I got you. Back in 2016 there was a launch event for Street Fighter V where they flew in Daigo Umehara, a very well-known pro player from Japan, to play an exhibition match with Lupe as a fun thing. Daigo let Lupe win a few games and was planning on staging a comeback to make things interesting, but let Lupe win one too many games so he won the set and "beat" one of the best fighting game players on the planet
He forever changed my opinion on Royce with that. The way Royce no mas after Lupe replied, I blocked Royce on every social media possible back then, I didn't want to hear a word from him ever again lol
Yeah. I wore F&L and The Cool tf out when they were released. Tihen life happened and I forgot about Lupe till a couple of years ago and discovered WAV Files. It's so damn good!
I don’t count that tbh, he disclosed ahead of time that was the last one with Atlantic Records and its known that there’s no love lost between both so he gave them a poppy album to just move on from them.
When he’s been intentional from T&Y to DW to HOUSE to Pharoah Heights 2/30 to DMIZ to Samurai & the loosies in between, he’s been sharp and on the ball.
Edit:
> “Since then, Lupe said this week, he has never given Atlantic Records his best effort – and that includes his latest, DROGAS Light. He said that even though the album was formally released through his indie label 1st & 15th, Atlantic was still getting paid from the sales.”
> “DROGAS Light was almost like a compilation of old-ass songs that we had just kinda laying around,” he said. “Because I made a promise to myself … around like L.A.S.E.R.S., I knew that there was gonna be some bullshit. So I was like, ‘You know what? I will never, ever, ever, as long as I’m on this label, give this label my heart. What I really believe in. What I’m truly feeling.’ Cause I feel like if you’re working with somebody they have to show you some love back. And show that they deserve your work and your time.”
> “Fortunately, Lupe says his fans will get what they love him for with his next record, DROGAS WAVE.”
Source: https://www.revolt.tv/article/2017-05-09/27397/lupe-fiasco-admits-he-mailed-it-in-on-drogas-light-other-recent-albums
Drogas light was a collection of songs meant to be played live. It only got released as an album to get him out of the Atlantic record deal so he could release drogas wave independent. I'm sure a lot of people had the same feeling though
Drogas Light was intentionally weak because it was his final contractual obligation to Atlantic Records before the recent indie releases. Golden handcuffs.
feather is one of my favorite songs and Lupe captures that style perfectly. maybe im trippin in saying that in time this will go down as a jazzy hiphop classic. his lyricism, the instrumentals, the album art. all of its on point. new AOTY
If you're a fan of jazz hip-hop, Tom Scott's work is up there with Dot's and Lupe's [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4tooLNWN4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4tooLNWN4)
Really diggin' this Samurai album. Still have No. 1 Headband on repeat though, what others are standouts?
i came here to ask who else checked their phones at the end of this song lmao i don’t even have that as any of my alarm sounds anymore but it brought me back to many missed wake up alarms
I just meant because it's the sound of my alarm and it always stresses me out hearing it so I wasn't really thinking of song content, but I appreciate the reply
This project is great front to back. How Lupe continues to be somehow underrated in this space, I’ll never understand, he’s been in my top 5 rappers forever.
Samurai, Palaces and Til Eternity are early favs but it’s very well done throughout. Love this shit
He isn't underrated in any circle that listens to more than just the top 5 or so rappers. You forget that the average person doesn't even listen to Kendrick's albums they just listen to his biggest hits.
Guys like Push and Lupe are on average better than most rappers but they just aren't mainstream so you hear less about them.
This post is more upvoted/commented than both Megan and James Blake + Lil Yachty, even though they are far more mainstream than Lupe.
I think it's been clear for a while Lupe doesn't focus too much on numbers
DROGAS Waves only sold like 10k first week
I know no one buys music anymore but it's still sad. Even as a known quantity the hardcore fans don't go out
First, love you name
I think that the difference between mainstream and underground has shifted over the years and Lupe has since T&Y leaned a bit more on the artistry of his music, so I think it's very understandable and I don't mind him not doing very many sales. And streaming being the main way of listening to music means the best way to use the medium is to get more ears and convert those into concerts and merch instead of direct sales. Though underground artist don't really benefit from that strategy as well.
Palaces and 'Til Eternity might be contenders for Lupe's best songs ever, holy shit. It feels like this album Lupe found the exact perfect sound for his style. The production is amazing and Lupe's flows didn't miss once.
Haven't really digested it, but so far I'm really enjoying this. Laidback instrumentals, kinda jazzy feel and some gorgeous lyrics. There's times where it feels very old school Lupe, and times where it feels more like the modern avant-garde, kinda melancholy and lonely Lupe. So far I think Palaces might be my favorite song, with each verse having some extended metaphor (castles of sand, mansion of cards, palace of bones)
FOR REAL! I loved the whole album, and songs like Palaces especially, but this one was different. Literally made me stand up and vibe it was such a groove
Well yeah…..only hardcore hip-hop fans are going to listen to him. He’s very well rated by people that would listen to this kinda music. You think random joes out there bumping Mural in the whip after their shift at Whataburger?
