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With Jay-Z as your mentor, you’re bound for the big time. Just ask Lupe Fiasco, Atlantic Records’ hottest new signing. The Situation got talking to Chi-town’s prodigal son.
Lupe
Fiasco is not your typical hip hop artist. Unless of course
you classify your typical rapper to be a devout Muslim who claims to never
have drunk a drop of alcohol, never dabbled with any kind of recreational
drug, hates the VIP party scene and would never sleep with a groupie.
Hmmm… hard to believe, right? Even I live a more hip hop lifestyle
than that!
Typical or not, Lupe (born Wasalu Mahammad Jaco), has been one of the best-kept secrets in the hip hop scene for a hot minute now, but with talent like Lupe’s you can’t stay a secret forever.
The 23-year-old Chicago native is going to be huge – and you don’t need to take my word for it. The one and only Jay-Z went as far as saying that Lupe’s flow reminded him of his very own flow a few years back! Now considering how successful and talented the Def Jam president is, Lupe must be doing something right!
Speaking to Lupe about that very famous quote, he quite modestly replied, “I don’t really get caught up in it, or put it in people’s faces like that. I don’t get all star-struck or anything, but yeah, I can’t lie; it does put a smile on my face. I just take all comments as different people’s opinions. But it does show me I’m going in the right direction - as the people who are already where I’m trying to get are telling me I’m doing good. So it gives me comfort as I know I’m heading to the place I want to reach, which is always great to know, right?”
Indeed, Lupe is definitely heading in the right direction. With his debut album ‘Food and Liquor’ already creating a buzz in the industry bigger than a swarm of bees round a honey pot, Lupe is ready for the big time. After finally finding the perfect label match through CEO Craig Kallman, who signed the lyrical prodigy to Atlantic Records, (Lupe had two previous failed deals with Roc-A-Fella Records and an L.A. Reid-helmed Arista), things are finally on the up for the titled ‘whiz kid’ of hip hop.
“I feel I merit the buzz I’m creating,” tells Lupe. “There’s something behind my music; it’s not just fluff. There’s actually some meaning, substance and thought behind my music and behind me as well. Some people will never see it though. They will just see me as the guy on ‘Touch the Sky’ and associate me as a new rapper that Kanye West knows. They won’t look into my history with Jay-Z and with Kanye; they won’t give my music a chance. That’s one thing I would ask - don’t just listen to my album one time, but give it a chance. I have tracks that you really have to listen to more than once before you can totally get.”
The debut album features production from Mike Shinoda of Linkin’ Park and has guest features from music heavyweights ‘Kanyeezy’ and Pharrell. But the song that is sure to help thrust Lupe into the mainstream will be the album's first single 'Kick, Push'. Originally made for a skateboarding DVD, after recording the song, Lupe decided he had to make it his first single. “It was just a fluke, I recorded it and everything took off like a whirlwind. I just knew I had to keep it for the album,” he says.
Lupe drew his inspirations for this album from a wide range of his peers, including Nas, Pharrell, Mos Def, Jill Scott, Ne-Yo, and Lil’ Wayne, but there’s only one artist, his mentor, whom he can always rely on to get his creative spark back. “When I have writer’s block or I need inspiration, I always listen to Jay-Z. His music always inspires me and gets my musical juices flowing,” he says.
But it’s not just US artists that Lupe is finding exciting. “I love Sway. ‘Little Derek’s doing OK, Little Derek’s doing fine!’” he sings. “That song is hot! I want to play that on my radio station. I have a little Internet radio show and that would be a really great song to play on my show. I also really like Klashnekoff and Plan B,” Lupe revealed. “I’m actually going to be working on a UK exclusive mixtape with Semtex [from BBC 1Xtra] and I’m all for supporting UK music. You guys have some very talented artists!”
Now that’s what we love to hear - a US artist actually showing support and enthusiasm for our very own UK home grown talent. So much so that the Windy City native called back at 3am, forgetting all about the time difference, to see if I had an MP3 version of Sway’s ‘Little Derek’, for his radio show that night!
Just how big Lupe Fiasco ends up all depends on whether the buzz and hype surrounding him can actually result in album sales. However, after two failed record deals, Lupe is still not giving up. With support and advice from hip hop mogul Jay-Z, 2006 should finally be the breakout year that Lupe’s been waiting for.
Having treated his UK fans to a surprise appearance on the recent Kanye West tour, Lupe sent this message out to his British fans: “Thank you for all your love and support and I’ll be back real soon to give you a great show. Your support means the world to me.”
Look out for Lupe Fiasco’s debut album, ‘Food & Liquor’, and the first single, ‘Push, Kick’, out soon on Atlantic Records. For further information, go to his official website, www.lupefiasco.com.
