Sunday, March 2, 2008

Ladies and Gentleman, Lupe Fiasco aka What's in the RyPod Today vol.1

Sometimes I feel bombarded by music. There's just so much out there, and just as many, if not more websites, blogs, artist and label pages that I feel like one of those people who doesn't watch LOST, and keeps getting told by people who watch LOST "you HAVE to watch LOST." I mean, I'm sure its great, but I've missed so much already, and theres just so much to catch up on, and frankly, you all sound like D-bags, so i'll just take the loss...I'm ok with that.
Although this is how I feel sometimes, I think this type of attitude should be checked at the door. Can you imagine never giving The Beatles a chance just because they were making albums before you had a chance to listen from the start? or Hendrix, or The Clash, or Coltrane. Anyways, you get the picture. When it comes to good art, it's always better late than never.
However, the opposite does occur on occasion.
***
Always on the lookout for new music, I took the suggestion of Mr. Benjamin Irwin, and illegally...or legally, not sure, downloaded the new Lupe Fiasco album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. Now, this was an easy sell, and the transaction itself was just as simple. I consider myself a mild fan of Mr. Fiasco's music...based on a few singles and some cameo's. But his first album, Food & Liqour, wasn't anything special...despite its single, Kick, Push, and the appetizing title...and I have never felt the urge to make the effort to obtain any more of his music.
Its not that the album was bad, I did really like 3-4 of the tracks, but it just sounded like he thought he was Kanye. An attitude that only works if you are a superstar producer, platinumplatinumplatinum artist (before 30, btw), not some hip skaterkid with really nothing more than a few hot flows on someone else's tracks, a lot of promise mind you, but really just the Corey Haim to Kanye's Corey Feldman circa 1987.
So I gave up on Lupe.
But I take suggestions from Ben Irwin quite seriously, and decided to give the latest Lupe offering a shot...and its amazing! And I'll come out and say it, it's better than Kanye West's Grammy winning Graduation. Straight up.
Bumpin' singles, hot flows, dance tracks, jazzy licks and songs very mix-able up in da club...you know, in that stoked-to-be-hearing -your-favorite-track-you-thought-noone-else-knew-about way, rather than than the everyone's-heard-'Stronger'-a-billion-times way.
And really, does it get any more hip-hop-hipster than lyrics like this:

"
I like Mont Blanc pens and Moleskine paper / I like Goyard bags and green Now-n-Laters"

Cheezy moral of the story - give 2nd chances, or, never give up on someone...something like that.

Track Listing:
1. Baba Says Cool for Thought
2. Free Chilly f. Sarah Green and Gemstones
3. Go Go Gadget Flow
4. The Coolest
5. Superstar f. Matthew Santos
6. Paris Tokyo
7. High Definition f. Snoop Dogg & Pooh Bear
8. Hip Hop Saved My Life f. Nikki Jean
9. Gold Watch
10. Intruder Alert f. Sarah Green
11. Streets on Fire
12. Little Weapon
13. Gotta Eat
14. Dumb it Down f. Gemini & Graham Burris
15. Hello Goodbye f. UNKLE
16. The Die
17. Put You on Game
18. Fighters f. Matthew Santos
19. Go Baby

Recommended Tracks:
"Go Go Gadget Flow", "Superstar f. Matthew Santos", "Paris Tokyo"
All streamed on his MySpace page.


8 comments:

The Dood said...

I agree about Lupe and while I find his, and even more so, Kanye's braggadocio extremely off-putting, I will gladly support them over 99% of other rappers out there right now. As far as hype and new comers or underground comebacks, to me good music is good music. Sell-out has such a negative connotation to it, especially with the horrid business model in place for musicians nowadays. Whatever the genre or artist, if the music is good it is good, that is the beauty of it. Tome this brings to mind the new buzz band gracing the cover of Spin deservedly so as the band of the year, Vampire Weekend. Whether I got on the Vampire train before or after the hype (before...it feels good...and pretentious) is a mute point, they are unique and amazing and I hope they will keep it up until I'm old and showing their first album to my kids.

Jennifer Cassity said...

Well Mr. Rowe...I like Ben, love Lupe Fiasco - infact, i have tickets to see Mr. Fiasco, Mr. West, Rihanna and N.E.R.D in April at the Nokia theater...which, im STOKED about.

Lets fall asleep in Paris...wake up in Tokyo, have a dream in New Orleans fall in love in Chicagoooo...


Love this blog post sir...need any music reccomendations...ask away - i have a rhapsody account im ADDICTED to and would love to share some tunes with ya...

Jennifer Cassity said...

Well Mr. Rowe...I like Ben, love Lupe Fiasco - infact, i have tickets to see Mr. Fiasco, Mr. West, Rihanna and N.E.R.D in April at the Nokia theater...which, im STOKED about.

Lets fall asleep in Paris...wake up in Tokyo, have a dream in New Orleans fall in love in Chicagoooo...


Love this blog post sir...need any music reccomendations...ask away - i have a rhapsody account im ADDICTED to and would love to share some tunes with ya...

Nob Hill Forreal said...

Im ALWAYS looking for new music. Only problem is, the flavor of music i thirst for is based almost solely on my mood. Sometimes its punk rock, some times its hiphop, sometimes its jazz, some times its...i dont know, folk(?). Love you Ipod xoxo

Tell me what YOU'RE listening to, and why and ill try and check it out.

Lisa said...

i've never watched LOST either, for the same reason.

Big Deal said...

Ryan,
I am listening to the sound of two homeless women scissoring behind a dumpster next to my house. I kinda think it might be the new hot thing. I'm gonna throw a beat... and some vocals on the track and send it your way.

tommy o said...

As Lisa said...I've never watched LOST. For me, and this is so counterintuitive, it's not like I have half-tarded fools telling me to see it. People I like and respect enjoy LOST. BUT. I know it'll probably be SOOOOOOOOOOO good that I don't want to get into it, because I'm so far behind, I know I'll get hooked and catch up asap, which means I will set aside life for 4 days as I catch up. I recently got talked into checking out Friday Night Lights...I watched 2 episodes and got so hooked I watched a season and a half in 4 days. I just refuse to start LOST for that reason.

re: Lupe Fiasco. The beauty of music over a TV show is how much less time you need to invest to give it a shot. Lupe's name is awful. I can honestly say that I've never knowingly listened to anything by Lupe. Knowingly is key there. And I always ASSSUMED, based on his name, that he'd be awful. He just SOUNDS...like...Petey Pablo. No, Ryan. Petey Pablo is garbage. And I always figured Lupe Fiasco was like Petey. But a better Kanye? I'm into that. And I'll definitely check it out.

Lisa said...

i am unhealthily obsessed with Friday Night Lights, and went so far as to email NBC when they threatened to cancel the show. I'll be joining Tommy in not ever watching LOST.