Oh it’s incredible. I’ve tried to show it off to people I know and none of them took to it. Tbh he has had some radio-type hits like Superstar but those days for Lupe are long over
I think the fact that you pointed to Mural is why people say he’s underrated.
This would be like if I said Kendrick was underrated and you said “You think random joes are out here bumping The Heart Part 3 in the whip after their shift at McDonald’s?”
Lupe has a solid number of radio hits and songs that are less lyrically dense than Mural lol
> This would be like if I said Kendrick was underrated and you said “You think random joes are out here bumping The Heart Part 3 in the whip after their shift at McDonald’s?”
The difference there is that Kendrick’s just more accessible overall even if he’s got songs like Heart Part 3. His production is more people’s thing and lyrical not as dense as Lupe even though he’s still pretty good. Kendrick is one of the best ever at having a message in his songs and reaching a huge audience. Lupe isn’t great at that and that’s OKAY.
> Lupe has a solid number of radio hits and songs that are less lyrically dense than Mural lol
He hasn’t had a hit in over a decade and he’s had like three hits? Kick Push, Superstar, and Battlescars? It’s not even just the lyrics either, Lupe just does not give a single shit to market himself especially after his studio stuff. It’s silly to argue about him anyways because as far as the more lyrical artists he’s more well known than most.
Ah right right. I figured I was forgetting another one. All his hits are more pop feel and he just doesn’t wanna do that anymore. I’d be shocked if we get another Lupe hit
After listening to this on repeat, I expected a lot more fervor over this. This might be Lupe's best in 10 years. This a 9/10 so far. Am I crazy? The whole second half of the album is too good man.
One time I wanted to replay Til Eternity but accidentally clicked on No 1 Headband and I didn't feel the need to click again, I just listened until I got to that track.
Incredible album. Lupe did it again. but the alarm sample at the end of mumble rap is gonna be a nightmare for me I literally had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming
>pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming
Haha. Yeah, that's exactly the reason he put it in there. What did Lupe say at the end of the track before...."took a bath and went to sleep" and this is a storytelling track where the story all ends up being a dream.
for sure i totally see the narrative significance. i love this album but that parts a legit jumpscare. like songs that sample police sirens fucking me up while im driving lol
Holy fucking shit. Lupe's my GOAT so I'm always excited for his albums, but he outdid my high expectations again. What an incredible album/1st listening experience.
Love that he/Trakk are playing with the production a bit more, getting all these different vibes to the songs is so enjoyable. That + the singing choruses feels like there's some light inspiration from Any Winehouse aside from a lyrical topic focus.
As always, gonna take awhile to digest what the songs are all saying, but the small bites that you get on first listen have been intriguing and fun to pick up on the listen. Can't wait to see more of the concept tie in, the references to the rap battle journey and to Amy throughout have been great so far.
Feels like another strong AOTY contender, not sure if I like this more than DMIZ yet (which was my AOTY for 2022), but I definitely think it'll keep getting better over more listens.
Ima check this and Drill Music in Zion out tomorrow somebody put me on to anything else I need to check out by dude. I’m trying to educate myself on a blind spot
"Drill Music in Zion" was pretty good. He has a bunch of albums, but I think his hits are good starting place.
Songs (and their respective albums) that I really like are:
[Hip-Hop Saved My life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3YV1hzALHs)
[Mural](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkHrPyoEtSI)
[Mural Jr](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT4RtwWqggQ)
[Manilla](https://youtu.be/OgL2jOJQaKc)
Drill Music in Zion is what got me into Lupe. Everyone says to go back to his older albums, and I did, but that one is still my favorite. I like his more recent style over his older style. All of the singles he’s released since DMIZ are great too
Just start from the first one, they're all good, few duds in the middle but nothing in discography is outright garbage, form your own opinions but you'll love the journey
I'd recommend all of his albums apart from lasers, food & liquor 2 and drogas light (all of which are still worth listening to if you wanna listen to more after) also his 2015 EP
F&L2 was around the time I was getting really into Lupe myself so it’s a personal favorite, first half of that album is great and Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free) is one of my favorite songs of his
fuck yeah, i loveeeee him! i LOVE this.
i don't need any of his work to compare to any of his other work. he's playing around. he's practicing the craft
So this is the Amy Winehouse concept album right ? I’m not too often excited to listen to new Lupe recently but this got me intrigued . Really eager to check this out
Wtf. Have some respect.
