Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Now this is an album that I'm definitely going to revisit! Good flow and beats, there's a lot of multifaceted skills and personalities in the background of this album. The outro is heartwarming as well: it's nice for a rapper to give credit where credit is due. Albums like these rarely are the complete domain of a single person: it's usually a team effort.
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.
Nah
I love hip-hop, but this is not my cup of tea. A little too breezy and upbeat. Well produced and with solid, thoughtful lyrics. I just prefer a little more grit in my rap.
doesn't quite hit me straight on, but it's good. Very Kanye. 3.5
Pleasant surprise of an album. What an aggressively mid 2000's album.
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
Sorry, but... No. Just so generic.
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.
Doing this I have found, to my surprise, that I enjoyed most of the rap and hip-hop on the list. This album not so much The production is weird, his rapping is monotonous and lacks variety and his lyrics are generic. It sounds like everything else from this era.
Pretty good stuff
Not bad. I had heard kick push before and I like it. Decent album.
Brilliant stuff - on the buy list
Never heard this before. Absolutely fantastic. Not sure it needed a 12 minute outro shouting out sexual predator Tim Westwood and neo-Nazi Kanye West 😬, but even that’s really good.
conscious rap som Kanye West. Kanye har også været med til at producere et enkelt nummer. Det er intelligent og har meget dybde og er originalt. Banede vej for folk som kendrick og j Cole. Lyder også meget som j-Cole.
Classic, but i prefer newer one
Way better than I was expecting. Really enjoyable album. (Loses half a star for that way too long and boring outro, though) Kick, Push; Sunshine; Daydreamin’ 3.5
I wasn't really sure where this was going to sit with me as I've never paid much attention to ol' Lupe but as soon as Kick, Push kicked in I was hooked. The album got even better on the second listen. Fave: Kick, Push, Daydreamin' is cool too.
Haven't heard this guy before, I don't think - my first impression was that the production sounded like "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", but without Kanye West being an annoying dickhead all over it, and sure enough Kanye did some of the production on this, so I award myself some smug points! Yeah, this is good stuff! Fave tracks - "Kick, Push" is excellent. "He Say She Say" stood out. Ah, "Daydreamin'" is using the same underlying sample as The Beta Band's "Squares" - uses it very well, too! Could absolutely do without the 12 minute outro, though.
A food and liquor I didn't mind visiting
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.
One of those hip-hop albums i've always heard a lot about, and heard a single or two, but never gave a full listen. Clearly that was a mistake, excellent production and great tunes abound.
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.
Outro really pushed my goal of listening to every single song all the way through - it's pointless, and I bet he wishes he could have the shoutouts to Kanye and Myspace back - but the rest of this album was terrific.
I’ve listened to Lupe Fiasco before but never paid much attention, and clearly that was a mistake, because this album has (almost) everything I look for in rap. Kick, Push is great, with a beat reminiscent of old school hip hop that Lupe uses to tell a story. The Instrumental sounds a lot like a Mike Shinoda/Fort Minor song, and Grammy award winning Daydreamin’ is a major hit and so catchy. It isn’t all perfect, especially since the outro drags on listing names, but this album is really solid, especially for a debut album.
Enjoyed it
Never heard of Lupe Fiasco before, but I found this to be one of the more enjoyable hip-hop albums to come up here. More albums should have the confidence to end with 12 minutes of credits.
dated. But like in amaizng ways that makes you miss the era
Damn. I've slept on this album for far too long. I knew the highlights and a few extras and they were all bangers, but never bothered to go deeper. My loss. Fantastic lyricism. Poignant. Great beats that take you back to mid-00's.
Now *this* is what I look for in hip-hop. The synths on here are emotive, layered, and add to the atmosphere. The songs Sunshine and The Cool are prime examples of this great synthwork, but plenty of songs showcase it. When the synths aren't present, other instruments get plenty of great moments to shine (check out those horns in Pressure!). Across the various songs, there's a wide variety of (electronic) backbeats, ranging from Purdy Shuffle-esque loops to more straight-played danceable rhythms. Notably, there's a distinct lack of trap beats. This means I didn't reflexively discount the music for being low-effort (which unfortunately happens all too often with 21st-century hip-hop). Another reviewer commented that Kanye took a similar approach to his own music in his early career. For the first time, I'm actually kind of excited to start getting some of Ye's earlier records. But I think the main thing lifting this above its contemporaries is having vocals that are more than passable. Goshdarn good, in fact. The singing is great, and the chorus melodies are hard to dislike. I enjoy the mood contrasts between verse and chorus. The lack of melody in the verses is hard to dislike when it's broken up by some sweet memorable tunes. In some songs, we even get beautiful backing vocals behind the rapping. For a while, during the track Hurt Me Soul, I was trying to work out exactly what about the sound was so appealing. It's the subtle backing vocals half-mirroring the synths. One of several examples of good textural work here. Not too much holding this back from 5 stars. But the aptly named "Outro" is suspect. More than twelve unnecessary minutes added to an already hour-long album. In addition, I feel a little betrayed that The Instrumental is not that. It's still a solid track, but it would've been better without vocals. Every song feels similar in terms of energy and tempo, so changing that up would've added to the whole "album experience". But as far as hip-hop inclusions on this list, Food & Liquor blows other touted masterpieces like 36 Chambers, Cypress Hill, and Nation of Millions completely out of the water. 4/5 Key tracks: He Say She Say, Daydreamin', Hurt Me Soul
Very very good album! Nice surprise!
