With hip-hop music being at times a vehicle for opening one’s conscious mind to the world through music, one of its biggest and most notable users is none other than Lupe Fiasco.
The rapper from Chicago, IL first developed an interest in the genre after initially not being a fan of its vulgarity and misogyny. With his career starting in the late nineties, he is largely considered a pioneer of the conscious hip-hop movement, along with the likes of Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli. With his 2006 studio effort Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor bringing him greater exposure, the man took on subjects such as absent parents, war, religion, prostitution, and terrorism in his bars.
Despite his distaste for misogyny and vulgarity in hip-hop, Lupe Fiasco is strongly opposed to censorship in music. “If we’re going to (censor things) that are offensive, then were going to have to blind and deafen everyone. Come on, man. Let’s focus on education and literacy and poverty,” he told the Chicago Tribune.
He also had a hand in the creation of one of the biggest songs of this past year, Kanye West’s “Black Skinhead.” Credited in the liner notes, many have been quick to say that the anti-racist, anti-establishment theme is very Lupe-esque. It wouldn’t be the first time the two Chicago natives worked together—Lupe provided a mean verse on Kanye’s “Touch the Sky” from 2005’s Late Registration.
On December 11, Lupe stops in at 9:30 Club as part of his Tetsuo and Youth Preview Tour. One could guess he will be road testing some new material from the upcoming album of the same name, expected in 2014. We have a pair of tickets to send you to the show.
All you need to do is leave a comment telling us your favorite hip-hop collaboration. My favorite of late would be “Know That” from Mos Def’s classic album Black on Both Sides. The track features some serious wordplay from both him and Talib Kweli.
A winner be chosen at noon on Tuesday, December 10. Tickets are still available.
