Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor

Enjoyable listen and will return to it again. Minus a star for the stupid thanks track

Decent. I think I borrowed this album from the library about 15 or so years ago. I remember Kick, Push being a standout track, but don’t recall much beyond that. Pretty much holds same today. *hawk screech*

This one is frustrating, because I want to rate it higher but it doesn't fully deliver on its ambition. I'm not gonna pretend hip-hop is fully my wheelhouse or that anyone cares about my suburban white lady opinion but I hear how this pulls from early Kanye and Common, I like both, but without having to sit through tone deaf casual misogyny which was still considered conscious because the bar was below the floor, so that's cool. So it has the sound of both to me but like the lyricism of The Roots but not quite as good as any of these three but still pretty good? It can feel a little corny and it's long. The singles like Kick, Push are the strongest as far as his actual strength as a rapper and the songs themselves. There's a lot to like here and a lot of good ideas but it's definitely inconsistent, it flirts with being almost a classic but not quite.

Nothing special. Couple decent songs allowed me to round up from 2.5*.

Can’t put my finger on it exactly but I’ve never been super into Lupe Fiasco. The album exceeded my expectations but did not wow me. I knew Kick Push and Dreaming. Dreaming is great but I’m going to attribute that to Jill Scott. Eh 🤷‍♀️

Kind of middle of the road album for me. I liked “Kick, Push” and Daydreaming” but I really couldn’t stand the the “Outro” and the “Intro” - especially “Outro” what a waste of my time - that almost cost it only getting 2 stars but I’ll be generous and give it 3.

The intro and outro really are something you should skip. What's in the middle is greatly influenced by the style and sound of the producers. Kanye west is a nazi now and Jay-Z an exploiter. Their influence is shown clearly and at times I could swear I was listening to touch the sky by kanye. The rest is ok upbeat hip-hop.

I am the type of person that only likes certain types of Hip Hop / Rap. Honesly, I was kind of dreading listening to another Hip Hop album today, but this one really delivered. There are some awesome tracks on here and while it is just a smidge bit too long, this was a great look at non-Kanye rap in the late 00's. The lyrical rapping was off the charts with so many crazy bars and the production was top notch. 6/10

Lasers was a big part of my entry into rap, so Lupe Fiasco will always be an important artist to me personally. Listening to his debut, he has a lot of what I loved in Lasers here, but it hasn't quite come together yet. It's a little messy. He doesn't know how to get the best out of his featured artists yet, and his hooks are unremarkable, but the lyricism is great when he lets loose. It's a good debut, and now I think I need to give his later albums a listen. I haven't heard anything after Drogas Light yet, and I'm curious where he went from here.

Pop rap.. Kind of like the outkast style, I do like it but don't love this mixture of rap. Maybe it sounds 'inauthentic' but it's also unfair to say that.

Not bad. I had heard kick push before and I like it. Decent album.

Hmm, not bad to be fair. The instrumentation was decent and it all felt quite varied. It felt massively of its time though, with a synth sound that got dated very quickly.

I’m really not the biggest hip hop fan but I liked this. Unexpected Severance outro the day after I watched the finale was awesome

I had not really listened to this before. I really liked it. Great vocals. Great drums. Some good hooks. I thought the production was really clear.

An incredibly sharp and smart hip-hop. Seems like a great storytelling. This album was great.

Interesting Hip-Hop album. Liked the use of orchestra strings and he has a very laid back, easy flow. Songs were mostly good, but outside of "Kick Push" nothing really stands out. 3.5/5 Might listen again

Corny but fun. I forgot how good "Kick, Push" is. Truly laughing at the 12-minute outro of Lupe individually thanking everyone here's maybe ever seen in his life for helping him make this album over a backing track. Endearingly goofy and sincere.

I like the sampled orchestra type beats, but the ones which seem to be recorded in/cleaned up are much worse and sound like NF/Macklemore type motivational beats. Rapping is okay, I like the storytelling and lyrical type songs rather than pop hooks. Kinda like J.cole in some places. Favourite songs: he say she say, daydreaming’ the cool, hurt me soul, pressure. Overall around 6/10

All right album but I didn't need it. Lupe Fiasco is one of those all right 2000s rappers

It was ok

High 3 15 year old me would probably give it a 4. 2-3 songs too many. Still many bangers and "hurt me soul" surprised me

Really enjoyed Lupe's style and stories through this album, very genuine

So many rappers just overindulge. There’s too much of everything: too many producers, too long, too busy. And that interminable outro. There are bits of this I really like though and the lack of misogyny is refreshing

There are some really great songs on this, especially the back half of the album. However there were a few tracks that I would not listen to again. The song Instrumental is a five star song.

I really thought I was gonna hate this but it was a surprise. I really got into it and I loved Daydreamin’ (I love the original so that helped) and a couple others really grabbed me in unexpected ways. The 12 minute outro comprising a list of randoms was only saved by the interesting melody underneath. I really can’t bring myself to give it a 4. It’s not that great but for the most part very enjoyable.

This was ok, not a must listen but it was still good

Chicago's Lupe Fiasco boasts beats from Kanye West and the Neptunes, so hip hop buzz is assured. And the deserving part of Food & Liquor is a set of themes from the politicised end of Afro-American ghetto life. The downside is that his orchestral Kanye-meets-Nas muse lacks originality, and that his lists of ghetto hardships on the likes of 'Hurt Me Soul' sound more like piss-take than protest. The closing 'Outro' is 12 minutes of Fiasco thanking everyone who might help his career. Hmmmmm

Kick push a fun song, but the rest… meh

Remember when Kick Push came out. It was refreshing and simple, but that does a disservice how awesome and catchy it still is. Some cool songs ~ American Terrorist and the cover of Daydreamin’. Overall, I think the album left a lot to be desired, however.

Veeeeeeeery long. Verg good, but over 70 mins for a debut album is a big ask Always feels weird to listen to a song like outro, which is just someone naming people

Not for me, Young'ns. Not for me. Alright but not great. Three stars.

Good stuff. Not all of it, but some well produced songs that were trend setting.