really good rapping album
fine but not for me
Not unlike Yasiin Bey, Lupe was always a rapper that was incredibly socially aware, and also incredibly aware of how social aware he was. I mean right when you click play, Lupe makes it clear as day that this rap album, a debut, is about to be one of the most profound, important, and meaningful things you will ever hear. And sometimes, honestly, that feels true. At the ripe age of 24, Lupe's flow and rhyming here were not to be messed with. And while surface level at times, his political leaning raps are on par with his braggadocious, rhyme-showcasing ones. In the mid-2000s Bush era, a song like 'American Terrorist' makes an effort communicate those quiet issues relating to reactionary hatred out loud. 'Hurts Me Soul' might seem scattered in its commentary, but it actually does a great job of tying all these issues Lupe mentions together - it's quite a heartbreaking track with Lupe showing just how exhausting and exhaustive a list of issues like this can get. 'He Say She Say' is also heartbreaking, detailing the struggles of a boy growing up without a father figure from the perspective of an overworked mother. And the more enigmatic tracks here are just as potent - there's 'The Instrumental' and this idea of being stuck in the box, or the norm, and being unable to break from it, painting it as some sort of addiction. But, ultimately, it's the few wholesome tracks here that I find myself enjoying the most. While 'Kick Push II' sort of gives the song a dark turn, the tale of two young rebels skateboarding around the city on 'Kick Push' will never not make me smile. 'Daydreaming' I feel similarly about, I love this image of passively watching your hometown, and its cultural intricacies atop this cartoonishly large robot. The beats here, they're solid. Certainly not the standout of this album but they are the cinematic, bling-era type-beats you'd expect out of a 2006 Atlantic Records rap album. I love the strings and backing vocals of 'Real', the classic jazz-rap turn on 'Kick Push', and the hypnotic arpeggiation of 'The Emperor's Soundtrack'. The hooks are solid for the most part too. Maybe not a huge fan of the one on 'The Instrumental', but the one on 'Hurt Me Soul' is incredible and of course those vocals building on 'Daydreamin'' are great. Wouldn't hesitate to call this one of the best rap albums of the mid-2000s, it really helps define the very shiny, inspiring, and glamorous sound of this era...alongside albums like 'Late Registration' and 'Be'.
An incredibly sharp and smart hip-hop. Seems like a great storytelling. This album was great.
Thought I would stop after first song but still going 20+ minutes in, good album first two songs messy but good after that.😁
I like this rap a lot
BEST SONGS: - Kick, Push - I Gotcha
I’m not listening to this
I liked this album at the time, but it’s boring
Over 1000 albums but this is the only album on this list with a Nintendo DS on the album cover. I love Lupe. He's one of my favorite rappers of the 00s. I think I prefer the album that followed this one "The Cool", but this album is almost just as good. Even though I didn't grow up listening to his music, listening to Lupe Fiasco always makes me feel nostalgic for the mid-2000s. Favorite track: Daydreamin'
Pretty good
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
Brasco
When food and liquor was first released I had it playing on a fairly high rotation. Though now I feel it's slightly over produced, it's still cool.
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
Everything is consistent & great, from instruments to flow to vibe, its still brilliant.
Feel good hip-hop grooves. Didn’t follow the themes of the lyrics well but it sounded pretty great regardless.
You may know Lupe Fiasco from his verse on Kanye’s Late Registration on the track “Touch The Sky”. But not many people actually look further than that and listen to his albums. It’s a shame because it’s a very rewarding experience. He is a very underrated rapper and in my opinion one of the best to do it. This album is a great album, Lupe is a fantastic storyteller and lyricist, he was one of the original conscious rappers before Kendrick made it big. This is one album you should come back to more than once because everytime you will find new things you didn’t notice before (this is my second time). Favorite Tracks: Daydreamin (one of my favorite rap songs ever), The Instrumental, The Cool, Hurt Me Soul, Real, Kick Push II, He Say She Say, and Pressure. Im going to assume he doesn’t have anymore on this project, but i highly, highly recommend listening to The Cool if you enjoyed this album because it’s the sequel to this and just as great if not better.
While there are a couple of really good songs on this one (Real, The Instrumental, and The Cool being stand outs) by the end of the album I could not wait for it to finish. Way too long.
Kick push is fantastic and the rest of the album had some great lyrical content.
It was ok
Meh
Favourite tracks: the cool; daydreaming; kick push; he say she say
Pretty good! Understandably reminds me a lot of other 2000s hip hop classics (college dropout, blueprint, be) but rarely hits the same heights that those records consistently hit. The biggest issue with this album is that there are lots of moments that sound dated/haven’t aged well. Most of the beats are absolutely brilliant and Lupe is one of the best lyricists in the genre. Good stuff
Not for me
80/100. Food & Liquor by Lupe Fiasco is a good album. It’s not my favorite style of rap, but he makes it work as a solid, cohesive project. The lyrics stand out and add depth. That said, the album has some inconsistencies. For example, the last track, Outro, is something I never really cared for. It’s nice that he shows respect to those who supported him, but as a listener, it’s not an enjoyable track.
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
Didn't listen to the whole album which sums it up for me really.
Is he hip-hop's Eddie Vedder? Watch Lupe write a great song about a topic no one else would and make it a classic. He takes topics that other rappers touch on, and writes full songs about them. Skateboarding, growing up without a father- but also the effects at school. I never liked when people talked about Sonic Youth or the Kinks as the greatest rock band ever. If they were "great" they would have sold more albums. But Lupe Fiasco makes me rethink all my arguments. He's gotta be on a shortlist of greatest rappers ever. He's more talented than BIG. He's more relatable than Tupac. His lyrics are more everyman than Jay-Z.
Love the youthful energy on this one. Beats are interesting, features add nice choruses/accents to the wordplay Lupe is laying down. Nothing wrong here, but missing that x factor to make it a 5 star
He did a pretty decent album, then ‘Outro’ pushed it to the floor, kicked it in the nuts, stamped on its face, did a shit on it and then pissed on it for more than 10 minutes.
fiasco by name
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.
This is seriously boring, 1 star or F for me.
Not for me
There’s some catchy stuff here, but a lot of it is really nothing special and the 12 minute thank you track is horribly boring. Took away a star for that.
