Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (commonly referred to as Food & Liquor) is the debut studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on September 19, 2006, on 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features production from The Neptunes, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, Craig Kallman, Prolyfic, Needlz, Soundtrakk, and Brandon Howard. Jay-Z, Chill, and Fiasco himself are credited as the executive producers for the album. Songs on the record discuss poverty, Islam, terrorism, racism, and individuality. Originally, the album was reported to have debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200; however, due to incomplete Nielsen SoundScan reports, the album actually debuted at number eight. The album received four Grammy Award nominations, including Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 49th Grammy Awards. "Daydreamin'", featuring Jill Scott, won Best Urban/Alternative Song at the 50th Grammy Awards. The album was digitally re-released on September 13, 2011, to mark its 5th anniversary; this version features four new tracks. On April 30, 2015, Lupe Fiasco released a music video for "Just Might Be O.K.", nine years after the album's original release. The album cover of Food & Liquor was designed by Chuck Anderson and Righteous Kung Fu. It was inspired by a skateboard deck Fiasco owned. The cover shows Fiasco floating in air, surrounded by several items, including a Banksy postcard, a Nintendo DS, a sketchbook, the Qur'an, and a robot. He explained that the items were picked out carefully, as they were things he "carr[ied] around every day" In the liner notes, Fiasco parodies drug dealing by replacing liquor with milk and cookies, and drive-by shootings by replacing guns with books.
Very, very good, with lots of light and shade. Some points where it is very funny, some where it is very serious, but overall it easily matches the standard of the big singles he had out. Only track that slightly grates is Outro - basically a list of everyone he has ever met!
This was the precursor to an era of music that needs to be forgotten to time - 2010 R&B pop. You know who I'm talking about. Usher's Raymond v Raymond album. Taio Cruz with his The Rokstarr Hits Collection. Even Bruno Mars and his Doo-Wops & Hooligans album. All music that has millions upon millions of plays, but is so trashy the garbage man won't even pick it up from the side of the road. This album walked so they could run. But hey at least he made Battle Scars, that song slaps.
If "Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor" was a restaurant they would serve a well done steak with undercooked fries and old lettuce, paired with a flat beer; unsatisfactory and a total waste of money and time. This is just a total fiasco!
Somehow this passed me by at the time, but it's good. Very much in the Kanye West mold, which is no bad thing - I might be wrong, but it seems like West helped hip-hop break out of its gun-totin' misogyny and become more tender and inward-facing. "He Say, She Say" is heartbreaking, while "Daydreamin'" takes a sharp satirical knife to hip-hop culture.
I honestly believe this is one of the greats. Lupes eloquent delivery mixed with some sick beats makes this a true masterpiece
The whole album is just a good vibing flow.
10/10 no notes needed, a trip down memory lane and just an absolutely incredible album.
This is not my genre, but I actually enjoyed it. Some fun beats and catchy songs.
No expectations but I quite liked it
This was way more fun than I was expecting.
I've been trying to find that Daydreamin' song glad I finally know what it is
Very surprised by this one. Enjoyed the beats and the lyrics. Could have done without the 12 minute outro though.
I listened to this album when I was first getting into hip hop and was really struck by the maximalist production, the socially conscious lyrics, and Lupe's instantly identifiable flow. For the most part, this album holds up. Some of the music and mid-2000s synth sound a bit dated now, but for the most part, I enjoy the diversity of music that Lupe incorporates. The last track really drags the album down, especially after Kick, Push II. As far as I'm concerned, the album should have ended there.
Fresh and energetic and approachable, upbeat and responsible rap. "Kick, Push" and "Daydreamin'" are both great, likable and fun and different. The "food-liquor" dichotomy isn't exactly metaphysically impactful, though the religious and anti-sexism references suggest LF's heart's in the right place (as does the long list of gratitude shout-outs on the last cut [or remix or whatever]). However, creative and elevating it lacks a certain edge and urgency and feels a bit light overall, leaving one to wonder what he's done since.