Starts fun and interesting but then it never changes.

In a post College Dropout world, any and all subject matter once deemed anathema in mainstream hip-hop was now considered pathways to success. Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor is a bright example of this possibility, weaving religion, skateboarding, abandonment and the afterlife into one large, ambitious and admirable package. It could very well be something one could consider Lupe a savior of hip-hop for and a signpost for other aspiring rappers to follow. Favorites: Intro, Real, Just Might Be O.K., Kick, Push, The Instrumental, He Say She Say, Sunshine, The Cool, Hurt Me Soul, American Terrorist, The Emperor's Soundtrack.

Two days running with this genre and more accessible than the previous one. There is a noticeable difference until the last track pooped it right back to type.

This album was pretty good, though some of the tracks I found a bit boring/ repetitive. Instrumentally interesting and worth a revisit; would likely be 2.5 stars but I’ll round up.

Credit for being unusual, but nothing really grabbed me.

Well, I'll admit I've never heard of Lupe Fiasco, and have no idea if he's a big name or not in the hip-hop world (either in 2006 or in 2024). I'm not sure why nearly every hip-hop album we've gotten in this collection is an hour long or longer, but it's kind of a bummer as few artists of any genre are able to fill an hour or more with solid tracks and no filler. And this album is no exception, sadly, despite the "1001 Albums" book's description of it as "57 minutes of non-stop funtasia", and despite as well his interesting/unusual Muslim background, it's not particularly distinctive or original-sounding for the most part. I enjoyed a cluster of tracks relatively early on--the single "Kick, push" (and also the later "Kick, push II", even though both of them kind of reminded me of Kid Rock's "Black chick, white guy" for some reason), then "I gotcha" and "The instrumental"--but then it fizzled out again for me for much of the rest of the album, with a couple of exceptions for "Daydreamin'" (a remarkable Inception-style set of layered samples/covers of "Daydream" by The Wallace Collection/Gunter Kallmann Choir/I monster (with a nod to Beta Band too)) and the unexpected depth to "American terrorist". Some interesting samples throughout too. I'll admit I'm extremely unlikely to listen to this album again, nor other albums by him. And a bummer that the Wikipedia entry is so underwhelming and strangely plodding, as it could have made the album more interesting, honestly.

Okay, not amazing

Pretty straight-forward early 00's hip-pop. The producers tend to overshadow the artist. It's ok. Again, it's not really a life changing album. Best Tracks: Kick, Push; I Gotcha; Daydreamin' (feat. Jill Scott)

Enjoyable, musical hip hop album. It's churlish to say it but it's too long so it loses its way. I didn't fully immerse, but it chuntered away in the background just fine.

Very good production for the 90s Favorite track: day dreaming other picks: kick push, intro

Good flow and good lyrics.

The mid 00s hip hop vibe is strong here.

Good, saved one song

This album really grew on me - a sprawling, hour long journey with some solid songs sprinkled among more orchestral fare. Not sure if it's my preferred hip hop style, but I get it.

Not too shabby if that’s what ya into but nothing that really gets me going

Eh, its Rap I guess. Not obnoxious but not my thing.

I can enjoy this music in isolation but not a full 1 hour 20, just gets super boring

Kanye’s little brother goes hard 🔥 🔥 🔥

I enjoyed this - Lupe is pretty good. This album isn't a fiasco.

была слишком удивлена что Люпе мужчина чтобы сильно проникнуться его мыслями

Kick, Push is such a vibe

Thoughts before listening: I liked this album when it came out...I think there's a song on it called "Kick Push" thats pretty great. That being said, this definitely feels like another example of recency bias where the editors were trying to guess at modern day (at time of publishing the book) future classics. In this case they merely picked a current at the time banger that hasn't necessarily stood the test of time. Review: I do like this album quite a bit. Its sound is more akin to something like Jay-Z or maybe early Kanye than the gangster rap that was so prevalent in the late 90s and early 00s. Smart lyrics, catchy (maybe poppy) melodies, soulful jazzy beats, etc. This is a very enjoyable listen even if its probably not one of the 1,001 best albums of all time. 3-stars

For a rap album, this is actually quite sweet and thoughtful. Lupe Fiasco had a tough upbringing, but the thing that he missed out on most was making model trains with his absent father. The cover shows him surrounded by his favourite things, including a Nintendo DS. He tackles the thorny subject of misogyny in rap on one track and spends the outro thanking everyone by name who helped him. The highlight is a two part song about skateboarding. Nerdtastic!

I wanted to like this movie more than I did. Kick, Push was a breath of fresh air in my admittedly narrow experience in hip hop. That being said, I am not a fan of the more is more style of production on this album.

Didn't know anything about Lupe Fiasco. Pretty good album. I liked "Kick, Push" and "I Gotcha". The production overall was solid.

Cool

Enjoyable

good album but not great.

Far too long to sustain quality. 'Intro' has to be one of the most cringeworthy ways to commence proceedings. However, there's depth here; nimble lyrics, astute sampling and some undeniably catchy hooks. Highlight - 'Pressure', which combines high wire rapping with an almost hard rock / Funkadelic sensibility.

as a result of being a starstudded event, with appearances from Jay-Z, the Neptunes, Kanye West, and Linkin Park when they were hot, the album unfortunately forgets about someone pretty important: Lupe fucking Fiasco. on a lot of the beats, he sounds very at home ("American Terrorist", "Hurt Me Soul", the inimitable "Kick, Push"), but on others he's trying his hand at a hook, which isn't really his forte, or making way for a singer to do it, which makes him feel like a guest on his own song (see "Daydreamin'"). the poppy beats are good, and his verses are good, but what's the point if they don't go together? this pop jumble also messes with the supposed thematic concept -- wasn't this supposed to be a treatise on good and evil? these just sound like songs about the same few things again and again. where are your characters? God forgive me, WHERE ARE YOUR SKITS?!? i don't hate "Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor". but it's fitting that the outro track where he thanks everyone who worked on/inspired the record is 12 goddamn minutes long. there are superhero movies with shorter credits.