Very mediocre
Not my cup of tea at all
that was a FiASSco
Ughhhhhh. Even the album cover brings to mind what I believe to be the second worst type of rap. Spacey mid-2000’s rap that’s all melodic and sensitive makes me want to jump off a bridge. How about 72 minutes of it???? I really don’t know how this will sound, but in my imagination, I’m going to be miserable for the next hour or so. Let this fiasco begin. Whelp. This blows. That beat is one of the most abhorrent things I’ve ever heard. Bombastic and gross with a weak delivery. This is so incredibly dull. It’s like being rocked to sleep by a demonic horror. You feel weary and fatigued, but you know if you concede to the sleep you will be gnashed by the millions of jagged teeth in the cosmic maw of an unknown entity. Moving swiftly on. UGH. Stop saying “Food & Liquor.” It’s not the cool title you think it is. Again, this type of beat is horrendous. It’s so tinny and shallow. It focuses on the horns or whatever those are rather than, you know, the rhythm? Anyway. This mixed with the lyrical miracle rap and the lame ass R & B vocals tops off another stinker. Way to go Lupe. This had to be in Fight Night Champion. I can at least hear the drums on this one. Not the worst track so far, but it’s still the garbage I hate. Everything is just so squeaky clean and therefore extremely dull. The best song so far meaning the least painful instrument of torture. That accordion stab is boneheaded. Ooh is this that classic Owl City Evanescence crossover. 80% power 50% pain and 100% reason to remember the name. Who cares. This song actually made me laugh. 1000% pain and a 1000000% reason to skip it. Whoa. We’re getting meaningful. Every album like this has a song like this and they all suck. It’s ham-fisted sentimentality. It hasn’t been said in a while, but these lyrics stink. I’ve jotted down more interesting ideas in my notes app at the age of 17. That is not a compliment to me, but an insult of the highest order to Lupe, if that is his real name. He’s got such a boring delivery good god. This is a guy you see post videos on Christian TikTok or something. The sample is not the worst thing I’ve ever heard, but the female vocals over it are so cheesy, it ruins it. I get that he’s making fun of other rappers, but man, you should be making fun of guys whose main musical influence is Common (you). He swore!! Whoa guys. Lupe is letting his hair down. He wouldn’t say “bitch” when listening to Too Short? My dude. Don’t say that. Yes, misogyny is bad, full stop. Don’t even invoke the name of these people though. Too Short is so tongue in cheek. Anyway. I’m not going to get into an argument about lyrical themes with a guy who says “what constitutes a prostitute.” He’s just doing lyrical miracle spherical, imperial stuff. Oh buddy. The eagle screech and Jay-Z. Guess which one of those things I don’t like. It’s Jay-Z. Another key holder of the death of hip-hop from 2000-infinity. At least we have some saviours now. Lupe Fiasco is so lame and Jay-Z is dumb as hell. Is there even a kick drum in this? It’s so light. The production stinks. Big Matthew Santos feature for all you Mariachi heads out there. Or fans of white guys from Minneapolis who sing Spanish music. Whichever. I prefer “American Terroristt” by RxKNephew. At least there I learned something. The Emperor’s Soundtrack is the song I would play to detail every aspect of this genre that I absolutely despise. SOFT vocal delivery, boring beat, bright production. If it could be a single that plays over the Fast and Furious end credits, it’s probably not good. More overused tropes from spiritual rap. It’s just noise at this point. And not in a subversive or interesting way. Listen to “Black on Both Sides” and get what this trying to be with actual life delivered by a capable performer. I’m glad he’s reading names so we know who to hold accountable for this stinker. I’m looking at you DJ Chop. This is 12 minutes??? Lupe Fiasco mentions every person who has ever lived. Shoutout to HypeBeast.com. I would rather hear my name come up in a wartime draft than be credited on this piece of trash. You know this bad boy was the soundtrack to some (white) nerd’s first week in New York and now I have to suffer, almost 20 years in the future. This is what Kanye West sounds like to me, and that is the worst insult I can think of. Fitting that the album cover features a millennial college student surrounded by relics of the early 2000’s while in the infinity of space. This album does sound like it’s being played from inside a space shuttle while my spacesuit ruptures, causing my frozen organs to seep out of my adrift body. Or whatever happens in space. “Food & Liquor” is soft, non-confrontational, and not nearly as meaningful as it purports itself to be. This was more than a fiasco, it was a full-blown disaster. Like a spaceship explosion. Silent, yet incredibly destructive. Somebody save the DS. My NintenDogs need kibble. 0.5 HIGHLIGHTS: WHOOSH
Why do rap albums have to be so fucking long?! At least jazz albums generally have the good grace to release the listener after 35-45 minutes. This is 72 minutes! Not my taste, not going back.
I have zero interest in listening to hip hop and sampling this did nothing to change my mind.
Varsin pätevää räbää, ja hauskaa että vähän eri aiheita kuin yleensä.
Yep, so real. I love the expanded palette, finding the possibilities of hip hop instead of retreating to tired stereotypes masquerading as street I-know-hard. I love the word play (Cornel Westside etc.), of course not unlike much hip hop, but these seemed geared to my sensibilities. And it mentions Jerry Garcia. You want the real shit? I gotcha, plus some great beats and poetry.
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 one just kept growing on me as it played. I wasn't totally sure when it opened, I suppose just a matter of unfamiliarity, because as I got further into the record, I was consistently impressed with Lupe Fiasco's subject matter and style. They picked a crappy font for the album cover, I couldn't read it. So, I guess that's my critical review.
Wow, this was great. Amazing production. Cool beats. Good lyrics and solid flow. Another great new discovery!
Loved this. Particularly Daydreaming w Jill Scott
This was ok, not a must listen but it was still good
кайф невероятного уровня, я просто в космос отлетела
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
Daydreamin is top notch. Great sample. Jill Scott crushes. Lyrically sound. Great hip hop album.
