Lupe Fiasco appears to be in a better place than he was the last time he came around pushing a proper studio release with Lasers. No public label disputes or New York City sanctioned protests organized by his rabid fan base were needed to secure a release date. No petulant outbursts about hating the album just weeks before hitting retail. Sure, there was a second President Obama flap, too many Chief Keef mentions, and another inevitable collision with a notable publication, but that’s beginning to feel like par for L-U-P-Enigma. Ever since Fiascogate, the Chicagoan’s tendency to drop on-wax wizardry and arguably off-wax word vomit has become his career’s sardonic narrative, juxtaposed like those food and liquor stores in the Chi. But Wasulu Jaco doesn’t cow-tow to the propaganda peddlers. For better and worse, he never has. On Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, Lupe Fiasco remains as resolute as ever.
Since Lasers, Lupe’s rhyming from a first-person perspective occurs more regularly. Where tracks like “The Cool” and “The Instrumental” (off his classic debut Food & Liquor) covertly invade the brain space like ninjas, here, the day-one Occupy Wallstreeter bogarts the human microphone stout in a “Words I Never Said”-type stance. Literally, the first bars on the album’s opening song, “Strange Fruition,” are “Now I can’t pledge allegiance to your flag / Cause I can’t find no reconciliation with your past,” delivered with a controlled aggression as if a Tupac-inspired Cornell Westside emerged through a cloud of self-inflicted controversy strapped with an AK-47 and government, materialism, corporate sponsored Hip Hop scribbled on his metaphorical hit list. “Depart from Martin [Luther King, Jr] and connect on Malcolm X tip,” he rips on the track that Pete Rock pissed on, “Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free),” an instance of unfortunate irony. Coming from a cat who was infamously accused of disrespecting certain Golden Era icons, this one feels more like a subtle olive branch – contextually embodying the revolutionary spirit of Rap’s Greatest Generation while lyrically upholding “T.R.O.Y.’s.” timelessness. Somehow, Lu got it right and still got it wrong. Then on “ITAL (Roses),” he cagily doubles-down on his infamous position that the United States President is a terrorist, shows no remorse, then deads the issue:
“Called the President a terrorist / Corporate sponsors like, ‘How the fuck you gonna embarrass us?’ / Ain’t my fault / I was just repeating this Professor Emeritus / From America / But my tone was / Like an Afghani kid without a home / Blew that bitch up with a drone / An Iraqi with no daddy, Palestinian throwing stones / What the fuck you think they call him? / I’ma leave that all alone.”
Bridging the divide between Carrera Lu’s advice and actions can be a bit dizzying. He’ll preach that it’s better to have a Camry than the burden of a Ferrari (“ITAL Roses”) then boast that his Ferrari is “bout as ready as when Carrie was the prom queen” (“Put Em Up”). He’ll use the hook on “Audubon Ballroom” to remind Black people that “we’re not niggas ‘cause God made us greater than that” then open “Form Follows Function” with “First off / Gotta send shout outs to my niggas.” Lupe galvanized listeners by reveling at a deeper depth for over half a decade, conditioning his fanatical following to dissect seemingly every adlib. Now, whether warranted or otherwise, even the smallest inconsistencies seem to linger longer than necessary. All remain captivating lyrical displays, nevertheless. And, excluding “Put Em Up’s” retched hook, all are great songs.
The Guy Sebastian-assisted “Battle Scars” is another winner, oozing mass appeal without deteriorating into sloshy mainstream ball-tickling like the historically awful “Heart Donor” (featuring Poo Bear). Seriously, not only is the song the definition of corny, lathered in Pop swash, and noticeably redundant – considering “Battle Scars” and “How Dare You” (featuring Bilal) more compellingly fulfill the red-meat-for-radio quotient – but it just might be the worst four minutes in the history of Fiasco full-lengths.
But those moments are easily forgotten. With Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, Rap’s resident Judo master of juxtaposition sounds inspired again, dishing out shifting dichotomies through a scattering of deliveries without encroaching on petulance. “Unforgivable Youth” (featuring Jason Evigan) represents like Lu’s “Conflict Diamonds Remix”: simultaneously intriguing and educational. And The Runners’ triumphant “Brave Heart” rages like a lyrical middle finger rising out of the skyline, taunting like the Freedom Tower. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, [Hip Hop] must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Lupe’s ironically been branded with both since his ’06 bum rush. But there remains something noble about Chi-town’s Guevara relentlessly waving his beliefs without fear of backlash. Someone has to shine a light on all the world’s ills, right? If not Lu, then who?
Best album of the year! Pure genius from the god himself!
Control System was the best album of the year
It’s a classic….just listen!
4 1/2 …
5/5
most songs in the albums are better than the singles.. lol
LOL 4 come on lupe just didnt give it his best effort and sounded kind of like the album looked DULL. Dont ge me wrong Im a big fan of hes old stuff but this just wont cut it maybe he will release something good when he goes underground! 2/5
4.75
amazing. best album since lowkey’s “soundtrack to the struggle”.
lyricism lives on.
This.
Now we just wait for The Middle Passage.
fuck the middle passage.
immortal technique is the most overrated in the underground.
revolutionary vol. 2 is classic, but dude barely ever puts out music, and when he does, i’m always let down.
listen to the new brother ali record for that ill shit.
4.5
GREAT!
omg, this was amazing.
he really outdid himself. i can’t wait for part 2 now!!!!!
5/5 GOAT….
MY OPINION
Incredible album. Could definitely see this being considered a classic down the line.
phenomenal.
NO ONE IN THE GAME IS EVEN CLOSE TO THIS NIGGA KNO WHAT IM SAYIN? THIS NIGGA CANT BE TOUCH AHEAD OF HIS TIME KNO WHAT IM SAYIN WHEN HE LONG GONE THEEEEN NIGGAS GONNA BE LIKE “MAN THIS NIGGA WAS THE COLDEST” KNO WHAT IM SAYING
i know what you sayin
The Great American Rap Armchair Revolutionary…
5
wish i could suck his dick!
For all the pomposity involved here, there’s still the ridiculous contradictions. He even fell victim to the classic hip-hop thing of pretending to quit rap to gain attention. Nope, not good enough.
5/5. Lupe back with a vengeance.
lyrically…amazing, sonically…meh 3/5, the beats just fail to hit…for me at least..
can’t wait til the album drops
we have a classic right here, congrat lupe!!!!
they rated slaughterhouses album higher than Lupe’s??
I only have 4 songs from that trash ass album and i already preordered this one cause it has great lyrics, good production, good messages, and a variety that is all listenable unlike that shitty ass slaughterhouse album and im a big slaughterhouse fan too
brother ali > this
Let’s just say it’s a masterpiece
I enjoyed it but it’s to political and religious for my taste. It was what I expected but not as much as he poured on and believe me, he pours it on thick.
As a fan of Lupe Fiasco’s music circa “Food & Liquor”, “The Cool” and the “Fahrenheit 1/15” mix-tape series, I had started to get a little fatigued of his recent music and very fatigued of him.
However, he’s won me back over with this album. It’s both good content and good music. It’s worthy of being a follow-up to “Food & Liquor”, even if it’s still only his 3rd best album – obviously “Lasers” is firmly at the bottom.
Could you idiots stop calling this a classic what the fuck is wrong with you this is nowwhere near a classic.
Its called having an opinion respect it
Album is dope! 5 outta 5 for me. killed every track. lyrics and beats on point too. fav track is braveheart. check out the first verse…
May the Lord have mercy on my soul
Forgive me for my fetishes, my purchases, my clothes
Allow me to catch my rhythm so the nervousness just goes
That’s why I sound so certain in my verses in my flows
The verbage just gets merciless the wordsmithness just rolls
I’ve tuned into my pertinence, my purposes, my goals
The feeling when you realize you’ve been working for your foes
And the curtains have just opened and they worthlessness exposed
You remember where you came from, where the purses was stole
There was nothing in the oven and just work up on the stove
And you blossomed from the bottom, yeah, you worked with it and rose
From nothing to a dozen and a gardener that grows
Lupe too cold!
classic FO SURE NIGGA
okay, i have been a fan of this website for a while now, but lately the reviews for some albums have been very… inaccurate… how do you give :life is good” a 4/5 then “our house” a 4.5 when only half the songs were even listen-able , then you state that it was better than F&L2 P.1?!? i just don’t get it man
listenable to you?
totally agree, our house should have gotten a 3 or 3.5
Who cares?
You’ve clearly already made up your mind, go write your own reviews.
I don’t really listen to Lupe, but he hasn’t had a good album since ‘Lupe Fiasco Is Cool’. He wouldn’t be half of what he is today if it weren’t for the Jay-Z cosign. He can’t even go gold and he won’t with this record either, I’m surprised his label let him release this. Don’t listen to this album, he officially sold out. His main singles are about lamborginhis and bad bitches, but I wouldn’t expect much from a album called Food & Liquor. The content is much like the cover art, empty and lacking. I think that’s why he made the cover all black. He doesn’t know politics or religion, and he’s probably a fake muslim just like he’s a fake skateboarder. One day he’s left wing, the next he’s right wing, depending on his new hair style. And when he’s not calling Obama a terrorist or stealing Pete Rock samples, he’s crying like a baby on MTV. What a joke.
i literally cant take you, not only is everything you just said WRONG, but the fact that you think you know what your talking about baffles me. Lambourgini angels is not about lambourginis and bad bitch is about the STEREOTYPE of a bad bitch. Dumb motherfuckers like you should not only NEVER listen to lupe but you should kill yourself.
anon…don’t feed the damn trolls!
too many on this site TBH…
Eye Control delivering truth to the brainwashed Lupe stans!
You’e just trolling and looking for attention. The Cool and Lasers both went gold you idiot. Lupe said that the label made him dumb down on Lasers…he dissed it while promoting the damn thing and it still sold. His new singles are all conscious records or are you too stupid to understand anything other thn the title. He didn’t steal shit from Pete Rock, he had Pete’s blessing. Pete’s old ass just thought that he would’ve been the one doing the beat…he sampled the damn beat to begin with.
first fuck u
secondly fuuuuuuuuuuck u much more
thirdly fuck u again
u seriously are theeeeeee dumbest troll ever, at least use the right names and let us believe u are a human being with an IQ of more than 50.
lol Lupe Fiasco Is Cool ?? wtf is that lol
and concept and lyrics are lacking in this album ?? lol this album is all about concept and lyrics
his singles were about bad bitches and lambos ?? lol u fucking dumb ass
dont feed the trolls brothers
enjoy the album , even if u dont like lupe please bootleg it and give it a spin
He is just a lonely troll ..Aggh Poor thing i bet mom didn’t hug you enough when you was growing up .. Don’t worry SON one day you will become a man
eye control = I can troll
nope
True
FOH
Yeah right
sdafhgaomfdho
album is a masterpiece. haters are blind to art
5/5
btw your since your all concerned about sales, LUPE DONT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT SALES. that is why his album is black, that is why he publically disses his label, he DOESNT CARE. He himself aint profiting anymore than he already is if his album sells 500k or 50 k . so stfu, please go pick up your 2 chainz album and continue to think you know what real rap is because YOU are a SELLOUT, everyone fucking is now or days, theyll do whatever the fuck people tell em is hot.
I’m sorry, but Lupe does care about sales, maybe not as much as other rappers, but he does. That’s exactly why his album cover is black, it’s a great commercial idea actually, if I didn’t know Lupe Fiasco and saw that cover in stores, I would check it out to know what it was. And the label disses are publicity stunts, that’s quite obvious. Don’t get it the wrong way, I love this album, Lupe finally released what his fans wanted and that’s great.
^^^^^^^^^^
Wrong.
^^^^^^^^^^
Wrong, motherfucker.
“The Coolest” was not on “Food and Liquor 1”, it was on “The Cool”. The track “The Cool”, however, was on “Food and Liquor 1”.
its a good album
wack ass album
nigga a pseudo intellectual lame
fuk him and fuk the lupe section from ktt
bang bang
English, motherfucker! Do you speak it?!
Better than any of that pop shit Eminem outs out
What does Eminem have to do with this? Both him and Lupe are legends in the game. Stop being insecure. Lol
White
Easy 5/5. Blown away.
closest thing to F&L and The cool
5/5 dope!
Don’t com plain about it sounding too political. Lupe has said all along that pt. 1 would sound like this. He’s definitely going to make you think with this abum.
dop[e
FL1=The Cool=FL2>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>lasers 4.75/5
FL1=The Cool=FL2 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> lasers 4.75/5
FL1= The Cool= FL2 4.75/5
easily 5/5.. epic
hats off to Lupe for putting out this lyrical masterpiece , easily the best album of past 2 years (lyrically and conceptually i aint talking song wise)
to all of you claiming lupe dont know anything and he is a “pseudo intellectual” , be the smarter and more intellectual one , read some books , watch some serious documentary (cause that’s all he wants you to do) dont waste your time trolling the internet
If you want to educate yourself read a book. If you can find the right balance between educating/entertaining/lyricism/flow/delivery/storytelling, then cool. Like a Jay Electronica. But this shit here just doesn’t cut it. It’s boring, has no replay value. “Hip Hop nerds” running the site I guess and most likely 95% of the commemters. Shit is wack. In a 100 yd dash my mind would jog across the finish line while looking back at the rest of yall like “what’s taking yall so long?” Kinda like how Usain Bolt does. So don’t even come at me with some I’m to dumb to get it bs. There’s nothing said on this album that I don’t already know. It’s just lame. Ex Lupe fan from back in the day when he was good. He’s so concerned about sticking it to Atlantic that it has affected the music
fair opinion i respect that
dont ever cosing your own opinion, its fucking obvious
typo ……. Cosign i meant
lol look at this clown thinking he is so smart, bro u look at a conceptual album and u are seeking replay value ??
let me ask u this , u prefer listening to 2chainz rapping some shitty lines about big booty hoes or u rather listen to lupe fiasco voicing (mostly Black)people’s problems and standing against modern day slavery ???????
Way above co-signing my own comments(which I hardly ever post)because I don’t need to. Usually don’t post as anonymous either except for when I forget to type moniker.
True that, Niggas take his lyrics as magic. You dont even need school to understand this shit..
@lol@u U fool an album of substance should have replay value. You have it backwards. People act like you can’t be smart or “intellectual” and listen to 2Chainz. I love that ignorant shit. You know why because it’s ENTERTAINING. All I want for my birthday is a big booty hoe
@ThaBlackGodX: look at you, feeling like u have your own original opinion but talking all that MTV , Complex shit that they’ve told you , being “Entertaining” is their excuse to make super stars out of likes of 2chainz and lil wayne and Futures , but think about it , is it really entertaining to listen to a stupid person with an annoying voice talking about his “bitches and bottles” ??