A fun rappy time. Kind of a Will Smith album for the new millennium (in an alternate reality where we aren't living in the Willennium, of course)... I like Lupe's rhymes and I like the perspective of someone a bit different (Chicago Muslim) than a lot of other rappers who are (vaguely) east/west coast christians.
4 stars, groovy and funky, good guest spots
I liked this - the production is great. I don't think I'll listen to it again, though.
This is an album I’ve been meaning to get around to as I’ve heard be referred to as an underrated ‘classic’. Also, since I’m a fan of Lupe’s newer releases I had high hopes for this record and for the most part they delivered. Firstly, I love how this album is presented, it’s more of an introduction to Lupe, as this is his debut album, which makes sense and is evident by the use of an intro and outro where Lupe introduces himself and also thanks everyone that helped/inspired him at the end. This means that within the album there’s not a lot of diversion in quality, there are definitely some stand out tracks, ‘Kick, Push’ definitely being one which tells of a young kid going out and skating all day, being moved from place to place as security tells him he can’t skate round here, he meets a girl who also skates on the way. It’s a perfect skating song filled with trumpets and smooth strings in the back, definitely a key moment. However, the quality of tracks doesn’t change from here, for example, ‘The Instrumental’ speaks on the rise of technology and how young kids are fixated on screens, more specifically TV, and what it tells them. The track is led by some groovy drums which really brings out Lupe’s rhyme scheme which is just fantastic. Another track is ‘Daydreamin’ where Lupe raps about his home town Chicago and also dreams about classic hip hop videos, the track is beautifully paired with a hook by Jill Scott who is also layered into the song later on into the track, a brilliant addition to the track. My favourite track, the stand out to me, is ‘He Say She Say’ which looks at the departure of a father from a family from 2 perspectives, first the mother of a child who complains to the father about how he’s not there for his son. The 2nd verse is almost a copy but from the son’s perspective which brought me to tears it’s a really honest performance from Lupe. I’d also like to mention the features on this record, for the most part they’re usually singing features which are great to add a bit of R&B/Soul to the tracks, especially on the hooks. Whereas the only rap feature is Jay-Z on ‘Pressure’ where he has a confident verse on the back end, definitely a stand out moment. I really really want to give this record 5 stars, there’s just so many quality tracks and I absolutely love the variety of content that is contained within these tracks however there’s just something missing for me, it’s a great record but it’s not perfect and with a run time of 1 hour and 12 mins I’m not sure I can justify 5 stars. Nevertheless this is an album I can say I really enjoyed and it will be something I return to.
so this is an album I love, but not top to bottom. Kick, Push, He Say She Say, Sunshine, Daydreamin’, American Terrorist, and Kick, Push II are all iconic to me. This album holds a special place in my heart, and I’m surprised it was on this list. Maybe there is hope for what’s to come… “My first picture was a lineup” - Jay Z, you performed at a Hillary Clinton campaign rally. Britney Spears has more street cred than you at this point. This outro seriously makes me consider dropping it to a 2. Wow. F*** you Lupe. “Shoutout Xhamster.com. That one vid I found on April 23, 2002 was amazing. I’ve searched for it for so long and still haven’t found it. Much love.”
Listened Before? N Nahhhhhhhhh. Another post-y2k rapper that is so boring I can't take it. Sounds like Jay-Z wrote the whole thing which would be okay but it's not Jay-Z. I'm good. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Kick, Push
You may know Lupe Fiasco from his guest verse on Kanye West's hit single Touch the Sky. I like that song. Despite this album's bombastic first few tracks, the album doesn't really kick in until the track Kick, Push, which has a jazzy boom-bap beat that Fiasco effortlessly floats on. His lyrics are very socially-conscious, which feels like a growing trend in the early 2000s as a reaction to the more violent hip hop of the 90s (and perhaps the violence of 9/11). I think this is mostly corny. The production is fine, it's just Fiasco's whole vibe that kills any of my interest. On top of being overly long, dated, and corny, the outro is effectively a waste of time. Few albums attempt to aim for grandiose and epic reputation, only to end up falling so short. I can only shrug.