Kick push a fun song, but the rest… meh
It was back in 2007 hanging out with Jay Z when he was talking about this Fiasco fella. We weren’t sure. It all sounded a bit the same and if honest, we thought it was boring. Roll on Len scoffing down some of the buffet. He loved this bean dish. He has to be careful. He suffers from lots of food allergies. Most of the top 14. He scoffed these beans without checking the way Len does at a buffet. Before I even had a chance to stop him, he was bright red, throat swelling up! Fortunately Iggy Pop was there and he only carries Epipens with him everywhere. It’s the only way he can keep moving like he still does. Len soon came back to normal! Very fortunate! We coined this incident Len’s Lupin Fiasco! 2.3
9/10. Started slow and got better throughout. Some classics in there.
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.
Never heard of this guy, enjoyed it though
Old Lupe is undeniable
This album was fun. Solid rap album
I don't stan Lupe as much as some of the "enlightened" hip-hop aficionados out there, but I've always been a fan. As an impressionable teen, I got drawn into the mid-2000s alternative hip-hop / backpack rap popularized by Kanye West, They had a lot of musical similarities, especially early in their careers. Shoutout to Lupe addressing Penn State as "University of Pennsylvania" at Movin On 2011. Shoutout to skipping the 12 minute outro
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
Kanye without the self-aggrandizement. Instead of talking about his genius, Lupe Fiasco delivers it and lets you judge for yourself. If that early 2000s super-dense production style is your thing, this is the real deal.
I understand that this album may have started a thing, but it’s not even the best Lupe fiasco album
Not for me, Young'ns. Not for me. Alright but not great. Three stars.
I've always heard how hyped up Lupe was, but never heard much from him except for kick, push & daydreamin. Not bad & kinda surprised he never got as big as someone like Kanye. But that's only my opinion off of this one album. Outro sucks.
I liked the hip hop and rap vibes, definetly added quite some songs to my playlist!
I didn’t like this a ton at first, but later songs were way better. I think this is just a good hip-hop record. That being said, I really don’t like how the outro is 12 minutes of him shouting people out. That’s a seventh of the album.
Good stuff. Not all of it, but some well produced songs that were trend setting.
Starts fun and interesting but then it never changes.
Sounds like glam hip hop. Like Lin-Manuel Miranda created a rap persona. Hot garbage
Didn't find it appealing.
Great surprise! I like my hiphop/rap more raw but this is one exception although lyrically he holds no punches. Also makes me overlook a pet peeve of mine: using a classic oldie as a hook for a song. Am going to spin this more!
I definitely remember this album. A little nostalgic for me. I am not a true hip-hop head but this was one of the first albums that introduced me to the genre/scene. I really enjoyed it, especially, kick/push
this was not good.
It was better than I expected. It started out pretty good, but then dropped off as it went on entirely too long.
Not my favourite style of music so I didn't really enjoy the album
2.5
wow, what a nice surprise. i'd heard lupe fiasco's name before and maybe heard a song or two on the radio, so i came into this pretty green. it was great! a really enjoyable album - i love kick, push and daydreaming!
wow, not sure i had heard lupe fiasco before now (maybe daydreamin once or twice) but this album was an incredible way to start for each of us. the beats, samples, and production here all feel top notch, and the various artist features add flair to the individual tracks instead of being the only thing supporting a lackluster album. these songs all sound pretty different, covering unique themes and lyrical content, and don't beat you over the head with the misogyny, homophobia, or absurd bragging that's characteristic of a lot of rap from the early 90s through the late aughts' crunk phase. it's just good stuff. i even liked the outro, at least until i realized it was 12 minutes long and just naming everyone lupe fiasco could think of. but the beat was solid so i can't be too mad. this was a five-star album outta nowhere for me and i can't wait to listen to it more. favorites: intro, real, just might be ok, kick push, the instrumental, daydreamin, the cool, american terrorist
genuinely this feels like a college dropout-level display of hip hop debut creativity and color...theres a couple reasons in my understanding why lupe did not become more of a kanye-type icon (more for better then for worse at this point lol) but genuinely maybe part of it is that despite having a bunch of distinguishing characteristics (a dorky muslim with actual street cred but a latecomer to hip hop in general), he has the humility to put his efforts primarily towards the Songs rather than himself, which is ultimately just not the game artists in popular music are "supposed" to be playing, certainly for longevity. it pays off super well for the music tho, which is sonically dense and lush and rainbow-flavored, and matched by a ton of great lyrical ideas and lupe's frictionlessly likable presence. cant even imagine buying this blind back on release and just being slammed with something this eccentric without ingenuine affectation, and while remaining endlessly catchy and accessible
If you like rap then this is definitely an album worth listening to. Musically, it has a softer sound. Something different.
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.
Unfortunately, another bog average 2000s rap album. Unnecessarily long and bloated (72 minutes to be exact: did we really need a 12-minute outro of Lupe thanking everyone?), and not actually that good with the exception of: ‘Kick, Push’, ‘I Gotcha’, ‘He Say She Say’ and ‘Sunshine’.
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.
Wow. Holy cr… already looking at the cover art work (or lack of it), makes me wanna throw up..
This album doesn't really get off the ground for me until track 6 and onwards, after which I found it really quite good. I won't add it to my collection, but I will give it four stars and wouldn't mind listening to it again.
The outro knocks it down to a 4 but I really loved most of it
A hip hop classic.
One of the greatest hip hop debuts and albums of all time. A masterpiece of production and lyrical mastery
Not heard much Lupe Fiasco before but I really enjoyed this. It feels right in my hip-hop sweet spot: the lyrics are eloquent and have something to say without being preachy or sacrificing humour. More importantly (for me), the production is on-point - it’s lush and catchy and there’s a decent amount of variety. Unlike most rap albums than last over an hour, I found my attention didn’t wane because I enjoyed listening to it as a piece of music.
