Lupe Fiasco's sophomore album, 'The Cool', is killer, meeting my 'sky's the limit' expectations following his brilliant debut, 'Food And Liquor'. Not content producing a bog-standard rap album, Lupe has tread into dangerous territory by recording a concept album (yes, a rap concept album!). Thankfully, he emerges untouched on the other side, and even with a few more strings to his bow. Not only does Lupe outclass his peers on their ground- in terms of beats- he repeatedly demonstrates that he possesses a keen eye for a good rhyme, producing unbelievably brilliant metaphors from his bag of tricks. We, the fans, can only hope that Lupe receives the credit he deserves second time around, and finally becomes recognized as the modern savior of hip hop/rap.
When rap started off, the focus lay on the lyrics, and yet over the years personality has been slowly sucked out of this genre, and what we are left with is a group of bland,(mostly) untalented people who drop "rhymes" about their money, girls and cars. Thankfully, these are exactly the things Lupe attacks on 'Dumb It Down', establishing himself as a variation on this theme. This album is a breath of fresh air in a genre dominated by glamour and money, both of which Lupe is privy to, despite not having sold his soul by producing identikit rap. This album is almost a statement of war: both against the majority of other artists in this genre and bootleggers. If I remember correctly, 'Food And Liquor' leaked a full 6 months before it was released in September 2006. Second time around, Lupe has been more careful, but he still hasn't completely stamped out leaks; tracks from 'The Cool' have been around for a couple of months now.
Lupe album's are different in that they challenge you, just as music should. And that's just what is missing in rap nowadays. Out of the current rappers, most of the ones I rate have been around for a while: Nas, Common, Wu-Tang Clan and Talib Kweli, who focus on the lyrical content of a song, and let the beats come as a bonus. It doesn't take a genius to work out what Fiddy is talking about when he says:
"She know's just how to move to seduce you
She gone do the right thing and touch the right spot
Dance in you're lap till you're ready to pop"
A world away from this, on the other hand, lies Lupe, who crafts songs that unfold after each listening. Every time I hear the album I decipher a new rhyme, and there are many that I still don't understand... 'The Cool' is chock full of pop culture and rap references, almost like a puzzle that is waiting to be solved. It actually hurts to think about how he comes up with some of the stuff on this album, and after two intelligently executed albums there can be no doubting that Fiasco is a pretty smart guy.
In his sophomore effort, Lupe adopts a darker tone than 'Food And Liquor", and Fiasco has obviously vented his emotions over a tough few months directly into this album:
"Complex Magazine"- "So would you say that this album is darker than your first?"
Lupe Fiasco- "Oh yeah, it's much darker just on the strength of the situation that I'm in, in life right now is kind of a happy period. It's a lot of success but it came with a lot of sacrifice and having my pops pass away and just recently having an aunty pass away and then having a friend pass away, Stack Bundles, a rapper in New York who got murdered out here and then to also have my partner get locked up, to get 44 years, all that stuff came along with the situation. It made the setting for me a more darker because I'm a little bit sad."
1. "Intro"
The Cool' gets of to a relatively slow start with 'Baba Says Cool For Thought'. We are welcomed to Lupe's world by the familiar voice of Iesha Jaco, who replicates the 'Intro' on 'Food And Liquor', a cool theme which Lupe has stuck with, finishing with impact:
"Freeze- cause the problem is we think its cool too.
Check your ingredients, before you overdose on The Cool."
2. "Free Chilly" (ft. Sarah Green & Gemstones)
Doesn't have a lot of good things to its name: at this point I found myself waiting for the album to kick off, and we are deprived of Lupe for this one minute song. I'm not quite sure I understand the point of an interlude before the album has started. But hey, its got some great soulful singing by Sarah Green and Gemstones... unfortunately, they aren't who I paid to hear.
3."Go Go Gadget Flow"
Despite possessing a popular sample (from Go Go Gadget) and a repetitive hook, kicks off the album on Lupe's terms. He switches up the flow: I'd never heard him rap this fast, and its a refreshing change. The beat is solid, Lupe is on point, and whilst its not the intro I was expecting, this song still kills most of competition. Lupe's rhymes are ridiculous, and he almost out-Twista's Twista...
After track three, things start to get interesting, and you are hit by a barrage of truly brilliant songs.
4. "The Coolest"
Here comes the concept. The Cool is an expansion of the same-named song on Food & Liquor about Michael Young History, or the spiritual manifestation of him as a character called The Cool (if I'm reading this print out right), who was a hustler come back to life. The other characters are The Game (a deviously sexy female with dollar signs in her eyes, no relation to the former G-Unit member) who is married to The Streets (imagine Wyclef as a wannabe rapper from the Dirty Dirty, gold fronts and all; no relation to the snarky British emcee). "The Coolest" is perfectly indicative of the macabre premise and its complexly construed cast: haunted house piano, Tim Burton violin crawls and slightly scary choirs mix for a measured amount of drunkenness.
5. "Superstar (ft. Matthew Santos)"
We've all heard this one by now, and its really growing on me. Relative unknown Matthew Santos should replace Chris Martin as rap's male vocal go-to-guy (after the horrendous 'Beach Chair' with Jay-Z and the passable 'Homecoming' with Kanye). Boldly, Lupe has obviously chosen him to sing all male vocals on this album, which is a good move IMO. The combination works well...