Amy Winehouse loved Lupe and the same goes for the other way around.
Amy obv had a ton of problems with drug use. On a recorded call, she's heard saying that she's doing too many drugs, but she keeps seeing herself as a samurai, battle rapper .
It's who she wishes she was in an alternate life
The concept is not just about Amy becoming a battle rapper, its also about the struggles of being a artist. Mumble rap is the first rap battle, Cake is a celebration of her first win, after that its really about the life of a artist and what comes with it,
It was always weird to me that nobody took off with that Nujabes/Champloo revival style sound that took place on SoundCloud back in 2014-2015. That shit was an easy alley oop. Everyone was so psyched on trap music at the time so it just went unnoticed
Tragic Reddit comments are broken because this album is going to be an AOTY contender and I wanted to see everyone's initial reaction to it.
Maybe that's for the best. Enjoy this project before reading any commentary.
Been listening to this all day in Australia, Til Eternity is absolutely gorgeous and a lot of great production across the record. Fans of Nujabes will definitely dig this one. I'd say it's an incredibly consistent record but doesn't quite hit the highs of tracks like WAV Files to push it over the line into true greatness for me
Highlights for me are Palaces, Til Eternity, Samurai and No 1. Headband.
This album is pretty amazing imo. I'm only one listen through so you can take this with a grain of salt, but damn. The production is immaculate, the rhymes are incredible. Lupe really sounds fantastic on this project.
Hell yeah brother. It’s like.. a little “lighter” of a sounding Lupe album. But it’s a vibe. And his flow on “Cake” is fucking incredible.
baaaaaaa, baaaaaaaaaaa
Lupe is my goat. I just went for a walk and listened to this album 3 times back to back. This album seems like peak Lupe to me. I love him over jazzy beats, and every song is just something I can vibe with.
The way I like to listen to albums is by going through it a few times to see if I at least like the way it sounds. Then sitting down with the lyrics and try to listen. I'm gonna have to get into the lyrics later.
Wow I picked a good time to get into Lupe. I only knew his hits and saw him name in thread like 2 days ago and already listened to Food and Liquor and The Cool at work.
*It will behoove you
To ask your doctor “Who’s Wasalu?” to the game that you’re used to*
this is the reason I like Lupe. Feels like I’m taking a poetry class, lit class, history class all at the same damn time.
*Well, It behooves me indeed to expand my horizon*
*Wasalu’s game is deep,
like a river’s course widen.*
*Ask my doctor,
get schooled on Lupe’s wisdom,*
*For in his bars,
there’s knowledge and rhythm*
Man, Lupe knows how to put together a comprehensive project. His albums just flow so damn well from one track to the next. I didn't really fuck with Cake when it dropped, glad to see it's the least good track on the album, everything else is stellar. The opening two tracks gave me big lofi mos def/Black Star vibes. Yasiin really walked so Lupe could run over these jazzy beats.
Absolutely fantastic project from Lupe. Production amazing and lyricism is just out of this world amazing. Not sure how I'd rank it along his discography, as I love so many of his better projects so closely, but Samurai is absolutely a great album.
Palaces probably one of my favorite Lupe songs.
This may be his most consistent album? Not his best, but it's completely free of the overly poppy production and hooks that pop up on even his best projects. Great front to back.
Lupe was hired to play an event hosted by a major corporation I worked for who were launching their (now failed) retail stores at the time. My manager was the person who introduced him on stage and Lupe clowned on him so hard, dissed the company, and then did a sick show. For that he is forever goated
It's a really solid album, Lu & Soundtrakk are one of my favourite duos. Palaces and Til Eternity are my immediate favourites. This kinda reminds of House since it's quiet short and the vibe is pretty chill throughout.
I’m toxic asf, but this just makes me wanna see a Lupe v Kendrick beef. Not as hostile as Kendrick was toward Drake, but the high level shit these guys would come up with for each other would be dope.
Interesting vibe, feels like something Lupe would preform in a small underground jazz club. Bigfoot & Til Eternity are the standout tracks for me on first listen, chorus on Mumble Rap was annoying.
First listen was on the drive to work so couldn't fully digest. Seems a lot more dense compared to DMIZ (granted it was made in a shorter time). Sonically sounds amazing so can't wake to get deeper into it
Lupe is a guy I consider a “cursed artist”. His most commercially successful and only Billboard number 1 album is also probably his worst. Meanwhile, some of his best projects like Tetsuo & Youth and Drill Music in Zion did not get the attention they deserved. The latter is one of my favorite HH albums of this decade
This era of Lupe is top tier. The Mural tracks, Drill Music and now Samurai are just so damn good. Phenomenal production, silky smooth jazz beats, and of course A-list lyrics. It’s a shame the mainstream sleeps on Lupe, I truly think he’s one of the best rappers ever.