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.
Stopped listening halfway through, during Daydreamin. At first I mused about the difference between "spoken word" and "rap music" and then I just got tired of feeling like I was being preached at--maybe this is due to the monotony of his tone across tracks.
This was fine. Not as interesting as some of the more recent hip-hop on the list. Minus one star for the 11 minute shout out filled outro.
Utter rubbish
Very surprised by this one. I knew about ' Daydreamin' but mostly cause I knew the other versions of hte song. The whole album is very solid hip hop, would happily listen again
Rating: 8.5/10 Great production, fantastic lyrics and rapping by Lupe, but some weak choruses prevent this from being rated any higher.
Dancey one
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)
I really liked this. Wasn't expecting to since most of the hip hop that's come up on this list so far was gangsta rap, and the misogynistic lyrics are really off-putting. But this album didn't have any of that, and the tracks were pretty nice to bop along to, with some interesting lyrics to boot
Not for me
Early 2000’s upbeat rap
4.5
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.
Pretty catchy stuff.
After Kanyeezy went the way of the westward son in 2022 and I was fully put off from him (one of my most played artists :/ ), I've often found myself returning to the artists he produced in his golden era to get my Ye fix. Despite often being compared to Common, Lupe Fiasco has a more poppy and hooky energy to his consciousness; Lupe is the Graduation to Common's College Dropout, if you will. There's still a number of incredibly soulful beats here like Real, Kick Push, He Say She Say etc. but there are some interesting attempts at bridging all the popular hip-hop styles at the time. Lupe's attempt at bridging into rap rock/alternative rock with the Mike Shinoda-produced The Instrumental might be my favorite song on here. You could absolutely make the argument Lupe's technical skill outshines his pop appeal, and immediately after this record it took a long LONG period of self-reflection before he could either balance or eschew one side to the music's benefit. However, this album represents something extremely special in hip-hop history and I'm glad Kanye breathed life into this thing. Coast.... (P.S. the outro never fails to make me laugh. 12 minutes of random shout-outs never sounded so good.)
Alright. This is an album I can get behind. Lupe Fiasco is a man that I've heard of, but have never really dived into until today. I had heard good things going into this album, but had yet to hear any of the actual music. My expectations were fairly high. Fortunately, those expectations were met. This is a strong first showing for Mr. Fiasco. The album is a bit long (that outro really could've been a lot shorter), but that's really my only major complaint. The songs are pretty good. There really aren't any that I dislike. The production is great and was done by a lot of notable people, including Kanye West, the Neptunes, and even Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park! The features are also pretty good, with the standouts being Jill Scott's singing on "Daydreamin'" and Jay-Z's verse on "Pressure." The writing is just excellent. Lupe's flow and rhyming is top-notch. The theming and story-telling of the album is also great. Overall, this is an amazing debut album that I really liked. Good job, Lupe! Strong 4/5.
Pop+Rap, 2006 -> 2
noh niin perus pelleilylä voi kahta enempää..
Enjoyed this one. A bit preachy but maybe necessary preaching. The production is interesting and I love all the different samples. Some of these are really moving. 4
I don't listen to this genre. But he has a talented voice.
Pretty clever rhymes, but imagine being the one person in the business who he forgot to shout out
I don't know if it was because I was already feeling ill, but the production on this made me feel very nauseous. Also awful name for an album, extremely dated album cover and some lyrics were cringe. Still, he seems conscientious. 2 stars.
I had no idea what to expect but I’m glad I listened to this. In a world where Kanye dominated Chicago hip hop it’s nice to see someone else from the scene who isn’t a dirt bag
Very good production for the 90s Favorite track: day dreaming other picks: kick push, intro
Fun, likable, fresh, with "Kick, Push" and "Daydreamin'" the top choices. The Outro is cool but probably not 12+ minutes cool.
Þessi rappplata var nú bara allt í lagi. Mér leiddist ekki að hlusta á hana nema 12 mínútna þakkargjörðahátíðina í lokin. Þá leiddist mér alveg hrikalega og bara það lag togar þessa annars ágætu plötu úr þremur niður í tvær stjörnur
Turns out that if Kanye was well-adjusted then the albums would be mid.
Good flow and good lyrics.
#404. This just sounds like he's trying real hard to be like Kanye West. And also he said several times You already know, and something about a fool and liquor. Well you know what sir, I don't already know. The fuck are you talking about? Are you the fool with the liquor? Is this a cautionary tail against fools and liquor? What are you actually talking about? You know what.. I don't care. 2/5: I'm going home Song added to playlist: Sunshine I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
The mid 00s hip hop vibe is strong here.
Good, saved one song
Kick, Push was a hit back in the day. I don't know its just not my thing, like a little too soft to be gangster, but not quite as story telling vulnerable as Drake and the people who came up after. And the sampling just feels soulless. The outro being 12 minutes is just a bunch of shout outs? get wrecked. Shout out to Myspace?! I might ding 2 stars just because of how ridiculous this is.
Not my cup of tea
I like it because there are great melodies going in in addition to the talented dialogue. It has the feel of a chill house party, or a twilight cruise in a classic 70's Oldsmobile. Kick, Push is a banger and my favorite on the album followed by I Gotcha with the catchy Latin rhythm in the background.
Hot garbage. Why is this even on the list? Pretty bland and unoriginal hiphop.
A little all over the place like a mixtape but some songs are pretty great. Like a baby Jay Z with similar flow but a weaker voice.
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
Ye was alright, like Kanye light, but better lyricist
Kanye’s little brother goes hard 🔥 🔥 🔥
Right now, for the first half of the album I was just wishing he'd shut the fuck up and leave just the sound track. There was some really good mellow easy listening vibes coming from it. The second half not so, and then that track appeared. I believe it's been used in some adverts, and it is a stand out track. Daydreaming a beautiful piece of music. A beacon of light in and otherwise dreary landscape. But even that can't drag the rest above a 2.
