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music
Lupe Fiasco
There Is A Way
"I tailor my music to fit a certain format so that it "sneaks" past the barriers of the industry without sacrificing too much creative merit" Lupe Fiasco
Refusing to compromise his beliefs for record sales, the 25 year old MC
from Chicago’s Southside has been slowly but surely breaking down the
stereotypes of a successful rapper. Since he asked us to “guess who’s
on third” alongside Kanye West on his smash single Touch the Sky,
the world has been catching on to the perceptive, educated, and
sometimes quirky flow he has used to craft his classic debut album Food & Liquor.
One debut album on top of the Billboard charts and three Grammy nominations later, and Lupe has touched down on our shores to bring a little bit of his FnF flavor to fans at the Big Day Out concert series. Ever insightful, Lu' discusses his childhood with us, plans for his First and Fifteen imprint, and his take on the statement that hip-hop is dead. So listen up y'all… the Emperor has spoken!
One debut album on top of the Billboard charts and three Grammy nominations later, and Lupe has touched down on our shores to bring a little bit of his FnF flavor to fans at the Big Day Out concert series. Ever insightful, Lu' discusses his childhood with us, plans for his First and Fifteen imprint, and his take on the statement that hip-hop is dead. So listen up y'all… the Emperor has spoken!
You make a statement on the intro to your track Failure: "They say it's coming back to the lyrics…back to people like me". Do you feel that what "they" were saying rings true now that the album has dropped and you have seen the public's reaction?
Well, Failure was recorded about 4 years ago so at the time it was when people were thirsting for real lyricists so that was my statement to the world. If you fast forward to now I think the sentiment still rings true. I think there is a mini-revival going on because the bar was raised a little bit as far as creativity for certain niches and sectors in hip-hop because of Food & Liquor. Not something that is going to just revolutionize the whole game but I think we have reached and inspired a few MCs out there to challenge themselves and in doing so better their craft…
What kind of influence did your surroundings have on your choice in subject matter when you were creating this album?
I grew up in the "ghetto" on the west side of Chicago… the hood… the seedy part of town… gangs, drugs, prostitutes and violence but at the same time my mother and father led households that nurtured intellectualism and cultural awareness. So it was like outside was Grand Theft Auto but inside my house it was like Harvard. These two opposing forces raised me up to be a little off kilter. One foot in a world of vice. The other in a world of progressive thought and education. I had the best of both worlds you can say.
And once you start mixing in various musical inspirations from almost every genre (my first love was classical music) and religion (Islam) and the pressures of a society based on pop culture you get an interesting "product of my environment". I was blessed with a kind of a "World Perspective". That's why my topics range from the mundane and off center - take Kick, Push for example - to the fantastic - Daydream for instance is the story of a project building that can transform into a giant robot - to the socially aware with songs like American Terrorist. One thing I try to keep consistent no matter how zany the concept gets is to try and keep it grounded in what goes on in the hood so that my peers there can still relate to it and so that the listener who lives outside that realm can still get an understanding of what goes on there and get a sense of the urgency to correct some of these issues.
Describe some of the challenges that you face in the industry being an artist with moral and conscious content.
I think all artists are conscious. As long as you are aware of your surroundings you are conscious. People really do sell drugs, kill people etc. just because someone talks about it doesn't make them unconscious. To me the two sides are like they've been since the beginning of time, Positive and Negative. I think the negative consciousness in hip-hop involves not just merely talking about those negative aspects but more importantly glorifying them and promoting them as the status quo for authenticity and economic empowerment. I choose the positive side of the consciousness "fence" because I really fear the repercussions of my actions in this world, in the next. So I try to talk about more helpful things, I guess for fear of misleading the masses hahaha… The challenges don't really come from the industry but more from a society structure that doesn't and probably isn't ready for a change like that, to make positivity the status quo. But it's funny because I get accepted into a lot of those arenas which are historically reserved for the "pop" elite with open arms. Take being named one of GQ's Men Of the Year for 2006 I think that speaks to something of a shift… maybe!
Do you feel that the higher standard you hold for yourself as a Muslim in day to day life carries over to your music?
Well, to be honest I'm not the most "devoutest" of Muslims but I try… I try not to present myself as the posterboy for Islam because I don't want the enemies of Islam or people who are just trying to understand it more to use me as the "Rosetta Stone"… I don't want my character and moral flaws to be looked at as the flaws of Islam so I don't wear it on my sleeve… but Islam is the backbone of my inspiration to put out positive things into the world…
Do you see yourself as proof that artists don't have to mold themselves into the conventional image of a commercial MC in order to be a success?
Sure… I think over the past year we've proven that outstanding successes can be achieved by taking the unbeaten path. From Grammy Nominations to magazine cover after cover we were competing with the big boys hahaha.
Now there is always going to be drama in the industry but one topic that has a lot of artists heated at the moment is the title of Nas' new album. In your opinion is hip-hop really dead?
I think it is an oxymoron to declare the death of hip-hop on a hip-hop album… I think a press conference or something would've been more fitting. Hip-hop is alive and well and I think Nas disrespected a lot of artists but it raised a lot of constructive argument at the same time which is always good for the health of a genre… One thing I thoroughly disagree with is the notion that he pushes of having to know a "pre-ordained history" of hip-hop according to the elites to be considered authentic or "down". I think it is exclusionary and short-sighted and has no place in hip-hop…
How do you strike the balance between the business man and the creative artist? Do you create with the business in mind?