Like most R&B, it doesn't often get its head above the parapets - not offensive, but mostly not noticeable either. Has a bit of substance in places though, taking down the older rap language on a few tracks. Notable: Daydreamin', which both sounds good and is funny, and The Cool, which is just catchy.

The production is very fun and i do enjoy the tunes but i find him corny especially compared to how complex his contemporary work is (which is way better than this btw)

I love the laidback vibe of the album, "Kick, Push" is paticularly satisfying. It was way too long for what it has to offer, though.

Good debut! Much better than his recent stuff, in my opinion.

1h15 was way too long for what this album has to offer, but it's an overall pleasant listen and mood. I was surprised by something I thought I wouldn't like.

3.5

Only some parts really hurt my ears, so overall it's good for a hip hop album. And there are instruments!

I wanted to like it

72 minutes of Lupe is too much but the songs weren’t too bad. Kinda felt like mainstream rap but with a bit cooler beats. The 12-minute outro song where he thanked everybody is ridiculous in its length but kinda sweet as an idea. The Jay-Z feat was pretty cool!

3.5

Some very good songs: Kick, Push; Real, Daydreaming, Hurt Me Soul, AmericanTerrorist. Too long of an album. If trimmed could have been a 4 star album. As it stands:3.5 stars, 3 for this site.

Not bad. Probably the first part was the outro that never wanted to end.

Rap just doesn’t do it for me but this wasn’t as nasty and stupid as some other records the generator threw at me

Pretty good album. I really love Kick Push when that came out. This feels like it's got Ye's fingerprints all over it (which it does) but oh well. 3.5

Cool

Wasn't bad.

oddly wholesome at times

Best Song: Daydreamin'. I think the addition of Jill Scott really elevated this and her other tracks. Worst Song: The Instrumental. Something about this feels like it's verging on Nu Metal. Shades of Limp Bizkit. Overall: A solid album, one in which I can tell a lot of thought and effort went into it, but it still felt like it was missing something that would elevate it to a good or great album. Nothing really stood out.

I started off very much not liking the slightly nasal delivery of this, however both the beats and the flows improved greatly as the album progressed. By the time Daydreamin' came round, I was apprehensive about what he'd do with a cover of such a great little track - but boy did good. It's a good take. The outro though. Oh my god. You know that thing that YouTubers did a few years ago, when Patreon first got going? They'd basically just read out the names of all their sponsors for the least appealing, ill-advised "content" choice one could imagine. Turns out, this Lupe Fiasco chap did it first by straight out reading aloud the names of everyone who vaguely influenced him. It is just as appalling on a hip-hop album as it is on a YouTube video, and I don't know why somebody didn't tell him not to.

3.5/5

Okay, a little better than average. I like the more personal tracks. A high 3, but not quite a 4?

The only Lupe Fiasco song I know is "The Show Goes On" off of Lasers. I love that song, and it's on my workout playlist, but I've never checked out any of Lupe Fiasco's other music. I think there's a good chance that I'll enjoy this album, so I'm excited to listen to it. Overall, I thought this album was pretty good. I didn't listen to much hip-hop growing up, but I started listening to it some after I graduated from college in the late aughts. When Kanye's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Came Out, that was the first hip-hop album that I really loved from start to finish. The sound of MBDTF was really accessible, and I felt that this album was accessible in some of the same ways. I really loved the arrangements, and I thought this album was really well produced. The beats and samples used were great too. I don't really have any strong feelings towards Fiasco's rapping; I wasn't blown away by it, but it certainly didn't drag the album down either. The album didn't really grab my attention fully until "The Instrumental," and from that point on, I felt it was pretty strong. The lyrics were great throughout the album. I loved the social and political commentary, especially on "American Terrorist." As much as I liked the later part of the album more than I liked the first several tracks, I really didn't care for the long and meandering "Outro." Still, this was a pretty good album, and I think it's an important piece of alternative hip-hop.

The intro was mad cringe. Slam poetry type ish. But then the album picked up at a decent pace. Kick, Push used to be my fucking anthem in middle school. Never actually listened to the full album but i fucked w it.

Pretty solid. 10 minute long outro sucked but here we are. Some good bops tho

I was surprised by the lyricism and word play in this album. 3.5/5

I liked this - the production is great. I don't think I'll listen to it again, though.

A tough one. Couldn’t make up my mind listening to it. A tad long I think. If some songs were cut I think it’d be better. Lots of different ideas and vibes.

Loses a bit of steam toward the end, but I liked this a lot more than I thought.

A generous 3

I'm not a huge rap guy. I did like Kick Push though

Lupe proves that you don’t need guns, drugs, or misogyny to make hip hop exciting! A lovely picture of life on Chicago’s South Side in the mid ‘00s. It’s certainly better than much of the Louis Vuitton-soaked posturing from that era, but it’s also a lot better than the multi-culti up-with-people crowd too.

Not Bad. Not my gig, probably won’t listen again unless forced.

Kick, Push and Daydreaming were solidly in my college playlist rotation. Brings me back to a very specific time, and being late teens really added to that feeling. 3.5/5

I have never given Lupe much of a chance. Grew up hearing Kick, Push, Daydreamin', and Hurt Me Soul, but something about him has never encouraged me to dig deeper into his discography. Not off to a great start on Real. I don't have a lot of love for the whole heavy guitar-backed hip-hop beat, it feels a bit overstuffed, and lacks flow. Just Might Be OK has better vibes/flow to the delivery, but also features one of the more cringy lyrics I've heard in a while "we hold the cumming, like contracepts." Kick, Push is a great single. Whereas the first two tracks were stuffed (both lyrically and instrumentally) it features a a much more stripped back and soulful instrumental with a proper hook that gives space to the story that Lupe tells. Love this song. I Gotcha is another strong instrumental (actually reminds me of early Odd Future) and translates into a solid song. Daydreamin' is probably my favorite Lupe song that I can name off the top of my head. Love the sample and the whole vibe of the song. Quality run through Pressure. With better editing this has the makings of a 4; however, it is too bloated for my liking. The highs are really high (Daydreamin', Kick, Push, I Gotcha), but the lows are really low. Left feeling sort of meh with the experience -- unlikely I would ever muck through another front-to-back listen, but the singles have replay-ability. 3 / 5.