@Amirhossssein Only thing I watch on tv is Stephen A. & Skip. How are you gonna tell me what’s entertaining or not to me? It’s all subjective dude yes it’s entertaining to me. I don’t need to be educated by music because I read on my own. BA in psychology working towards masters. So with music I’m looking for a break from the extensive amount of reading I do I just wanna be entertained. What MAN doesn’t want a big booty hoe for his birthday? I mean as long as she clean I’m good
If a big booty hoe isn’t entertaining to you then fine. But you must understand if your manhood comes into question. If you need some dude you don’t know to tell you about politics or social injustices that’s cool all I’m saying is I don’t. I handle that myself
ThaBlackGodX has a good point. lol
ThaBlackGodX is incredibly on-point. I’m working toward a HBSc right now. You’re going to tell me I’m “dumb” because I enjoy certain mainstream cats more than Lupe? In my opinion, Lupe caters to pseudo-intellectuals. I mean, Amir’s disparaging 2Chainz – but he graduated with a 4.0 from Tuskegee University. Lupe didn’t attend college as far as I know (although he probably attributes it to systemic issues and other contrived conspiracies).
ya’ll missing the point brothers, we dont need entertainment right now … our soldiers are getting killed every day in a so called war on terror (i wont even point out the collateral damage done to Iraq and Afghanistan) and im pretty sure we are on the verge of a new war (with Iran , look it up both sides are getting prepared) mind slavery in US is killing our spirits and all they push towards us is more entertaining mind slavery.
please watch the movie “They Live” and look at your own life , any difference??
ya’ll missing the point brothers, we dont need entertainment right now … our soldiers are getting killed every day in a so called war on terror (i wont even point out the collateral damage done to Iraq and Afghanistan) and im pretty sure we are on the verge of a new war (with Iran , look it up both sides are getting prepared) mind slavery in US is killing our spirits and all they push towards us is more entertaining mind slavery.
please watch the movie “They-Live” and look at your own life , any difference??
ya’ll missing the point brothers, we dont need entertainment right now … our soldiers are getting killed every day in a so called war on terror (i wont even point out the collateral damage done to Iraq and Afghanistan) and im pretty sure we are on the verge of a new war (with Iran , look it up both sides are getting prepared) mind slavery in US is killing our spirits and all they push towards us is more entertaining mind slavery.
ya’ll missing the point brothers, we dont need entertainment right now … our soldiers are getting killed every day in a so called war on terror (i wont even point out the collateral damage done to Iraq and Afghanistan) and im pretty sure we are on the verge of a new war (with Iran , look it up both sides are getting prepared) mind slavery in US is killing our spirits and all they push towards us is more entertaining mind slavery.
ya’ll missing the point brothers, we dont need entertainment right now … our soldiers are getting killed every day in a so called war on terror , and im pretty sure we are on the verge of a new war (with Iran , look it up both sides are getting prepared) mind slavery in US is killing our spirits and all they push towards us is more entertaining mind slavery.
ya’ll missing the point brothers, we dont need entertainment right now … our soldiers are getting killed every day in a so called war on terror , and im pretty sure we are on the verge of a new war (with Iran , look it up both sides are getting prepared)
mind slavery in US is killing our spirits and all they push towards us is more entertaining mind slavery.
mind slavrey in US is killing our spirits and all they push towards us is more entertaining mind slavery.
mind slavery in US is killing our spirits
and all they push towards us is more entertaining mind slavery
and all they push towards us is more entertaning mind slavery
and all they push towards us is more entertaning mind slvery
To the last two posts. Guys I’m cut from the same cloth so the speak. The persons who have not allowed their conscience’s to be subdued by the schooling system, mass media, govt. propaganda so on and so forth. I understand that private bankers that own the U.S. profit from war. That all U.S. citizens are enslaved under social “security”. I could go on and on. You mean to tell me that knowing all this, knowing that when you try to tell other they think you’re “crazy”, knowing that things are a long way from changing if ever, that really there’s nothing you or me can do about it, that you don’t entertainment to take your mind from it for at least a little while. Like I said I don’t need music to inform me of these things. Entertainment is needed that’s why it’s been exploited the way it has it always people to cope without having to use something else to cope like drugs.
Lot of typos but you should get the gist of it.
Wow, you’re dumb. You’re the pseudo-intellectual here.
Your hate flatters me. Thanks. P.S. I’ll run circles around you on any given topic. ANY. FOH
please brothers even if you don’t like the idea of Lupe Fiasco even if u don’t like complicated lyrics , even if you like simple lines (like 2chainz and wayne) pleeeeeeeease at least bootleg it and give it one or two listens , it wont hurt i promise
if you are a Black person then i think its a must for you to listen to this album
pleeeeeeeeease brothers
waste 2 hours of your precious time and give it a chance
yeah bro I’m with you People u will not lose anything give it one or two listens !!
Yall Niggas cracks me up. This shit is not complicated. I dont know why people think like these rappers are some sort of intellectuals when they have a big vocab. This shit is nothin nigga, unless you are realy a hood ass nigga never been exposed to the real world.
It is just frustrating niggas. His lyrics are good but yet complicated.
#YMCMB
@DK u lost me with that YMCM man ,
even though i’d rather agree with @LoveEveryone its a good album (not great) but i think every one should give it a chance
lyrics are a bit more complicated than your regular rap album but when u understand them u can totally agree with Lupe
i give it 3/5
like u know complicated when u write YMCM end of your comments
son if Lupe is not complicated then YMCM is children story
^^yet not complicated. If these niggas read books, Surely you must have noticed that his lyrics aint complicated. It is ABC
YMCMB shit is super simple and wack at times. But it does not mean that if you can rap about things other than pussy, bitches, cars (Lil wayne, Tyga) you are complicated. Shit is just good and intelligent not complicated.
And yes i do listen to YMCMB. I find lupe music to be boring like shit.
Nas=Good flow , Nice beats, varied and good lyrics. Lupe can learn something from nas
You’re a retard.
All I can say is wow. Great American Rap Album is right! Lyrics & production are on another level. Real hip hop. My faith in Lupe has been resurrected.
All I have to say is “Bitch Bad” is a prime example of a good message executed in the most boring and uninteresting way possible.
When you convey ideas and opinions through music, it helps if you do it in a unique and creative manner (gains the listener’s attention and respect, as well as helping them understand the idea better).
For example, “I Gave You Power” by Nas conveys the song’s idea and message in a much more engaging way than “Bitch Bad”. Lupe has talent, but sometimes his material is just boring to listen to.
Remember the listening audience he’s trying to reach. “A Spoonful Of Sugar” – Mary Poppins
fortunately.. bitch bad is the weakest track in the album
yeah bitch bad is corny. if it is the weakest joint then thats good.
The fuck are you niggas are talking about? Bitch Bad is a dope track.
I’m the biggest Lupe fan but I don’t feel like writing a shitload. I think this album damn near perfect, It’s not better than food liquor 1 but very close. I enjoyed every song and the lyrics were insane like always. I don’t understand all the hate towards put em up and heart donor. I thought the choruses were straight. There’s not one bad song on the album….4.25-4.5
Peace and FNF..UP
LYRICAL GENIUS…LOVE FNL2, LOVE LUPE!!! CONTGRATS TO EVERYONE WHO WAS A PART OF THIS MASTERPIECE!
4words…Album Of The YEAR…
haters gonna hate 4/5
Lupe still killing your favorite rapper or emcee….Lupe and Mos needs to do a album…This is damn near perfect album….shouts to Blu!!!!
good shit lupe
HHDX WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST GIVE IT A 5 ??? IT DESERVES A FIVE … LOOK AT ALL THESE OTHER BULLSHIT ALBUMS YOU GIVING 4’S TO. THAT AINT RIGHT.
co sign
5 STARS!!!!! HANDS DOWN! FNL2 = MASTERPIECE! Not one bad song on the album.
Seriously STOP the hate, what could you possibly hate on this album?? It is GENIUS! SALUTE to Lupe!!! #BITCHBAD is my favorite, but I LOVE “every song” Congrat’s to GREATNESS Lu!!
i can’t wait till this comes out
Its been out since last week … if you know what I mean.
Fuck that, you stupid fucking humans better buy this album and listen to it. If you a stupid motherfucker, just move out of the way of the smart humans and go and listen to your stupid little rappers that cant even hold an intelligent conversation to save his or her meaningless little lives. All the real Lupe fans get ready. I cant wait for this shit to drop. I’m a real man, Fuck a real nigga.
no you’re a fucking idiot is what you are…lupe is a goddamn hipster faggot nowadays and there are FAR better rappers out there than his whiney fucking ass. check for sol, logic, or even goddamn big k.r.i.t…they dont spend the majority of their albums whining about how bad america is…lupe needs to take his nappy ass on over to fucking iran if he hates it so much over here and see what happens when he starts running his mouth about the govt and shit over there…he is a fucking pussy and i hope chief keef slaps the shit out of him…
Shut up, redneck.
I be banging this all day
GOAT.
this shit is a solid 3 at best…i think some of you probably rated this shit a 5 before you even listened to it…anyone that says this is even close to F&L is high on meth. I’ve heard fucking jadakiss albums with better production than this…
GOATTTTTTTTTT
Great Album!
People need to stop looking at it as smart rap vs. dumb rap. Lupe isn’t trying to engage the massive audience of your 2Chains and your Waka Flockas.
Beyond that, this album is a technical marvel as far as rap technique goes. Nobody in the game is effin with it and that’s real. Form Follows Function? Who’s on that tip right now?
Conceptually, the album is only touched by Brother Ali’s new joint. Dispell the hate and just enjoy the record.
4
Just wanted to let you know it is ok to give some albums 5 stars. lol
On an MC level Lupe is god damn untouchable, but the beats on this album… Not so good, not at all. Lupe really didn’t have a good roster of producers on here. Even if Atlantic didnt give him a big budget to make the album he still could of got producers like 9th Wonder, Black Milk, Chuck Inglish, Emile, Exile, Hi-Tek, Jake One, Khrysis, M-Phazes, Madlib, Needlz, Nottz, Oddisee, Prolyfic, Ski Beatz, (more) Soundtrakk, Statik Selektah, stic.man… I mean he’s homies with Pharrell so he could’ve got beats of him for a good price.
I had no problem with the production, I thought it was good enough to get the point across what Lupe was trying to convey. Really that’s all I needed, yes the beats could of been better some but oh well. I think the production on this album will help it sell more to the mainstream audience since it’s more of a modern hiphop style.
Anything would be an improvement on the last one
… That’s a stupid comment.
Personally, I feel this is on the same level or maybe the smallest shade under F&L/TC
I enjoyed this album. This was a very solid release from Lupe.
I’m gonna backtrack on my previous post. It was very self-centered. Even though I may not need music to educate/inform me on the things that Lupe’s discussing on the album, I do understand that there’s a hell of alot of folks that do. Maybe they can’t read and have a better chance of comprehending through music. Either way props to Lupe for even doing this. & it’s a major label commercial release, double props.
God bless you for understanding man , that’s what i wanted to say (even though i know i didn’t say somethign like that)
sry if i insulted u
Reviewer must be white. There is no contradiction in his two uses of “nigga.” Blacks understand what’s the difference, if you don’t like Black social issues being spread via hip-hop chose another art form and culture. Hip-Hop is a facet of Black Culture. Just like democracy is a facet of Western Civilization (this is for all those who are going to try to dispute that hip-hop is Black culture0, we don’t dispute it so we would appreciate it if you would reciprocate. Review sounds like a personal attack on Black consciousness.
you should probably check out the company man then. He’s definitely not white knows his shit. I’m not white either, but i didnt take it that way. Look up his stuff.
First off, I used to be a huge Lupe fan. Huge fan of F&L1, The Cool and his early mixtapes. When Lasers hit, all his fans were disappointed but you had to understand the situation he was in with the label. I thought after that point when he came to terms with Atlantic, he would go back to creating music like his first two albums; but he went off a different branch and started making songs that were overly political tied into awful electronic beats.
So fast forward to this album. Lyrically, Lupe is great. I noticed sometimes though he inserts unnecessary vocab as if trying to put his mind above everyone else’s even though what he actually is saying is simple. So there’s that, there’s the beats…which are AWFUL. Lupe’s flow is slow as it’s ever been and bland. He has no emotion whatsoever throughout the whole album. He’s practically monotone.
People were going to buy this album from the start because it represents “pure” hip-hop and “conscious” lyrics. If that’s what you really think is, you need to reevaluate what you’re listening to, or rather listen to it first. The production is lackluster, not a “pure” hip-hop trait and the lyrics are political and subliminally condescending. Whatever happened to the art of story-telling? Post The Cool fans listened to Lupe’s shit and assumed everything he put out was untouchable without even listening to it first. They came in after 2007 when his best work was already completed. I give this album a 3. I can’t say enough about how disappointed I am with Lupe’s direction these last few years and how disappointed I am with blind hip-hop “heads”.
lol we got new Type of trolls
reasonable trolls
I want to ask you really listened to the album lol he does not speak only in politics he speaks on society, material and his Dead friend and street gangs and American history Etc .. dummy !!
This is a super luppeee miracle!!
such a great listen track to track very well put together lyrical content on point, its stupid to say that lupe flip flops on issues he is very clear about how he feels and any real fan isnt going to get bad cuz he starts off shouting out his niggas
This is a good album BUT the production is VERY, VERY TERRIBLE. The only thing to look forward to on each track is Lupe’s verbatim and message.
I’ll give him props for carrying a whole album with just only lyrics. Usually rappers get carried by their beats.
4/5.
^^^ true.
It’s just like Lasers and Friend Of People 2, wack mixtapes/albums that have to get carried by Lyricism.
You niggas have terrible hearing. The production is solid, better than half of the stuff out today.
Well, Lupe is held to a higher standard than “half of the stuff out today”.
And he delivered.
^^^ true.
It’s just like Lasers and Friend Of People 2, wack mixtapes/albums that have to get carried by Lyricism.
Why is it in hip hop you can only listen to a Nas/Lupe/Jay Elec/Mos or 2chainz/waka/wayne
I am a college and self educated person that enjoys both types given the situation. If im in the gym im not throwing on Lupe to hear about government curruption and the mistreatment of muslim nations, which in my opinion Lupe has no idea what he is talking about since hes not from a Muslim nation. I listen to 2chains to get me hype and lift some damn weights.
Its ok to listen to both, there is music for fun and hypeness and there is music to have u sit back and reflect. u niggaz need to get a grip.
Also, Lupe isnt saying anything profound, just bc ur ignorant ass is hearing it for the first time, doesnt mean it hasnt been said. Read a book, take a sociology class, one semester and u will find all of Lupes tracks.
And since when did Lupe become some rebel angaisnt the system guy, last i checked he was making music specifically to land on espn for highlight packages so get the fuck outta here with that bullshit. This nigga eats off the same system he shits on, u bout something, release free albums, do free concerts write books and make a change u complain so much about. This nigga complains for a hr straight and u fools go and buy the album while he eats his cake and we all still struggle.
I’m the same way. When I’m by myself in a quite environment I listen to Black Hippy, Lupe, Jay Elec etc. but when I’m in a social environment or working out I listen to hype music.
@OP Nice novel. Too bad nobody cares about your opinions.