Good beats, good lyrics, good delivery, but for some reason it all sounds boring as hell.
An instant classic from an MC who just can’t miss. Check out his album Tetsuo & Youth for a bonafide hip hop masterpiece.
pretty confident in saying that this is my favorite rap album i’ve ever listened to
Loupé Fiasco avait tendu le baton pour se faire battre avec un nom pareil, il n'en sera rien. Un véritable régal pour les oreilles est cet album de rap à la pochette d'un mauvais goût inégalable.
Fantastic album covering Lupe's youth. Loved it to bits
This album has a Real nostalgic place in my heart. I listened to it a lot back in my teenage years. Blasting it while playing Need for Speed Underground 2. There are some peak '00's poppy hip hop bangers on this album. The production is really of its time and at the same time still fresh over 15 years later. The hooks and choruses are so catchy and forever imprinted in my mind.
Hot take: Lupe Fiasco > Kanye West I mean, not even now after West's continuous descent. When they were both breaking in during the mid 2000s, and comparing their debut albums, Fiasco was better. I think West's early work is really good. But "Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor" is a top notch alternative hip hop album. I wasn't really listening to hip hop much at the time though, and despite hearing and enjoying "Kick, Push," I never listened to the whole album. The whole thing is consistently amazing. I recognized "Daydreamin'," and while that stood out, there were so many tracks nearly it's equal. I now wish I had listened to more Lupe Fiasco, and am hopeful that his later career kept up these heights. I did learn in reading about his work that he worked with the Neptunes, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, on "I Gotcha." As far as I can tell, the Neptunes produced songs on a few 1001 albums, but none of their albums as the Neptunes or N.E.R.D. or Pharrell's solo albums made the list. That's probably to be expected, but their role as hitmaking producers over the last 2 1/2 decades deserves to be recognized. I had no idea that their big breakthrough was writing Teddy Riley's Riley's verse on Wreckx-n-Effect's 1992 hit "Rump Shaker!"
Wasn't too sure what I'd think about this one going into it. However, I found myself enjoying this quite a lot, and I ended up recognising a couple of songs. It had some great instrumentation and impeccable flow, and everything came together to make a record that was a funky, groovy vibe. There's some really good storytelling and social commentary here too! Mm, just a really good 00's rap album. Favourite: Kick, Push
Just a towering achievement
Pristine work of art. Not a mediocre track on the album.
Een van de betere hiphop albums. Ik deel de mening over veel vulgaire teksten en vrouw onvriendelijkheid ook wel
4.0
Good stuff!
Amaze.
classic Lupe album.
This one was an interesting one. It was pretty long, but I didn't really begin to feel that until the last couple songs, mainly the outro. I liked the beats more than I expected to and I quite liked the flow. The songs had interesting ideas that made me like the album more than a usual rap album. The outro was, while long, a cool idea and funny at times as well. It was basically movie credits, but for an album. I'd say it's a light four, but that's pretty good considering I don't really like rap. My favourite songs were American Terrorist and Kick, Push.
The deluxe version of this thing came out as a fifth anniversary edition, telling you all you need to know about the suspension of disbelief necessary. Lupe earns it fairly, backed up by a stupendous producing cast, covering all sorts of ground with a voice that remains unique. Plenty is immediately moving, but the vision is always broader than that, always pushing what could possibly fit on an LP. The outro is particularly bizarre formally, but always brackets the listen well.
"Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor" is the debut album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco. No less than eleven people produce including Jay-Z, Prolific, Soundtrack and The Neptunes. Categorized as hop hop and conscious hip hip, lyrics deal with poverty, Islam, terrorism, poverty and individuality. This is all done in an uplifting way. The album received four Grammy nominations winning one in Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Daydreamin'." "Intro" starts in spoken word as Lupe's sister, I believe, describes the food (good) & liquor (bad) stores in Chicago. God. Islam. Strings goes to a beat. The second song "Real" adds backing vocals by Sarah Green as Lupe describes making music he doesn't have to be ashamed of. A nice sample of Harvey Mason's 1981 "How Does It Feel." Speaking of samples. The first single "Kick, Push" opens with a "Bolero Melody" sample by Celeste Legaspi. Heavy strings. Lupe's love for skateboarding and, in general, being criticized for doing what he loves. "Kick-Push-Kick-Coast." The second single "I Gotcha" has some great peppy piano, synth and production by The Neptunes. Describing himself and his rap style...Lupe's got cha. "Daydreamin" samples a cover "Daydream in Blue" by I Monster. A middle-eastern beat. Soulful. An adventure though the eye of a robot critiquing hip hop. An original, busy song. The originality continues in "American Terrorist." Jazzy. More Middle Eastern music. Matthew Santos guests and there's a Latin flair. Misconceptions of Islam in America and racism and gang culture. Lupe covers a lot of topics and it's done in more of a poppy and life affirming way. I think the use of strings and production give it that feel. Nice use of backing vocals and guests. Solid rapping. Definitely worth a listen.
Album 39 of 1001 Lupe Fiasco - Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor Favorite Track : He Say She Say, Real, Daydreamin' Rating : 4 / 5 I wasn't supposed to like this, but I did. I enjoyed it immensely. A reminder of why I'm doing this.
Whoa. I was not in the mood for a generic hip hop album today - and so I braced myself when the first tracks hit - but when ‘Kick, Push’ came up not only did I realise I was not listening to your average ‘guns, cars and ho’s’ hip hop album but a true delight of a record. The Jay-Z sound puts it squarely in a good mood place and every track is impeccably produced - and Lupe rhymes with gusto and panache from start the finish - loved this one and what a pleasant surprise. And can’t commend enough a hip hop track that rallies against misogyny in the genre.
epico
This is actually a cohesive album. The first two tracks are relatively unnecessary, but it's not bad.
Also this one was removed from the latest editions of the book. 3.5/5
I must admit, I missed this one when it came out, as I was losing touch with hip hop at the time, but that was a mistake. I rather enjoyed this. That outro was kind of ridiculous though. Guess you can't say he isn't grateful. Fave track: "Pressure" w/ Jay Z Skips: "The Instrumental" w/ Jonah Matranga
Heck of a debut - great songs, fresh perspective, big time collaborators. Too long though.
This kind of lush hip hop with fast paced and intricate lyrics is a side of the genre I hadn't gotten into much. It's very good, and interesting.
Pretty good album. A few really good tracks, and none that are awful.
Enjoyed this more than I expected to
Very good
Still sounds as new and revolutionary as it did back then. Top class lyricism, flow, storytelling, impeccable production and guest musicians.
Of its age... essentially has 2 intros, the terrible outro, attempts to sing without a singing voice (-1*). Also, luxurious beats, really lovely production, decent lyrics, a few real bangers (kick push 1 and 2, daydreamin', etc).
According to my stats I listened to this 3 times in 2011 and never since. I'm guessing there's gonna be a heap more hip hop in this generator, hope more of it is like this
This is a refreshing hip hop album. On first listen, I thought he was rapping about b*tches and h*es like many other “gangstas.” But of course when listening closer the second time, Lupe is rapping counter to that sector of hip hop. The drama is palpable when strings are present. My favorite song is Daydreamin’. It turns out Lupe was forced to put it on the album by a record company exec. He won a Grammy for it, but receives no royalties.
Wow. Knew absolutely nothing about LF before I began listening. This isn't what I was expecting and was pleasantly surprised. First of all, LF is not a femme. Currently working on a second listen to pickup some of the hidden gems. Has plenty of energy, it's musically diverse and captured my attention all the way through.