Love kick push and day dreamin. Don't care for the rest of the album much. God for him on having a song with Jay-z. 12 min outro felt quite unnecessary. 3 stars overall

I like the energy and tempo of the beats, but unfortunately it feels like most songs have beats with very little variety. All time song with Kick Push. This feels like a good album to demonstrate the transition from 90's-00's hip hop into the '10s hip-hop. I think this is a pretty good album, I just cant bring myself to hit that 4 button.

Some solid beats all the way through. Lupe has great flow as well to go along with it. Kick Push is a top rap song for me. Daydreamin is always cool to hear as well. Pressure with Jay-Z had one of the most unique instrumental intro I was really down with that. That was the longest Outro of all time, he had so many people to thank. This was a high 3

Just made me hungry and thirsty

Lyrically stronger than it is musically. I feel like the backing music is just canned music with a vibe based on a specific genre rather than being crafted to match the work put into the lyrics. Production is nice but I want more musically.

Decent. I like this album but it's a bit monotone. The strong songs stand out.

I'd like to start by saying that I do not listen to hip hop or really like it that much, but this album wasn't terrible. It started off a little boring but there are a few good songs in there. A lot of songs have repeated lyrics which I did not like. The 12 minute outro of him just thanking people is way too long. I'll give a low 3/5 as the music sounds cool enough

Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor is a spotty album with a sound that is very “of its time.” Unfortunately, its time wasn’t a flattering period for hip-hop, at least for its commercial stuff. Food & Liquor is filled with all the production conventions of the time: boom-bap beats overdubbed with cinematic strings, r&b-infused hooks, and samples galore. My problem with this album is that it is most bloated, with some tracks heavily blending in with others for me. Some a good, but some just feel like they didn’t need to be here to extend the album’s runtime. And if we’re talking about runtime…while the spoken-word outro is a cute way to thank everyone involved with the project, it’s 12 damn minutes long. But whatever I feel like I can’t doc the album points for a moment that doesn’t entirely feel tied to the rest of the music. All in all, this is an album that I feel represents its time perfectly. The albums were too long, they were overproduced, but they had a level of charm and soul to them that make them an endearing enough listen.

Not my thing. Okay beats though.

I liked this, particularly Daydreamin’

This didn't do much for me. It didn't have a lot going on lyrically, and the music and samples weren't very interesting. I was tempted to give it two stars but ultimately decided it wasn't bad, it just wasn't good.

I didn't mind this one, I enjoyed it more than most of the hip hop records I've listened to for this project now

De gebruikelijke praatmuziek, maar muzikaal is het wel aardig verzorgd en de houding van de uitvoerenden is nog enigzins gezellig. Dus een fiasco is het nou ook weer niet.

Lupe Fiasco, een van de vele hiphoppers waar ik nog nooit van heb gehoord. Een leek als ik, binnen dit genre, kan het alleen maar vergelijken met artiesten die ik wel ken. En het klinkt een beetje als Kanye meets N.E.R.D. en laat die twee nu ook oa mee hebben gedaan aan deze plaat. De muziek wordt rijkelijk versierd met toeters en bellen, al zijn het wel samples die zichzelf de hele tijd herhalen zonder enige afwisseling. Dat is soms een nadeel, een bridge of iets dergelijks zou het af en toe wat extras kunnen geven. Al blijft er nu wel een lekkere flow in zitten, dat is ook wat waard natuurlijk. Ondanks dat ik dit niet ken, heb ik weinig moeite om er in te komen. Het klinkt wel soort van bekend, typisch 00s hiphop (denk ik) wat ook op Lowlands of Pinkpop had kunnen staan. Niet vervelend om naar te luisteren, zoals ik al eerder zei Kanye meets Pharrell. Al had 72 minuten niet gehoeven, dat had hij prima kunnen halveren. 3.5 ster, maar niet iets wat ik nog een keer ga opzetten, dus ik rond het af naar een 3.

Actually not bad

At first I was impressed by the production and energy, but by the 40 minute mark I felt like the consistency of the production and energy was wearing on me. Still an impressive record. Listened to every minute of that Outtro track too and went on a roller coaster of "this is cute" -> "this is going on a bit long" -> "omg wtf this is neverending" -> "...I kinda love this"

not bad. not bad at all.

I always thought Lupe Fiasco was a chick. Regardless, this ain’t bad.

The middle third of this is a 5. But the beginning and end are do bloated it really hurts this entire record.

I've never really heard of this artist. Kick, push is pretty good. I guess the rest of the album is still interesting, but not so much I'd probably listen to many more multiple times.

Not quite my thing, but epic nevertheless

Not really my thing, but not terrible. 3.5

I enjoyed Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, it has big and bold production and beats that draw you in, and his flow and the stories he tells are a lot more evolved and accessible than a lot of classic hip hop, it's a lot more inviting while being authentic. There's a lot of good mixing of the stone of those stories too, some of them are vibrant and celebratory, then you have stuff like The Instrumental which goes in the other direction (and it had a very familiar sound to me, so when I found out Mike Shinoda produced it, that made a ton of sense) and Hurt Me Soul. Couple of good samples/covers thrown in for good measure too. From the time it was launched, it's fair to draw some parallels and suggest this is what Kanye West might sound like if he wasn't a massive massive cunt. High 3 or a low 4, it's just too long and the Outro track, for whatever it means to him, is best ignored.

Yeah, this is decent without being spectacular. There's no mega highlights, but not many bad tracks either (aside from the Outro, which is 12 minutes of him shouting out to various people in increasingly repetitive and boring ways). I like the production style, big on the sax in some places, much more dark and brooding in others. Kick Push the highlights of the lighter parts of the album, The Instrumental probably the best of the more full on stuff. 3/5.