Nobody wants to listen to some wack nigga screaming on a track about nothing. Their lyrics suck dick. Why not listen to something with both hype and lyricism? Because 2Chainz/Waka/Wayne lacks lyrics.
some people will forever be dumb. Noone said chainz got lyrics, in fact I almost cant understand his ignorant crouny ass, but thats not the point. when Im lifting a dumbbell I dont care whats coming out of his mouth it just gets u hype. I throw on some old DMX and get me there too, if its hype its comin out my headphones. if ur trying to say lupe is hype and lyrics ur a fool. The only nigga that is hype and lyrics is the GOAT. 2pac. And he is in heavy rotation too
country
@Voice of Reason
People on this site are corny, there all either super herb backpack cornballs who shit on anybody that aint preaching to them 24/7 or there brain dead idiots who cant listen to any rapper with more then a 3rd grade vocabulary.
I agree with you tho, unlike people on this site I actually go to clubs, and in a club scenario, 2 Chainz>>>>> All Night. But some of these people never leave the comfort of there bedroom and dont know nothing about that.
Its like arguing with a wal trying to explain to them that not everybody has to ba an intellectual freedom fighter on friday nights, so I just let them get their crybaby on.
But I agree with what you said
Voice of Reason, Anonymouses 4 and 5 are fucking retards. Take your hate somewhere else.
What are you talking about? It’s always been in his music, it’s just covered under layers of metaphors.
And as a so called “college and self-educated person”, you should know that not everybody has access to the resources you clearly take for granted. Not everybody has the ability to get into a sociology class, or college, for that matter.
You niggas hating on Lupe need to kill yourself. Not everyone wants to be ignorant. To jack off to your 2Chainz at your ratchet ass clubs.
2chains and all Are WHACK! At Lyrics At Flow At Everything! Thats Why We Should Not Listen to Them. And Who Told u That Rappers Like NAS dont make Pumping Songs? Lmao! Listen To “Made You Look” “Represent” “The Don” etc. You Will Do 100 X More Workout Than U Do On 2chainz Songs LOL and bro Listen To Immortal Technique Too.. He Spits Something that is not there in da Book, And Even If Its there in a Book, We Need Somebody Who Can Bring that To Us. Not Everyone Read Books. and LUPE or anyone else dont need to belong from a MUSLIM country to speak about that topic/// becoz Any Intelligent Person can assume whats going on… if u wanna listen both type of music POLITICAL and ENJOYABLE… Listen To Immortal technique, LUPE, Brother Ali etc For Political and for Enjoyable listen to Real Artists Like 50cent,JayZ,WU Tangclan Etc Etc Etc…
NOW, The Reason we Hate 2chainz and YMCMB because They Dont Speak What they are… LIL WAYNE Says He Will Blast Your Head But In Reality hes a tight jeans wearing FAG! and he also claims that hes a BLOOD! thats the fakest shyt in the world.. J cole is not a Gangsta still i love his music coz he never claims that he is… he says that hes a graduate and i respect that! but artists like 2chainz… 2chainz is a college graduate with 4GPA. but he still talk about Guns and shit? i mean WTF!
hope u get what im saying
^My name Is Sikander Kahlon BTW.
Really bro, people dont have access to a sociology class? I came from a low to no income single parent home, and started my college life at a JC, if you apply urself u have access. Dont give me that excuse, dont fall for that bs. its the same bs that holds young people back from persuing anything more than a high school diploma and even that is at a disappointing rate. the notion that I cant go to college because I dont have resources for it is a cover up for being lazy and unmotivated. I dont have respect for people that think that way.
U can DL a sociology book from the web, the same used in big universities, and just read it yourself.
@ Sikander Kahlon
Everyone u mentioned I listen to, in fact you failed to mention Common who in my eyes is one of the realest artist ever. You say listen to wu and these other artist like im some 17 year old. U realize I bought 36 chambers when it came out, everyone u mentioned I listen to, thats my entire point, that u can listen to all types of music and just bc u listen to one kind doesnt mean you hate the other kind. u losers are saying im hating on Lupe?? really?? Considering hes one of my favorite artist and I consider him to be a person of substance and I was proud of the fact that he went after Cheif Keef and tried to say something with reason and logic while, the other chi town natives put him on and gave him a platform far bigger than what he would have ever reached.
The point is you can enjoy both. In one day I will listen to 2pac, both Jays, Common, Chainz, Ab, Doom, 9th, Talib, Roots and switch it all up, throw on some Maxwell, soulchild, sinatra, duke, hathoway, And the greatest artist of all time Stevie Wonder. If you enjoy music, you enjoy all types of music. You step out the box and enjoy things for what they are, not hate them for what they arent. Isnt that the essence of hiphop?
^^^^^
IDK about all that. I like many types of music myself, but I dislike wack music, which is what Wayne, Ross, 2Chainz fall under.
^^^^
and thats fine, but why do u feel the need to take a shit on someone elses work, when u can simply not listen and move on.
I’m not “taking a shit on someone else’s work.” I’m just telling it how it is. Wack music is wack music.
@Voice of Reason
Actually, it’s really not that simple. Class, race, sex, sexual preference, and age, all influence your chances of getting into college, and succeeding in life in general. Just “working hard” does not guarantee you success, or access. If you really have taken a sociology class, you should know this.
It’s not an excuse. It’s the reality of the country we live in. Don’t believe me? Here you go: http://www.census.gov/
“U can DL a sociology book from the web, the same used in big universities, and just read it yourself.”
Of course, that argument assumes that everyone has access to the internet which:
“According to numbers released last month by the Department of Commerce, a mere 4 out of every 10 households with annual household incomes below $25,000 in 2010 reported having wired Internet access at home, compared with the vast majority 93 percent of households with incomes exceeding $100,000. Only slightly more than half of all African-American and Hispanic households (55 percent and 57 percent, respectively) have wired Internet access at home, compared with 72 percent of whites.”
I know its a little much to expect people to do some research on a gossip site, but damn. C’mon man.
great album
This album is a classic. Every track is on point lyrically, the production complements the lyrics, and Lupe holds nothing back. It’s an improvement from Lasers. Those niggas hating on this album needs to listen to it again. This is one of the best albums of the year, alongside R.A.P. Music, Control System, Cancer For Cure, Live From The Underground, Life Is Good, and Mourning In America & Dreaming In Color.
5/5
Or maybe “Those niggas hating on this album” just didnt want to hear Lupe preach from his soapbox for an hour
Could be, never know
Hey, dumbass. Lupe is not preaching. Your dumbass should know that. If you don’t like Lupe, then why are you here?
In fact, he is. He went from having a positive message (paired with a dope flow and great beats) to lecturing (with a tiring flow and worse beats).
You’re a close-minded ignorant nigga. Go listen to wack ass 2Chainz if you don’t want conscious music with dope lyrics.
#THISTHATSHITTHATILIKE
Fuck lupe, he be saying shit other rappers said like 5 years ago. He should of stayed in his own lane cause sounds a little confused with this new political lane he trying to take.
You’re a dumbass. Lupe has always been like this.
He’s a phony. How u gonna be mad at ur own album and still release it to the fans? He should of went the Saigon route and gotten the hell out of atlantic before compromising like that.
Wow, you’re dumb. He want mad at his album; he was mad at the direction it was going. If you don’t like him, then that’s fine, but spew your hatred somewhere else.
Lupe phony? There’s rappers who are true phonies; Lil Wayne, the fake blood turned skater, Rick Ross, a former C.O. turned self-imposed drug mobster, 2Chainz, college graduate turned ignorant hood nigga, Nicki Minaj, bipolar rapper turned bipolar pop artist, etc. Lupe is far from phony.
lol yeah u lupe fans are the worst. no one would of been happy with the direction that album was going. wack ass hell and still released it.
@anonymous
i aint gonna disagree with that they are all phonies. Unfortunately i feel Lupe is a phony as well just in a different way.
Yes, Lasers was wack, but he made up for it with F&L2. And he also has F&L1 and the Cool, which are classics. A bunch of good albums can erase one bad album. Besides, Lupe fans are not the worst. That title goes to YMCMB fans.
hey dumbass, Lasers has been on hold for over a fuckin year. fans were ready to go out onto the streets to get the damn album released, now you sittin here all like “ohhh he wack he let that shit be released” what, you wanted him to pull the plug on it?
imagine the backlash he’d have gotten then, no one had any idea how Lasers was gonna be… think before you type.
Lupe is far from phony.
my shit is that if hes all political and against the system how he let himself get played like that by atlantic. its obvious he didnt have the creative control he wanted. Real fans would have understood why he didnt release it. Im sure no one would of complained to wait a couple months later to get a better product. unless the fans are as fake as lupe.
A better version of this album is “Control System” by Ab-Soul.
Lupe has lost some of the hunger in his voice. It’s almost like he is talking instead of rapping on some tracks.
My album will be postponed in definietly after this cla$$ic. good kid, m.A.A.d city
A masterpiece!
^My name Is Sikander Kahlon BTW
Lupe Fiasco comes off as an arrogany whiny bitch!
Actually, that’s you.
great comeback
Classic.
this From the bottom of my heart FUCK the haters 5/5
Man there’s some haters on here complaining about production. Get over it the album is great. On another note I don’t know what you guys talking about Heart Donor is a DOPE ASS Song.Lupe had some crazy verses on there.
saying lupe’s verses are dope is like saying Obama speaks well. At some point you have to rate people past just the things they’re supposed to do.
Dumbass.
no cuz every lupe verse aint dope you stan, so when it is, its worth mentioning .. d.a.n.
Best albums of 2012
1. Nas Life is Good
2. ASAP Mob Lords Never Worry (Mixtape)
3. Lupe Fiasco Food and Liquor 2
4. GOOD Music Cruel Summer
5. Rick Ross God Forgives, I Don’t
Everything else that came out this year was wack.
yeah all those albums suck and this year was the worst year in hiphop history
you just dismissed a shit load of good albums … a smarter thing to say is every other “mainstream” album to come out this year is wack. But even then you’d be wrong.
1 and 3 are great. Everything else is wack.
only underground is good man hiphops dead on the mainstream dumbs niggas rappin nas album was crap
control system, take me to your leader, trophies…
Have you heard
Ab Soul- Control System
Aesop Rock- Skelethon
Brother Ali- Mourning in American and Dreaming in Color
Curren$y- The Stoned Immaculate
Death Grips- The Money Store
Lecrae- Gravity
We’ve had:
Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
Control System
Life Is Good
Live from the Underground
R.A.P. Music
Channel Orange
Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them
People Hear What They See
Key to the Kuffs
REBELutionary
Cancer 4 Cure
Skelethon
The Idea of Beautiful
Habits & Contradictions
Straight, No Chaser
MA_DOOM: Son of Yvonne…
The “hype” music that I listen to is very limited. I won’t listen to anything worse than Jeezy, old Wayne or Ross.
2 Chainz or Wacka like rappers is out of the question I will not subject brain to that. If it comes on in a club then fine, but you won’t see me with that in my playlist.
Finally someone who feels the way I do. Love Jeezy, but can’t listen to the watered down copy of them i.e., 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane .
Some things just kinda rubs me the wrong way. Like the song where he’s talking about dicks touching. How am I supposed to bump that driving thru the campus lot? I can’t get jiggie with that shit! Overall it’s aight
Metaphor, maybe?
No actual dicks touching the song about molestation with the priest and kid
nothing worse that biggies line “you look so good ill suck on your daddy’s dick” what the fuck was he thinking? haha
It came from a Richard Pryor joke. If you wanna talk about pause-worthy moments, let’s talk about DMX talking about sucking dicks.
biggie wasnt playing “ill fuck RuPaul before i fuck them ugly ass X-scape bitches”
That sounded like a diss, but that was questionable.
Though you gotta admit; some of those X-scape bitches are ugly.
lol hell yeah. still wouldnt fuck RuPaul. ill pick ugly chick over a guy any day lol
gr8 album..we people like this album back hre in Pakistan. .finally rap albumz getin some attention here.
Man this is some entertaining shit. Especially the guy who’s moniker is just the arrow pointed up at the previous comment. It’s like he’s playing Devil’s Advocate. I would say get a life but nah keep at it you’re good at what you do.
#classic lu
good lp nuff said beats could be better but lyricism and depth on point
ok, some of you niggas need to understand THIS:
you don’t dig the production? fine nobody forces you to. you can say you don’t like it… but saying stupid shit like “smh these blind hip-hop heads”– no kill that shit you morons.
PRODUCTION TASTE IS SUBJECTIVE. you can bump your head to certain type of shit while the next nigga won’t. you don’t like the beats, move on then. doesn’t mean the album deserves a 1-star… cause then you came here/anticipated this album for the wrong thing.
one thing most of us can agree on is that lyrically, this album delivers. spittin about real shit which is a change in hip-hop(not sayin he’s the only one to do it). 5/5 Lupe killed it as always.
You can still like the album but have a grumble about some points on it, for me it’s the production. Yeah we can all agree that Lupe’s spittin’ fire as per, but he was also doing that on Lasers. If we ain’t gonna think about the beats why doesn’t he release it acapella?
Standing ovation for ETK for bringing a reality check to these niggas.
There’s a diff about grumbling on some points and shittin outright on an album cause YOU can’t bump to two or three beats.
He didn’t release it acapella cause he still wants the fans to listen to what he gotta say. You can hate on the production… but don’t start bringin others legitimate viewpoints into it, actin like we gotta roll with the beats you like, no fuck that
Who the fuck are you to tell niggas what criteria they gotta classify albums by?
Unreal.
One things’s for sure, you share Lupe’s fucking inability to deal with opposing opinions.
And you’re a bitter hater. ETK is right.
Thought I was listening to a rap album and left feeling like I was lectured too.
Hip-hop fans are never satisfied. Anyways, F&L2 is a classic.
i agree hip hop fans o hat lot. lupe album is dope , the best album hes done, not a lupe stan at all), but slaughterhouse album is better to me. i enjoyed it more. this is music people. i love a good message beforeeverything but it should be enjoyable, idont wantit to sound ik a lecture, (hear enough of those in school) anyway the rating is dead on
Thts the challenge, make message music fun..lol
Classics most important feature is to stand the test of time, you’re really on here calling an album a classic that got released fucking today? (I know yall have been listenting to the leaks) but this ridiculous fuckery has to stop. Yall taking the meaning off the word. LOL @ niggas calling this one a classic off the fact and euphoria alone that Lupe decided to come through with a half serious effort after the disaster that made Nastradamus look like Illmatic.
You’re an idiotic hater.
there are a lot of dope beats on the album, but then there are beats where it sounds like the producer mixed boom bap with pop (yeah I know lol) … so its hit or miss.
They do this shit on purpose the album reviews arguably get the most hits on this site. There isn’t any consistency with the ratings. There needs to be a set list of criteria on which all the albums are judged by instead of letting biased fan boys just post whatever they want.
Ehh…didn’t bother to listen to it really. I stopped giving Lupe a chance when he sold out with the Lasers album. I thought he’d talk about real shit on this album but when I seen his singles were about lamborginhis and bad bitches, I knew it was the end for lupe. It’s sad cuz he’ll probly never see a Gold record, that’s why his label is so hesitant to release his album. His last good album was that ‘Lupe Fiasco Is Cool’ album, the one with the triangle on it. I give this one a 2/5
troll.
how about listening to the singles.
You dont even deserve a response to this stupidity
Man you are one of the biggest idiots i’ve come across recently. You’re one of those gargantuan fools who just look at the cover and think they know everything the book has to offer.
wow.. what a dumbass! Listen to the songs!