Not as terrible as most from this genre so I’ll give it a massive 2 stars
Better than I expected from a Rap artist, probably due to the samples and arrangements of the songs. This was also helped by the non-extreme lyrics. He seemed to be an exemplar of his genre, when it comes to lyrical content. Not that I was really concentrating on them too heavily. Worth a 2 (about the same level as Deep Purple's Machine Head).
Solid presentation here. Lupe on the cover looking like he’s an NPC in GTAV after getting rolled by the main character. Some chill beats and samples. I appreciate that the artist can hold a mirror up to the hip hop scene and defy the toxic machismo meta that has ruled over hiphop since forever. Long live nerd core!
I enjoyed this - Lupe is pretty good. This album isn't a fiasco.
So I thought there were good songs and ok songs on here, was ready to give it a 3. Then you get to this self indulgent Oscar speech at the end that absolutely ruins the album.
была слишком удивлена что Люпе мужчина чтобы сильно проникнуться его мыслями
One of the better rap albums I've gotten on this list
Kick, Push is such a vibe
Really really really boring. Kick skate song was fun though.
Sometimes in danger of drowning under the weight of its own ambition (that 12-minute Outro was unnecessary), but Food & Liquor proves why Lupe Fiasco is still highly respected today. He’s lyrically sharp and unafraid to tackle difficult topics.
To me this seems like generic hip-hop. Nothing I haven't heard before and nothing I will search for in the future.
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
I had no idea what to expect, but I really enjoyed this album.
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!
It started as a pretty laid back/chill hip hop album; the guy knows how to rap, the backing instrumentals are solid and diverse. And then The Instrumental slapped me hard; I loved the music and the flow hits right on target. This is my personal highlight, but it's a really good album overall. Lyrics are well carved and meaningful, still up-to-date. I've never heard of the guy before, glad it changed.
poop fiasco more like
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.
This one grew on me more as it went, often just because of some great production.
Definitely prefer the party vibes of some songs over others (Real, Gotcha) but Lupe proves he can also be introdspective and tell a story (Daydreamin', Kick Push) - and even if a few songs drift into overly preachy (Just Might be Ok, The Instrumental), this is mostly a solid listen.
Cool
Ricorda un po' Kendrick Lamar, non mi dispiace.
Just a really solid hip hop album. Some amazing songs on this album. Can't believe I've never heard of Lupe Fiasco before.
Didn't like this at all.
Enjoyable
Hip hop for 12 year olds. Never understood this Kanye/JayZ nonsense stuff. Zero substance or anything to have any emotion toward
Lupe Fiasco is one of those artists that I have heard of but never actually listened to before. This album is fantastic. Eloquent lyrics that get his point across or tell a story. A rich, full sound musically. My only gripe is the outro. I get what he is doing, listing his influences, but it just drags on. I'm going to listen again before I make my mind up whether or not that drags it down to a 4 star or not.
Great album. Songs with good beats and they tell a story. Good album with social commentary. Favorite song: Daydreamin’ or The Cool
A couple of songs were ok and a few more had interesting beats but otherwise I didn't enjoy this much at all. Ending with a 12 minute outro is a bold move.
good album but not great.
Vette plaat, veel echt goede nummers, een paar mindere. Soms origineel, soms niet echt. Laatste track is hij vergeten mij te bedanken, als enige persoon in de wereld.
Ok, this was not as bad as I feared when it started. Partly ok, some nice samples, etc. Still it's a 1 for me, way too little to give a 2.
It's a very ambitious album, especially for a debut. Lupe's writing is sharp and the production is consistently fantastic. I'm not sure the runtime is entirely justified, there's a few tracks I feel don't carry the same momentum, but it's a great album overall. Top tracks Kick, Push, Hurt Me Soul & Pressure.
This sounds pretty dated, like a budget Kanye album. Lupe is also the weakest element here, the beats are generally more interesting than him. There are some interesting and creative moments, although I feel like the strings on the track are more bait for the easily impressed by sampling types than strong beat themselves. I'd say this is an above average 00s hip hop album. C
Graduation but better. Take notes L-anye 8.0
I like this one a lot - must've listened to this a million times back when it came out. Kick Push is a pretty great track.
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.
Some excellence songs. Enjoyed it a lot.
I'm very familiar with this album, and a big fan of it. I haven't listened in forever, the beats are so sick. The lyrics are so interesting, he raps about stuff you don't hear a lot of other dudes rap about. I forgot about The Instrumental, I used to be obsessed with that song. Yeah, overall just a great album.
Started slow but picked up as it went on. Content-wise there is a lot to say with both clear as well as subtle messages about culture and the world Lupe Fiasco is coming from. There are good, smooth beats, the standout is the Daydream sampling in "Daydreamin'" as well as the super chill "Kick, Push". Other good tracks are "The Cool" and "Hurt Me Soul".
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.
Fun hip hop, shades of JayZ
Dreamy, smooth hip-hop
# Album Name: Food and Liquor # Artist: Lupe Fiasco # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Not my thing. Sounds like distinctly average rap. Kick, push and Daydreamin were alright. # Top Tunes: Kick, push and Daydreamin # Would I listen to it again? Nah, just a couple of tracks.
Nothing great here
Sounds so poppy, pander-y, borderline childish. What little I've heard of his later (post-2018) output sounds much better.
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.
Mjög gott
Ok, but nothing special here.
A rightfully legendary album, and super ahead of its time.
Excellent production throughout! And great lyrics! Those things are important for making a good record!
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)
Hell yeah! One of the first rap albums I truly loved and the first show I went to by myself. Saw him at The Fillmore in SF way back in the day and he did not disappoint. The run from The Instrumental to The Emperor's Soundtrack is exquisite!