One good song, which is a cover of course, and a long album full of average to medium impressions of Kanye West. It's okay.

Bombastic production: big rock/jazz samples where the beats are kind of frenetic and don't settle into grooves or emerge as jams - instead they're high energy complex stop/start collages with an emphasis on organic guitar horns and piano parts (and less successfully, synthy strings) over right clean drum machine tracks. His flow is easy going uptempo and precise but doesn't have a really stand out style or a distinctive flair. The verses are the stars bc the hooks are kind of weak, none.of the songs have a really catchy memorable chorus or anything, surprising given his association w Jay Z and Kanye who are so good at exactly that. The songs w Gemini are good. A bit too much filler at both album and individual track level. "The Instrumental" sounds like Linkin Park.

Ну в целом черный рэп. Мистар фиаско просто рэпует. Мне нравятся минуса. Голосом на гамбино похож. Не могу поставить двойку, должного отвращения не вызывает.

If I had been more into rap music in Highschool, this could have been a major nostalgia album for me. This is the first time I listened to this, and overall it was just fine. It's a good example of mid-2000s rap, but overall I find that period a kind of awkward transition period in the genre, from still trying to make "albums" vs. making singles and/or mixtapes. This definitely fits with the Kanye West/Kid Cudi influence of the time period, and shares in the excesses of the period (a super long "Intro" song, and an even longer (12 minutes!) "Outro" song that rehashes the idea of shouting out all of your friends and influences, that I feel like I've heard from a bunch of other artists. It really hinders the prospect of listening to this album multiple times.

Netter Rap

In an alternate history, this guy is Kanye.

This album was definitely not my cup of tea. On the one hand, there was some clever wordplay in pretty much every track. On the other, the music was not as catchy as I would hope for a rap album. I would also be remiss not to mention "Outro," the marathon of a final track in which Fiasco shouts-out contributors and inspirations. He was listing so many people for so long, I was half expecting to hear my own name come up. Instant skip if I were ever to listen again.

Lupe was supposed to become a superstar, but he just didn’t. I guess his stuff was a bit too sophisticated. This is a good album although a bit long as all early 2000’s hip hop releases.

# Playlist Track - Daydreaming' # Notes - As always, noting that I'm not evaluating the lyrics. - Musically, it's solid. Well produced. But it's not interesting enough to hold itself for over an hour. Case in point: the 12 min "Outro". - It was a good listen, but I don't see myself coming back for more.

6/10 - It was pretty good to start but as the album went on it went downhill. The last song was just terrible. He just kept saying peoples names over and over and over and over again for 12 minutes. What was the point of that. I am surprised I liked some of these songs since I am not usually a fan of any type of rap but some of the songs worked out. Shoutout to Myspace

11 minutes of shout outs felt excessive

There are a lot of albums at this time that sound similar or have similar production. Seems like an odd choice. It was fine but not great.

Passabler HipHop.

This was a pretty decent album, I enjoyed listening to this Top tracks: Kick, Push, He Say She Say, American Terrorist

I was listening to this on the plane this morning and there was terrible turbulence and my first thought was “I can’t die while listening to Lupe Fiasco,” so that probably tops it out at about a 3.

not my cup, but not bad.

Conscious early millennium rhymes with huge beats. On Lupe's debut I don't hear a unique flow but the raps are solid.

There were actually a few tracks that were interesting because of the music and samples. Wouldn’t put it on again though.

I don’t listen much to rap much these days but this is a nice showing. Collection of rap songs with pretty fantastic instrumentals. Understand why it won a Grammy, not quite for me. Favorite Track: Daydreamin’

Something about that early 2000’s rap. This was pretty good but not my taste ultimately.

Ik ken Lupe wel, zn latere albums zoals Drogas Wave en Drill Music in Zion vind ik echt geweldig. Dit is vrij duidelijk een vroeg Lupe album, je hoort al wat van zn genialiteit die later zo sterk zou zijn. In de vroege Lupe hoor je ook zeer sterk dat het plan was dat hij de carriere zou krijgen die B.O.B. heeft gekregen, op het randje van popmuziek maar toch hiphop wise gewoon sterk. Dit album is conscious pop-rap, vind zn latere muziek wel een stuk sterker dan dit. Het album is wel vermakelijk, maar niet zo ontzettend er uit springend dat ik dit 4 of zelfs 5 sterren vind. FAVO: Kick, Push, He say She say, Daydreaming, Hurt me soul

This is the first hip hop record I’ve listened to that emphasized both Islam and Skateboarding. Liked more songs than I disliked. Of-its-time, but that wasn’t detrimental here.

Decent. Good early 2000’s hip hop. Better flow than Kanye with a similar vibe

Much better than I thought. 3.5 stars

Quite good

Don't know that I'm going to rush back to hear this album again, but it was solid. 3.3/5

This is a pretty good hip-hop record, I like the overall vibe and concious lyrics. It took my right back to the mid 00s with the record cover, the production and overall sound. There's a diverse set of themes on this, with Lupe delving into povery, religion, racism, etc, it's an interesting break from the guns and bling rap of the time. The outro track is too long and unneccessary, and some tracks didn't click with me. But as a whole it's a great record.

There are a ton of other hip hop albums that are not on this list that are far more interesting, musically.

Lupe came out hot with his first album showing that he is not just an underground lyricist but also a commercially palatable rapper as well. His lyricism is his strength but the production and hooks on this album make it enjoyable and a really solid album. Personally I think tiesto and Youth is his best work but this is still really good. The instrumental is a fantastic song. 7.7/10

First few tracks I thought to myself he must really like Jay-Z and sure enough Jay-Z is a producer. Had some good rhymes and interesting record overall

Some good, intelligent modern hip hop. The singles are strong and I would definitely return to 'Kick, Push' sometime. The social consciousness really comes through from the perspective of a black Muslim man in Chicago. Overall though, it's not the strongest hip hop album I've heard. 'Outro' is 12 minute acknowledgements track with very repetitive beat and has been one of the more tedious songs of this entire challenge so far. But there's enough here to show Lupe Fiasco's talent.

meh. I can't with this guy since he dissed tribe.

