
Brittany's POV:
"Every time I hear ENEMY OF THE STATE its like I'm falling in love hip hop all over again. With the recent disappointment of FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE being cancelled, fans old and new have no choice but to rock out to past mix tapes and CDs. Lupe the Fiasco's much anticipated mix tape would have gave 'the people' much more to talk about. His ENEMY OF THE STATE mix tape was defiantly dumbed down as compared to FAHRENHEIT 115 & REVENGE OF THE NERDS. Those mix tapes were only introductions as to what would the future would hold. The Chicago native brings something new to the table. His metaphors adds fuel to the fire. I was past ecstatic when I first heard KICK, PUSH being played on the radio. For most, it was love at first listen. But for me, I fell in love with LUPE when I first heard him on the DIDN'T YOU KNOW remix by THE RAYNE. "...I fell, prognostication premonition intuitions unto no avail, psychic see and tea leaf reading horoscope crystal ball and all of them as well ...", that line caught my attention like none other. That was when I knew that the 'game has changed'. 'Who is LUPE FIASCO?' was the question I had to get an answer too. After googling and countless hours of 'research' I found my answer ...
In the fall of 2006 FOOD AND LIQUOR dropped. After listening to the CD over and over again, I came to realization that Lupe had dedicated SUNSHINE to me (lol). ..."had a feeling it would be a day like this, the orchestra in my mind don't like this ... got a lil rare for it brushed off my airs even cut my hair for it ..." But you cant forget about LUPE on SPRAY PAINT & PENS, pure greatness!! LUPE, KANYE, and PHARRELL surprised us all when they came up with the group CRS (child rebel soldier). LUPE being the child, KANYE being the rebel, and PHARRELL being the soldier. It gave me hope that three of the most talented artist would pair up and come out with a CD, unfortunately they only teased us with US PLACERS & SKY HIGH GRADUATES. Rumor has it that CRS is/was working on an album that was 'suppose' to come out late 2009 or early 2010. Its obvious it didn't come out this year, so all we can do is wait .. patiently .. for 2010." To be continued...
Alton's POV:
"I got on lupe when I got his first cd. I love every track on it. My favorite song is "Daydreamin' " because he was on some real shit. Like he covered every aspect of rap on those verses. Then to have Jill Scott on the hook, oh so lovely.
Lu is one of the best, if not the best real hip hopper left in the game to make sick songz without talkin about what he got. "Put You on Game" and "Lupe the Killa" are my 2 all time favorites. You gotta be in college to understand half of "Put You on Game".
In this day and age in rap there are to many followers. Everyones doing what the hottest nigga out there doing which waters-down music in a since. Lupe makes song from which, he can relate to himself as well as the fans the he may be speaking to. Songs which last a life time. This is Pyro Kuz signing out for my nigga Petey aka Thee Koolest (4 Starz Bitch)"
Parrish's POV:
Now damn! What more can I say after that and she's not even finished?? She's obviously an avid Lupe fan like myself. So everything she's saying has been in the back of my mind as well. Pyro's perspective is also from a point of view from someone into all kinds of Hip Hop. Well I'll start here. Hip Hop is dead! Not breathing at all and it seems like nobody has enough time or money to revive it. Nobody cares anymore, People listen to Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne for a fix of bass bumping hotness but how long does that last. How long can you continue to listen to a song with no meaning? The beat only stays fresh for so long. I won't lie before Lupe I was listening to that stuff too. It was cool and I was young and dumb.
So when I did hear Lupe, OMG. I thought to myself "Wow, whos this guy? He kinda reminds me of myself." Nerdy guy who didnt care what people thought of him and his music. It started off with Kanye but I didnt see the connection as much. Ask my friends, I was a hardcore Kanye West fan until "Touch the Sky". Lupe Fiasco? Who's that and he really just killed this track! Too bad there was so many metaphors that I kept me thinking about it for the longest time. Lol, nothing wrong with that. So I did my research and got the mixtapes. It was like I already heard this all before because it was so real! Not wanting to make this even longer than it is. I'll just skip over some stuff.
As Lupe Fiasco went on in his career, His music grew on me so much. Especially when "I Gotcha" came out. That is my favorite music video ever for the following reasons: Nintendo DS, Atari, and the video was so geeky? Im a gamer and that drew me in more than anything. Finally I had a rapper that wasn't too much worried about Diamonds and cars. Im pretty sure Lupe has all of that but he doesn't flaunt it.
Now every time I listen to his music, I have to sit there listen and maybe play the Xbox. Something to clear my mind while I try to understand the music that he's giving to us all. I love it though, because the lasting duration of that song is so much greater while trying to crack each code of every metaphor. His song "The Coolest" is my favorite to decipher. It reminds me so much of myself and my wife in the first verse. "She would be my Queen, I could be her King! Together and she would make me cool and We would both rule! Forever!" I feel that Me and her together are the most goofy couple ever, but so many people have doubted us and challenged our relationship over this year. We have yet to fall.
Lupe Fiasco's songs have gotten me through so much because its so pure. He's reviving Hip Hop with his poetry in rhyme. Yet he doesn't get the recognition nor does Common, Mos Def, Little Brother, Wale, Talib Kweli and etc... If you think Wale's "Nike Boots" is just about shoes, You got it backwards. Slum Village has great music but I can barely go to another state and ask someone who they are. They say "who?" I've never heard of them and some people don't even know who Lupe is. It annoys me, but I try to spread the word. Only the Lord knows how many Lupe fans I've created.
So I'll end with this.. I just want people to listen to some real Hip Hop and understand why I am such a big Lupe fan. Why I steer clear of alot of the "Mainstream" garbage that we have out. Lupe Fiasco is more than a rapper to me. He's more a teacher, poet or mentor. His words aren't east to remember because they're so in depth. In order to understand Lupe Fiasco, You would have to study Lupe Fiasco. Who know's whats in this guys head? It great though and everyone should take it in. Remember that a beat only lasts so long, but the words that you hear will last forever!