4.5
Just a worse Kanye
2,5
Nope, another hip hop album that does absolutely nothing for me. This one maybe has a little more production value than most others I've heard on this list so far but it's still just bad music. Repetitive to the point of droning. Another album that sounds like a 12-year-old kid trying to sound cool for an older crowd. This record seemed to go on forever and after looking to see how much was left all I could think was "oh god I'm only halfway through". I thought it was funny that someone else complained about the last track being 12 minutes long, but I mean this is really just like one track that's an hour and 15 minutes. It's maybe not as bad as most of the other hip hop albums I've heard so far, but still only going to be like a 1.5/5. I suppose I'll round up because, although present, this album wasn't stereotypically laden with misogyny like most hip hop records.
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.
Not interested in anything on the menu.
An album that feels pretty of it's an era, but when comparing it to the status of hip hop at the time, this is pretty good for the time. It falls into a lot of production trappings that date it pretty quickly, and it wears it's influences on its sleeve in such a way I wouldn't blame you if you just went to go listen to those influences instead. However, there is still a lot to enjoy here. I love how varied the styles are here, with some jazz influences sneaking their way in along with straight up pop songs in a way that mesh surprisingly well. Lupe's flows are also incredibly solid, especially when it comes to hooks, and while I never want to hear a Daydream sample again, it did get some creative variation via Jill Scott. I think most of the features did a good job, actually, with Jay-Z actually feeling the most phoned in. It's just a solid hip hop album from a rocky era, and I would say this album was an early stepping stone into the fantastic era we'd jump in to in the 2010s.
3.5
3.5
Love this album so much. Truly took hip hop in a new direction. Even though I was never a skateboarder, "Kick, Push" always felt very personal for me 🛹
That was Real. I could see how some might feel the Pressure, but honestly, it Just Might Be OK. This album was The Cool. Take my word for it. I Gotcha.
A good rap album, in the guise of a Kanye album, no surprise he’s involved in this, but also a bit forgettable, not sure I’ll remember it come next week.
Only some parts really hurt my ears, so overall it's good for a hip hop album. And there are instruments!
I’m just gonna stop writing reviews on albums and just give a favorite song, this shi too much work
decent sound, better hip hip than usual, would listen more.
I actually really loved this one. Had never listened to much of Lupe’s work but I’m glad I got it today & had the chance to do so. Really good album
Never heard of him before and seeing that West and Jay-Z were involved lowered my expectations. Well, I wasn't wrong. Lyrics are mediocre at best, often trying too hard, and way too much self-importance. The music's not much better, I heard the same stuff too often. Overall a boring experience.
I wanted to like it
Rap, gefällt mir durchaus
Trying hard with these new fangled hip-hop records but I guess what I’m with just isn’t “it” anymore. Great Kanye production but a dreadfully forgettable album, with the usual bloated run-time. Bang fucking average.
An incredibly strong debut from one of the most consistently interesting and insightful rappers of this century. The production is stellar and Lupe’s pen is on great form right out the gate
En comparaison au 50 Cent d'hier, on est à l'extrême opposé. Lupe a un rap vraiment bien assumé et les paroles engagées sont vraiment bien livrées. Les beats sont vraiment très bons et le tout crée une musique très accrocheuse tout en évitant de devenir générique ou prévisible. Défétinivement à revisiter. 8/10
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
Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor [2006] Didn't like it all that much, seemed rather derivative to me. "Just Might Be OK" reminded me of Beyoncé's "Crazy In Love". "The Instrumental" reminded me of Linkin Park. For the most part he sounds like a protege of Jay-Z maybe with a little bit of Emenem's slower flow. I dug some of the music bed and samples, but to me this is pretty much down the line aughts hip hop to me. Again I'm not a rap guy so I ain't the person this album was aimed. With out counting the 12min of shout outs. I should because it's actually part of the album, but I'm not. There is a reason most people walk out of the movies during the credits. Im going with a (5.5) ★★½
Not my prefered type of hiphop. Not really bad, just boring. 2.5 stars
I remember hearing this when it came out and not being quite as enamored with it as critics were, but I really liked Lupe's last couple of albums, so I was excited to revisit it. It's very reminiscent of Kanye West's early albums -- the College Dropout and Late Registration most notably -- but with notably better lyrics. Lupe actually got his big break appearing on Kanye's "Touch the Sky". Overall, I think it's really good -- one of the more sophisticated mainstream rap albums of the 00s -- but it does suffer from being way too long. You could cut like 40 minutes and there's probably a 5 star album in here somewhere. There is some cool stuff here though -- really like "Kick, Push", "I Gotcha", and "Daydreamin'". Going with a light 4 stars.
Kinda passable conscious hip hop palaver over some poppy and approachable but fairly dated 00s production. There’s a few punchy, catchy highlights early on like with Kick, Push but a lot of the beats afterwards are quite subpar and skippable and choice of sample for Daydreaming is really eye-rolling and overfamiliar. And at the end Lupe forgets what liner notes are for and gives 12 minutes of shout outs to everyone he can think of. A mega patchy 2 and half stars.
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.
It’s been a little while since I’ve listened to this and the nostalgia from Kick Push alone is a little nauseating. It’s tough to rate because I do love this album despite the rough spots and places I see that Lupe develops over time on his later work (like a Tetsuo & Youth), but that’s unfair to hold that against this album. Last thing though, even if it bogs down the replay-ability, rap should bring back the 10 minute shout out outro songs. They always make me smile and it’s nice to hear an artist give thanks to the people that matter to them
Byrjaði þokkalega en ég entist ekki plötuna í gegn. Varð fljótt frekar boring.
Not bad. Probably the first part was the outro that never wanted to end.