I'll start with the pros: I liked the message in Lupe's lyrics overall. It was fresh and different for an early 2000's hip-hop album. Some of the track's were catchy with both "Kick Push" tracks and "Hurt me Soul" being my favorites. The cons: There weren't very a lot of memorable hooks on here that made me want to check out more of his music. Also, I'm not sure that we really needed the acknowledgment's section as part of the final 12 minute track to take an already 1 hour long album into 72 minutes.

Not a bad album. A few tracks sounded like someone mixed in some background sounds from a 1980s casio keyboard. And does anyone really need a 12 minute outro song that is just the artist individually thanking every single person, website, and group they know?

it was a good album with some good songs but nothing stood out a lot to me and i doubt i’d be going back any time soon. 6/10

This album is ok. Does it rise to the level of one of the all time greats? It’s doubtful. I am sure there has to be hundreds of better rap albums. 3.5

Prima hiphop albumpje

Bastante rollo. Le pongo un 3 porque la portada es chula.

It is a good album. A couple songs sounded familiar. I liked it, but It is way too long. I would listen to some of it again. It is better than a 3 not really a 4. I will round down.

outro was way to long

A lot better than I exected. Great Coolio esque vive in some parts. Fun and energetic.

A bit like the good bits from OutKast and Kanye: nothing overly gangster and good eclectic music. Great to hear Jill Scott on the I Monster sampling Daydreaming. Why isn’t “Who Is Jill Scott” on the 1001 list? A high 3. Not quite infectious enough for a four, but good.

This was pretty good. It has a very early 2000's sound to it, so no surprise that producer and writer credits include Kanye, Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams, and the Neptunes. A 12 minute shout-out outro seems, like, really excessive. Don’t know if I’d listen to the whole album again, maybe just a few of the better tracks.

I like Lupe’s (immediate) later stuff better and def didn’t need a 12 minute credits track, but he’s a legend for a reason. Decent debut. C+

Great backing arrangements with funky beats and strings. A fun listen.

i don’t want to have to listen to this so i’ll just give it a 3

I knew the name beforehand, but couldn't pin a song to it. It's an album with fancy sample beats. You can hear Kanye, Jay-Z and all other producers having a hand in this project. Is Lupe Fiasco good enough himself for this kind of production. Maybe not. But we are judging the album as a whole. 3.5/5.

After listening to it for the first time, I am not sure this album warrants inclusion on the 1001 list. It's not that it's a bad album, on the contrary, I think it's really good. Good lyrics and flow, good beats, good guests. Everything works. My problem with the album is just that it sounds like other artists making similar albums around that time (2006, so Kanye, Nas, Jay-Z, etc.), so it doesn't stand out to me as something groundbreaking or the pinnacle of a particular genre or style. I don't have an alternative suggestion because I just don't have enough knowledge about that genre and artists at the particular time, but I would guess there are better hip-hop albums than this one that have stood the test of time, regardless of the particular year. This just seems like a recency bias pick.

Pussy money weed

A little long but it was a good listen nonetheless.

Stick to producing

Outro woah

It's an okay hip-hop album. It has its moments with songs like "Kick, Push" and "He Say She Say". The outro was kinda neat too, but it's just fine. 3/5. Favorite Track: Kick Push

eh Standouts: Daydreamin' Other best tracks: I Gotcha, Kick, Push, Pressure, 3/5

Liked this a bit more than I thought. Reminded me of early Kanye albums and then I found out he used to have a group with Kanye that released a couple singles. Cool. I don't know if I need much more 2000s rap of this style in my repertoire but it was an okay listen.

I think this might have some potential, and I will give it another listen through. "Kick Push" and "Day Dreamin'" were songs that I already know and am a fan of. The beginning of the album was ok but it got better as it went on.

Mixed bag! Lupe has great rapping and storytelling talent and it’s delightful when it gets expressed properly (“Kick, Push”, “The Cool”) but between that there’s a lot of misses and just okays. Same for the production. Lupe has what it takes to make a truly great (american) rap album but this unfortunately isn’t it. Still, a good first try

Niiiice!! Only ever listened to the big chart hits from Lupe but did expect to enjoy this album. This came out in my perfect/favourite age of hip hop and it has all of those elements I love and miss like story-telling, addictive loops melodies, big horn sections, maybe some interesting samples (didn't have time to look it up), etc etc. Some tracks I would have been obsessed with had I listened to the album when I was about 14 haha. Really enjoyed Real and Pressure. Thought the Outro was hilarious with all the thank you notes, there's a reason why no one else ever does that (that I know of anyway) haha!

Well you know what I went in with low expectations about this one as all I could remember was Superstar from Lupe Fiasco, that is a banger but still I thought he was sort of pop rap. I thought this was very slick and a good listen. Wish I could give a 3.5. And what a charming fella to thank everyone in that track at the end. Have to say after about 3 minutes of thanking I was laughing when he was shouting out to the likes of a fan called Kevin. Hilarious. If you in anyway know Lupe Fiasco even as an acquaintance but didn't get a shout out on this track you should be hugely offended as it is hard to imagine he didn't thank anyone he even slightly knew

I liked five songs a lot, and I enjoyed that there was a musical theme connecting every song. Other than the five standouts, however, I didn’t really love the album. I likely will not seek out any of Lupe’s stuff beyond this project.

Enjoyed, easy going hip hop groovy rythem and sharp verse.

Never heard of Lupe Fiasco before. Surprised how good it was. Quite cool to hear the "Daydream in Blue" I Monster sample, (which itself is a sample) - enjoyable enough album up until the Outro - meh 12 minutes of unnecessary circle jerkin' shout outs, Jesus wept! 2.5

Hip hop un poco más elegante que otros estilos más broncos. Buena voz y buenas melodías. Aún así, es un género que tiene que gustarte

Surprisingly nice album but the cover is the worst on the list so far

"Cool on food for thought but for you I'm a starver." Lots of great lyrics and interesting ideas, I love Kick Push 1/2 🛹 as a way of framing life situations through skateboarding. Very solid album all the way through Best Song: He say she say Worst Song: N/A

Cool!

