Lupe Fiasco is an internationally-acclaimed rapper and producer born out of Chicago Illinois. His career began at age eighteen, when a younger Wasalu Muhammad Jaco took to the basement recording scene, eventually rapping for a group called Da Pak. Atlantic Records soon got a hold of him, and in 2006, Lupe Fiasco blasted off to the charts with his debut album Food and Liquor.
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Lupe's premier record narrates the stories of Chi-town, draped in beauty, but dripping with grime. Like iconic artists like Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli, Fiasco gained recognition for pioneering the conscious Hip-hop movement, dishing out cutting-edge rhymes and rhythms to rally the masses against social maladies.
Stark realism became a constant with Fiasco's style as he progressed through the industry, following up the conscious movement with Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, as well as his critically-acclaimed Lasers, which debuted at #1 off the US Billboard 200. While nominated Best Rap Album, the record featured the ground-breaking track, “The Show Goes On”, which was also nominated as Best Rap Song at the 2012 Grammy Awards.
Accredited for providing his unique, intellectual and highly-influential brand of Hip-hop, Fiasco rejects the misogyny he sees abundant in modern music, as he explains with his song “Hurt Me Soul”. Interestingly, Fiasco also disagrees to the idea cencorship in music, esteeming it a vital tool in essence of the movement: “If we're going to [censor things] that are offensive, then we are going to have to blind and deafen everyone. Come on man, let's focus on education and literacy and poverty.”
While among modern Hip-hop's most prominent advocate figures, Fiasco is also a storyteller at heart, tracing all the way back to his childhood background in theater arts. Critics have also noted his vivid imagination, which shamelessly steps outside the box on frequent songs, such as “Gotta Eat” which addresses such issues as poor nutrition and drug hustling, narrated through the perspective of a cheeseburger.
At present day, Fiasco continues the conscious Hip-hop movement through numerous facets, adding business and philanthropy to his palette. Nevertheless, Lupe Fiasco is one of Hip-hop's most iconic modern artists, extending its movement against social issues through the art of music.
By Jods Arboleda for RAPStation.com
