It’s been six years since Lupe first released the Food & Liquor album (which earned Lupe much rep) and six years later the sequel is on the way ,in the form of Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, is knocking on hip hop’s door and is considered to be The Great One.*Dayuummm!*
An uncommon rapper, unique in all aspects, whose talent quickly obtained the public’s attention, Lupe has not only survived the game, but has stayed true to the morals and beliefs he stated he had in past. He presented himself as a hero who came to save the rap game, while some took him as weak and others didn’t even consider him a rapper. He didn’t contain any ‘street rep,’ no bling and cars, and was not popular with the honeys…yet, but however was still able to gain a large fan base.
Today he is considered to be one of the realest rappers in the game, who still continues to produce the freshest joints out there, that challenge even the most complex minds and although the title “The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1” might be labeled as an ego gone wild cliché wording, Lupe Fiasco actually introduced the title of the album on his blog on February the 4th, 2009 and the title is therefore really a predestined act which many are willing to accept.
The album cover of” The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1”is entirely black, which is continuing the dark styled motif of the albums true representation and sound and during the much publicised delay of Lupe Fiasco’s “Lasers” album, Fiasco released the song ‘Go To Sleep’ from the new album’s recording sessions, which ended up being very well-received by both fans and critics from the blog world.
The album has mainly been criticized for its production in terms of samples being used for joints like ‘Around My way’, which consists of a sample that was also utilized in the Pete Rock and CL Smooth song ‘They Reminisce Over You’(a track that has evolved into a hip hop staple since its 1992 release), although Pete Rock himself apologised for the outburst after expressing intense displeasure at the song’s producers for choosing ‘T.R.O.Y.’ as the backing sample.
And another critic for his second single was ‘B**ch Bad’, released on June 26, 2012, which even though discusses the misuse of the word “b**ch” in Hip-Hop songs and the negative effects it has in shaping the mindsets of children, because some people regard the word as a powerful statement and not a negative light.*huh..*
To summarise, Lupe Fiasco is not planning on holding back on this one and is definitely revealing his most conscious works yet, while still managing to keep himself real. It is one to look out for, as it could really be The Greatest American Rap Album*Pt.1*
Rudzani Netshiheni
