After a forced hiatus due to various other commitments, we can finally resume the latest weekly series from the OTU brain trust. I must admit, this is fast becoming my personal favourite series in OTU history, purely because it allows both yourselves and I to rediscover tracks that we either once loved or once forgot about, and that’s frankly a lot of fun.
Enough of the self-appreciation.
Click on below for another diversity-laden edition of SYFA, featuring a trio of prominent current mainstream names, alongside a couple of acts that have slipped away somewhat.
In light of “37 SHOOTINGS, 46 VICTIMS & 9 MURDERS” during Chicago’s first ‘warm’ weekend, the Trayvon travesty, 6-year old Aliyah Shell, and in honor of my cousins Ismail & Malik that were gunned down last summer…I felt as though this was the time to drop this song. Shouts to Lupe for helping me paint a vivid picture of what goes on everyday in Chicago and every other ghetto in America.
An excellent introspective effort from two of Chicago’s finest, with some fantastic reflective lyricism from both artists making for a refreshing listen in the current hip-hop climate. The instrumentation and hook work is very well suited too, and this is a well-executed track that conveys a great message and remains very listenable.
Eric Turner’s Youtube channel mentions Turner’s “stadium sound“, and that’s a rather accurate description. I’ve had this song on repeat ever since it was released a short while ago, and it’s stadium pop style is a big reason for that, making for an uplifting and engaging listen that feels suited to any listening environment.
Eric’s been involved in some big tracks with both artists in the past, as Indi’s already covered in the audio review, and their inclusion makes for a big duo of co-signs. I’m a fan of Lupe’s verse on this, with his speed and timing sliding in nicely with the production, whilst Tinie’s contribution is surprisingly enjoyable, alongside the huge Eric Turner vocals which are an excellent listen that really anchor the track.
The video has a likeable spray paint effect throughout, as the respective performers are visualised in an exciting, perpetually-moving art style that adds an unpredictability and uniqueness to the visual, in a relatively simple manner. Decent watch that brings the audio to life.
Eric Turner’s worked with both Tinie Tempah and Lupe Fiasco on separate tracks in the past, so it’s only natural these three come together for a big collaboration (keeping with the theme of transatlantic-ism!).
If you’ve heard any of Eric Turner’s collabos with urban artists from both sides of the Atlantic, then you’ll know what to expect: Very addictive vocals from Eric with a banger of a beat to match. Lupe and Tinie both come through with decent verses, but would it be fair to say that Tinie’s verse is the better of the two? These are controversial times we live in. Download below.
The SNDCLSH, the duo of DJ Lupe Fiasco & DJ Sky Gellatly, have dropped the collaborative remix of “Letting Go” with DJ Kue. They’ve pledged to donate ALL of the proceeds from their upcoming EP to kids in need.
The original was my favourite track from Lasers, and surprisingly the electro-heavy club twist put on it here does work relatively well, particularly as the hook carries over smoothly to the upbeat style. Lots of energy and a pulsating combination of synths and progressive percussion makes this one that could very easily be a club hit with the right exposure. This whole trend of removing vowels from a word though? No thanks.
I’ve not listened to his recent mixtape, but it’s fair to say his material over the last year has met a mixed response. This track, however, shows signs of recovery and is an enjoyable listen.
If Daft Punk ever decided to take a slightly Gothic twist, it would probably sound like this production. Retro electronica, a spacey atmosphere and a generally dark vibe blend surprisingly well together, complimenting Lupe’s distorted vocals, and certainly the board work deserves credit for taking a worthwhile risk in its style. Lupe’s raps are decent, occassionally threatening to burst into controversy and retreating back to a more laidback style, whilst loosely keeping a thread of story together through the verses. Not quite on par with the original American Terrorist (does part II even exist?!), but a decent listen nonetheless.
Anticipated mixtape from Lupe Fiasco, and being the first project to follow his awful Lasers album, there’s a lot of expectation on this one from the longtime Lupe fans.
Early signs are mixed, with criticisms of the beat selection being rife, though the response to his raps seems generally more positive than those found on the aforementioned album. If his most recent track is anything to go by, the view that he’s delivered solid raps over questionable productions is quite understandable; should this be the case, I fear any hopes for a return to the excellent production and rapping found on his first two albums will be permanently dashed. With the mixed messages that followed Lasers‘ release, this seems a pivotal moment for Lupe in deciding whether to pursue a mainstream-friendly sound, or to cater for the dedicated hip-hop heads. Click below to find out which way he’s gone.
Lupe returns with the sort of track that perhaps should have been on his disappointingly mainstream Lasers album. Sampling Ellie Goulding, he creates an enticing mainstream song, without sacrificing his integrity as a rapper, with his verse being intelligent and something that’s worth listening to more than once.