Decent. Kick / Push is a tune
Really solid.
Somehow I actually knew some of these songs. Overall it was a pretty good experience, it didn't blow me away. 3 seems to low. 4 seems too high but 3.5 ain't an option l.
Very very good but the sounds were just too much at times? Not sure how to describe it. Just a lot of orchestral at once
-Didn’t write a BL- AL: Food & Liquor is a compelling socially conscious rap album from a creative and lyrical MC. Highly recommend a listen for any fans of golden era lyrical and socially conscious hip hop. FT: “Kick, Push” 4/5
There's a lot to like here, production wise, lyrically, musically and of course a great band name. Reckon this will get a few summer plays, it's a keeper.
Riding the line between a 3 and a 4. It’s just all a bit too epic and cinematic for me, ChiTown/post Kanye production I guess. The lyrics and flow are cool, always loved Kick Push (as a skater). And I feel the core concept is a bit daft - like, there’s bad food and and Liquor is pretty great some times?
Whoa, wasn't expecting to see Lupe on here. Lupe Fiasco is a really talented rapper, frequently underrated and left out of conversations that he should be in. I'm not sure what it is, he's a great lyricist and makes great albums, but something holds him back from being widely considered one of the greats (though many do put him up there). This album has "Kick, Push," which was my first exposure to him back in middle school or something. A cool skater anthem, that I'm not even sure is about skating. Regardless, great album. Lots to enjoy here. Favorite tracks: Kick Push, Sunshine, Pressure, The Cool, The Instrumental, Hurt Me Soul. Album art: Pretty cool but also pretty weird. Lupe floating in space, surrounded by technology and the trappings of consumerism? Very of the era if you ask me, so not exactly timeless but it's a cool image. 4/5
Very chill hip hop album. Had listened to this before back when it came out and wasn't a huge fan. Not that it's bad, just didn't connect with it. Listening again now gave me some added appreciation. Kick/Push is a classic we used to warm up to in theater class in high school. I did dig the long outro too, very cool he did one of those.
first listen super solid record
I like Lupe Fiasco. He brought something fresh and enjoyable to hip hop, avoiding the trap of rapping about b*tches and bulls*it, although failing to avoid the hip hop trap of an overlong album stuffed with filler. But Lupe has a nice flow and feels an heir to De La Soul, Talib Kwali and Mos Def.
I was not aware of Lupe Fiasco, and this album is entirely fresh stuff for me. I was initially surprised by the heavy partners they have for his first issue, and the songs were unknown to me. I was truly surprised by the quality of this album. If I got it correctly, reading Wikipedia and some news about Lupe, he is involved with some very problematic opinions, which is sad since his work is excellent even in this debut album. The production is perfect (the Jay-Z and Kanye names in the credits indicate the reason, of course), and the lyrics and voice work. Excellent sample selection and the amazing job that, unfortunately, is now marked forever by Lupe public person. I'm happy to see this album on the 1001 list, and I think that is the first post-90 hip-hop album that really catches up with me.
I only ever heard single from Lupe Fiasco before, this is rather good.
Hip hop. No está mal .
Completely new to me. Not bad, this. Some of the tracks feel a touch underdeveloped and repetitive, but they don’t detract much from the album. Skip the outro, though. Backing tracks are rich and layered. I’m finding I enjoy the back half of this album more than the first. Guess I like Liquor more than Food. Standout tracks: Daydreamin’, Pressure, American Terrorist 3.25
Kinda felt like a musical
Lupe…too long my friend
Really clean production. The bass synth in "Intro" is one of the tightest I've heard in this style in a while. I think he's worked with Kanye? I haven't listened much to him but I know that Kanye has said his name before in some songs and track 2, "Real", really sounds like a Kanye track. It's a cool sound and while I really like Kanye's music I don't always like him and maybe Lupe Fiasco can scratch that itch when I get it? It's THAT sound- it's like max volume max energy, in your face hits and slams, samples throughout, etc. "Kick, Push" is so sick. Damn I like this track. "The Instrumental" sounds like a Linkin Park track. This is a 3 for me. Not quite a 4 but I did really enjoy it. I think there could be more diversity in the music behind the vocal parts- it's a very cool sound but it all just sounds a smidge similar for me to appreciate the differences in the tracks.