Liked it. Good features. Good lo-fi sound.

He rhymed hoes with toes so he gets a point

Why is the outro so long?

I loved this, and even more when I read the back story. Lovely to hear a rap album that isn't (just) all about 'guns and b*tches'. Great flow, some great tunes and some great samples. Daydreamin' was a particular highlight, but I enjoyed this as an album as it held the interest from start to finish (well apart from the Outro being a *bit* long...).

Не то что я думал. Думал будет жёсткий РНБ...

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. 'Kick, Push' is awesome.

Está bastante bien. Me han "Just Might Be OK" (featuring Gemini), mucho "Daydreamin'" (featuring Jill Scott) y "Pressure" (featuring Jay-Z). Ahora que sea imprescindible no lo veo.

It was alright, not really my style so can't comment on it properly

Bastante rollo. Le pongo un 3 porque la portada es chula.

Finally diving into the realm of hip hop, Lupe Fiasco's 'Food & Liquor' album was a refreshing treat The album boasts a solid lineup of established names I felt that Lupe Fiasco paved the way for a style that later inspired artists like J. Cole

A couple of nice songs. A couple of confusing gangster songs. A couple tweeners and a bunch that sounded the same. What a Lupe Fiasco.

I veered between hating this and quite liking some of the tunes, samples, vocals. Overall, not for me. But I'm bumping it up to a 3 due to the lovely Daydreamin'

Olinpas unohtanut tämän artistin! Alku on lupaava, biitit hyvät. Lyriikoissa jotain kendrickmaista mut kilttiä. Kick, push on tosi hyvä! Muuten petyin, tylsistyin, etenkin pituuteen. Monipuolisuutta ja koukkua lisää, pliis.

Reaktioni liikkuu akselilla ärtymys-hyväksyntä-nautinto. Levyn sointi on paisunut ja perustasollaan hieman juustoinen (huom. paljon kuunneltu Daydreaming), mutta biitti toisensa jälkeen artisti voittaa minut puolelleen musiikillisella ideointikyvyllään (huom. paljon kuunneltu Kick, Push).

Enjoyed the second listen more than the first. Fiasco’s cadence is relatively monotone, but the lyrics and the message are good. I might revisit this at a later date, 3/5 for now

Bastante rollo. Le pongo un 3 porque la portada es chula.

I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did ! 3*

It was alright actually.

It was fine? Again the complaint I have so often is the album is too damn long. Like the last track is 12 minutes long and just thanking names. Neat but god is it way too long. Could have cut 30 minutes and made it a stellar album.

I feared worse

Bastante rollo. Le pongo un 3 porque la portada es chula.

I enjoyed. But it didn't quite stick.

Not as bad as I thought it was gonna be, but still not really my genre

Honestly never thought I would come across a Lupe Fiasco album on this list. Lupe Fiasco's "Food & Liquor," released in 2006, is a thought-provoking and socially conscious hip-hop gem. The album showcases Lupe's intricate lyrical prowess and storytelling ability. Tracks like "Kick, Push" and "The Cool" delve into themes of urban life, personal struggles, and societal issues. The production combines both classic and innovative hip-hop elements, creating a distinctive sonic landscape. "Food & Liquor" is a lyrically dense and emotionally charged journey, making it a standout in the mid-2000s hip-hop scene. Unsure why the 12 min outro was necessary so I'm docking stars for that

3.32 average per track. Wish I could have excluded intro and outro because they brought the average down and the rest of the tracks are quite good.

Pretty good, ikke noe veldig spesielt men var ingen sanger som var dårlig heller, bare litt generisk kanskje.

Un álbum sumamente influyente, que creó un estilo de Hip-Hop que dominó los tabloides norteamericanos hacia finales de los 2000s y principio de los 2010s. Aun así, este disco es una pieza de época; envejeció sumamente mal salvo algunas pistas del LP, con decisiones artísticas que se ven muy ridículas a través de los lentes de hoy en día.

Meh rap album.

la cover il a trop abusé

Not good, not terrible

Very good beats. Proper music

I usually don't enjoy hip-hop and the intro had me worried, but the rest of the album was catchy and groovy. Pretty enjoyable!

Lupe is an accomplished student of rap. He has the lyricism and technique of his idols. He just lacks personality as a rapper. Just like J Cole he can imitate the greats but it just feels like a pale afterthought. There is no acuity, no urgency, no boundary pushing. Food & liquor has the production values of a Kanye album but it lacks the rewards. I really like the self referential world of hip hop, but some artists are *just* references. Lupes from the generation who grew up on rap, forming their whole persona. This makes him feel like an echo of the 20 years of rap that came before his debut. Sometimes Lupe successfully transforms that echo into fresh point of view, but oftentimes he comes off as an amalgamation of his inspirations. Who is to blame him though, aren’t we all?

I thought the production on this was great. I nearly went with a 4* but then he ruined it with Outro, so it's a 3

Pretty generic album. It's not bad but I don't see why it is on this list

Bit of a left-field choice for this list, but it's certainly more enjoyable than many of the albums I've had to power through to get here. 3 skateboards out of 5 🛹🛹🛹

Wasn't as good as I remember but still a solid album.

Pleasant hip-hop... Technically very well done. Avoided gratuitous use of vulgar language/ used sparingly

-1 for ham soccer

Some of this reminds me a little bit of early Pharrell Williams / NERD.

Decent. Not a huge fan of rap of the era. 3/5

Enjoyed it. Not my bag but was pretty decent

Enpä ollut tästä ennen kuullut. Lepposia biittejä ja oli kevy kuunnella.

Viihdyttävää räppiä kaikin puolin

A really good hiphop album.

