I think it\'s time hip-hop fans alike admit the genre has lost its way. Long gone are the days when those who were most lyrically talented are considered the best, and are by far, the most popular. In 1995, somebody like the ever-popular Soulja Boy would be written off without a second thought. While it\'s obvious that such isn\'t the case today, the question is, where does it leave the lyrically talented?
Enter Lupe Fiasco.
Since his debut album, Lupe has been making noise, becoming arguably one of the best out there today. The hip-hop community has been waiting on pins and needles to answer the big question: was the first album a fluke? Or have we stumbled on the beginning of a hip-hop revival?
And thus we come to Lupe Fiasco\'s The Cool.
The Cool is something of a concept album chronicling the rise and fall of an undead gangster given a second chance at life. The characters are as complex as the album itself. The aforementioned gangster is named Michael Young History. Michael begins an affair with the temptress only known as "The Streets," who seems to have a black widow effect on the men she touches. Michael eventually falls victim to The Streets spouse known simply as "The Game."
Oddly, the entire album doesn\'t follow these characters. Lupe spends most of the album concocting the same magic he did on his first run, weaving tapestries of lyrical prowess on tracks like "Gold Watch," and "Intruder Alert." In house producer Soundtrakk returns once again to blow the minds of listeners, with very few samples to note. Notable tracks also include "Go Go Gadget Flow," "Hip-hop Saved My Life," "Little Weapon" and "Fighters."
Lupe does what I felt he did best on his first album: delivering complex rhymes that drill a hole through the brain, forcing you to rewind the track. Take for instance this excerpt from "The Coolest":
"Streets got my heart, game got my soul / One time missing sunshine will never hurt your soul/ Quote: To a crying dishonored baby mama / Who\'s the mama to a daughter that I had fathered from afar."
Or this rhyme from "Little Weapon":
"Imagine if I had the console /T he family of those slayed / I slain on game consoles / I aim I hold, right trigger to squeeze / press up and Y one less nigga breathe / B for the Bombs press pause for your moms / Make the room silent, she don\'t approve of violent games."
So where does Lupe stand? Personally, considering all the artist running around these days, I would put him in his own category. The Cool happens to be the freshest thing released since...well let\'s face it, Food and Liquor. Even at its worst, which would be the out of place track "Hello/Goodbye," The Cool remains better than 90% of whats out now. Ten years from now, when the Soulja Boy dance has become irrelevant, people will still be nodding their heads to Lupe\'s beats, saying he\'s a diamond that emerged from the rough.
Now that\'s cool.
"The Cool" is on sale December 18, 2007 from Atlantic.