You just got trolled.
Don’t feed the troll.
look at his screename retards. “I can troll”
brave heart
SICK!!!
Man I’m so amped about that damn Jay Elect album that nothing else matters. Shit is killing me inside. Come on man show these cats how it’s done. Goddamn Hov
Jay Electronica is weak as fuck, lyrically, he caint even stand up to niggas like Hurricane Chris nigga, get wit the times, the 90’s is over, lyricism is over, like 50 said its a new day
Good joke.
h me too
Props to Lupe for his message the things he says and points he is trying to prove in his songs. Other than that, this album is still to poppy and because of that is somewhat a disappointment despite his brilliant message.
Wrong album. This isn’t Lasers.
You right. The hooks and beats are even worse. Lupe’s flow is too weak and monotone to save an album like this off lyrics alone.
You’re an idiot. This album is a classic, an improvement from Lasers. What you said is straight up hate.
She gotta big booty so I call her big booty.
Dope ass album.
Great album buying it tomorrow
great Lupe album aside from a track or two (Heart Donor)
LOL yeah Heart Donor was the CORNIEST song I’ve heard from Lupe ever, I thought I was listening to a Disney album for a sec.
You tripping , Heart donor is Dope!
my biggest problem with Heart Donor is the chorus by Pooh Bear, just awful. Sounded like his chorus on the Yelawolf album.
First I was like … the guy is an award winning (4Grammy), critically acclaimed songwriter, and he only could came up with THIS? This chorus is simply dumb and doesn’t sound well eiter, one of the weakest point in the album.
I liked the content of the song. The point he mad was dope, sometimes he gotta get off that soapbox and care about someone too!!, lol The chorus was on the cheesy side, but the message of the song itself was on par with the rest of the album.
Just going through the album now! some good tracks , track 2,3 and 8 hot so far!!
some good fucking music finally!
best album of 2012.
lol
Yo. Lu talmbout Camry’s and being Fiscally responsible dont mean he cant have a Rari.. He’s rich. he can maintain it. he’s talkin to hustlas who wanna get that rari by all means with their first chunk of cash. smh HHDX..
Based off the era of hip hop that we are in, were meaningful rap is so scarce … this deserves a 5. This and Kendrick Lamar’s album are gonna be the AOTY.
Highly disappointed with this album, no Tyga, no Birdman, not even a wayne feature. smh whats the point of puttin out an album if you aint even got a cash money feature? that shit should be manditory, have a CMB feature or your album gets pushed back delayed and shelved. Lupe didnt even mention a bugatti on this album, he used a little bit of auto tune, thats a start, but the whole song shoulda been auto tune in my opinion, another thing is that there were too many big and smart words, you caint ride to no dictionary type shit nah mean? im givin the album a 2/10, needed more Ca$h Money, more auto tune, and more songs about stuntin and big timin ya dig, oh yea if you a fan of hip hop, you gonna be disappointed cuz there is no cheif keef collab on this album at all smh, damn fuckin shame. 2/10
hahahahahahahhahahhahahahhah… YOU FUCKING TROLL!
lol … agreed.
Don’t feed the fucking troll.
Don’t you know how dumb you really are right now. Really? Use your brain for christ sake. Are you really that lazy?
^ I’m pretty sure he’s joking around man … relax.
I think he was being ironic, folks…
this is obviously troll, no one can be this retarded
LMAO, funny post
hahahaa.. awesome
This shit just made my day hahahahhaha
this is an amazing underated album lupe is too lyricsl
4/5 is underrated?
an album that’s not even released yet is underrated?
Lupe would be better off writing poetry at this point in his career. We don’t need him rapping, sounding like someone is forcing him to do so.
You mean YOU don’t need him rapping, you bitter hater.
It takes balls to slate Obama. I respect Lupe for doing so – Obama is killing innocent people. Fuck him.
no it doesn’t, check fox
This album shits on everything. Good shit Lupe “its HOOD NOW”
He is my idol.
Lupe would tell you himself that he is no idol.
I’m bumping track 8 put em up , shit bangs!!!
“Yeah keep em in the air like a swan wing,and im a keep magic as a harry potter wand swing”
…….thats hot!
Yall would call it garbage if Wayne had spit this exact line.
Because Wayne could never come up with lines like that.
Can anyone say grammy?BTW I put the lyrics on screen videos on youtube just in case you guys want to check em out.
not really feeling lupe anymore
Faggot nigga.
what does that even mean?^^
grow the fuck up
dope of dopeness
Slaughterhouse gets a 4.5 and this only gets a 4? That’s just plain wrong man
Agreed!!!! shits a joke sometimes!! lupe on his own has come up with 7-8 good tracks on this album then 4 members of slaughterhouse!
those motherfucka’s had 4 brains+ eminems brain and still couldn’t come up with shit.
Lupe gets my props for being one of illest lyricists EVER, all. day. But y’all are fuckin buggin, that new Slaughterhouse album had good “Music” all over it. FOH.
New god flow by walter white http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltikn4ugkrY&sns=tw
This is what we expected from Lasers. Like Lasers though, but missed this Lupe. On to Pt2
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION.
shout out to lupe
damn this is beautiful music
Excellent comeback, minus 3 weak tracks. Classic stuff.
THANKS LUPE!
5/5
beats and chorus = 0/5
lyrics 4.5/5
who can argue on that seriously….
uh, anyone.. any time
not everyone feels the same types of beats.
I can’t stop listening to this album!!! ITAL is the shit. What I think seperates this album from F&L and The Cool was his beat selection. A lot of the beats were knocking and that surprised me, but still had no reduction in the lyrical content. Good album…I give it a 4, it really deserves a five, but niggas get lazy when you tell em they made a classic. lol
Best Album since The Cool
Ehh…didn’t bother to listen to it really. I stopped giving Lupe a chance when he sold out with the Lasers album. I thought he’d talk about real shit on this album but when I seen his singles were about lamborginhis and bad bitches, I knew it was the end for lupe. It’s sad cuz he’ll probly never see a Gold record, that’s why his label is so hesitant to release his album. His last good album was that ‘Lupe Fiasco Is Cool’ album, the one with the triangle on it. I give this one a 2/5
Album got some great tracks on it! you missing out!
but sometimes ignorance is too over powering.
is this a serious comment??nahhh can’t be
I never understood the knock on Lasers. I thought there was some really great material on that album. like “Never Forget You” when I listen to that song it springs me into instant reminiscing of my niece who passed away and shifts up to others I lost a long the way. “Words I Never Said” is just pinnacle material no matter genre, its masterful content and conceptually original. “The Show Goes On” is a firm structured track that had potential for commercial success yet the track was still rooted to not selling out what Lupe as an artist stood for. “Letting Go” was decent. Overall, sure the album as a whole wasn’t the greatest ever, but 5 out of 12 or so by album standards these days and in many cases even the days of old, makes Lasers way above average. Maybe not by his standards but there is content worth taking from that album as a listener.
you obviously dont understand his lyrics or never actually listened to these songs and are judging them by there title. Bitch Bad is a socially conscience song about how music these days is messing up our kids with how it portrays women. And he is not rapping about Lamborghini’s on Lamborghini Angels. its so sad these people these days cant understand real lyrics. And why are people talking about Lil Wayne in comments about a Lupe album. Lupe is possible the best rapper ever with how he puts lyrics together. Lil Wayne is the worst EVER his music never has any type of meaning even his old music Carter 1 and 2. Ive tried even reading his lyrics to see if i could understand what he is ever talking about but i cant ever figure it out. Lil Wayne just makes stuff rym.
WAYNE IS THE KING
LOOK AT HIS TRACK RECORD… WHO HAS IMPROVED WITH TIME? WHO ALWAYS TAKE A BIG FAT DUMP ON EVERY SINGLE TRACK HE IS ON?
WHO HAS NEVER BEEN OUTDONE ON A TRACK?
They still make you?
Lu KILLED Wayne and everyone else on the Arms Race Remix. GTFOH with that Wayne Shit!
niggas call wayne a pop star.. like no ceilings was pop? carter 2 was pop? lil wayne is pop when he shows up on every kids bob, and i don’t think his lyrics gonna make the disney channel cut. it sounds cute when y’all say it.. but it doesn’t make sense.. wayne is no where near pop
you’re gonna use his early ass work as your argument? really?
Carter II was the last decent work he’s done
think about it, all of your favorite rappers are gay.
*Jay-Z’s best friends are gay
*Kanye West wears women’s clothes
*Lil Wayne kisses men on the lips and wears lepoard print jeggings
*Eminem hates women
*T.I. and DMX kept going back to jail (they must love the prison sex)
*Drake and Big Sean are closet homosexuals
*Rick Ross and DJ Khaled are always together (they’re life partners)
*Nas talked a lot of homo sh*t about Jay-Z on Ether (stalking Jay?)
*Ludacris is Bieber’s butt buddy
*Tupac was a ballerina as a teenager
*Biggie talked about sucking a man’s dick (on Me And My B*tch)
*Dr Dre wore some suspicious wardrobe in is time in the World Class Wreckin Crew
*Eazy E had AIDS
*Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa are weed (butt) buddies
*2Chainz dickrides Kanye West (literally…)
*J Cole dickrides Jay-Z (literally…)
*Kendrick Lamar dickrides Dr Dre(literally…) and has a gay voice
*Diddy fu
one day ull look back on ur homophobia and crigne
The fuck is wrong with you, you wanna talk shit about people that’s fine by me, that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it but what the fuck is that shit about Eazy E and aids. Show some respect ffs. Aids ain’t no joke. You think it’s floating around the black community by coincidence?
*Diddy fu
Diddy fucked every artist in the business (figuratively and literally)
Time to end this G.O.A.T. foolishness.
In this constant debate about Jay-Z being the best ever I read things like “Nas will destroy Jay-Z” or “Eminem got a better flow than Jay”
Those are OPINIONS.
When will you fools learn that you can’t win a debate with OPINIONS. Every rapper has a different style based on where they are from, the time period in which they were most successful, and their unique personality. We all can go on for days about our personal preferences but in a debate criteria like this is completely IRRELEVANT and automatically BIASED.
The only way to win a debate is with cold hard FACTS. And the fact of the matter is that, when you weigh all of the tangible criteria (Sales, Critical Acclaim, Consistency, Longevity, and Impact) Jay-Z makes the strongest case for the G.O.A.T.
Eminem has sold nearly twice as much as Jay-Z, and he is Jay’s equal when it comes to longevity and impact. But Em lacks the consistency or critical acclaim that Jay-Z has (Im not talkin cult/fanboy classics, Im talkin CERTIFIED classics. XXL/Rolling Stone/Source approved) Eminem is VERY close though.
Nas has enjoyed more critical acclaim and more overall respect in the hip-hop community through the years. And he’s definitely equal to Jay with longevity and impact. But he hasn’t been no where near as much of a consistent presence in hip-hop as Jay has. And he is obviously lacking in the sales department.
Lil Wayne just may be the most consistent rapper of all time. He’s no slouch when it comes to longevity and impact either. His glaring flaw? In his 12 year career Lil Wayne has yet to drop a truly critically acclaimed classic album (and it can be done in this climate. just look at kanye’s discography). Also, contrary to popular beleif, Wayne lacks in the sales department. Sure, Tha Carter III and IV are blockbuster albums, but his OVERALL sales of 10 mil US pale in comparison to Jay-Z’s 31 mil.
2pac is a touchy subject. When it comes to impact, pac takes the cake. No other rapper touched the world like 2pac did. He, like Em, has also sold more than Jay and he was very consistent in his time. Sadly, 2pac passed before his time which allowed Jay-Z to surpass him in longevity and critical acclaim.
LL Cool J was the prototype for what a G.O.A.T. could be. He has enjoyed the most longevity, and he was fairly consistent, but his sales, acclaim and overall impact are no where near the likes of 2pac, Eminem, and ofcourse Jay-Z.
Biggie, Rakim, Common, Snoop, the list goes on. All of these MC’s are great but none of them have the total G.O.A.T. package like Jay-Z does.
Jay-Z is the 3rd highest selling rapper of all time, and the richest. He’s one of the most acclaimed (perhaps only rivaled by his boy Kanye). He dropped multi-platinum albums YEARLY from 96′-03′, and he is still going strong today. He’s been in the game since 88′. He’s impacted hip-hop in countless ways from starting one of the 1st successful MC-owned record labels, to being the 1st non-athlete with a signature shoe, to surpassing the likes of Elvis with #1 albums.
Jay-Z is without question the Greatest MC Of All Time. Period. You don’t have to listen to him everyday (Im currently on my Kendrick wave). You don’t even have to like him. But for goodness sake, RESPECT THE FACTS!!!!!!!
Time to end this G.O.A.T. foolishness.
In this constant debate about Jay-Z being the best ever I read things like “Nas will destroy Jay-Z” or “Eminem got a better flow than Jay”
Those are OPINIONS.
When will you fools learn that you can’t win a debate with OPINIONS. Every rapper has a different style based on where they are from, the time period in which they were most successful, and their unique personality. We all can go on for days about our personal preferences but in a debate criteria like this is completely IRRELEVANT and automatically BIASED.
The only way to win a debate is with cold hard FACTS. And the fact of the matter is that, when you weigh all of the tangible criteria (Sales, Critical Acclaim, Consistency, Longevity, and Impact) Jay-Z makes the strongest case for the G.O.A.T.
Eminem has sold nearly twice as much as Jay-Z, and he is Jay’s equal when it comes to longevity and impact. But Em lacks the consistency or critical acclaim that Jay-Z has (Im not talkin cult/fanboy classics, Im talkin CERTIFIED classics. XXL/Rolling Stone/Source approved) Eminem is VERY close though.
Nas has enjoyed more critical acclaim and more overall respect in the hip-hop community through the years. And he’s definitely equal to Jay with longevity and impact. But he hasn’t been no where near as much of a consistent presence in hip-hop as Jay has. And he is obviously lacking in the sales department.
Lil Wayne just may be the most consistent rapper of all time. He’s no slouch when it comes to longevity and impact either. His glaring flaw? In his 12 year career Lil Wayne has yet to drop a truly critically acclaimed classic album (and it can be done in this climate. just look at kanye’s discography). Also, contrary to popular beleif, Wayne lacks in the sales department. Sure, Tha Carter III and IV are blockbuster albums, but his OVERALL sales of 10 mil US pale in comparison to Jay-Z’s 31 mil.
2pac is a touchy subject. When it comes to impact, pac takes the cake. No other rapper touched the world like 2pac did. He, like Em, has also sold more than Jay and he was very consistent in his time. Sadly, 2pac passed before his time which allowed Jay-Z to surpass him in longevity and critical acclaim.
LL Cool J was the prototype for what a G.O.A.T. could be. He has enjoyed the most longevity, and he was fairly consistent, but his sales, acclaim and overall impact are no where near the likes of 2pac, Eminem, and ofcourse Jay-Z.
Biggie, Rakim, Common, Snoop, the list goes on. All of these MC’s are great but none of them have the total G.O.A.T. package like Jay-Z does.