It's good rap, quite indebted to its time and place but that's not necessarily a bad thing. You can feel the indirect (and sometimes direct, given the credits) influence of Kanye and Jay-Z all over this. And the socially conscious lyrics here and there can't hurt. I've browsed through the rest of Lupe Fiasco's discography, by the way, and it was interesting. It seems like there are two threads alternating during his close-to-twenty years career. One where he panders to the rap trends of the day, with a few good results overall, but also others that won't age very well, you can bet your boots on that! And one that's more experimental and leftfield, which sounds far more promising in the long run. In a way, you can find the origin point of those two trends in this debut album. Older boom bap alternates with soul-flavored Kanye shenanigans and other lush, glossy Jay-Z stylings typical of the naughts. It's the sort of "either/or" dynamic that is to be found in the rest of the rapper's discography. These days, Lupe goes from a jazzy and electronica-tinged style to a trap sound that sounds a little opportunistic, and probably less relevant that what the true originators of this subgenre have released over the recent years. Once again this situation can produce results that can either hold water or tread it, no matter what style is used on a given moment. And this sort of dynamic points to the only real issue I have with the American rapper: a relative lack of *identity*, often preventing the listener to fully invest in his music. It's only *one* issue, yet it's still a major one when it comes to "essential" music. And this issue can already be felt in Lupe's debut here. Which is why I will put the latter in my "waiting list". Besides, who knows? Maybe some later album of his can come up sounding more "relevant" if I dig further into them? As a consequence, my grade for *Food And Liquor* is 3/5 for the purposes of this app. Which translates to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3). Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 513 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 232 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 113 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 141

Very reminiscent of Kanye, like a mini version, going in the same direction, just not quite as good. But on its own it's still a good enjoyable album but just a bit too long and lacking maybe one or two standout songs for 4 stars

Fair. Probably easier to listen to than some rap Not my thing

I think this is one of those times where the album would be more highly rated if it weren't background music to my working and was a dedicated listen instead

Solid rap album

Good album, kick push a classic

Comme prévu, Lupe Fiasco vient ici nous prouver qu'il est un rappeur moyen, n'en déplaise au malade robpissaladière.

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.

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

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

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.

3.5

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.

not bad.

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!

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'

Very middle of the road.

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.

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.

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’”

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.

20.04.23. Не люблю рэп, но этот альбом получился весьма приятным и изобретательным.

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

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.

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

Pleasanlty surprised. Tacky album cover lowered my expectations quite a bit but the guy has a pretty nice flow.

Good! I liked the songwriting and the instrumentals.

NB

Not too into rap but there were a couple okay songs. Nothing too stand-out besides "Kick Push".

Good stuff.

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.

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.

You can tell a 00s hip-hop album by the intro, the lead single reprise, and the 11-minute outro.

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 😂)

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.

Lupe…too long my friend

Kinda felt like a musical

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

Hip hop. No está mal .

I only ever heard single from Lupe Fiasco before, this is rather good.

Entirely too long

Conscious‑Rap, Gesellschaftskommentar, stilistische Breite. Doch trotz einzelner starker Ideen wirkt das Album oft überfrachtet und zerfasert. Die Produktion schwankt, die Hooks bleiben selten hängen, und Lupe findet hier noch nicht die Klarheit, die seine späteren Highlights tragen wird.

zzz. repniški repniga balija repniški repniguje

Pretty good album.

Good. Fun.

Badgood

He doesn't talk about bitches all the time, that's on the pro side. Aside from that I hate that pompous Kanye production and like so many hip hop albums this is way too long.

Atlantic 83959-2 (US) CD rip: I could tell "The Instrumental" had Mike Shinoda's influence before I looked it up. It's basically a Linkin Park track. A lot of these tracks remind me of Will Smith. Very kid-friendly and uplifting lyrics. "Daydreamin'" is hard to fuck up. Favorite track: "Pressure" 12 minutes of shout outs...c'mon man.

Not my thing, but pretty good for what it is.

The "American" song is genius. The rest is the same old predictable stuff.

It’s ok. It is deeper than your typical rap album from the 2000’s, but that doesn’t make it special. The beats are ok, the flow is ok, the songwriting is actually pretty good (it’s even got somewhat of a concept going for it), I just leave feeling underwhelmed.

2 out of 5. Good production but not my thing.

200th album!! crazy. couple of these i knew, not overall my vibe though unfortch

Feels like the end of something.

Painfully average imo. Lupe does rap well but I don’t remember much of this album other than the songs with Gemini, Jill Scott and Jay-Z. Daydreamin’ with Jill Scott was amazing. If the album had more songs and samples like this I would have rated it higher

Not a hip-hop fan but this wasn't that bad. Great production

It's okay. It's a bit too poppy / over produced for me and has the stench of Kanye. Kick/Push is a nice summery track - but sort of thing I would happily listen to on the radio but never really have any desire to listen by choice.

Enjoyed this more than I expected, it feels like a relic from another time.

I’m tired of say-my-own-name specialists. Almost a 1 for subjecting me to Outro alone.

Gosh. It was - inoffensive - but far too long and I was totally bored by the end.

2.5

Man Lupe Fiasco really did have 1 good song. Insufferably bling era temu kanye sounding album. Stellar on a production level, but really suffers from being Lupe Fiasco

Pretty easy listening, just not my style.

The flow of the liquor gets in the way of Lupe Fiasco’s actual flow, which is nonexistent here. Some of this is good, but a lot of this is an overproduced mess. The 12-minute outro is unnecessary.

Lutade åt en trea ett tag men det når inte riktigt dit. Beslutet att lägga 12 minuter shout outs efter ett entimmesalbum fick helhetskänslan att gå från helt okej till lite dålig.

Nära på att vara bra men lyfter ju aldrig riktigt och i slutet är jag bara trött på det.

Blandad kompott. The instrumental var verkligen crazy town-kass, men finns annat som är helt ok bra. Alltid kul att höra Jill Scott till exempel. Men fan, ju längre man kommer desto mer färglöst och tråkigt blir det.

nomás kick, push está buena pero igual no taaanto

I feel like the 12 minute thank-you speech outro didn't have to be on this album, like maybe save it for a stage or just print it on the liner notes. Also, dope-ass "I just learned how to use Photoshop" album cover. Music's not great, though.