One that will be added to my car playlist immediately! Download below.
The audio was previewed way back in June, and Stump finally releases the visuals for the ode to his (and Lupe’s) hometown of Chicago.
As per the audio review, it’s a really bright, uplifting song that boasts an incredibly infectious positivity that radiates from Stump’s monumental vocals. The heavy pop influence isn’t a bad thing here, as the soaring, progressive production style blends with Stump’s vocals superbly, and accentuating that Michael Jackson influence in his work. The video does a simple enough job of sticking relevant with shots of Chicago, whilst throwing in splashes of colour for a little diversity and richness. The more pop elements are toned down for a very enjoyable Lupe verse that’s delivered with some real style (when did he grow his hair out that much?!), and the video follows suit with a slightly darker, more focused style.
Definitely a pop track that I’ve got time for, and it can be grabbed on iTunes right now.
“Los Angeles rapper Sozay releases the 4th and final single, “Higher” feat. Lupe Fiasco & Corey F.A.M.E. from his forthcoming mixtape ‘Dance With The Devil’. Sozay enrolls Chi-Town’s prodigal son, Lupe Fiasco, on this track which showcases their lyrical acrobatics over a laid back synth beat. The track also features Inglewood’s very own Corey F.A.M.E. who compliments the two emcees nicely on the song’s hook.
The mixtape, hosted by Black Wall Street’s Nu Jerzey Devil, is scheduled to drop August 30, 2011. ‘Dance With The Devil’ features production from Lex Luger as well as guest appearances by Pusha-T, Ace Hood, Lupe Fiasco, and Tech N9ne.”
Nice track for the mainstream crowd, free download for this song by available here.
A huge line-up here. Boasting a nice mix of established rappers and upcoming MCs on this, the track is certainly a diverse listen with a range of rapping styles represented here.
Lupe grabs the opening verse with a couple of neat lines (including an All Saints Spitalfields reference which caught me off-guard!), though it’s the kind of production that his double-time flow would have suited. Trae hops in next a solid verse in those trademark husky tones, doing himself justice with these hip-hop heavyweights. He’s followed by the best verses on the track though: a short, speedy verse from Big Boi that probably steals the track, Wale doing himself justice with a very enjoyable verse, and Wiz closing with a surprisingly well-delivered verse (and follows Lupe with another British reference!) that closes the track in style. Very enjoyable collaborative effort, and a pretty big look for Trae.
The dancing, the courtship of an attractive model, and the squeaky-clean vibe of it all: not only does it perfectly mirror the audio, but it’s a paint-by-numbers chart rap video that Lupe exudes a surprising (well, sort of) level of comfortability in.
The song was certainly not the worst on Lasers by any means, but that’s hardly a compliment given some of the absolute sewage on there, and it was still very rooted in the ‘pop rap’ style that Lupe had previously denounced. This particular track certainly found its highlight in a catchy, well-delivered hook from Atlantic labelmate Trey Songz, a situation also mirrored in the video as Trey probably steals the spotlight by adding a little energy and passion, as well as coming through solidly with his choice of attire. A nice summer vibe flows through the video too, along with bright, expansive cityscapes and a cheesy ‘storyline’, all working to capturing the feelgood nature of the song. Given there wasn’t much to work with, it could have been a lot worse.
Chicago natives Stump and Lupe collaborate once again (forgot the first time? Click here), this time dedicating an uplifting anthem to their home city from Stump’s upcoming Soul Punk album.
Decent enough track too, blending together elements of pop, alternative and R&B for a bright, positive track with a potentially huge mainstream appeal. The vocals are as captivating and catchy as ever from Patrick, with a heavy Michael Jackson influence evident in his opening verse, and though the lyrics aren’t anything spectacular for a man of Stump’s ability, it’s clearly a chart-targeted track which reduces the need for over-complication. Whilst Lupe will inevitably be criticised for being featured on a ‘pop’ track given the heavy backlash of his very poppy Lasers album, his contribution isn’t bad at all, coming through on a speedy flow with decent lyrical content to provide a reminder of what he does have in his locker.
One of Lupe’s better efforts from Lasers gets the visual treatment here with some powerful scenes to compliment those accusing lyrics.
I don’t particularly know much about Lupe but from the opinions I’ve heard about the LP, I’ve come to the uneducated conclusion that fans feel it’s a shame more material like this wasn’t involved on Lasers.
The video itself is shot in an intelligent way, capturing that anger towards the powers that run society. Strong metaphors are utilised throughout perhaps the most startling being the ‘human-muzzle’ whilst Lupe appoints himself as the only person able to speak his mind. Can’t help but feel the director of this took some inspiration from The Clockwork Orange.