Jay-Z is the 3rd highest selling rapper of all time, and the richest. He’s one of the most acclaimed (perhaps only rivaled by his boy Kanye). He dropped multi-platinum albums YEARLY from 96′-03′, and he is still going strong today. He’s been in the game since 88′. He’s impacted hip-hop in countless ways from starting one of the 1st successful MC-owned record labels, to being the 1st non-athlete with a signature shoe, to surpassing the likes of Elvis with #1 albums.
Jay-Z is without question the Greatest MC Of All Time. Period. You don’t have to listen to him everyday (Im currently on my Kendrick wave). You don’t even have to like him. But for goodness sake, RESPECT THE FACTS!!!!!
use your own god damn nick
wayne’s going to be remembered as the next 2pac. How can you not award him that right. Look how much he has done for hip hop. Hip Hop album says have been on slow decline, yet Wayne has been the small breath of air keeping it alive and bringing in money by bringing in ATTENTION.
Attention is what keeps music or anything else alive. He branches out and does other things than music. He features on other artists of different genres albums. Pac would be proud of Wayne if he were still alive and I even believe he would agree to sign to Young Money records and help Wayne build even bigger empire.
If Wayne were to die, he WOULD become the same vessel of icon as Pac was and still is to this day. Look how many people bite Waynes style same as they did pac(Nas, Ja Rule). Yall know its true but are just to afraid to admit it.
Ah, how cute. Another attempt to raise the number of the comments. Let’s see how many take the bait!
tldr: feeding the troll is bad, mkay?
should win min 1 grammy.. 4/5
Its a 3 star album at best.
Side note: DX thinks SH is better than this??
LOL
compared to this SH is 1 star…
Dope!
“If not Lu, then who?” Blu
I wasn’t aware of the fact that Nas retired already.
GIVE ME A CHANCE
Youtube is all about finding new artist, & though I been rapping for a while im still consider a new artist. I just want my music heard thats all, im not looking for no record deal, getting famous ‘r anything like that. I do music to help change the lives of others so what you’ll get from my music is all POSITIVITY! so please just spare a few sec. to check me out, & if you like what you heard please SUBSCRIBE so ill know you actually listen & support http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az9kWMdFmKs
Lupe has just scored one of the greatest comebacks in hip hop history this album is fire waaaay better than Lasers and my favorite album in 2012 so far Favorite tracks: Lamborghini Angels, Put em up, Bitch Bad, Ital Roses, Cold World, Braveheart, Strange Fruition. Overall dope album should be 5 stars and how does get a 4.5?? Fuck you HipHopDX SMH…….
put em up,strange fruition and ital (roses) all 5/5 for me!
Straight fire from beginning to end
Liking this album. So far:
-Food and Liquor
-The Cool/ Food and Liquor II
-Friend of the People
-Lasers
he is probably on point but i dont fuck with rappers flowing over smashing pumpkins beats.
its not his fault it seems like the majors wont release boom bap any more.
every album sounds the same the only difference is its just different voices flowing over the beats.
hip hop is no longer creative the style of dressed is copied from skateboarders.
the beats are alternative rock, i’m really trying to find something else to get into because i have out grown this current state of rap.
Not bothered to listen right?
Someone hasn’t been listening to hip hop much.
Bro that’s fucking narrow minded gee. I don’t listen to rap over some smashing pumpkin beats. What the fuck do you want some 2pac, some tribe, some epmd, or something else from the past. Come on man give modern hip-hop a fucking chance.
This guy hasn’t heard the song I produced for XV called Smallville. Flipped the shit out that Smashing Pumpkins track.
you aint even heard it yet idiot
5
great album
Lupe Fiasco: food & liquor 2 is probably one of my most favorite album.. ever!
you are also hilarious…nigga heart donor is the worst song ever
(sarcastically) Oh, yeah. One bad song and the whole album is terrible.
(seriously) GTFOH
Lupe is basically trying to bring the diversity back to mainstream hip hop. I’m tired of no one being original anymore, and the only way to “make it” is to be confined in the box of acceptability in hip hop culture today. This can be seen all through the culture and the refraction of the music is visibly present in the people.
He’s one of the flagships that truly shows that hip hop is not dead. He’s portraying a message saying that it’s an alternate way to make it, which is to step out of the box and bring creativity back to hip hop.
He never ceases to amaze me.
Dope
Welcome back Lu.
Shit is easy to make a classic track. Get a bangin ass beat, get someone that can actually rap or sing (like Pac, Rozay or Hov), make sure it’s catchy to the ear but isn’t talkin about stupid shit, bang, classic joint. Too bad too many niggas can’t craft a good song.
Bawse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ricky Rozay!
Faggot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The hypocrisy in your comment. You mentioned Ross, who talks about stupid shit in all of his songs, can’t rap, and can’t release an album without 10 features. Ross doesn’t have classics.
There is a huge gap between F&L 1 and 2 in terms of both the choice of instrumentals as well the flow. A gap in the negative sense. Lupe fiasco has become a common-mainstream-pop-HH rapper and thats really dissapointing..
in terms of flow-yes, in terms of beat selection yes.. but lyrically? son this kid is over the heads of every motherfucker alive
over your head hey? lol, his verses a pretty straightforward now…good but i think they lack the depth and emotion that his first two albums had
Great comeback. Not the same as the classic FL1 tho
woot! lupe is back!! 5/5
put em up!! damn that lyric…
It’s great lyrically (no suprise here), but Lupe’s rapping performance was underwhelming, it didn’t sound like he put real emotions into his words at all and that’s where this project fails from a music standpoint. Music is all about emotion, great lyrics alone won’t do it, especially not for somebody who is as talented as Lupe is. Check Scarface, you literally hear the pain in every single word he spits into the microphone. F&L1 and The Cool are way above this one, simply because they were better balanced and he actually put emphasis on his vocal performance. He should’ve named it The Great American Rap Album, the album focuses on too much negativity to call it Food (Good) and Liquor (Bad). I miss the joyful Lupe. This ain’t his passion anymore. Dude quit rap a long time ago.
3/5.
Someone has to shine a light on all the worlds ills, right? If not Lu, then who?
I thought that was dope line too.
Brother Ali
This album is so much better than Cruel Summer , 2 level up.
Great
really good, honestly…
Look whose counting the money tho’?
That’s why I say White people don’t fully understand “Lupe” raps.
… SMH people like you who just completely cut through race because of racial stereotypes are just ignorant fucks.
one of the best releases of 2k12
chief keef iz much betta. lupe iz boring to me.
You are a fuckin’ idiot, you better get back to 6th grade classes and quit playing on the inet!
You are a fuckin’ idiot, you better get back to 6th grade classes and quit playing on the internet!
Then listen to ur lil’ wayne and YMCMB garbage.
Go listen to Chief Keef if you think he’s better.
keep it real.. 5/5
far better than cruel summer.. love it
yes a lot better
that doesn’t make it good
that doesn’t make it good
^
exactly.
I listen to a lot of conscious hip hop, but I find Lupe too preachy here. It’s not like I’d rather him rap about ignorant shit, it’s just that every song on this album is extremely political and often not in a creative way. ‘Bitch Bad’ is a good example of how conscious tracks can be really creative and provocative, but most of the songs here aren’t like that–they’re like having someone yell shit in your ear that you’ve heard a million times before over and over, track after track. Good message, but delivered in a really exhausting way. I’m also not too crazy about the beats and some of the hooks. Decent album though. I’d give it 3.5.
That is true but I do enjoy many of the songs for their musical value too. F&L and The Cool are better examples of implicit commentary “Put You On Game” is the best example.
Put You On Game is better than this whole album.
Album of the year
lol nigga you are hilarious
He’s being serious.
Album of the year so far
Dope
Dope album
If poo bear was removed from the album and Matthew santos was subbed in it mightve been a classic. 4/5
but DX’s rating is so fuckin retarded. I cant take their 4/5’s seriously at all cause they give everything that. Fuckin big seans album got it.
I’ve been a fan of lupe since the beginning. I got every Fahrenheit 1/15, every mixtape, bought every album. Even bought lasers (I was very dissapointed). When FoTP came out I was saying “ahh yes! the story telling style that made me love lupe is still there awesome! No more of this preachy crap”. Low and behold Fotp is just Lasers part 2. Am I saying that I don’t wanna hear that positive stuff? No, I wanna hear it the way I know lupe can rap it to me, through stories and metaphors. FnL and The Cool had excellent messages everyone needed to hear and they were told with exceptional imagery. In Lasers and FnL 2, he’s just blatently saying “hey this is bad for you, this too, the government is out to get you”. Lupe said “he’s done with rap” and I feel like he had that same attitude while he was recording this album” I’ma buy it of course, but its an underwhelming final bow for him
This sums it up basically.
Idiots.
You idiots.
You fucking idiots.
you guys are real idiot like that guy sais.
sorry you were fotunate enough to grow up in the worst part of chicago and become a conscious rapper . now you want him to stroke your ego to?
imbecile.
the world is not all fun games and metaphors .
The world may not be fun games and metaphors, but true artistry packs reality and the depressing state of humanity into powerful imagery. This album is not meant to have as much of an aesthetic appeal as his first two, and it certainly isn’t supposed to be as laid back.
Not saying I don’t like Lupe being political – I think it’s exactly what the industry, and the world, need. But it’s a different way to get his message across. When his albums are compared, this one will always fall short as a musical whole to the original Food and Liquor and The Cool because they were crafted to convey a message through metaphors and stories and as such are easier to listen to. This is meant to be hard hitting, with the message on its sleeve, and far less appreciation of the way it may appeal to us in aesthetic ways.
Think of it as the teachings of Jesus (regardless of whether or not you believe they are true): in the Bible, he uses stories, metaphors, and straight truth. They are all effective methods. Stories will stick in our minds, they appeal to an innate sense of beauty and wonder at the way imagery can be slickly used to depict narration and simultaneously impart a lasting message. A direct truth will force us to reflect immediately, to act on what we perceive to be injustice.
That’s what Lupe wants – action – because his message hasn’t been heard in the past (I know they sayin, Lupe rappin bout the same shit/Well, that’s cause ain’t shit changed bitch) , and he has to try a new method to get it out there.
C’mon it’s lupe… gotta be 5 stars
One thing about the album…I hated the preachy feel it had. That really doesn’t do much for the broader amount of listeners that Lupe has gained. However, the album in itself, outside of maybe one or two tracks that could have been left out is REALLY DAMN GOOD! I mean…I think the production was well done, the lyrics were well done, flows, everything that needed to go right for Lupe did here. The preachy nature of the CD will definitely turn off a lot of listeners (that’s something I had to get over my first listen through), but it won’t turn off all. This is a GREAT solo effort. 4 out of 5 from me.
let lupe worry about the broader audience.
he diidnt do it to become the popular kid on the block listen to the message man.
smh
Lupe u ma nigga cuuzzz fo real doe i b waiting all dayy for this ish doee u feel me maah nigaahhh luuu from the chi all day every day awready kno what it do cuzzzzin
What the hell did you just say man?
mahh negro u did not under stand this ishh righ here cuzzin u must be rich or so’in naww mean dis shit is street commenting mah negro ya boy has to represent these hoods all day err day yawwready know what i mean cuzzz
It’s a dope album, so I think 4/5 is accurate. Every song is good with the exception of a couple tracks. “Heart Donor” is definitely the weakest and while I do like the song “How Dare You”, it doesn’t really fit with the theme of the album. But “Put Em Up”, “Strange Fruition”, and “Form Follows Function” are all fire though.
word.
Lyrical Masterpiece, best mainstream rapper with kendrick in the game right now, they keep it real.
Lyrically hes 2nd next to Eminem, and please don’t deny it he’s and amazing artist, lyrically on point 2nd best in the game!
I co-sign that.
^^ Thank you homie!
No Lupe number one, Em is somewhere down the line, shit Elzhi raps better than Em. Plus I’m not a fan of EM really.
I’d give it 5/5 based on what other garbage is getting 4/5’s.
Take out Poo Bear and add some more dominant features woulda been a surefire classic.
This album was very refreshing and inspirational. People who dont want to face their faults and deamons may have problems with the tone of the album. The truth is Lupe didnt do this album to be the old lupe prior to Lazers. This was a reflection of this mans true thoughts and emotions. Its not just entertainment many songs were much more then that. I think the 3 (filler songs) on the album were just him trying to have a bit of fun on there and also meeting a few requests by the investors. This is a 5/5 album.
“Now I cant pledge allegiance to your flag Cause I cant find no reconciliation with your past When there was nothing equal for my people in your math You forced us in the ghetto and then you took our dads”
Thats the voice of the people speaking.
you could not have been more perfect with this review excellent man . excellent.
this is a classic album
boring, not good, suck very much
Then go listen to Ross or 2Chainz, you ignoramous.
Fuck you, Borat xD
cool ish
A major improvement from Lasers. A modern day Stillmatic.
ya c lu is reppin the chi all day err day naw mean this shit is ill cuuzz we play lu all day err day in ma hood cuuzzzzzziiinnnnnnnnnnnnnn yawready kno what it do nd what it does fo real
I was so disappointed by this album…
Because I thought it was going to be a double CD album. But it wasn’t. BOO to you Lupe.
But 5 stars because Lupe’s back!
because lupe controls that side of the marketing. smh
phenomenal album! his lyricism and awareness is unmatched in the hip hop world
Just finished listening to Food and Liquor and The Cool to compare, and honestly FL2 comes up a little short. The lyricism has always been there for Lupe no doubt, but he really compromised on the production with this album. Hearing the first two albums, the sound was creative, fun and fresh. FL2 is the same tired thing over and over like he’s trying to force it into something mainstream. Not sure if it’s all industry influence but I would love for him to go independent and give us one more classic album. LupE.N.D. anyone?
The mood of the album isn’t fun, so..
it wasnt meant to be an all roses album..
its the reality of the world .
this album is a classic
Lupe Fiasco is following the same formula as Nas both have classic debuts both their sophmore albums was also well recieved, both have 1 bad album each and now Lupe has his Stillmatic hopefully Pt. 2 will be his God’s Son overall fuck the haters that say the production is weak the beats are sick as fuck on Food & Liquor 2 and Heart Donor isn’t all that bad compared to Lil Wayne songs so appreciate real art FNF UP.
yo i feel the same way g
Great Comparison, I’m still listening to this album to come up with a rating. It’s defiantly not an instant Classic like I felt F&L and even The Cool but it’s still better then LASARS!
Not a bad album, F&L is definitely still better unfortunately. I hope he comes out with a concept album like The Cool; a more metaphorical and deep CD is what I like.
What Lupe Did on Bitch Bad was amazing. . . Still trying to decipher the album but I love it. .
Great album!
Believe that at least one person will listen for him and do something good for this world
TWEET ME @INCREDABUCKS MAKE 200 TO 500 A WEEK LEAVE YA EMAIL AT MY TWITTER AND CLICK ON MY FOR THE BEST T-SHIRTS.
THE ALBUM OVERALL MESSAGE WAS NICE the singles was on point and i get the message but i heard part 2 is more hard rapping so i am waiting for that..but this 1 was real good album… brave heart and heart donor i like the hooks.
this album bumps. Not classic shit, but it has agreat sound i agree with the editor rating.
this album is perfection, ALBUM OF THE YEAR EASY
Lupe’s album was a classic and he showed his ability to have a conscious album mixed with songs with rap with intellectual flare. This review is the worst. Just pissed off at his Magazine boycott. His Lyricism was better than ever You just wanted another bland rap album like Cruel Summer.
classic.