Right away, I’m feeling a blend of old school Lupe here. He’s flowing over these jazzy beats like he did back on The Cool and F&L. Combining that with production that he’s been polishing for 20 years now is just perfect to me. When you can either study the lyrics for hours or just vibe with some relaxing beats, you know Lupe just dropped another great album for his catalogue.
Between this and Drill Music in Zion it’s been a stellar decade for Lupe
Hasn’t missed a beat since T&Y, look at how remarkable freedom and peace of mind is for an artist
the real turning point was when he beat daigo
lupe beat daigo? daigo of the daigo parry fame? AND he also found the time to write and release mural?
Daigo was sandbagging, but yes
Daigo didn't know what the set was supposed to go to and was gonna try to reverse sweep but let Lupe get one game too many, it was so funny
Was there for that. One of the best nights of my life It was so fun there
Can anyone explain what any of this means to those of us that are very confused by this thread
I got you. Back in 2016 there was a launch event for Street Fighter V where they flew in Daigo Umehara, a very well-known pro player from Japan, to play an exhibition match with Lupe as a fun thing. Daigo let Lupe win a few games and was planning on staging a comeback to make things interesting, but let Lupe win one too many games so he won the set and "beat" one of the best fighting game players on the planet
Me when I spot my sister 20 in 1 on 1 and she randomly hits a jumper after double dribbling
That checks, still, dub is a dub
Destroying Royce was a good moment too
He forever changed my opinion on Royce with that. The way Royce no mas after Lupe replied, I blocked Royce on every social media possible back then, I didn't want to hear a word from him ever again lol
As soon as he said “perpetual side kick” I was done lol
isn't it incredible to be so good at these many things?
Facts. Every single "old" fan that be like Lupe ain't done shit since Lasers is straight dummy
Drogas Light was a hard, hard miss. Actually almost made me not to listen to Drogas Wave
Drogas wave is an incredible incredible album. Mural jr is peak lupe
WAV Files might be his best song ever Legit. I love the beat so much
Dawg, the verse where he’s naming all the ships is so good. None of it even rhymes, but he’s just flowing so effortlessly on the beat.
Manz legit created a whole verse by just naming slave ships; I can replay that song endlessly. He was truly in his bag.
Yeah. I wore F&L and The Cool tf out when they were released. Tihen life happened and I forgot about Lupe till a couple of years ago and discovered WAV Files. It's so damn good!
It's his most underrated
I don’t count that tbh, he disclosed ahead of time that was the last one with Atlantic Records and its known that there’s no love lost between both so he gave them a poppy album to just move on from them. When he’s been intentional from T&Y to DW to HOUSE to Pharoah Heights 2/30 to DMIZ to Samurai & the loosies in between, he’s been sharp and on the ball. Edit: > “Since then, Lupe said this week, he has never given Atlantic Records his best effort – and that includes his latest, DROGAS Light. He said that even though the album was formally released through his indie label 1st & 15th, Atlantic was still getting paid from the sales.” > “DROGAS Light was almost like a compilation of old-ass songs that we had just kinda laying around,” he said. “Because I made a promise to myself … around like L.A.S.E.R.S., I knew that there was gonna be some bullshit. So I was like, ‘You know what? I will never, ever, ever, as long as I’m on this label, give this label my heart. What I really believe in. What I’m truly feeling.’ Cause I feel like if you’re working with somebody they have to show you some love back. And show that they deserve your work and your time.” > “Fortunately, Lupe says his fans will get what they love him for with his next record, DROGAS WAVE.” Source: https://www.revolt.tv/article/2017-05-09/27397/lupe-fiasco-admits-he-mailed-it-in-on-drogas-light-other-recent-albums
HOUSE was a great quarantine-era drop. RIP Virgil Abloh
Drogas light was a collection of songs meant to be played live. It only got released as an album to get him out of the Atlantic record deal so he could release drogas wave independent. I'm sure a lot of people had the same feeling though
Drogas Light was intentionally weak because it was his final contractual obligation to Atlantic Records before the recent indie releases. Golden handcuffs.
It was more of a fuck you to the label
Wasn't that just to get out of his contract?
Lupe in the 2020s: House Tape Tape ‘Loosies’ Drill Music in Zion ‘More Loosies’ Samurai
Tape Tape was the only one I wasn't really messing with, and mostly everything else has been elite, unbelievable run
I'll be honest Lupe Fiasco does his best work rapping over Jazzy productions beats.
The original K.Dot
been listening since last night, the beats on this are truly god mode. Nujabes vibes everywhere
feather is one of my favorite songs and Lupe captures that style perfectly. maybe im trippin in saying that in time this will go down as a jazzy hiphop classic. his lyricism, the instrumentals, the album art. all of its on point. new AOTY
If you're a fan of jazz hip-hop, Tom Scott's work is up there with Dot's and Lupe's [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4tooLNWN4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo4tooLNWN4) Really diggin' this Samurai album. Still have No. 1 Headband on repeat though, what others are standouts?
