I listened to the Lupe Fiasco album yesterday...

faux_rillz

What was the big deal, again? Specifically, what is it about this guy that has proven to be like catnip for a certain type of stan ?

PABLO

It's the packaging & promoting!

DjArcadian

Basically a backpacker with mainstream marketing behind him? Haven't heard much of his besides Kick Push but that's what I'm guessing.

Someone posted the cover to his album weeks ago and I didn't know who the hell he was considering the font they used is unreadable.

white_tea

^^^^^^^Dude who did that album cover is a pretty dope designer, however unreadable that type.

http://www.nopattern.com/

faux_rillz

^^^^^^^Dude who did that album cover is a pretty dope designer, however unreadable that type.

http://www.nopattern.com/

It's still the worst cover I can recall ever seeing on a rap album. As Oliver observed, it looks like a trapper keeper.

But, packaging aside, I am seriously wondering what people are hearing that's so compelling in his music.

prof_rockwell

gloom

if jay-z likes him, i like him

Young_Phonics

Yeah his production is like uhh....under-produced. Like seriously, the beats sound like some fat beats 12'' from 4 years ago.

Dude is proof that talent doesn't mean shit and as long as you got money behind you you'll get some mainstream love.

I mean I like that there's somebody that sounds different from everyone on the radio, but at the end of the day I'm not exactly checking for dude.


Rhymefest> Lupe

white_tea

It's still the worst cover I can recall ever seeing on a rap album.

Such a bold statement. I wish I had a few extra minutes to poke around in the No Limit back catalog.

magpaul

He sucks.

faux_rillz

Yeah his production is like uhh....under-produced. Like seriously, the beats sound like some fat beats 12'' from 4 years ago.

See I don't really check for that kufi rap you're into, but I kept thinking to myself that surely this dude can't be the absolute best that scene has to offer.











And what about the song that he opens by confessing "I used to hate hip-hop"?

faux_rillz

It's still the worst cover I can recall ever seeing on a rap album.

Such a bold statement. I wish I had a few extra minutes to poke around in the No Limit back catalog.

Pen & Pixel = classic

Unless you don't like rap.

Gamble

i mean- dude isnt the best rapper ever, but Faux, surely you can see how people into undergroundish shit would be into it no? its very solid (esp. beatwise), if unadventurous,and a much more even listen then most "underground" artists seem capable of. And dude dresses like Pharell.

tonyphrone

I cant front.. i like kick, push.



kind of reminds me of :

Brian

why would you listen to this

Young_Phonics

It's still the worst cover I can recall ever seeing on a rap album.

Such a bold statement. I wish I had a few extra minutes to poke around in the No Limit back catalog.

Pen & Pixel = classic

Unless you don't like rap.

c'mon even you had to snicker at a few of those covers. I mean that Mercedes "Rear End" cover? I liked them because they're funny (no
)

faux_rillz

i mean- dude isnt the best rapper ever, but Faux, surely you can see how people into undergroundish shit would be into it no? its very solid (esp. beatwise), if unadventurous,and a much more even listen then most "underground" artists seem capable of. And dude dresses like Pharell.

I think as a purely musical experience--if one can bring oneself to ignore the "streetwear" references, the skateboarding-as-romance thing, the admissions like "I used to hate hip-hop, and other embarassing elements of the content--it is okay. Not great, but okay. So I'm wondering why certain people are acting like dude is the second coming and also whether this record truly is better than everything else that "underground" hip-hop has to offer.

faux_rillz

why would you listen to this

To help me select my fall wardrobe, obviously.

Brian

that neptunes beat for "i gotcha" is good

faux_rillz

It's still the worst cover I can recall ever seeing on a rap album.

Such a bold statement. I wish I had a few extra minutes to poke around in the No Limit back catalog.

Pen & Pixel = classic

Unless you don't like rap.

c'mon even you had to snicker at a few of those covers. I mean that Mercedes "Rear End" cover? I liked them because they're funny (no
)

Of course--a lot of the stuff that Pen & Pixel did, particularly for labels less well-known than No LImit, was laugh out loud funny. It was supposed to be. That doesn't make it bad.

I think Lupe is dead serious about his schitt, which isn't over the top enough to be intentionally humorous anyway. It's simply so bad that it's... bad.

tonyphrone

So I'm wondering why certain people are acting like dude is the second coming and also whether this record truly is better than everything else that "underground" hip-hop has to offer.

Straight up, people are desperate for a quality alternative to the Weezy's, TI' and Jeezy's in hip-hop. The Roots, Kweli and Common aren't doing it - plus they're kinda long in the tooth now.

