Lupe Fiasco

From Rap Wiki

Lupe Fiasco's album "The Cool" has went gold.

Lupe Fiasco is a grammy award winning artist. He was born on the Westside of Chicago and began rapping in the 8th grade. He came to fame with his break through album "Lupe Fiasco's - Food & Liquor". The album sold over 300,000 copies led by a strong single "Kick, Push". The single depicted a skateboarder who wanted to just skate. "Food & Liquor" was nominated for various awards. Jay Z called the rapper a "breath of fresh air" and also featured on his album. A year later, Lupe Fiasco dropped his highly anticipated follow-up "The Cool". The album recently went gold -- selling over 500,000 copies. Lupe is largely considered one of the main leaders of alternative hip hop for his generation. He claims that his next album "LupEnd" will be his final one.

1 Music
2 Awards
3 Random Facts
4 Technique
5 Mixtapes
6 Gallery

[edit] Music

Mass Appeal Freestyle

D.I.D.D.Y freestyle

A Trak ft. Lupe Fiasco - Me and My Sneakers

Lupe Fiasco - 4 Real

[edit] Awards

   * BET Awards
         2007, Best New Artist (nominated)

   * BET Hip Hop Awards
         2007, Hip-Hop CD of the Year: Food & Liquor (nominated)
         2007, Hip-Hop Video of the Year: "Kick Push" (nominated)
         2007, Rookie of the Year: "Kick Push" (nominated)
         2007, Element Award- Lyricist of the Year: (nominated)

   * Grammy Awards
         2008, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Daydreamin'(feat Jill Scott)" (Winner)
         2007, Best Rap Solo Performance: "Kick Push" (nominated)
         2007, Best Rap Song: "Kick Push" (nominated)
         2007, Best Rap Album: Food & Liquor (nominated)

   * Image Awards
         2007, Outstanding New Artist (nominated)

   * Soul Train Awards
         2007, Best New R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist: "I Gotcha" (nominated)

[edit] Random Facts

Lupe Fiasco was most influenced by the album "It Was Written" from Nas.

Lupe Fiasco is part of the Islamic Faith

Lupe loves to skateboard

Lupe claims "LupEND" will be his last album.

He began seeking a career in hip hop at 14.

He was turned off from hip hop because of the vulgarity and violent imagery of his fathers NWA records.

[edit] Technique

Lupe Fiasco is known for changing rhyming patterns and adding many syllables of rhyming. He also uses an extensive vocabulary to extend in this ability.

I will break down Lupe Fiasco's - Hurt Me Soul off Food & Liquor.

He uses "call-back rhyming" in the example below. If you look closely you'll see, he rhymes laugh, which begins a bar and half which ends the next bar, while keeping his original line to call back on.

  Now I ain't tryna be the greatest
  I used to hate hip-hop... yup, because the women degraded
  But Too $hort made me laugh, like a hypocrite I played it
  A hypocrite I stated, though I only recited half
  Omittin the word "bitch," cursin I wouldn't say it
  Me and dog couldn't relate, til a bitch I dated*

Lupe will also rhyme many inner rhymes and have an unrelated scheme going at the end of the bars.

  The theme songs that niggas hustle to seem wrong but these songs was comin true
  And it was all becoming cool

Same idea with a smooth transition into the new rhyme scheme.

  What constitutes a prostitute is the pursuit of profit then they drop it
  The homie in a suit pat her on the butt, then rock it

You get the point, follow the different rhymes.

  It seems I was seein the same scene adopted
  Prevalent in different things with the witnesses indifferent to stop it
  They said don't knock it, mind ya business
  His business isn't mine and that nigga pimpin got it