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Lupe Fiasco - Long Live the Thinking Man's Rapper!
Lupe Fiasco's “Food and Liquor” - Album Review
by Carlos Vasquez

In reviewing Lupe Fiasco’s "Food & Liquor", I think it's important we all take a walk back in time and discuss the origins of this culture we have all come to love called Hip-Hop. It all began with DJ Kool Herc a New York City DJ of Jamaican decent. From there it emerged as a culture driven by a musical art form called rap that dared to be political and speak on the many injustices that were perpetrated on the less fortunate residents of the inner cities or "Ghettos", a rebellious music, unapologetic for it's commentary on social misfortune and unafraid to call a spade and spade.

Fast forward, it's 2006 and Rap music now not only speaks for the inner city kid from the Bronx but it speaks for all young people from Louisville, KY to London, England to Berlin, Germany to Seoul, Korea and beyond. However, with this massive explosion in popularity, the music has become a commercial commodity and the Chea Pet manufacturers have gone to work watering down the music to a nearly diluted potion where it no longer represents much more to the masses than money, sex, drugs and all things retarded. Thankfully, the real Hip-Hop heads know we aren’t to be told what our culture is about or what our music is supposed to sound like. Let the education begin!

The spoken word vocalist on the intro is fitting for such a lyrical album this was a perfect choice to prepare us the listeners that we would indeed need to be listening. The rock guitar tinged “Real” proceeds to set the tone for the album as Lupe Fiasco proceeds to “keeps it real” while still repeating himself enough on the hook to keep the fickle audiences of today happy with a hook they can follow. “My Man said he wanted something real (repeats), something he could recognize something he could feel (repeats)” “Might Be Ok” Lupe spits “Finished my construction. Now behold the coming like contracepts I'm conscious 'cept the cons I kept”.  This is where the listening begins as Lupe lets us know his Sun might just shine after all. Just in case we doubted it. An adept storyteller Lupe tells us the story of a young man’s love affair with Skateboarding and how his love for Skateboarding guided his experiences as an adolescent. Over a smooth horn backdrop, this is the new Skateboarders anthem!

Lupe shows his ability to be somewhat playful and less deep on “I Gotcha” over The Neptunes pretty sound bed. Yet still he can’t help but comment: “We used to gang bang a lot of that dun die down”. The hook here reminds us of days gone by when Hip-Hop music could be fun and still educate.  One of the major standout tracks is: “The Instrumental” produced by Mike Shinoda featuring Jonah Matranga.  It is Lupe’s discussion of the “inside the box thinking” and overall follower mentality of our society. “You can’t tell me just who you are. You by those clothes just to hide who you are” he flows on the hook.  

The solid topic matter continues throughout “Food & Liquor” and Lupe has a knack for touching on deeper than normal topics while keeping the sound of the album more upbeat than expected. I guess that would or should be a credit given to his in-house production team who deserve a great deal of credit for the album’s easy listening qualities. Maybe not a great quality to have in Hip-Hop, as we are more inclined to revere the harder boom bop. But this pushes the boundaries of the genre and that can’t be harmful thing as Rap has stood still for quite sometime.

The concept track “Cool” is probably the biggest standout on “Food & Liquor” where Lupe brings to life a dead Hustler awakening from his grave to find himself dead but longing to return to the very block that took his life. “Cool” is a vivid narrative worthy of labelling “Lupe’s genius”. The executive producer of “Food & Liquor” does make an appearance as Lupe states the big homie is out of retirement as if that was ever in doubt. Jay’s verse is solid but Lupe does his best to retain the spotlight here. “And they said oil and water don’t mix. Now they all down at the beach washing off the fish. Was Blackbeard 'til I brought the Roc into your ships”. The hook here, however, does some how sound a bit slapped on but is easily overlooked.

Whether Lupe Fiasco sees himself as a Hip-Hop genius or not in time the nay Sayers will speak of him as such and “Food & Liquor” is an amazing start to a more than promising career. Long lives the thinking man’s rap! Cop it!