I'm in the same boat - I ran out and bought this and Rhymefest but they are both kinda

I've come to the realization that hip-hop has changed, and if I dont like what's coming out I'll always have my



70's babies are going through what our parents did in the 80's. Who else was dragged to a Stones concert?

LordNO

Let's see, he has the Kanye "I'm a normal guy/ underground lyricist/ stop hating" thing.

+

dresses like Pharrel and poses with skateboards

+

Jiggaman approved

=

a confluence of styles that would all seem to work in his favor, something the label feels like it can market. that's about it really. Musically nothing exceptional. He deserves to have an album out. but not all this hype.

DjArcadian

i mean- dude isnt the best rapper ever, but Faux, surely you can see how people into undergroundish shit would be into it no? its very solid (esp. beatwise), if unadventurous,and a much more even listen then most "underground" artists seem capable of. And dude dresses like Pharell.

I think as a purely musical experience--if one can bring oneself to ignore the "streetwear" references, the skateboarding-as-romance thing, the admissions like "I used to hate hip-hop, and other embarassing elements of the content--it is okay. Not great, but okay. So I'm wondering why certain people are acting like dude is the second coming and also whether this record truly is better than everything else that "underground" hip-hop has to offer.

Maybe I'm disconnected but who's saying he's the second coming? The best praise I've heard of him still consider his album a guilty pleasure.

faux_rillz

Maybe I'm disconnected but who's saying he's the second coming? The best praise I've heard of him still consider his album a guilty pleasure.

Oh, people that post on www.okayplayer.com, where I--no lie--recently saw a post entitled "Lupe Fiasco: The Most Important MC to Emerge Since Jay-Z"

white_tea

Of course--a lot of the stuff that Pen & Pixel did, particularly for labels less well-known than No LImit, was laugh out loud funny. It was supposed to be. That doesn't make it bad.

I think Lupe is dead serious about his schitt, which isn't over the top enough to be intentionally humorous anyway. It's simply so bad that it's... bad.

What was the cover with all the grizzly bears? I remember vaguely.

Maybe No Limit wasn't the best example. Sure that was stuff was hilarious and self-parodying. But it still was bad. But also good.

But this can't be the worst. cover. ever. No way. Speaking of skateboards, I think this shit is worse than Lupe's cover:

deej

I haven't heard the album yet, just "kick push" and some of his mixtape stuff. I think he's a pretty good rapper, I'm not about to claim he's uh the next Jay-Z and he's not really touching my favorite rappers out right now (T.I. B.G. Lil Wayne whoever) but that doesn't mean he doesn't make interesting music.

I mean, I like the UMC's and "Fruits of Nature," but I don't think they were the second coming of kool moe dee nor do I think they should be central to the early 90s rap narrative. Doesn't mean they aren't worth checking out.

having not heard the album i reserve the right to choose between
and

faux_rillz

I haven't heard the album yet, just "kick push" and some of his mixtape stuff. I think he's a pretty good rapper, I'm not about to claim he's uh the next Jay-Z and he's not really touching my favorite rappers out right now (T.I. B.G. Lil Wayne whoever) but that doesn't mean he doesn't make interesting music.

I mean, I like the UMC's and "Fruits of Nature," but I don't think they were the second coming of kool moe dee nor do I think they should be central to the early 90s rap narrative. Doesn't mean they aren't worth checking out.

having not heard the album i reserve the right to choose between
and

If you're not going to offer entertainingly blind hate, why would you even bother to comment, having not heard the album and all?

magnetic

I mean, I like the UMC's and "Fruits of Nature," but I don't think they were the second coming of kool moe dee nor do I think they should be central to the early 90s rap narrative.

Something's not right about this statement.

deej

fuck being , deej is complicated

gloom

i just received an isntant message reading "do you think the new lupe fiasco album is our generations illmatic?"

pjl2000xl

Maybe I'm disconnected but who's saying he's the second coming? The best praise I've heard of him still consider his album a guilty pleasure.

Oh, people that post on www.okayplayer.com, where I--no lie--recently saw a post entitled "Lupe Fiasco: The Most Important MC to Emerge Since Jay-Z"

yeah but thats coming from there. That place has some of the dumbest motherfuckers on the planet posting there. Ive seen threads there saying that lil wayne is jesus christ incarnate. You have to take that place with a grain of salt. As for lupe, he aight. kick push was cool. i dug that shit casue i grew up around skaters. But that one joint i think real recognize real is on some raw shit with the beat. The way the hook comes in is like but overall i wasnt impressed. he doesnt warrent the hype he has been recieving.