Hmm. We had the ‘original’ Lupe version of Nothin’ On You a little under a year ago (which in hindsight, I was very kind on), and now another ‘original demo’ of one of B.o.B’s chart-busting hits appears. Two prevalent thoughts here really: Firstly, Atlantic really wanted these songs out there (and rightfully so, it seems). Secondly, considering how mainstream-focused Lasers ended up being, Lupe seriously lost in not keeping these songs (as well as this one) for himself.
Ignoring how overplayed Airplanes has become, in isolation there’s no denying it’s the sort of contemplative, melodic song Lupe can really turn into something special with intelligent raps, and his verses certainly prove that idea to be true. Grab it and see if you agree: at worst, you’ll have a nice refresh of a previously-overplayed song!
Lupe Fiasco let loose a free song earlier on Twitter today (a sign of the world coming to the end!?) featuring B.o.B. He also revealed this to be a leftover track from Lasers that he didn’t end up finishing. I have absolutely no idea why, as this is better than almost everything on the finished version of Lasers. A pulsating beat, followed by a decent chorus and some fun raps from both Lupe and B.o.B, both of whom flow to the track superbly. It’s not even overly a conscious record, and sounds fittingly like the type of song Atlantic Records would have wanted on the album.
According to Lupe, this was meant to be a peace offering (or a STFU) to those who think he doesn’t put out free music or cares about his fans: instead, it raises more questions and confusion over the direction he took with Lasers. To add some salt to the wounds, Lupe had planned to put Cee-Lo or Janelle Monáe on the third verse of this rather good track. Lupe Fiasco – Who Are You Now ft. B.o.B
I think it’s fair to say that despite Lupe’s Lasers selling very well on a commercial level, on a critical level his album has been panned. I myself felt very let down by the direction Lupe went with (with most of the songs orientated towards a pop sound, with less focus on lyrics), though Lupe Fiasco claims this was mandatory in order for Atlantic to allow him to release it. I won’t go into what I think on the matter, otherwise I’ll be writing for days, but what I will say is Words I Never Said proved to be one of the few songs of its kind on the release.
Here we have an unofficial video of sorts, with the now proving to be popular ‘typography’ type videos that have shown to be a good promotional tool. The song in question is Break The Chain, featuring UK rapper Sway and recent ‘go-to guy’ Eric Turner providing the hook. I like this type of video for songs of a lyrical nature, so this song doesn’t really fit in that regard, however whilst this isn’t a classic Lupe song, I did really enjoy it. As you know by my posts on this site, I have no issues with commercial songs itself if they genuinely sound good like this one.
I haven’t listened to Lasers yet (time constraint, not a boycott!), but from the widespread fan backlash, I can probably safely say that this track should have made it. He’s been performing this live for quite some time, and it was something many looked forward to being on Lasers. I believe it somehow ended up with Tinchy Stryder, but there we are.
This track is pretty much everything the live version promised. Grand, uplifting Eric Turner hook accompanied by a thumping production that will certainly inspire and get your head nodding. Lupe’s lyrics are decent enough, as he comes through on a ‘look towards the sky’ sort of vibe which itself has slight hints of that Food and Liquor style. Certainly a track that could have penetrated the mainstream and would have definitely satisfied his die-hards. Alas, it wasn’t to be, and Lupe’s undoubtedly worse off without it.
Lupe was really on his grind when he took the trip across the pond to visit our glorious shores last week. We had his H.A.M. Freestyle then there was his Moment 4 Life & Girls freestyles, and whilst on DJ Semtex’s 1Xtra show, he joined up with the UK emcee Sway to go in over Kanye West’s Monster.
Lupe absolutely bodies this beat, more than likely leaving Sway wondering why he let Lupe jump in first. On it’s own, Sway’s freestyle would’ve been more than commendable, but following Fiasco’s bars he really needed to step up. Unfortunately I’m not too sure he managed it, but independently it would have been viewed far more favourably.
These Game Changer videos are seriously becoming music highlights of my week. The last two episodes were extremely captivating, and both offered insights into different aspects of each artist’s personalities.
This week’s delves into self-esteem, misconceptions of success/confidence, and even more. It ends on a very inspirational note too, and surely offers a lot of hope to artists who are coming up right now through many of the same struggles these shining lights have faced.
Sadly, this seems to be the last ‘episode’ of this particular series, but hopefully we’ll get another roundtable with some different artists soon, as this was a genuinely enlightening mini-series that probably got more good PR for Atlantic than anything else they’ve ever done!
Two more freestyles from Lupe’s recent visit to the shores of Britian, taking on two very diverse beats. We got a H.A.M. freestyle a few days ago, and now we’ve got him taking on one of the most popular tracks in mainstream media right now, with Nicki and Drake’s Moment 4 Life. It’s a fairly solid beat in fairness, and he comes through with a very tidy flow on this one, complimenting his sharp lyricism nicely.