I agree with the writer as well. Apart from those 2 tracks, the rest was pretty good. Lupe’s never lost that lyrical & message side, even in lasers. But the production let him down in lasers. This is much better. The lyrics, the message & the production. I didn’t expect this album to be a classic. But it’s better then I thought. It’s never gonna beat F&L1, not many albums will. He set the bar too high on his first 2 albums. Otherwise, this is pretty good. I’d give it a 4.2/5. It’s solid and has the Lupe flavour of IDGAF
One of the best albums ever
CLASSIC!! GREATEST HIP HOP ALBUM EVER!! PROVE ME WRONG… and fuck all the old heads times are changing
This is the best album of this year thus far at least.
No shoutout to Cold War? That was my favourite track on the album. But seriously this was so much more satisfying than Lasers.
“Cold War” goes hard.
Dope
Dope album really political. Love It
YEAH DOPE ALBUM
Am I lame for liking heart donor? lol Favorite song was the first song after the intro. I played that 5 times before listening to this incredible album
NO MAN ,same here.lol
why would you be lame? what is this fucking high school? be fucking yourself.
This is a great album… the first few bars after the intro… WOW
Good Album. Better than Food & Liquor? Nah. This should have been titled something different. F&L was political, but also embodied something different. Lupe put his spirit into F&L with Kick Push, Day Dreaming, Sunshine, The Instrumental, I Gotcha, Hurt me Soul, & He Say She Say. There were no displays of emotion, being fre apirited, or just having fun. This album is strictly politically & socially driven. Really it’s a shame, maybe this is what the industry has done to Lupe or he has matured greatly. I didn’t hear any references to his concept of The Cool character which was awesome. All the singles overshadow all the tracks. The only song I really liked is Unforgivable Youth.
Don’t expect any Paris, Tokyo or Go Baby or anything remotely fun or laidback on this.
@F n F
I agree with your assesment to an extent. I will say that because of promise Lupe displayed on F&L we look to him to set standards of what hip hop can be. Mixtape Lupe still shows that creative playful side of him. I think this album succeeds at following through with the concept of societal ills. This being said its still as good as or better than 90-95% of whats out there. Looking forward to part 2, maybe then we’ll see that other side of him.
This is a really good album, but ultimatley i think he needed more rappers on this. HE fails to carry the attention in the latter half of the album. Still though this is a lot better than Lasers, GO LUPE! Nas is gonna get the album of the year hands down unless Kid Cudi or Kendrick Lamar have something to say about it
4/5 stars
how do you give this a 4/5 and slaughterhouse 4.5?? I havent been agreeing with this website the past couple of months… Look…
Life is good: 4/5 (should be 4.5/5)
God forgives, I dont: 4/5 (should be 3/5)
Our house: 4.5 (should be 3.5/5)
FNL2: 4/5 (should be a 4.5/5)
does anyone here agree?
The only one I think they got right was Control System (4.5/5) and I think that should be 5 imo.
that soulo joint was all kinds of mediocre. son’s always been holdin BH and TDE back with that weakness in voice flow lyrics all that shit. 3.5/5 from me.
Great American Rap tho? 4.5/5
@Naw
Tou wrong doe…Soulo putting Black Hippy on his back right now doe for real…As far as the Lupe go, haven’t heard it yet
agree
I would rate this a 4.3/5. The only song I don’t really like is battle scars. That seems more like a lasers track. Oh and Heart Donor is hot idgaf what nobody says.
Lyrics r on point, couldve used more creative choices with beat selection but still a great listen. Great bounce back from Lasers
Im mad i aint get the album today, first in line at target early!! much respect to lupe,need a calabo with mos and talib.
Yes..real hip-hop dream team..exposing fake funks!
ITAL and Put em up alone make this album great
SILLY NIGGAZ…
THIS ALBUM IS LIKE 10 TIMES BETTER THAN THAT SLAUGHTERHOUSE BULLSHIT!
Thank you LUPE AND BLU for ALBUMS OF THE YEAR!
Hands down this album and Nas are about the only thing out right now worth actually buying, I loved this album.
brilliant lupe! album of the year fo sho!
The greatest rap album! EVER!!
greatest record ever??? dumbass its good but not a classic
I agree… top 50 all time greatest albums
may the lord have.. mercy..
dope!
Easily album of the year. This is so fucking good. Beats, lyrics and flow is just eminent
1/5
da worst album I ever heard. itz even worse den Nas’ second album Life Is Good. fuck deze poetic niggaz. Lil Waye wud kill dem on da mic. he a real gangsta and skater. swag
Any person using “swag” to hammer a point is an idiot….
ANY DUCK HEAD THAT THINKS THAT WAS NAS’S SECOND ALBUM DOESN DESERVE TO COMMENT ON THIS SITE. KILL URSELF STUPID…. LADES AND GENTS HERE’S THE FUTURE OF THE LISTENERS OF OUR CULTURE… UN EDUCATED NO RESPECT FOR FOUNDATION OR THE CRAFT ASS FUCK NIGGAS… SMFH
Wow, didn’t know you trolls could get wi-fi under bridges.
Wow …..fuck these poetic niggaz??? damn b.. u missing out on life, well a real great part of it if you really believe your comment. SMH
Album of the year so far. Only one I see topping this is Kanye’s/Pusha T’s.
I thought this was a really dope album, although production wasnt too good.
Conceptually and lyrically, this album is a masterpiece! We need more artists that present a subject matter that make us listeners actually think. I love how he tackles many controversial topics on his album.
Hip Hop needed this album. respect to you Lupe.
DOPE best album of the year by far.
damn Lupe… what happened to all those creative beats? They’re all same average radio beats with dope lyrics.
Disappointed …
dont forget, we got part 2 comin too.
great album! still it could have been better the first eight tracks were straight FIRE but then it dropped off a lil bit – lupe the genius.
Very Good
4 out of 5 stars thats hood now thats hood now
4/5.
This album is NOT classic. If this album was a 4.5/5 or higher, then what was FL and The Cool? Those albums were classic.
It’s obvious that Lupe has taken political/social stances on this album, but he does so in a way that sounds very mainstream. Clearly he’s matured into an individual who is focused on being an activist, but that has taken away greatly from his sense of creative lyricism. Ever listen to songs like dumb it down, streets on fire, kick push, american terrorist, etc? I can’t see him making those kinds of songs anymore. To me, Lupe has become very 1-dimensional. This album is not a classic and people are just hyped over it since it just came out.
I bet more than half of you won’t ever pick up this album again after a year. It’s a solid album, but nothing more.
Agreed with everything you said
The coolest nigguh whattt!! thats whats up lu!
Best rap album of the year
Mannnnn lupe always on point.
Better album than the best album of 2012….
Did some fool really say Lil Wayne would kill Nas and Lupe on the mic?Lil Wayne?Thats some funny shit right there.Good music obviously isnt for you. Stay listening to Young Money and Gaybach Music,son…Food and Liquor 2 is album of the year!
I hear ppl talking classic and album of year, how when this album is not better then Food and Liquor 1 or the Cool. Album not better then Nas Life is Good. It’s a good album don’t overate it for ppl.
I know that’s your opinion but I think F&L 2 is better than Life is Good. Life is Good is a good album but alot of people overrated that album as well and I just can’t mess with some songs. F&L 2 flows better in terms of an album and is more cohesive, minus Heart Donor and How Dare You of course.
the album slated to sell between 85-90k while his last album Lasers debuted at 204k lol original does not sell a lot I guess
So the label will tell him to listen to them next time LOL! Lucky he wants to go the indie route anyway, 90K on a indie nice chunk of money
yap true
Both albums are original – you hear rappers going over electrono/euro beats every day ?
instant CLASSIC.. not a huge rap fan but i had to come here and say there is nothing that tells me this album is less than 5 stars, lyrics beats everything’s perfect… ”appreciate music for what it is, not what it represents”- Lupe
Food & Liquor- 5/5
The Cool- 4.5/5
Lasers- 3/5
Food & Liquor II, part 1- 4.5/5
so far a good look on lupe every good artist has a bad album even kanye, pac, jay…
if this aint 5X i dont know what is
classic
Solid 4/5 but still ain’t on dat same level ad f&l 1 or the cool….this one was jus Lupe bein personal about dat times we in….not album of da year but top 3 or 5
amazing. shit’s on almost anything else out this year.
Maybe I need to listen too this album again but after a one time listen im disappointed overall. Lyrically Lupe was on his A game but production wise I was only feeling like 3 songs. The production of most of these songs wasn’t unique or memorable like the original F&L. Im sorry some of the beats on this album were just cheesy too me, most of the ones that were good were done by 1500 or nothin. I dont think these songs are anywhere as catchy as the original F&l or the cool. Kinda wish Lupe would do an album with all the TDE producers like willie B and dave Free.
Very good album
what more do people want from hip hop?
I bought this and Cruel Summer at the same time. I played F&L2 first. I have yet to play a single track from CS and F&L2 has been on repeat.
the BEST album to drop in 2012, most powerful album Ive hear since some Pac was released, spine chilling, and theres nothing ut right now, or will anything drop in the future that sounds like Food and liquor. this IS music that starts movements. every beat is sick, the words go perfectly with every beat, the topic of discussion in his songs is just so captivating. THis IS REALLY GREAT AMERICAN RAP
very average album overall. he may be good at putting words together, but lasers was so much better, the beats on that album were fantastic. and look at the sales predictions. i bet part 2 won’t come out as planned because of this fail, sorry lupe try better next time and those two r and b tracks in a row, both really SUCK. i give the album a 3 because of his lyrical ability, i would say possibly his worst album after the cool
Dumbass.
Dumbass nigga.
That album was pop. Pop music is good but it does lack some of the grit that is traditionally a hallmark of hip-hop, the good shit and the bad.
This review is horrific. You are literally writing this to show off your vocabulary. Next time, write about the music and not your mid term paper.
“…dishing out shifting dichotomies through a scattering of deliveries without encroaching on petulance”
You need to be punched in the throat and stripped of your reviewing duties.
So you took Lupe’s “Dumb It Down” literally I guess. SMH
well said son. youll get shit from college alumni with a bs in being a smug hipster douce but you made a great point; why is it we have to act beyond means to make a point?
thats this album to a T.
lupe is good when he stays in his lane, to bad he doesnt anymore…shame
and homeboy is starting to look he trying out for shagy on an all black rendition of scooby doo….
I wrote my own review on this album. Check it out —> http://thestixxclusiveblog.com/2012/09/27/lupe-fiasco-food-liquor-2-the-great-american-rap-album-part-1-the-stixxclusive-review/
give this album about a week to grow on you then you will realize how this CD is the next logical progression in the series this is Food and Liquor
What our generation needs right now, call him preachy but rap needs a preacher. He is the Farrakhan of Hip-Hop speaking truth to power. God Bless him and may Allah protect him.
doooope
So much better than Lasers!
I’ve had this on repeat since I got it, but I’ll be moving on before the week is up. Great message, great lyrics, above average production… but not as long-lasting as I expected. I still sit down and listen to F&L and The Cool, but I won’t replay more than 4 or 5 songs on this. Yes, the songs mean something, but music is deeper than that. It has to sound incredible as well, and I’ll still take Daydreamin, Sunshine, Hurt Me Soul, American Terrorist, etc, over any of this. If all these people out there are just thirsting for music with a meaning, why aren’t you listening to Immortal Technique and repping him daily? Why push for Lu and K Dot and J Cole? Because they sound damn good too, and I don’t think he achieved that. The lack of storytelling (one of his finest assets) is troubling for me here, just as it was on LASERS.
And for those of you calling this a classic, ask yourself if you’ll still be listening to it in 5 years when you’ve heard all the politics and preaching in it over and over again… they may be great now, but it reduces the replay value. If you think it’s impossible to make a legendary album that has incredibly intelligent and emotional content through storytelling, go listen to The Roots, specifically Undun. That’s a master album that deserves the 5 star rating, and this doesn’t stand up compared to it.
Great observation!!!
Love it!
classic
PROBABLY THE BEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR. LUPE SHITS ON EVERY WACK (EVEN GOOD) MC IN THE GAME FROM WACK ASS JOELL ORTIZ TO NAS AKA ONE OF THE GOATS. I DON’T GET IT HOW IT IS POSSIBLE THAT FLOPHOUSE GOT 4.5 FOR THEIR WACK ASS POP ALBUM AND THIS GOT JUST 4.
THIS IS THE REAL MODERN CLASSIC, MAYBE NOT BETTER THAN FIRST F&L OR THE COOL, BUT ALL OF THE LUPE’S ALBUMS ARE CLASSICS, SO IT’S OKAY. ALONGSIDE WITH BASED ON TRU STORY WHICH IS THE BEST DEBUT ALBUM SINCE LUPE’S DEBUT.
Based On A Tru Story was wack.
I rate this a 5 but its more like 4.5. Intelligently savvy anecdotes and metaphors. This album is the kind of album that I’ve been waiting for. I love projects that I can listen to many times and still catch things that I missed previously. Just wish he had no I.d, more 1500, primo or other dope ass producers behind the wordsmiths lyrics. Definitely hand props to Lu about not using so many lame hook people that ruin his creativity. Not 5-5 bc of the two tracks mentioned in this review (great review) due to the mainstreamesque stature. Overal, best album released thus for for 2012.
Add some two more stars to that
FIRE!!! Real HIPHOP!!!!
What an album… If u say otherwise u need to check yourself before you wreck yourself cuz Lupe is bad for your health lol His a creative artist and will aways be b/c of his identity,individuality as well as his message to the people. I bought this album w/o listening to it and im not disappointed. Keep doing what your doing Lupe!!
Genius work from a true lyrical genius. Every track is Lupe 100% and doesn’t disappoint. haven’t been able to find a flaw in this body of work. Honestly can’t pick a favorite, every song is. Perfect 10/10 from a true fan. Hope he really doesn’t retire
ALBUM OF THE YEAR (so far, considering Good Kid, Maad City is about to release)
lupe the great
why is it always the miserable cities that produce such great artists willing to speak their minds without fear?
decent album. not better than his previous work (except lasers) but not bad at all.
This is an amazingly-articulate album with creative sampling, really good beats, and great content!!!! It was indeed “food and liquor”!!!
The text is THICK in this album. Great for Hip-Hop. Some of the songs are weaker than others but all around its crack.
All I wanna know is why did he have to call it Food & Liquor 2? This album has a completely different sound than Food & Liquor and he’s speaking on completely different themes. He shouldve just called it The Great American Rap Album.
Not good as lasers
Ur right. It’s way better. FNF!!
Go see a psychiatrist! Do yaself and everybody around you a favour. You trippin!
The album is good (especially the first half), but he sounds like he’s reading the lyrics off paper the whole album, he needed to memorize his lines and put some energy into his delivery like past albums
Cleverly put. I agree… Lup almost seemed as if he was going through emotions with some of the tracks. “Bitch Bad”, “Lamborghini Angels”, and “Around my Way” carry the album with concept alone. His delivery are par at best when you compare them to some of his previous hits. He has and will always be a great lyricist but I think he is missing that desire in the studio.