This is another album I remember listening to when I was getting into hip-hop in college. I didn’t listen to it a ton but I was obsessed with “Daydreamin’” and would play it whenever I could. I can see why there was a lot of hype around Lupe Fiasco at the time — he’s got the wordplay of Mos Def and the swagger of Jay-Z. But I don’t know, there’s also something about his flow that I find easy to tune out. I often caught my mind drifting off and not listening closely to the lyrics. Maybe it’s because there aren’t a ton of hooks in his rapping. There are hooks in the chorus or from a sample but not usually from him. (Man, you can feel the difference right away when Jay-Z appears on “Pressure” - he has such a strong presence.) Still, the beats are very good and Lupe Fiasco’s rapping is strong. He’s a smart lyricist and I appreciate that he avoids rap cliches and focuses on storytelling. The album is close to being excellent but just misses the mark. (Jeez, the “Outro” is ridiculous — it’s worse than an Oscars speech. He just lists everyone he knows 😂)
You can tell a 00s hip-hop album by the intro, the lead single reprise, and the 11-minute outro.
Ummmm not my genre as I always say. Bit Kanye influenced. The production is very lush with strings.. his vocal delivery is very meh. Every track starts with a "uh" "all right" The Outro is tiresome.
Not impressed with the cover art. Listening to the first few songs I'm not sure why this is special enough to be on this list. Then I get to Kick, Push, and I'm like, yeah, this is pretty good. But pretty soon I'm back to thinking the album is fine but not exceptional. Then Sunshine and Daydreamin' caught my ear as exceptional. Overall the album sounds great and is easy fun and easy to listen to. I enjoyed it but I'm not blown away. I'm ambivalent about if it belongs on this list. 3.5 rounding down for outro.
Good stuff.
Not too into rap but there were a couple okay songs. Nothing too stand-out besides "Kick Push".
Good! I liked the songwriting and the instrumentals.
Pleasanlty surprised. Tacky album cover lowered my expectations quite a bit but the guy has a pretty nice flow.
A lot of it flows pretty nicely, but some parts made me feel nervous for some reason. The outro was a very long list I don't have to hear again
Cat: I really like how they sampled music and the beat they matched them with. He’s a talented guy. I liked Kick, Push, Daydreamin, Hurt Me Soul and Pressure. Good lyrics, paints a picture. Not my favorite but it’s good! He talks about not being into the standard hip hop message. I liked how he did his thank yous as a track. Not gonna listen to it but that’s nice. AJ: Feel like the last person who should have something to say about a hip hop record, but here goes. Really dig the music and sounds. Really dig that he seems to have something to say about things he should have something to say. Smart kid. I can hear what he saying. Is Jay-Z the goat? Every time I hear him I get excited. Feel like if Jay is hanging then we should be too. Skateboard track was really cool. Storyteller. The imagery in Daydreaming had me slowing down to feel the sunshine. The Instrumental was on a video game I played a lot, probably knew every word at one point. He’s cool. Not The Cool, but cool.
This is my first time listening and it's not bad. I like my hip-hop a little grittier. The production seems a little too clean, almost sterile. 5/10
20.04.23. Не люблю рэп, но этот альбом получился весьма приятным и изобретательным.