Huge fan of the leftfield choice for the second freestyle, picking The Prodigy’s Girls to snap on. Unquestionably the best freestyle of the three we’ve posted, Lupe comes through with that high-tempo, high-octane intensity that was sorely missing from his H.A.M. freestyle, and would have been out of place on the M4L beat. It’s hard not to love Lupe on his breakneck lyrical style, and having not heard Lupe spit like this in way too long, it’s a timely reminder of his ability ahead of Lasers. Keep doing this Lu, for the sake of your career!
I wish he did these more often! Lupe rhymes on Kanye and Jay’s Lex Luger-helmed production, recorded earlier this week on Westwood’s show, and most certainly does a good job. It’s a slower delivery than his usual style, which helps to focus on his typically witty and observant lyrical work. It may throw a few people off hearing Lupe on this relatively basic flow style, and whilst it does work well enough here, there’s no denying it’s the kind of production his fast-paced, more intense style would have been perfect for. Nevertheless, it’s new Lupe!
Lupe Fiasco-H.A.M. Freestyle
I really enjoyed part 1 of the Game Changers series, offering us an insight into the minds and motivations of four globally successful, and critically-acclaimed artists. Definitely worth a watch.
Part 2 continues in the same vein, offering a further look into the ways in which they feel they’ve changed the ‘game’, with each artist giving very different accounts: from Estelle’s more descriptive process to B.o.B philosophical musings, this roundtable discussion is a very refreshing watch that really fleshes out the ‘characters’ we see on TV or hear on iTunes. Another good video, and hopefully there are more of these to come!
Atlantic Records present a very interesting roundtable discussion series, kicking with four of their most prominent artists. I’ve definitely got appreciation for all of them too (albeit to varying degrees), and it’s a fantastic insight into the motivations, artistic directions and individuality of each of the artists.
It’s so rare to find such detailed, honest discussion, and it certainly results in an eye-opening look at the power of the industry, the drive it takes to follow your own directions and a whole lot more. In particular, Janelle Monae comes across incredibly well, articulating her studied and measured approach superbly and really embellishing her artistic integrity.
Normally I don’t have the patience for these long videos, but I can’t recommend this one enough. You’ll definitely be left wanting part 2!
Revealed on Lupe’s website a little earlier, alongside the pre-order packages for the album. Nice to see we’ve only heard (versions of) 3 of the tracks so far, meaning the rest will be nice and fresh!
1. Letting Go (Feat. Sarah Green)
2. Words I Never Said (Feat. Skylar Grey)
3. Till I Get There
4. I Don’t Wanna Care Right Now (Feat. MDMA)
5. Out Of My Head (Feat. Trey Songz)
6. The Show Goes On
7. Beautiful Lasers (Two Ways) (Feat. MDMA)
8. Coming Up (Feat. MDMA)
9. State Run Radio (Feat. Matt Mahaffey)
10. Break The Chain (Feat. Eric Turner & Sway)
11. All Black Everything
12. Never Forget You (Feat. John Legend)
Premièred on Lupe’s official website earlier today, here is the much anticipated single from his much anticipated album, Lasers. Judging by the recent trailer that had the instrumental for this track, I had this nailed on to be incredible and thankfully my judgement has proved to be correct.
With brash lyrics, Lupe doesn’t hold back on his thoughts over the last few years, over a thunderous Alex Da Kid beat and with Skylar Grey’s voice supplementing the energy that the whole track emits, I think it’s safe to say the real Lupe Fiasco is back.
Hopefully this is the standard that the album Lasers will keep to.
An intriguing interview here ahead of Lupe’s performance at the BDO Festival in New Zealand that breaches a whole range of subjects.
This is probably the most I’ve heard Lupe speak on any interview, and he actually comes across as being really humble. There’s a little co-sign for UK artist Plan B in there too, as he picks him as the one artist he’s looking forward to seeing perform at the festival.
He also talks in depth on his album content, and the struggle he had with the label trying to get it out. As well as, this Fiasco also provides us with insight into the actual thought process behind his new Lasers album cover, which you’ll find Indi posted here.
Fresh off the heels of the excellent trailer for Lupe’s next single, we’re treated to the artwork for his upcoming album, Lasers. Really liking this cover, the symbolism of ‘losers’ to me is a retort to those who’ve doubted him. Personally I think he’s brought a lot of the issues his long-time fans have with him on himself, but there are of course two sides to every story. Lupe’s story will be released on March the 8th.
This year is looking like one that will see the release of many a mythical album, from Saigon’s Greatest Story Never Told, To Dr. Dre’s Detox and now also Lasers.
Any chance of a release date for Game’s R.E.D. Album any time soon?
Recent Comments