I was thinking something very similar. I love the dude but while he is rapping it sounds as if he does not really want to be there. his lyrics as always are on point but he is not really present.
Food and Liquor is a classic, so is The Cool. Lazers was a good a;bum but that was not Lupe, that was the label wanting him to drop a more commercial project. Food and Liquor 2 stays on point with 1 just that Lupe has other topics to bring up this time around, that being the place of Minorities in America. How we don’t help ourselves. This product was put together really well. Joint better win Album of the year.
Love the music Lupe is putting out. Definitely a must-cop album
lupe has always been sick as hell
This album is amazing, Lupe stays on point with his lyrics and keeps it interesting with an array of topics. But I feel Lupe could of picked better production, maybe more from soundtrakk? 4/5
This album is amazing, Lupe stays on point with his lyrics and keeps it interesting with an array of topics. But I feel Lupe could of picked better production, maybe more from soundtrakk? 4/5.
Eminem sucks ass compared to LUPE
Hahaha good joke.
First half of the album picks up where F&L 1 left off….second half should’ve been on The Cool or Lasers….he’s best without the guest spots…wish he would’ve left off the imagery about the child molestation–kills that song for me.
best album out this year so far, I say so far because Talib Kweli drop Nov. 20th. Nobody touching Lupe though!
Lupe is untouchable, although Kanye West’s new GOOD Music Album is pretttyyyy awesome itself
lyrics: 5
message execution: 4.5
production: 3.5
hooks: 3
The replay value on this album is no where near F&L 1 or The Cool, but is still a really good album. I just kinda miss the sound on his first two.
Yeah well said. I have been listening to FL1 and the hooks are really great which makes replaying them excellent. The same is not true for FL2 and I haven’t really listened to it in a week. I think a lot of artists are missing good hooks.
Best Album this year.
This is as good as it gets until Indicud at least
WHOO
Album ***** —–F&L:2 = Return of the Jedi(Star Wars)
One genius have a fuckin link for DL this album please ???
bestbuy.com
Heres an idea. Listen to it on youtube. If you like it, BUY IT YOU JACKASS!
SUPPORT GOOD ARTISTS!
old school lupe sucks!!
1. Ayesha Says (Intro)
2. Strange Fruition feat. Pharrell (Produced by The Neptunes)
3. ITAL (Roses) (Produced by Needlz)
4. Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free) (Produced by Pete Rock)
5. Audubon Ballroom (Produced by Kanye West, co. No I.D., co. Jeff Bhasker)
6. Bitch Bad (Produced by Q-Tip)
7. Lamborghini Angels (Produced by Hi-Tek)
8. Put Em Up (Produced by Jake One)
9. Heart Donor feat. Matthew Santos (Produced by Soundtrakk)
10. How Dare You feat. Talib Kweli (Produced by Hi-Tek)
11. Battle Scars feat. John Legend (Produced by Kanye West)
12. Brave Heart feat. Matthew Santos (Produced by Soundtrakk)
13. Form Follows Function (Produced by Hi-Tek)
14. Cold War feat. Sarah Green (Produced by Soundtrakk)
15. Unforgivable Youth feat. Patrick Stump (Produced by Soundtrakk)
16. Hood Now (Produced by Hi-Tek)
17. Go to Sleep (Produced by Needlz)
^^WHAT IT SHOULD’VE BEEN!^^
Get a life, loser
100% true…if it was that god damn
That’s in a perfect world, for real.
LUPE IS A LYRICAL GENIUS FUCK ALL HATERS!
If you dont get his music, your intellect is just inferior. Get at me.
You are 100% correct Alex.
This album is pure plasma, its the greatest thing my ears have ever had the pleasure of listening to, this is the album of the year in my books regardless of what some corporate reviewer says. Sure some songs don’t hit me as hard but all the messages are great, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO LUPE, YOUR REAL FANS ARE OUT HERE!!!
Aside from how much I like the album, I love this review. Beautifully written DX.
Lupe is real as they come, will support more artist who really put forth an effort to things that matter to everyday people, sorry 2chainz and rick ross….Nas has the album of the year on lock, but im waiting for Kendrick too, the Wu block album, and Kid Cudi…
Nas album was really good. I have the Nas at 3 and the Lupe 2 and the Killer Mike at 1. That can change in time though.
Ayesha Says” (Intro) This album has the traditional acapella spoken word introduction similar to Lupe’s other albums (with Lasers being the only exception) and I like it; this is a good way to start the album and reinstall the vibe of the original Food & Liquor.
“Strange Fruition” featuring Casey Benjamin (Produced by Soundtrakk) This has a smooth sound to it with it’s strings but at the same time manages to have hard drums. I like this song and I’m really feeling the production on this from the concept to the vocal effects on the chorus and the instrumentation. This beat has somewhat of an “old school meets new school” feel to it (especially with the background vocal chants) and it successfully bridges the gap between both eras of hip-hop.
“ITAL” (Roses) (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) Lupe drops some real knowledge to this beat full of horns and synth change ups. At first I wasn’t feeling the horn stabs on here but the way the beat builds up and flows into it’s change-ups is very well done. Lyrically and conceptually this track is on point as well.
“Around My Way” (Freedom Ain’t Free) (Produced by B-Side and DJ Simonsayz) – Although this track has received some criticism for its duplication of the legendary “T.R.O.Y.”, I think it’s dope and that it helps pay homage to the legends while making a new record. The changes made to the remake of the “T.R.O.Y.” instrumental are well done, especially the filter effects on the third verse and the drums really knock hard throughout the track. What I like most about this song is that it’s an original concept and not just a rip off of “T.R.O.Y.” and it also manages to keep the vintage 90’s feel while still sounding modern.
“Audubon Ballroom” (Produced by Fatimes & Built) I really like the production on this song; the drums knock really hard and the instruments here are dope as are the vocals on the chorus. I’m also feeling the subject matter of this song, especially the Malcolm X themed title which works nicely with the song concept. This record will probably get you hyped up with it’s anthem-sounding production, especially the vocal chants in the background.
“Bitch Bad” (Produced by The Audibles) “Bitch Bad” is a brilliant concept and song to me. The production on this song is dope and includes a beat that some artists may have used to make another “get money and girls” song. Personally, I really like the organs and 808 drums on this beat, especially because I think the producer of this track manages to use the popularized 808-sound with an original and fresh vibe. I also really enjoy the lyrics and rhyme scheme of the third verse on this song, especially at the end.
“Lamborghini Angels” (Produced by Mr. Inkredible) To be honest I’m not really feeling the production on this song. Lyrically this is a dope record but the melodies on the beat get too repetitive and annoying (especially compared to some of the previous tracks) and I have a hard time paying attention to “Lamborghini Angels” on the first listen. The concept on this song will probably have you rewind this record a few times to make sure you catch everything (in a good way) but I’m just not feeling the beat.
“Put ‘Em Up” (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’ and Julian Bunetta) The main arpeggiator synth on this beat reminds me a lot of the main synth on “Ignorant Shit” by Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel and I’m not really feeling it (I didn’t like it on Jays song either) but aside from that this is a great song. The electric guitars and deep synths add a dark feel while the airy choirs on the chorus provide some catchy melodies. I really like the hook on this song a lot and eventually the beat did grow on me, I just wasn’t feeling the main synth during the verses.
“Heart Donor” featuring Poo Bear (Produced by The Runners) This beat has a smooth feel to it, with some almost country/R&B-sounding vocals. I really didn’t like the intro to this song and Poo Bears vocals on here altogether. However, I think the verses on this beat are dope and Lupe does a nice job lyrically, but the first four bars of the chorus just sound awkward to me. The percussion on this beat has a really smooth feel to it and the way the kick drums hit with layered congas sounds very original.
“How Dare You?” featuring Bilal (Produced by Severe, Poo Bear and Klypso) “How Dare You?” kicks off with a very smooth and refreshing vibe to it that just makes you feel fresh by listening to it. At first I was sceptical of Lupe using this beat but he does a good job on here and the production is entertaining to say the least. The drums here are dope and I really like the piano, synth and string melodies as well; altogether the beat matches well with the smooth vocals on the chorus.
“Battle Scars” (with Guy Sebastian) (Produced by Pro-Jay and Guy Sebastian) I love the reversed pianos on here and the drums are dope too, especially the clap/snare. I also really like the way the chorus builds up to a real epic sound. All over this is a good song and I’m feeling it, especially the production.
Brave Heart featuring Poo Bear (Produced by The Runners) For some reason the intro of this song reminded me of “Black Republicans” by Nas and Jay-Z. The production on “Brave Heart” has a real triumphant “yes we can” feel to it and matches the song title perfectly. I really think this is a dope beat and I like Poo Bear on here much more than on “Heart Donor”; his voice really helps add an anthem feel to this song. The electric guitars that get brought in on the production are amazing and I think this song would be great to use in a movie.
“Form Follows Function” (Produced by Infamous) The production on here has somewhat of a jazzy feel to it, especially with the saxophones and pianos and it sounds pretty dope to me. Ill need to replay this song a bunch of times to catch all of the lyrics but some of the word play is here really dope as expected. Although I don’t think the beat is bad I got tired of it after a little bit and would have liked to hear some more change ups but over all this is a pretty dope song.
“Cold War” featuring Jane $$$ (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) The intro to this song is amazing and instantly pulled me in, especially the way the beat transitions from epic to a smooth and almost dark soulful vibe. Lupe delivers lyrically and the chorus on this is dope from the production to the vocals provided by Jane $$$. I really like the tom rolls and synths on the chorus and the way the verses make you zone out is incredible to me. This is probably my favourite song as a whole so far, especially in terms of production. The extra instruments that come in at the end of this record are definitely a nice addition that I appreciated as well.
“Unforgivable Youth” featuring Jason Evigan (Produced by King David) This song really impressed me, especially the concept and the way the song ends; sheer genius in my opinion. The production here is dope as well; the synths, pianos and guitars on here are really dope and the choirs work nicely with the song concept. I also enjoyed the chorus on this record but the concept to this song really blew me away.
“Hood Now” (Outro) (Produced by Poo Bear and Jamal Mally Mall) The beat on “Hood Now” is pretty repetitive (but catchy) except for on the chorus and the outro. I honestly dont really mind the repetitious verse melodies since the instrumentation and drum patterns fit Lupe’s flow and rhyme scheme really well. I thought the concept on this song was dope and especially works nicely with the hypnotizing synths that some artists may have just used to make a club song.
“Go to Sleep” (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) I really like the sounds of the pianos and choirs on this track; they have a very live sound and feel to them. The vocal samples incorporated with on the hooks are dope too and help add variety and balance to Lupe singing on the chorus. Overall this is a good song to zone out to and also a nice record to close the album out with; I dont really have any complaints on this one.
I’ve been fortunate to review a lot of great albums lately and fortunately for me Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Part 1 (F&L II Part 1) keeps that trend going. “Cold War” is probably my favourite song from this album and overall F&L II Part 1 is a pretty satisfying album from the production to the lyrics and concepts. Although there are a few production flaws on Lupe’s latest piece of work (mostly with “Lamborghini Angels” and “Heart Donor”), I think that overall fans will appreciate this album. With all songs and beats considered, I give F&L II Part 1 a 4 out of 5 rating.
Ayesha Says” (Intro) This album has the traditional acapella spoken word introduction similar to Lupe’s other albums (with Lasers being the only exception) and I like it; this is a good way to start the album and reinstall the vibe of the original Food & Liquor.
“Strange Fruition” featuring Casey Benjamin (Produced by Soundtrakk) This has a smooth sound to it with it’s strings but at the same time manages to have hard drums. I like this song and I’m really feeling the production on this from the concept to the vocal effects on the chorus and the instrumentation. This beat has somewhat of an “old school meets new school” feel to it (especially with the background vocal chants) and it successfully bridges the gap between both eras of hip-hop.
“ITAL” (Roses) (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) Lupe drops some real knowledge to this beat full of horns and synth change ups. At first I wasn’t feeling the horn stabs on here but the way the beat builds up and flows into it’s change-ups is very well done. Lyrically and conceptually this track is on point as well.
“Around My Way” (Freedom Ain’t Free) (Produced by B-Side and DJ Simonsayz) – Although this track has received some criticism for its duplication of the legendary “T.R.O.Y.”, I think it’s dope and that it helps pay homage to the legends while making a new record. The changes made to the remake of the “T.R.O.Y.” instrumental are well done, especially the filter effects on the third verse and the drums really knock hard throughout the track. What I like most about this song is that it’s an original concept and not just a rip off of “T.R.O.Y.” and it also manages to keep the vintage 90’s feel while still sounding modern.
“Audubon Ballroom” (Produced by Fatimes & Built) I really like the production on this song; the drums knock really hard and the instruments here are dope as are the vocals on the chorus. I’m also feeling the subject matter of this song, especially the Malcolm X themed title which works nicely with the song concept. This record will probably get you hyped up with it’s anthem-sounding production, especially the vocal chants in the background.
“Bitch Bad” (Produced by The Audibles) “Bitch Bad” is a brilliant concept and song to me. The production on this song is dope and includes a beat that some artists may have used to make another “get money and girls” song. Personally, I really like the organs and 808 drums on this beat, especially because I think the producer of this track manages to use the popularized 808-sound with an original and fresh vibe. I also really enjoy the lyrics and rhyme scheme of the third verse on this song, especially at the end.
“Lamborghini Angels” (Produced by Mr. Inkredible) To be honest I’m not really feeling the production on this song. Lyrically this is a dope record but the melodies on the beat get too repetitive and annoying (especially compared to some of the previous tracks) and I have a hard time paying attention to “Lamborghini Angels” on the first listen. The concept on this song will probably have you rewind this record a few times to make sure you catch everything (in a good way) but I’m just not feeling the beat.
“Put ‘Em Up” (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’ and Julian Bunetta) The main arpeggiator synth on this beat reminds me a lot of the main synth on “Ignorant Shit” by Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel and I’m not really feeling it (I didn’t like it on Jays song either) but aside from that this is a great song. The electric guitars and deep synths add a dark feel while the airy choirs on the chorus provide some catchy melodies. I really like the hook on this song a lot and eventually the beat did grow on me, I just wasn’t feeling the main synth during the verses.
“Heart Donor” featuring Poo Bear (Produced by The Runners) This beat has a smooth feel to it, with some almost country/R&B-sounding vocals. I really didn’t like the intro to this song and Poo Bears vocals on here altogether. However, I think the verses on this beat are dope and Lupe does a nice job lyrically, but the first four bars of the chorus just sound awkward to me. The percussion on this beat has a really smooth feel to it and the way the kick drums hit with layered congas sounds very original.
“How Dare You?” featuring Bilal (Produced by Severe, Poo Bear and Klypso) “How Dare You?” kicks off with a very smooth and refreshing vibe to it that just makes you feel fresh by listening to it. At first I was sceptical of Lupe using this beat but he does a good job on here and the production is entertaining to say the least. The drums here are dope and I really like the piano, synth and string melodies as well; altogether the beat matches well with the smooth vocals on the chorus.