6. "Paris/Tokyo"
While Lupe caught some flack for his not-really-liking-A-Tribe-Called-Quest admission, it's quite obvious that his producers--mostly Soundtrakk--have heard Midnight Marauders a few times. "Paris, Tokyo" tells the tale of the newly famous's globetrotting adventures while simultaneously falling in love. Breezily floating along, it's a familiar second album story from an artist who suddenly finds himself being recognized in Japan or France after a successful debut LP.
7 "Hi-Definition" (ft. Snoop Dogg & Pooh Bear)
I've heard a lot about this one, but I really wasn't blown away by it. There is almost too much packed into 4 minutes: Lupe, Snoop Dogg, Pooh Bear, samples from Common, synths and heavy beats. Snoop Dogg slots in an amazing verse, but there's something grating about the overall sound of this song. And as good as Snoop is, Lupe still walks all over him. A possible mis-step, but disaster is averted through the sheer awesomeness of Lupe and Snoop's rhymes.
8. "Gold Watch"
Dominated by a sample which threatens to drown out everything. Has enough bass and instrumental to save the day once again. The subject matter is sensitive, concerning the effect of fame. That damn vocal sample dominates everything...and not positively. A little less volume on the sample, and this would have been brilliant- how could something so easily altered get past post-production? This and Hi-Definition are the two weakest tracks on 'The Cool'- from here on it's plain sailing.
8. "Hip Hop Saved My Life" (ft. Nikki Jean)
The story of Michael Young History, a rapper from Houston, Texas. A strong vocal contribution by Nikki Jean (a Fergie sound-a-like) and the most commendable piano instrumental (it turns up quite a lot on 'The Cool'). Lupe is dependable as ever, telling Michael Young History's with lyrics like:
"Reps north side so he rocks them braids,
1100 friends on his MySpace page,
stack that cheese got 700 plays,
producer made him take it down, said he had to pay"
9. "Intruder Alert" (ft. Sarah Green)
A really ominous song about the outcasts of society, and those with some serious issues. Someone give Sarah Green a solo album already.
10. "Streets On Fire"
I can't do this one justice: you have got to listen to it to understand how Lupe owns this song. Get over to Youtube now to listen!
11. "Little Weapon" (ft. Nikki Jean)
Produced by Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, this was a very pleasant surprise. To start with, a slow-mo voice over, with some gothic chanting, had me worried that Stump had gone all emo on Lupe. What comes next, then, completely blew me away. The beat on this track is unbelievably new and unfamiliar, with a catchy snare and vocal hook. The originality of this rock-influenced track is a blessing, and its one of my favourite tracks on 'The Cool'.
12. "Gotta Eat"
A song from the perspective of a cheeseburger. Again, intriguingly fresh, this song works due to its creativity, a general theme on 'The Cool'. I hate the beat though.
13. "Dumb It Down"
This song is the most complete display of Lupe's lyrical abilities thus far. He absolutely trashes it:
"'I'm flying on Pegasus you're flying on the pheasant
Writer of the white powder
Picker of the fire flowers
Spit hot fire like Dylon on Chapelle's skit"
14. "Hello/Goodbye" (Uncool)
Another rock-rap song, produced by UNKLE, who does a great job with the instrumental. This is a really gritty song, and is one of the darker on this album. A tune in the mold of 'Little Weapon'.
15. "The Die"
Gemstones really compliments this track with his Twista-esque rapping. A continuation of the story, with a little interlude ending. Listen carefully to the radio, and you will hear 'The Cool' from Food And Liquor' playing in the background. The song ends with gunshots. On a Lupe record? Thats a new one, but its a concept album after all, and from here on the album tends towards the darker end of the musical spectrum.
16. "Put You On Game"
Sinister is the name, a classic track is the game. Lupe invades 90's rap tradition on this song, harking back to the old Wu Tang albums, and emulating their grimy sound. Its a valiant effort, and he pulls off the new (or should I say old?) sound.
17. "Fighters" (ft. Matthew Santos)
The end is in sight, and things begin to slow down, aided by Santos' melancholy vocals (which just get better and better, by the way). Lupe reveals a devoted fan's blog address at the end of the song: check it out- http://www.lupethefiasco.blogspot.com/
18. "Go Baby"
A bit cheesy, but a jubilant ending it most definitely is. Lupe signs off with a cheer, but honestly, I thought this should've been left off.
There are two occasions when the brilliance of this album is almost shattered: 'Hi-Definition' and 'Gold Watch'. Catastrophe is averted, however, and this is mainly down to Lupe himself. Convincingly pulling of a concept album is unbelievably difficult, but Lupe has succeeded in this endeavor and rewarded with a brilliantly fresh rap album, with some unassuming rap songs and interesting stories to boot.
Lupe Fiasco is a talent to watch- at the age of 25 he already possesses far more lyrical prowess than most of the other members of this genre. He is unique, bucking the trend at each and every turn. On 'The Cool', he really has something to say, and delivers on the promise of 'Food And Liquor'. It's a shame that he's retiring after his next album, LupEND; hopefully he'll pull a Jay-Z on us.
Score:90 out of 100
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