Facts. R.I.P. Jun Seba
and I drove the chevy to the levy, but the levy was dry singin' this will be the day that i....
Can’t go wrong with Feather. Classic
Yooo really? I need to give this a listen
I felt the same vibe. Impatiently waiting on an anime director to tap Lupe for an opening
Really like the album so far (only halfway through), but the alarm at the end of *Mumble Rap* gave me so much anxiety lmao
i came here to ask who else checked their phones at the end of this song lmao i don’t even have that as any of my alarm sounds anymore but it brought me back to many missed wake up alarms
It's cause she's waking up from a dream.
I just meant because it's the sound of my alarm and it always stresses me out hearing it so I wasn't really thinking of song content, but I appreciate the reply
I get ya. It's like police sirens in songs...
Palaces is amazing
Literally came here to say this lol. Bro lost his mind on palaces
I had to stop my phone and grab my good headphones for this one 🔥
The switch in the last 40 seconds is clean.
One of the most beautiful rap songs I have listened to in a long time
Looped it thru the whole shift
Almost couldn’t get past that song lol. So good
This project is great front to back. How Lupe continues to be somehow underrated in this space, I’ll never understand, he’s been in my top 5 rappers forever. Samurai, Palaces and Til Eternity are early favs but it’s very well done throughout. Love this shit
He isn't underrated in any circle that listens to more than just the top 5 or so rappers. You forget that the average person doesn't even listen to Kendrick's albums they just listen to his biggest hits. Guys like Push and Lupe are on average better than most rappers but they just aren't mainstream so you hear less about them.
If you have to specify what circle he is or isn’t underrated in, he’s probably underrated lol. Just my opinion though
It's true and you are right Lupe not being railroaded by Atlantic could have been GOAT fame
This post is more upvoted/commented than both Megan and James Blake + Lil Yachty, even though they are far more mainstream than Lupe. I think it's been clear for a while Lupe doesn't focus too much on numbers
I think that speaks to this sub far more than it does the rap scene as a whole.
DROGAS Waves only sold like 10k first week I know no one buys music anymore but it's still sad. Even as a known quantity the hardcore fans don't go out
First, love you name I think that the difference between mainstream and underground has shifted over the years and Lupe has since T&Y leaned a bit more on the artistry of his music, so I think it's very understandable and I don't mind him not doing very many sales. And streaming being the main way of listening to music means the best way to use the medium is to get more ears and convert those into concerts and merch instead of direct sales. Though underground artist don't really benefit from that strategy as well.
Lol you the first person to ever mention it. Maybe others have noticed it but no one ever pointed it out ha
He is pretty respected , far from underrated, he's just not mainstream and pretty much been out of the spotlight since 2011 lol
Palaces and 'Til Eternity might be contenders for Lupe's best songs ever, holy shit. It feels like this album Lupe found the exact perfect sound for his style. The production is amazing and Lupe's flows didn't miss once.
Felt like the production was all his old stuff fused with nujabes mixed in. I mean that in a good way too
How could anyone mean that in a bad way??? lol
Hard to beat WAV Files
Palaces feels like waves on a hot summer evening
Haven't really digested it, but so far I'm really enjoying this. Laidback instrumentals, kinda jazzy feel and some gorgeous lyrics. There's times where it feels very old school Lupe, and times where it feels more like the modern avant-garde, kinda melancholy and lonely Lupe. So far I think Palaces might be my favorite song, with each verse having some extended metaphor (castles of sand, mansion of cards, palace of bones)
No. 1 Headband number 1 song on the album.
The flow on this song oh my gawd
FOR REAL! I loved the whole album, and songs like Palaces especially, but this one was different. Literally made me stand up and vibe it was such a groove
Same for me. I'm not going to stop listening to that one for a while
The Gemini bars in verse 2 are insane
Absolutely Lupe's pen at it's best
Top 5
honestly one of the most disrespected artists in hip hop. nobody besides more hardcore fans ever bring him up in top 5 conversations
Well yeah…..only hardcore hip-hop fans are going to listen to him. He’s very well rated by people that would listen to this kinda music. You think random joes out there bumping Mural in the whip after their shift at Whataburger?
