon. Honestly, as far as I'm concerned, if you've got flow, talent, and you have the kids' attention, fucking use it.