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Wanna know exactly why Lupe Fiasco is da ****


ash trey

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I was gonna make a thread about The Cool. This thread kind of ruins that plan ash....

I picked it up when it dropped on Tuesday. Dope album. Seriously. It's got a different vibe from Food & Liquor. It's no less quality though. Every song is quality.

It's got songs that anyone can sing to but are hard to master. His flow is really impressive on this album. If you haven't heard his current two singles (Superstar and Dumb it Down), check them out on his myspace. Those are just the tip of the iceberg though.

Go Go Gadget Flow, Hip Hop Saved My Life, Streets on Fire, Intruder Alert, Little Weapon.... DOPE ALBUM.

Snoop's got an appearance on the album too (Hi-Definition). It sounds so good that I think even Julie might like it.

Another winner.

Edit: The performance you posted is great.

God Blessa!

Edited by Silver Tiger
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I can't forgive Lupe for the ATCQ incident @ the hip hop honors, especially after he disrespected them and never apologized. I lost respect for him.

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Your ears are broken.

God Blessa!

Well, considering my taste in music is second to none :stickpoke: , I'll try to explain myself:

1.) His flow does not stand out. I mean, every rapper has something distinct in his flow. You hear a KRS track, you know it's a KRS track and if anyone else bit it, you'd know just because of the swagger/flow in the way the rhymes are written. And that's with ANY rapper, regardless of quality: you know who wrote it by the way the material flows. Lupe's rhymes, while extremely clever, feel like any number of rappers could speak it and you wouldn't know the difference. He doesn't stand out from the pack in his flow. Instead it feels like he follows the curve with a little bit of everyone in his rhymes.

2.) Production is repetitive. The first album was notable in the diversity of production, while this album feels like Linkin Park was behind every song. Very inorganic music with too much of that signature altered drum and that signature altered snare and the signature altered clap...it's all signature in the sense so many synth bands overuse it, and now Lupe jumps into that mix.

3.) His breathe points in the music feel forced. This is a minor problem, but Kanye too has the same problem. It feels like a physical barrier they have in the way they rap that is very noticable. They break abnormally at correct intervals. It's as if they want to rhyme into the middle of a verse and take a breathe, yet they don't because they know the correct intervals, so they end up taking forced breathes early.

4.) The introduction. It really feels like Lupe gets too high and mighty with these poems. I don't like them and it really just makes me not interested.

5.) He attacks too many themes at once. Guns in the hands of children? Good conversation topic. Oh, now obesity in America? Where's the transition? Why the forced run around the world of topics. It feels like his effort is spread thin by trying to be this uber-conscious rapper, when he could specialize on a few topics and be hailed as an awesome political MC.

6.) This is an offshoot of #5 but I feel, especially with him saying he will retire after the third album, that he's trying to attain a lofty status and in doing so squeezing in so many different themes into one album to build his catalog. The fact is, you don't become legendary that way. You become notable in the time period you performed, but it's how you consistently create that causes people to categorize you in the higher ranks of whatever genre or niche you're going for.

I just think he tries to do too much in too little and ends up turning me, the listener, away.

Maybe I'm the only one, and if so, that's fine.

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I read your reply this morning but I had to get going so now is my first chance to reply. I've had the time to think about what you said while listening to the CD in my car. Me being the music master that I am have come up with my 6 counter-points to prove why you are wrong and I, the Great Chris, am right:

1. Flow: Completely disagree with you. When I hear a Lupe track I know it's a Lupe track. Without including his mixtape songs- The Instrumental, The Cool, Hurt Me Soul, Daydreamin', Go Go Gadget Flow, Superstar, Hip-Hop Saved My Life, Streets on Fire, and Dumb it Down are just some examples of a recognizable flow. I don't know if you're saying this because his flow changes sometimes from song to song but that's the case with many artists.

2. I'll give you this, Food & Liquor's production was very organic. Everything fit together really well. The Cool has great production on though as well and I think it doesn't make much sense hating on it. Go Go Gadget Flow sounds nothing like Paris, Tokyo. Hip-Hop Saved My Life sound nothing like Go Baby. Hi-Definition sounds nothing like Hello/Goodbye. I could go on and on with this. You're not making sense. I'm interested in what you think of F&L because I think the beats on that album are more similar to each other than those of The Cool.

3. You're making an odd point. An odd point that I again disagree with. I'm listening to him right now and if the guy didn't pause when he does then he'd run out breath and out of words. I really don't see what you want from him here. His flow is correct on the beat and there's just enough words on each bar. Some rappers do too much (Kweli does this sometimes) and some do too little. Give me an example of what you're saying because he sounds good when he raps. Timing doesn't feel forced at all. I'm listening to He Say, She Say right now. Sounds good.

4. Introduction. So do you hate all Slam Poetry then? Most have some sort of message to them. Lupe doesn't right the introductions, by the way. They are there as a general introduction to the theme of the album. I don't feel like they are "high and mighty". I feel like they ask you to take a look at yourself and the world around you.

5. I don't think Lupe is trying to be a political emcee. Why is it unacceptable talking about many different big topics? I've had my fill of bad rappers talking about the same stupid topic ALL the time. How many different topics does Will Smith tackle in Tell Me Why? How much can Black Star squeeze into one verse? The great collection of his songs are not doing what Intruder Alert does. His albums are a collection of good songs. The albums have a theme and a story to them. And even that story is spread to only about 5 or 6 of the songs. It's about making good music.

6. Fame. "FACT IS" you're really just saying that's his goal. Fact is you don't know his master plan. His first album wasn't called "Get Rich or Die Trying", it was called "Food & Liquor". Lupe's become a big deal but he's not HUGE. The people who listen to him wish that more would do the same. With his amount of success, retiring after three albums does not scream "Look at me. I'm a great, conscious rapper and I'm going to retire after my third album." I think he HAS established himself. He's known as a great rapper that spits intelligent rhymes. That's how he's made his name and he's not doing anything that distracts from that.

I don't think he's nearly as complicated as you're making him out to be.

God Blessa!

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