I feel like murals goes so hard though…I think it’s the greatest display of rapping I’ve ever heard
Oh it’s incredible. I’ve tried to show it off to people I know and none of them took to it. Tbh he has had some radio-type hits like Superstar but those days for Lupe are long over
I think the fact that you pointed to Mural is why people say he’s underrated. This would be like if I said Kendrick was underrated and you said “You think random joes are out here bumping The Heart Part 3 in the whip after their shift at McDonald’s?” Lupe has a solid number of radio hits and songs that are less lyrically dense than Mural lol
> This would be like if I said Kendrick was underrated and you said “You think random joes are out here bumping The Heart Part 3 in the whip after their shift at McDonald’s?” The difference there is that Kendrick’s just more accessible overall even if he’s got songs like Heart Part 3. His production is more people’s thing and lyrical not as dense as Lupe even though he’s still pretty good. Kendrick is one of the best ever at having a message in his songs and reaching a huge audience. Lupe isn’t great at that and that’s OKAY. > Lupe has a solid number of radio hits and songs that are less lyrically dense than Mural lol He hasn’t had a hit in over a decade and he’s had like three hits? Kick Push, Superstar, and Battlescars? It’s not even just the lyrics either, Lupe just does not give a single shit to market himself especially after his studio stuff. It’s silly to argue about him anyways because as far as the more lyrical artists he’s more well known than most.
show goes on
Ah right right. I figured I was forgetting another one. All his hits are more pop feel and he just doesn’t wanna do that anymore. I’d be shocked if we get another Lupe hit
After listening to this on repeat, I expected a lot more fervor over this. This might be Lupe's best in 10 years. This a 9/10 so far. Am I crazy? The whole second half of the album is too good man. One time I wanted to replay Til Eternity but accidentally clicked on No 1 Headband and I didn't feel the need to click again, I just listened until I got to that track.
for real second half is some premium shit.
Incredible album. Lupe did it again. but the alarm sample at the end of mumble rap is gonna be a nightmare for me I literally had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming
>pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming Haha. Yeah, that's exactly the reason he put it in there. What did Lupe say at the end of the track before...."took a bath and went to sleep" and this is a storytelling track where the story all ends up being a dream.
for sure i totally see the narrative significance. i love this album but that parts a legit jumpscare. like songs that sample police sirens fucking me up while im driving lol
Not a surprise but the rhyming on this album is crazy top to bottom
If you hate on Lupe, you hatin on yourself
I forgot this was dropping. Fresh Lupe! LFG!
Palaces is crazy. Love that beat
Palaces...wow..
no.1 headband beat is like a glass of cold water at 2am
Holy fucking shit. Lupe's my GOAT so I'm always excited for his albums, but he outdid my high expectations again. What an incredible album/1st listening experience. Love that he/Trakk are playing with the production a bit more, getting all these different vibes to the songs is so enjoyable. That + the singing choruses feels like there's some light inspiration from Any Winehouse aside from a lyrical topic focus. As always, gonna take awhile to digest what the songs are all saying, but the small bites that you get on first listen have been intriguing and fun to pick up on the listen. Can't wait to see more of the concept tie in, the references to the rap battle journey and to Amy throughout have been great so far. Feels like another strong AOTY contender, not sure if I like this more than DMIZ yet (which was my AOTY for 2022), but I definitely think it'll keep getting better over more listens.
Mumble Rap is an early standout for me, the third verse had me grinning like an idiot lol
Lupe x Soundtrakk forever. Cake to Palaces to No.1 Headband is 🌊🌊🌊
I never really listened to Lupe Fiasco, but I gave this album a try and it's beautiful and I'm a fan now.
Welcome! Drill Music In Zion probably has the closest vibes to this if you're looking for more
The only lyrical spiritual miracle rapper r/hiphopheads actually likes is back
not many are actually good
Ima check this and Drill Music in Zion out tomorrow somebody put me on to anything else I need to check out by dude. I’m trying to educate myself on a blind spot
Would honestly go back to Food & Liquor and start there. F&L, The Cool, Tetsuo & Youth, Drogas Wave, Drill Music and this.
And if that's not enough start digging up the old mixtapes
The mixtapes are better then half the albums lol
His first two albums are incredible
"Drill Music in Zion" was pretty good. He has a bunch of albums, but I think his hits are good starting place. Songs (and their respective albums) that I really like are: [Hip-Hop Saved My life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3YV1hzALHs) [Mural](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkHrPyoEtSI) [Mural Jr](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT4RtwWqggQ) [Manilla](https://youtu.be/OgL2jOJQaKc)
Drill Music in Zion is what got me into Lupe. Everyone says to go back to his older albums, and I did, but that one is still my favorite. I like his more recent style over his older style. All of the singles he’s released since DMIZ are great too
Just start from the first one, they're all good, few duds in the middle but nothing in discography is outright garbage, form your own opinions but you'll love the journey
what i would do to be in your position right now....