I almost loved this. I WANTED to love this. I tried REALLY HARD to love this. But I didn't. It's got too much Jay-Z stank on it. Too much "Uh. Yeeah. Heh." and bars repeated ad-nauseam. The production is all glitter and sparkles and J.J. Abrams lens flares. All the slick shine and over-stylized vocal hypes hide the quality of the content. Which, if you strip it all away, would be really REALLY solid. I want this same album but spit raw with the energy of a street cypher. I want more of what I heard from Ayesha Jaco in the intro track and less of Lupe trying to mimic Jay Z and Kanye. I want what I can tell is there but remains hidden. Passion. Skill. Heart. I was so disappointed by this one. It had so much promise.
Alright we're just making up albums now. You can't convince me this existed before this exact moment. This album generator is a psyop - wake up sheeple. Objectively a "cool as fuck" record, but I am begging hip hop artists to shorten their albums. I will be returning to some of the songs here, like "Daydreamin'" (banger), but a big part of it is filler. Near the beginning especially - a rare phenomenon where the second half is better than the first. Also very cool of him to personally give a shoutout to every single person who has ever existed on planet Earth in that final song, very cool. Very glad I listened to the entire 12 minutes of that. Shoutouts to the western diamondback rattlesnake I ran over on the lunar eclipse of November 9th 2003 near Las Vegas strip. Rest in peace, bless his family.
3.7 - It’s ok, it’s pretty good. The spitting isn’t what’s exceptional so much as Lupe Fiasco’s unique worldview. He presents himself as a devout black Muslim growing up in Chicago, and his mindset represents that upbringing completely. He speaks with wisdom about all that is haram, more as a man who’s managed to largely steer clear of those vices rather than as a dabbler-turned-evangelist. Lots of nods to Kanye-style production - fat, blingy beats. LF’s flow is clear and his message resonant. He only stumbles when he tries to “sing-rap” - he obviously is not much of a singer. “Outro” is one delirious ejaculation of shout-outs, the likes of which I’ve never heard before. See also “Daydreamin’”
Oh, this is good. I enjoyed this album, and I'd not heard of the artist or any of his music before. Really well done. Superb groove, great delivery of the lyrics, and I am glad I've been introduced to this record. Nicely done, 1001 Albums Project.
Very middle of the road.
Kind of a strange decision to include the debut for an artist that found his full voice later and spent half of this one trying to be Jay-Z. Drogas Wave should have been on this list instead. Best track: Daydreamin'
this grew on me. im surprised i'd never took the time to listen to this. for some reason lupe has just never been my favorite. i've liked some songs, i've liked some verses, but could never get with him totally. i still feel the same after this, but i did add quite a few songs to playlists so that's something!
not bad.
It was a good 2006 rap album. Not great, but better than Fiddy or Asher Roth, for example. Not sure why it's here - suspect that future editions will replace it.
3.5
Honestly I enjoyed it, which is saying something given my history with rap. Kick, Push and Kick, Push II were both fantastic. My main complaint was the length of the album. By the end, I was checking my phone and bemoaning that there was so much left.
Thought I wouldn't like this and it is a little overproduced and has features of the worst of modern hip hop (no tine changes, sample after sample after sample) however it's a fresh sound. 3
Vähän tuommoista mahtipontista hiphoppia JayZ/Kanye tyyliä, mutta oli hyviäkin kappaleita. Kick, Push ja The Instrumental parhaimmat, Daydreaming oli ennestään tuttu. Lopussa vähän outo 12 minuutin outro missä lupe kiittää ihan kaikkia, mutta sekin kuunneltu kokonaan
Lupe Fiasco was heralded in my college years as one of the more "conscience hip hop" artists, but that was mostly with his next album. This one definitely has a Kanye-style production/epicness around it. I will give him credit for his general deliberate choices to focus on "the issues" which I think is where hip-hop has its most power; talking politic. That said, it's good but feels too produced for my tastes. Just not my style. Strong debut though.
Comme prévu, Lupe Fiasco vient ici nous prouver qu'il est un rappeur moyen, n'en déplaise au malade robpissaladière.