History Music / LupeFiasco

One of the best and still relatively new HipHop artists out there, Lupe Fiasco (real name Wasalu Muhammad Jaco) has been called a breath of fresh air into what is becoming an overly commercialized genre. By Music/JayZ, [[{{Irony}} no less]]. His first early success came when he appeared on KanyeWest's "Touch the Sky". Not long after that, his debut album ''Food & Liquor'' dropped and the lead single "Kick, Push", a homage to skateboarding [[DualMeaningChorus among other things]], started to reveal the talent the young rapper had. The album was critically acclaimed and got him three Grammy nods.

* BigBad: His concept album character The Game, who is a large man in a suit with a skull for a head, glowing red dice for eyes, and crack smoke that comes from his mouth.
* BlackAndNerdy: From dropping references to Lupin III on [[KanyeWest "Touch the Sky"]] to being a huge gamer, Lupe is one of the finest examples of a nerd from the hip-hop world. The [[NerdGlasses glasses]] help too.
* CallBack: Occasionally references his older songs in newer ones. "State Run Radio" references "Dumb It Down" and "Superstar", two songs on a similar topic.

** Arguably "Pound of Flesh/Paris, Tokyo 2" takes shots at {{Drake}}.

His third album, [[strike:Losers]]''Lasers'', [[DevelopmentHell was shelved in 2008 by his label]] because [[ExecutiveMeddling they thought it wasn't "pop" enough]]. A combination of Lupe caving to pressure and rewriting some songs (something he has said [[CreatorBacklash will forever taint his own opinion of the album]]) and [[InternetBacklash general fan outrage]] led to the record finally being released in 2011.

** "And He Gets the Girl" mentions Thelonious Monk, FinalFantasy, and LinkinPark.

* CreatorBacklash: He does not like the pop-sound of Lasers, particularly "The Show Goes Om"

** "Words I Never Said" takes what was meant to be a love song and [[WriterRevolt uses it to slam]] political pundits, Barack Obama and self-described revolutionaries who only listen to protest songs while doing nothing to bring about change.

* MisogynySong: An InUniverse Deconstruction in the song "Bitch Bad" where it talks about how songs that portray women as objects and use words that mean bad things as good things can effect young girls and young boys.

* FreestyleVersion: One, ''Friend of the People'' features him subverting the trope slightly, as he freestyles over obscure dance and dubstep instrumentals on it (and also over Music/JohnColtrane's [[OneOfTheseThingsIsNotLikeTheOthers "A Love Supreme"]]. He also freestyled Que's "OG Bobby Johnson" as [[AuthorTract "THOT 97"]].

On September 25th, Food and Liquor 2 was released. While the album was generally well liked and earned him (yet another) Grammy Nomination, a lot of criticism came in the form of accusing Lupe Fiasco being a bit too {{Anvilicious}} and one critic accused his self-regard being greater than his actual skill. Fans, on the other hand, loved it.

* CreatorBacklash: Lupe has mentioned in interviews that while he both loves and hates Lasers (because while he does like the songs, he despises it because of its torturous and troubled development), he has a considerably less complicated relationship with its lead single, The Show Goes On. He has repeatedly referred to it as 'the label's record'.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Originally, Lupe planned to release three albums- ''Food & Liquor'', ''The Cool'', and ''[=LupE.N.D.=]'', then retire. Unfortunately for him, his contract dictates at least six.
** His album ''L.A.S.E.R.S.'' was delayed several times due to disputes with his record label. Despite ''The Cool'' being certified gold, gaining critical acclaim, and being nominated for four Grammys, his record label decided that the album wasn't "successful" because none of his singles made #1 on the charts. They subsequently took his creative control, not even allowing him to choose his own producers, instead they would provide him with the records they wanted him to make. The most recent delay came after he rejected some of the records they asked him to record. A petition from the fans was the only thing that allowed for the release of the record.
** Because of this, he made sure that the first single, particularly its first verse, was a complete TakeThat towards Atlantic Records.
** Although Atlantic still had a lot of influence on the album itself. Listen to the State Run Radio and Beautiful Lasers samples released in 2009. The final album version of the songs have the beats more heavily produced and the chorus singer changed(State Run Radio was sung by Lupe Fiasco himself) or autotuned.

* MisogynySong: And InUniverse Deconstruction in the song "Bitch Bad" where it talks about how songs that portray women as objects and use words that mean bad things as good things can effect young girls and young boys.