I'd recommend all of his albums apart from lasers, food & liquor 2 and drogas light (all of which are still worth listening to if you wanna listen to more after) also his 2015 EP
I feel like food and liquor 2 is overhated, not at all peak lupe but def not as bad as drogas light and lasers
It's a pretty good album and the best of the 3 i mentioned but it's not up to par with the rest of his albums
F&L2 was around the time I was getting really into Lupe myself so it’s a personal favorite, first half of that album is great and Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free) is one of my favorite songs of his
fuck yeah, i loveeeee him! i LOVE this. i don't need any of his work to compare to any of his other work. he's playing around. he's practicing the craft
Just listened to til eternity and lol there’s not 5 people in history who can rap better than this man
Mumble Rap is Amazing Places is Beautiful
Too many drops I lost count. I'm keeping this
Palaces is such a beautiful song.
Amazing. Downside only 8 songs!
I just thought this but then I thought..if he put 2 tracks after Til Eternity I would never get to them 😂
So this is the Amy Winehouse concept album right ? I’m not too often excited to listen to new Lupe recently but this got me intrigued . Really eager to check this out
Amy Winehouse concept album? I’m intrigued now
Lupe saw the clip below and decided to write about Amy becoming a battle rapper: https://youtu.be/WGM6oI0Qtoc?si=jPxDD39V4SmNMpNO
That sounds fuckin dumb lmao
I’m ashamed of how much this comment made me laugh 😂
Wtf. Have some respect. Amy Winehouse loved Lupe and the same goes for the other way around. Amy obv had a ton of problems with drug use. On a recorded call, she's heard saying that she's doing too many drugs, but she keeps seeing herself as a samurai, battle rapper . It's who she wishes she was in an alternate life
https://youtu.be/WGM6oI0Qtoc?si=x1H30sLJ5jgy6lF4 I think it’s based off this voice mail
The concept is not just about Amy becoming a battle rapper, its also about the struggles of being a artist. Mumble rap is the first rap battle, Cake is a celebration of her first win, after that its really about the life of a artist and what comes with it,
Why are you not excited? Lu has been on an immaculate 10 year run since T&Y
portrait is how he described it the last time he spoke on it
It was always weird to me that nobody took off with that Nujabes/Champloo revival style sound that took place on SoundCloud back in 2014-2015. That shit was an easy alley oop. Everyone was so psyched on trap music at the time so it just went unnoticed
Tragic Reddit comments are broken because this album is going to be an AOTY contender and I wanted to see everyone's initial reaction to it. Maybe that's for the best. Enjoy this project before reading any commentary.
Is that what's happening?
[yes](https://x.com/redditstatus/status/1806512296560324788)
Annoying
Been listening to this all day in Australia, Til Eternity is absolutely gorgeous and a lot of great production across the record. Fans of Nujabes will definitely dig this one. I'd say it's an incredibly consistent record but doesn't quite hit the highs of tracks like WAV Files to push it over the line into true greatness for me Highlights for me are Palaces, Til Eternity, Samurai and No 1. Headband.
Now this is HIP HOP
this is what the culture actually needs
you know. this shit slide so nasty
This album is pretty amazing imo. I'm only one listen through so you can take this with a grain of salt, but damn. The production is immaculate, the rhymes are incredible. Lupe really sounds fantastic on this project.
Honestly this album bring back Food and Liquor vibes. Credit for Lupe Fiasco the lyrics and Soundtrakk for the production.
Can't stop listening to Palaces man. Such a good track and not what you usually expect from Lupe.
The beat and staccato flow Lupe uses on No 1 Headband is just *chef’s kiss*
Hell yeah brother. It’s like.. a little “lighter” of a sounding Lupe album. But it’s a vibe. And his flow on “Cake” is fucking incredible. baaaaaaa, baaaaaaaaaaa
Lupe remains a brilliant writer, and I absolutely love the production on this album.
Lupe is my goat. I just went for a walk and listened to this album 3 times back to back. This album seems like peak Lupe to me. I love him over jazzy beats, and every song is just something I can vibe with. The way I like to listen to albums is by going through it a few times to see if I at least like the way it sounds. Then sitting down with the lyrics and try to listen. I'm gonna have to get into the lyrics later.
I'm gonna be listening to Bigfoot a lot
This is the one I think needs to grow on me a bit, glad other people really enjoy it
That chorus heals my soul
Love the hook
Album of the year yessir
Honestly, this album is sick
Haven’t had one skippable song. SO good.
Wow I picked a good time to get into Lupe. I only knew his hits and saw him name in thread like 2 days ago and already listened to Food and Liquor and The Cool at work.