This is an album that I've had on my "to listen" list for well over a decade, but somehow never got around to it. It's great. I should've listened to it sooner. A wonderful deconstruction of the genre with some cool production throughout.
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
Favorite Track: Kick, Push Would have been a 5 without the long outro
p908. 2006. 1 star. Hip-hop/rap with strings and brass sections. Well done of its kind, but wrong audience. Will not listen to it again.
How have I never heard of this before, this is like good Kanye!!! This is good rap music, it is fresh and clean, it feels responsibile with a good message that has not dated. The music has it all with some songs featuring R&R then spanning the spectrum to Jazz. Its unique. Favourite song: Kick, Push" and "Daydreamin' Least favourite: Outro, what was that all about! Album artwork: I like the cover
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
A very talented rapper who I'd never heard of. I caught similarities to JayZ, Kanye, and others.
daydreaming has been one of my fav hip hop songs of all time for years. glad to finally listen to the whole project
Heard of Lupe Fiasco but not heard any of his music, at least not consciously listened to any of his music. A very pleasant surprise and it turns out I may like the Chicago mid-2000's rap sound, as I like this and a lot of what Kanye West was putting out at the time. I'm definitely adding some of these songs to my favorites list and will check out his other work. There are times I'm disappointed in these albums I get but I really enjoyed this one and did not expect to. Very chill but also exciting album and I could also understand what he was wrapping about. Haha, my old ears can't always say that.
This is hip hop finesse right here. Enjoyed it thoroughly, but the funniest thing was the shout-out to MySpace in the outro. That’s a laser scope focus pinpointing this album’s spot in time. Ha.
Cool
I'm not hugely into this genre at all, but this was a great listen. Totally unexpected, too. Good stuff.
I was a bit skeptical about a hip hop album I hadn't heard of at this point in the project, but it really won me over the more I listened. The backing tracks are absolutely fantastic, the material is interesting and relevant, and overall, that's terrific rap!
Some high production value with top caliber producers...yet it came across as a bit generic sounding to me. Not bad, but not overly special either.
Another "recent" artist I've never heard of. I loved the orchestral bits. Pretty darn good!
Holy crap this is one of the most enjoyable hip hop albums I’ve listened to! From the cinematic opening notes this album is brilliantly entertaining. The lyrics illuminate fascinating scenes and the music kept surprising me over and over again. Pressure sounded like it was backed by the most wonderful 80s television show themes ever created! How could a song bite as hard as American Terrorist and be so incredibly catchy? Left me pretty much breathless - not something that I was expecting from this genre. I’ve listened to and albums for 1086 days in a row and I am still being served up some terrific surprises! Two more albums to go - I don’t know how they’ll outdo this but then again I was thinking that about yesterday’s album…
Wasn't bad.
oddly wholesome at times
cool
Didn’t really do anything for me.
A lot of uh...yeah...uh...nomsayin...lemme axe you. In general, just too much of everything, an overload of sounds beating you over the head. And a freakin' 12 minute outro with him shouting out every single person he's met in his entire life. On a positive note, he doesn't go for the violent thug life , disrespecting women, filthy lyrics like some of the other rap albums on this list. It's something.
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.
The production really shines through on this album. It's wild that he had such an incredible team of producers on his debut album. Lyrically, the album is really good as well. It's frankly too bad that this album came out during the 2000s music hellscape. If it had come out during an era where people had taste, it might have done much better 4/5
81% Best: Kick, Push; I Gotcha; Daydreamin'; Hurts Me Soul; Pressure; American Terrorist Must-Hear? Sure
3.5
It's probably dismissive to heavily compare this to Kanye West, but the points of comparison are there: Chicago-based conscious rapper in an era when gangsta rap was folding. West even has some hands on this project. All that being said, Fiasco holds his own: I had this record on my iPod back in the day and completely forgot how much I love the track "I Gotcha". The beats can be placed to a time and place, but still sound fresh even nearly twenty years later. I'm usually skeptical of an album that has a full reprise of the main single, but "Kick, Push II" has more than enough distinction, and it's a great track on its own. I'm calling this one a 3.5, with a round-up due to him sampling Far (insane pull!). Favorite tracks: "I Gotcha", "Kick, Push", "The Instrumental"
Never got into this guy
A lot of familiar names on an album I'd not heard of. Nice to hear some hip hop without too much ego and having a bit of fun. I think some people would be surprised to hear some of the tricks we're still push as new nearly 20 years later.
2.3 - Yeah this wasn't for me. Nothing really grabbed me and not sure why it made the list honestly
The Instrumental kinda sounds like a Linkin Park song. I appreciate Lupe but most of his music doesn't really resonate with me, generally the production comes across as a bit too glossy, but in its moments there are some really fine tracks here. Fave Tracks: Kick, Push, American Terrorist 3.6/5
Unexpectedly incred
Damn! I don't usually listen to hip-hop, especially since I dislike the repetitiveness and lack of unique melodies. This was not that, and had great brass, exciting sound, and growth throughout the songs.
3.5/5
Sorry, didn't make it past the 3rd song. It's a no for me.
Bit naff in places, probs a 3.8 but will round up.
Okay, a little better than average. I like the more personal tracks. A high 3, but not quite a 4?
Wow what a great 'getting ready to go out' record to stick on. Plus a song about skateboarding. And it's got a Nintendo DS on the cover. Nothing but vague name recognition from me here. Where's he gone? Feels like a name I've not heard in ten years. Well almost every song here just breezes along. Ohhh. Daydreaming! Of course I remember this. Great sample. And yeah this makes total sense that its off this album. Great lyrics on Hurt Me Soul, love a decent rapper sets out philosophy song. American Terrorist too, although that one is a little on the nose. Album is just a bit overlong, even before the extended outro, otherwise this would be getting full marks. He could at least have changed up the backing track once every few minutes.
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.
I’ve always liked this one even though it’s Great Value Kanye. Kick Push is a classic