* OneOfUs: "Lupe steals like Franchise/LupinIII"? Yeah.
** From the same song "I'm trying to stop lying/Lion like I'm [[{{Thundercats}} Mum-Ra]]"
** "I love my city, really hope that God bless it/Got my mind moving faster than that [[SonictheHedgehog hog in the hedges.]]
** "With the habit of a hobbit makes it kinda hard to drop it"
** "I like StreetFighter too, I just really hate Zangief, only Ken and Ryu, I find it hard to beat Blanka..."
** His part in Fort Minor's "Spray Paint and Ink Pens". While [[Music/WuTangClan Ghostface]] raps about street life, and [[LinkinPark Mike Shinoda's]] verse is about a man committing suicide over the death of his wife, Lupe's is an epic sci-fi space drama about "the final saga in the Seven Planet Wars" that almost feels like an ode to the various Franchise/{{Gundam}} animes.
** His verse in KanyeWest's "Don't Look Down" is all about the departure of Phoenix/Jean Grey from the ComicBook/{{X-Men}}.
** He also loves HarryPotter.
** [[http://streetknowledge.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/lupe-darth-vader.jpg Lupe as]] [[StarWars Darth Vader]].

* SavedFromDevelopmentHell: If it hasn't been mentioned on this page enough, ''Lasers'' and the whole production of it is stuff of legend.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: "The Show Goes On" is admittedly a sped-up version of ModestMouse's "Float On" with the lyrics changed.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: After numerous features on each other's songs, Lupe along with Pharrell from N.E.R.D./The Neptunes and KanyeWest were going to form a {{supergroup}} called Child Rebel Soldiers or C.R.S. Unfortunately all that materialized were two songs and later Lupe announced that group was [[strike:permanently]] on ice...[[http://kanyewest.com/2010/10/dont-stop/ or is it?]]
** That song was recorded in 2008 according to Lupe.
** Now Lupe and Pharrell could be doing a collaborative album, which some say could be CRS without Kanye.
** He and B.o.B. formed a massive super group that many fans thought were going to put Young Money in its place...they've done absolutely nothing, besides a remix to "I'm Beaming".
** "Airplanes" and "Nothin' on You" were originally his songs before Atlantic gave them to B.o.B. No wonder Lupe became suicidal.

One of the best and still relatively new HipHop artists out there, Lupe Fiasco (real name Wasalu Muhammad Jaco) has been called a breath of fresh air into what is becoming an overly commercialized genre. By {{Jay-Z}}, [[{{Irony}} no less]]. His first early success came when he appeared on KanyeWest's "Touch the Sky". Not long after that, his debut album ''Food & Liquor'' dropped and the lead single "Kick, Push", a homage to skateboarding [[DualMeaningChorus among other things]], started to reveal the talent the young rapper had. The album was critically acclaimed and got him three Grammy nods.

** His part in Fort Minor's "Spray Paint and Ink Pens". While [[WuTangClan Ghostface]] raps about street life, and [[LinkinPark Mike Shinoda's]] verse is about a man committing suicide over the death of his wife, Lupe's is an epic sci-fi space drama about "the final saga in the Seven Planet Wars" that almost feels like an ode to the various Franchise/{{Gundam}} animes.

Funnily enough,the genre that his Friend of the People mixtape is classified under is "Unclassifiable."

* BigBad: His concept album character The Game, which is a large man in a suit with a skull for a head, glowing red dice for eyes, and crack smoke that comes from his mouth.

* LampshadedDoubleEntendre: Invoked near the end of Bitch Bad
* LudicrousGibs: There's a slightly oblique reference at the end of Verse 3 of Super Lupe Raps

* SuspicioslySimilarSong: "The Show Goes On" is admittedly a sped-up version of ModestMouse's "Float On" with the lyrics changed.

** His verse in KanyeWest's "Don't Look Down" is all about the departure of Phoenix/Jean Grey from the ComicBook/{{X-Men}}

** "The Coolest" uses an altered version of the chorus to "I Don't Feel Too Good" and name-drops "Hurts Me Soul" and "Sunshine" near the end

* ''Tetsuo & Youth'' (2013)

* DevelopmentHell: If it hasn't been mentioned on this page enough, Lasers and the whole production of it is stuff of legend.

* OneOfUs: "Lupe steals like LupinIII"? Yeah.

** Touch the Sky features the line "Lupe steals like Manga/LupinIII"

* SuperMode: A rather hilariously dangerous Real Life example, after Soulja Boy said nobody could understand Lu's lyrics, Lu decided to record the song SLR (Super Lupe Raps)...the cover art for the song really reads SUPER LUPE FIASCO-SLR. Also, the track's artist is labeled as "Super Lupe Fiasco". The funny thing is, SLR is filled to the brim with metaphors, shout outs, and insults. And it's 6 minutes long.

* ShoutOut: "And He Gets the Girl" mentions Thelonious Monk, FinalFantasy, and LinkinPark.

** "I like StreetFighter too, I just really hate Zangief, only [[RyuAndKen Ken and Ryu]], I find it hard to beat Blanka..."

* FunWithAcronyms: L.A.S.E.R.S, or Love Always Shines Every-time, Remember 2 Smile.

* GeekReferencePool
* GrandFinale: He was planning to have released a triple album to mark [[TooGoodToLast the end of his career]] by now, but contract disagreements with his record label has led it to being postponed thus far.