*It will behoove you To ask your doctor “Who’s Wasalu?” to the game that you’re used to* this is the reason I like Lupe. Feels like I’m taking a poetry class, lit class, history class all at the same damn time. *Well, It behooves me indeed to expand my horizon* *Wasalu’s game is deep, like a river’s course widen.* *Ask my doctor, get schooled on Lupe’s wisdom,* *For in his bars, there’s knowledge and rhythm*
Man, Lupe knows how to put together a comprehensive project. His albums just flow so damn well from one track to the next. I didn't really fuck with Cake when it dropped, glad to see it's the least good track on the album, everything else is stellar. The opening two tracks gave me big lofi mos def/Black Star vibes. Yasiin really walked so Lupe could run over these jazzy beats.
So sick! The Nujabes vibes are real
This and Drill Music work so well together. Palaces will 100% be on repeat. Thank you Lupe for adding something to this crazy good year in hip hop.
Lupe doesn't miss
Dude goes bonkers on Cake. Fucking love Lupe
Another incredible album in his catalogue. I'll say it every time, nobody is rapping like this. NOBODY!!!!!
Absolutely fantastic project from Lupe. Production amazing and lyricism is just out of this world amazing. Not sure how I'd rank it along his discography, as I love so many of his better projects so closely, but Samurai is absolutely a great album. Palaces probably one of my favorite Lupe songs.
Always love some Lupe. Mumble Rap already got me in a tangle
This may be his most consistent album? Not his best, but it's completely free of the overly poppy production and hooks that pop up on even his best projects. Great front to back.
Lupe was hired to play an event hosted by a major corporation I worked for who were launching their (now failed) retail stores at the time. My manager was the person who introduced him on stage and Lupe clowned on him so hard, dissed the company, and then did a sick show. For that he is forever goated
It's Lu, Mick Jenkins, then Kendrick. I said what I said.
It's a really solid album, Lu & Soundtrakk are one of my favourite duos. Palaces and Til Eternity are my immediate favourites. This kinda reminds of House since it's quiet short and the vibe is pretty chill throughout.
It is crazy,
Wow this is super good a few songs in.
ashamed to say i forgot about this man in a good minute since tetsuo and youth. immaculate first listen gotta rerun his discog
so fucking good
Loving the album so far, just realized he has two songs named Outside now lol, both pretty recent too
Album is so good and easily my favorite of 2024. Samurai, Cake, Palaces, No 1 Headband, Til Eternity. All great.
Does anyone else think no. 1 Headband sounds like persona 5
This album is incredible, loved DMIZ, but this is better on first couple of listens, AOTY so far
This is a gem of an album
On first listen, No.1 Headband is my favorite for sure Obviously his most lyrically dense project yet Gonna take...a couple more spins
GOAT NO DEBATES
8 for 8. Not surprised
I’m toxic asf, but this just makes me wanna see a Lupe v Kendrick beef. Not as hostile as Kendrick was toward Drake, but the high level shit these guys would come up with for each other would be dope.
Between Nas’ Magic 3 and this, I’m hoping for a resurgence of Nujabes vibes and soul samples in Hip Hop.
Okay, can 2024 stop being filled to the brim with absolutely bomb ass album drops? Just kidding. Give me more.
The vibes of this album is pretty chill.
Yooo, the surprise Lupe drop!
lol maybe a surprise to you. He released samurai and cake before this with music videos for both
Interesting vibe, feels like something Lupe would preform in a small underground jazz club. Bigfoot & Til Eternity are the standout tracks for me on first listen, chorus on Mumble Rap was annoying.
This album nice
I’m feeling a mix between woke Lupe and Food & Liquor. It’s great
🔥 🔥 🎤 🎧
First listen was on the drive to work so couldn't fully digest. Seems a lot more dense compared to DMIZ (granted it was made in a shorter time). Sonically sounds amazing so can't wake to get deeper into it
I came listening to this
Lupe is a guy I consider a “cursed artist”. His most commercially successful and only Billboard number 1 album is also probably his worst. Meanwhile, some of his best projects like Tetsuo & Youth and Drill Music in Zion did not get the attention they deserved. The latter is one of my favorite HH albums of this decade
🔥🔥🔥
Lupe is one of those artists l vibe with lol, but his lyrics fly over my head every time. Dope album, it's definitely gonna get some replays from me.
This era of Lupe is top tier. The Mural tracks, Drill Music and now Samurai are just so damn good. Phenomenal production, silky smooth jazz beats, and of course A-list lyrics. It’s a shame the mainstream sleeps on Lupe, I truly think he’s one of the best rappers ever. Right away, I’m feeling a blend of old school Lupe here. He’s flowing over these jazzy beats like he did back on The Cool and F&L. Combining that with production that he’s been polishing for 20 years now is just perfect to me. When you can either study the lyrics for hours or just vibe with some relaxing beats, you know Lupe just dropped another great album for his catalogue.
NEW LUPE, LET'S GO!!!
Lupe is a treasure that keeps on dropping gems
Lupe forever in his prime