“Battle Scars” (with Guy Sebastian) (Produced by Pro-Jay and Guy Sebastian) I love the reversed pianos on here and the drums are dope too, especially the clap/snare. I also really like the way the chorus builds up to a real epic sound. All over this is a good song and I’m feeling it, especially the production.
Brave Heart featuring Poo Bear (Produced by The Runners) For some reason the intro of this song reminded me of “Black Republicans” by Nas and Jay-Z. The production on “Brave Heart” has a real triumphant “yes we can” feel to it and matches the song title perfectly. I really think this is a dope beat and I like Poo Bear on here much more than on “Heart Donor”; his voice really helps add an anthem feel to this song. The electric guitars that get brought in on the production are amazing and I think this song would be great to use in a movie.
“Form Follows Function” (Produced by Infamous) The production on here has somewhat of a jazzy feel to it, especially with the saxophones and pianos and it sounds pretty dope to me. Ill need to replay this song a bunch of times to catch all of the lyrics but some of the word play is here really dope as expected. Although I don’t think the beat is bad I got tired of it after a little bit and would have liked to hear some more change ups but over all this is a pretty dope song.
“Cold War” featuring Jane $$$ (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) The intro to this song is amazing and instantly pulled me in, especially the way the beat transitions from epic to a smooth and almost dark soulful vibe. Lupe delivers lyrically and the chorus on this is dope from the production to the vocals provided by Jane $$$. I really like the tom rolls and synths on the chorus and the way the verses make you zone out is incredible to me. This is probably my favourite song as a whole so far, especially in terms of production. The extra instruments that come in at the end of this record are definitely a nice addition that I appreciated as well.
“Unforgivable Youth” featuring Jason Evigan (Produced by King David) This song really impressed me, especially the concept and the way the song ends; sheer genius in my opinion. The production here is dope as well; the synths, pianos and guitars on here are really dope and the choirs work nicely with the song concept. I also enjoyed the chorus on this record but the concept to this song really blew me away.
“Hood Now” (Outro) (Produced by Poo Bear and Jamal Mally Mall) The beat on “Hood Now” is pretty repetitive (but catchy) except for on the chorus and the outro. I honestly dont really mind the repetitious verse melodies since the instrumentation and drum patterns fit Lupe’s flow and rhyme scheme really well. I thought the concept on this song was dope and especially works nicely with the hypnotizing synths that some artists may have just used to make a club song.
“Go to Sleep” (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) I really like the sounds of the pianos and choirs on this track; they have a very live sound and feel to them. The vocal samples incorporated with on the hooks are dope too and help add variety and balance to Lupe singing on the chorus. Overall this is a good song to zone out to and also a nice record to close the album out with; I dont really have any complaints on this one.
I’ve been fortunate to review a lot of great albums lately and fortunately for me Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Part 1 (F&L II Part 1) keeps that trend going. “Cold War” is probably my favourite song from this album and overall F&L II Part 1 is a pretty satisfying album from the production to the lyrics and concepts. Although there are a few production flaws on Lupe’s latest piece of work (mostly with “Lamborghini Angels” and “Heart Donor”), I think that overall fans will appreciate this album. With all songs and beats considered, I give F&L II Part. 1 a 4 out of 5 rating.
there are definitely some fillers but all in all a great American rap album.
I couldn’t agree more, there is about 2 to 3 fillers I think, but t he other 13 are very good.
It’s not that ‘Heart Donor’ isn’t a good song. The track/production itself is sick – reminds me of ‘Hurt Me Soul’…but Poo Bear, or MDMA, or whatever the f*** is dump truck juice. Hated him on the track with Snoop from THE COOL and don’t like him anymore now. He’s trash. Lupe shoulda’ sung a subtle hook or brought in Matthew Santos/Sarah Green (both MIA from this album) and be done.
F&L 2 is sick, has a couple of filler songs 5 star cd even with fillers, reminiscent of F&L 1 and the Cool, People say Lasers was terrible that is a lie, listen to what he speaking, it is still Lupe and he is still killing it on a good portion of most of the songs off lasers.
amazing!!!!!!
dis album wasn’t dat good to me
I feel the same. Xxx/xxxxx to me. Listen to The Cool, Food and Liquor 1. You will see the difference.
Good album. Lupe as usual is on point with the lyrics but what happen to the beat selection. Most of them were cheesy, what you expect to hear on the radio everyday. Nevertheless, it was pretty solid throughout, but falls just short of a classic. 4/5
Good album. Lupe as usual is on point with the lyrics but what happen to the beat selection. Most of them were cheesy, what you expect to hear on the radio everyday. Nevertheless, it was pretty solid throughout, but falls just short of a classic. (4/5)
Good album. Lupe as usual is on point with the lyrics but what happen to the beat selection. Most of them were cheesy, what you expect to hear on the radio everyday. Nevertheless, it was pretty solid throughout, but falls just short of a classic. 4 out of 5
GOOOD SHIT
Boring as fuck
Ayesha Says” (Intro) This album has the traditional acapella spoken word introduction similar to Lupe’s other albums (with Lasers being the only exception) and I like it; this is a good way to start the album and reinstall the vibe of the original Food & Liquor.
“Strange Fruition” featuring Casey Benjamin (Produced by Soundtrakk) This has a smooth sound to it with it’s strings but at the same time manages to have hard drums. I like this song and I’m really feeling the production on this from the concept to the vocal effects on the chorus and the instrumentation. This beat has somewhat of an “old school meets new school” feel to it (especially with the background vocal chants) and it successfully bridges the gap between both eras of hip-hop.
“ITAL” (Roses) (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) Lupe drops some real knowledge to this beat full of horns and synth change ups. At first I wasn’t feeling the horn stabs on here but the way the beat builds up and flows into it’s change-ups is very well done. Lyrically and conceptually this track is on point as well.
“Around My Way” (Freedom Ain’t Free) (Produced by B-Side and DJ Simonsayz) – Although this track has received some criticism for its duplication of the legendary “T.R.O.Y.”, I think it’s dope and that it helps pay homage to the legends while making a new record. The changes made to the remake of the “T.R.O.Y.” instrumental are well done, especially the filter effects on the third verse and the drums really knock hard throughout the track. What I like most about this song is that it’s an original concept and not just a rip off of “T.R.O.Y.” and it also manages to keep the vintage 90’s feel while still sounding modern.
“Audubon Ballroom” (Produced by Fatimes & Built) I really like the production on this song; the drums knock really hard and the instruments here are dope as are the vocals on the chorus. I’m also feeling the subject matter of this song, especially the Malcolm X themed title which works nicely with the song concept. This record will probably get you hyped up with it’s anthem-sounding production, especially the vocal chants in the background.
“Bitch Bad” (Produced by The Audibles) “Bitch Bad” is a brilliant concept and song to me. The production on this song is dope and includes a beat that some artists may have used to make another “get money and girls” song. Personally, I really like the organs and 808 drums on this beat, especially because I think the producer of this track manages to use the popularized 808-sound with an original and fresh vibe. I also really enjoy the lyrics and rhyme scheme of the third verse on this song, especially at the end.
“Lamborghini Angels” (Produced by Mr. Inkredible) To be honest I’m not really feeling the production on this song. Lyrically this is a dope record but the melodies on the beat get too repetitive and annoying (especially compared to some of the previous tracks) and I have a hard time paying attention to “Lamborghini Angels” on the first listen. The concept on this song will probably have you rewind this record a few times to make sure you catch everything (in a good way) but I’m just not feeling the beat.
“Put ‘Em Up” (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’ and Julian Bunetta) The main arpeggiator synth on this beat reminds me a lot of the main synth on “Ignorant Shit” by Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel and I’m not really feeling it (I didn’t like it on Jays song either) but aside from that this is a great song. The electric guitars and deep synths add a dark feel while the airy choirs on the chorus provide some catchy melodies. I really like the hook on this song a lot and eventually the beat did grow on me, I just wasn’t feeling the main synth during the verses.
“Heart Donor” featuring Poo Bear (Produced by The Runners) This beat has a smooth feel to it, with some almost country/R&B-sounding vocals. I really didn’t like the intro to this song and Poo Bears vocals on here altogether. However, I think the verses on this beat are dope and Lupe does a nice job lyrically, but the first four bars of the chorus just sound awkward to me. The percussion on this beat has a really smooth feel to it and the way the kick drums hit with layered congas sounds very original.
“How Dare You?” featuring Bilal (Produced by Severe, Poo Bear and Klypso) “How Dare You?” kicks off with a very smooth and refreshing vibe to it that just makes you feel fresh by listening to it. At first I was sceptical of Lupe using this beat but he does a good job on here and the production is entertaining to say the least. The drums here are dope and I really like the piano, synth and string melodies as well; altogether the beat matches well with the smooth vocals on the chorus.
“Battle Scars” (with Guy Sebastian) (Produced by Pro-Jay and Guy Sebastian) I love the reversed pianos on here and the drums are dope too, especially the clap/snare. I also really like the way the chorus builds up to a real epic sound. All over this is a good song and I’m feeling it, especially the production.
Brave Heart featuring Poo Bear (Produced by The Runners) For some reason the intro of this song reminded me of “Black Republicans” by Nas and Jay-Z. The production on “Brave Heart” has a real triumphant “yes we can” feel to it and matches the song title perfectly. I really think this is a dope beat and I like Poo Bear on here much more than on “Heart Donor”; his voice really helps add an anthem feel to this song. The electric guitars that get brought in on the production are amazing and I think this song would be great to use in a movie.
“Form Follows Function” (Produced by Infamous) The production on here has somewhat of a jazzy feel to it, especially with the saxophones and pianos and it sounds pretty dope to me. Ill need to replay this song a bunch of times to catch all of the lyrics but some of the word play is here really dope as expected. Although I don’t think the beat is bad I got tired of it after a little bit and would have liked to hear some more change ups but over all this is a pretty dope song.
“Cold War” featuring Jane $$$ (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) The intro to this song is amazing and instantly pulled me in, especially the way the beat transitions from epic to a smooth and almost dark soulful vibe. Lupe delivers lyrically and the chorus on this is dope from the production to the vocals provided by Jane $$$. I really like the tom rolls and synths on the chorus and the way the verses make you zone out is incredible to me. This is probably my favourite song as a whole so far, especially in terms of production. The extra instruments that come in at the end of this record are definitely a nice addition that I appreciated as well.
“Unforgivable Youth” featuring Jason Evigan (Produced by King David) This song really impressed me, especially the concept and the way the song ends; sheer genius in my opinion. The production here is dope as well; the synths, pianos and guitars on here are really dope and the choirs work nicely with the song concept. I also enjoyed the chorus on this record but the concept to this song really blew me away.
“Hood Now” (Outro) (Produced by Poo Bear and Jamal Mally Mall) The beat on “Hood Now” is pretty repetitive (but catchy) except for on the chorus and the outro. I honestly dont really mind the repetitious verse melodies since the instrumentation and drum patterns fit Lupe’s flow and rhyme scheme really well. I thought the concept on this song was dope and especially works nicely with the hypnotizing synths that some artists may have just used to make a club song.
“Go to Sleep” (Produced by 1500 or Nothin’) I really like the sounds of the pianos and choirs on this track; they have a very live sound and feel to them. The vocal samples incorporated with on the hooks are dope too and help add variety and balance to Lupe singing on the chorus. Overall this is a good song to zone out to and also a nice record to close the album out with; I dont really have any complaints on this one.
I’ve been fortunate to review a lot of great albums lately and fortunately for me Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Part 1 (F&L II Part 1) keeps that trend going. “Cold War” is probably my favourite song from this album and overall F&L II Part 1 is a pretty satisfying album from the production to the lyrics and concepts. Although there are a few production flaws on Lupe’s latest piece of work (mostly with “Lamborghini Angels” and “Heart Donor”), I think that overall fans will appreciate this album. With all songs and beats considered, I give F&L II Part 1 a 4 out of 5 rating.
This album just wasn’t that good, especially considering FNL and The Cool. 3.5 at most.
Dope album, relaxed, informative and Battle Scars is SICK!!!
this shit is sick and real fuck the haters you gotta no how lupe spits to enjoy it. for those who say its boring there not listening to it for the meaning.
Nah. just nah.
amazing lp
and you didnt meantion lamborghini angels!this is my love this album
Dope album
I was a little disappointed. I thought that this album was supposed to be better than Lasers (which isn’t saying much at all). Only the first half of the album was fire and the other half felt like leftovers from Lasers, with those corny, mainstream-ass choruses. When will his label realize that Lupe isn’t B.o.B., Wiz, Bruno, Cee Lo or any of his other WMG family members?
Co-sign…
deserves to be mentioned with other great albums like good kid,m.a.a.d city, the heist, life is good, god of the serengity
Not going to lie, it took me a few listens and quite a bit of time to soak in this album but it really is a great album. I’m suprised there isn’t more recognition for Unforgivable youth which conceptually is amazing, especially the third verse. I think tracks such as strange fruition, unforgivable youth and around my way are up there with streets on fire, put you on game, the coolest, daydreamin’, sunshine and the cool.
Great return to form, if food and liquor was lupes illmatic and the cool was IWW then this is definitely stillmatic
This album was actually great. It takes a few listens to truly get it, but it was pretty much on point the whole way through. Probably not as good as his first two albums, but it is definetly close.
7/10 for me. Great lyricism, but lazy flow, lack of that F&L1/The Cool feeling and some really bad hooks.
classic
classic, people are bitching too much
YOU PPL ARE RESTARTED!!! this album is damn near a perfect 10
most of yall are just hatin cause you want that old shit back well do like jigga said and buy the old shit but if you are a die hard lupe fan this album is for you… lupe is still bringing you dope intelligent real hip hop i mean come the first and 2nd track bitch bad, freedom aint free,cold wars , hood now yall niggas trippin lupe is doin some amazing work here if you want a dope flow go jam some meek or big sean if you just want to hear words that sound good together instead of a real artist making real music. there are 30 rappers that sound the same flooding the radio and one lupe fiasco that wont get his songs played cause they aint catch enough for you lame brains
YOU PPL ARE RETARTED!!! this album is damn near a perfect 10
most of yall are just hatin cause you want that old shit back well do like jigga said and buy the old shit but if you are a die hard lupe fan this album is for you… lupe is still bringing you dope intelligent real hip hop i mean come the first and 2nd track bitch bad, freedom aint free,cold wars , hood now yall niggas trippin lupe is doin some amazing work here if you want a dope flow go jam some meek or big sean if you just want to hear words that sound good together instead of a real artist making real music. there are 30 rappers that sound the same flooding the radio and one lupe fiasco that wont get his songs played cause they aint catch enough for you lame brains
Perfect 5, realist lyrics can’t stop listening!
MMMMaaaaakkkkeee more music please dont stop!!!!….
Not mentioning anything else I give this album 5 stars for lyrical quality, message and meaning..its not just another album that has a few tracks and then you forget about it this is art and history, Lupe puts everything into his music. My own personal fav of this is Unforgivable Youth!
Outdoing the first two albums was always going to be a tall order. This album is still better than the majority of projects released by his peers. One of the few geniuses in the game…
lupe fiasco is the shit, he had to make a comeback after lasers and he did, him and b.o.b are alike in some ways.
Perfect 5
I love this album