I create in the business mind and do business in the creative mind. Sometimes it is necessary to just do business as business and creative as creative but for the most part I tailor my music to fit a certain format so that it "sneaks" past the barriers of the industry without sacrificing too much creative merit. It's an art and a circus act all at the same time. One of the things that gives me a lot of freedom is the fact that myself and my company have total creative control over our projects so that opens up the flood gates of creativity even more, another example of how the business is intertwined with the creative.
Tell us about your business, what's in the future for your imprint 1st&15th?
We've diversified a lot over the past 7 years. The 1st&15th brand (F&F) headed up by myself and my partner Chilly currently includes 1st&15th/Atlantic Records, 1st&15th/Asylum Records, 1st&15th/BMG Publishing, FNF Studios (which controls the sub-brands of FNF Recording Studios, FNF Army Promotions, FNF Radio, FNF TV & FNF Films). Then there is Righteous Kung Fu which serves as the design house for all 1st&15th projects from album artwork to promo tee's. RKF also controls the high-end fashion label we just started called Trilly & Truly which is currently doing collaborations with fashion houses like Maharishi, Dr. Romanelli and Swagger and should have a mainline release around this coming fall, God willing. As far as the music end of the company we have our artist Gemini who should be dropping sometime this year, as well as a female R&B group by the name of Risque and a female MC by the name of Shayla G who's working the mixtape circuits and putting an album together as well.
Describe life in your parent's house when you were growing up.
Interesting (laughs)
When did you start writing, and at what point did you start to develop your identity as an artist?
I started writing in like 8th grade and started to get "good" around junior year of high school… I didn't get my identity truthfully until like my second solo record deal with Arista which was around 2002.
Who did you aspire to be like?
Early on, like Eazy-E or Ice Cube and Spice 1… Then as I discovered other rappers naturally it changed… I take more after Nas than anybody I think… but I love Mos Def.
You did a mixtape called Revenge of the Nerd but what makes you such a nerd?
I have the oddest little idiosyncrasies and I fit into a category that they call in Japan as "Otaku", which is people who love video games, animation, toys and the whole cultures behind them. We call it nerd (laughs). I'm a big science buff too so that doesn't help…
You seem to have a bit of a love hate relationship with the media where on tracks like Daydream you thank "all the televisions out there that raised you" or American Terrorist where you say "Turn their televisions on and teach them". What are your feelings on the media and the role that it plays in shaping the perception that our youth, and for that matter people in general, have of the world?
Read up on some Noam Chomsky!!! I think the media is a tool that we all participate in whether we add to it or just are spectators of it or even in both capacities which a few of us are when it comes to mass media. I think media is what shapes our being and our mindstates so it is a very important and sensitive arena. And media isn't just newspapers or TV programs, it is any medium that is used to convey a message or feeling from one person to another or one group to another in a public forum. Outside of religious doctrine, it is arguably the most influential thing on the planet as far as social structuring is concerned and this can be used either to oppress or to liberate, build or destroy. I think those who participate in the media on both ends of the spectrum, sender and receiver, have to be very responsible with the content that is within the media. The media dictates not only bias when it comes to information, such as what you should buy and consume, but also how you should think. Very subtly but also very effectively. I think it is of the upmost importance to be aware of these forces present in the media especially when it comes to what is directed at the youth because as corny as it may sound, the battle for the future direction of society is taking place with them not with us… And it's not with guns or bombs, it's with mp3's and video games…
What role do you think spirituality plays, or should play, in the current turmoil existing in the world?
Spirituality, or shall I say the historical opposing viewpoints of different spiritual groups is the cause of a lot of plight in the world today… So it is a double-edged sword! One man's prophet is another man's terrorist… I think a discussion needs to be started in the sole interest of understanding and not with the ulterior motives of subjugation and capital gain so that some of the base misconceptions surrounding these conflicts can be sorted out… but honestly I think only God Almighty is capable to call such a meeting. Until then I'd say to just stay humble but active and keep an open-mind and a firm temper because it's not going to be easy…
Back
Well, Failure was recorded about 4 years ago so at the time it was when people were thirsting for real lyricists so that was my statement to the world. If you fast forward to now I think the sentiment still rings true. I think there is a mini-revival going on because the bar was raised a little bit as far as creativity for certain niches and sectors in hip-hop because of Food & Liquor. Not something that is going to just revolutionize the whole game but I think we have reached and inspired a few MCs out there to challenge themselves and in doing so better their craft…
What kind of influence did your surroundings have on your choice in subject matter when you were creating this album?
I grew up in the "ghetto" on the west side of Chicago… the hood… the seedy part of town… gangs, drugs, prostitutes and violence but at the same time my mother and father led households that nurtured intellectualism and cultural awareness. So it was like outside was Grand Theft Auto but inside my house it was like Harvard. These two opposing forces raised me up to be a little off kilter. One foot in a world of vice. The other in a world of progressive thought and education. I had the best of both worlds you can say.
And once you start mixing in various musical inspirations from almost every genre (my first love was classical music) and religion (Islam) and the pressures of a society based on pop culture you get an interesting "product of my environment". I was blessed with a kind of a "World Perspective". That's why my topics range from the mundane and off center - take Kick, Push for example - to the fantastic - Daydream for instance is the story of a project building that can transform into a giant robot - to the socially aware with songs like American Terrorist. One thing I try to keep consistent no matter how zany the concept gets is to try and keep it grounded in what goes on in the hood so that my peers there can still relate to it and so that the listener who lives outside that realm can still get an understanding of what goes on there and get a sense of the urgency to correct some of these issues.
Describe some of the challenges that you face in the industry being an artist with moral and conscious content.
I think all artists are conscious. As long as you are aware of your surroundings you are conscious. People really do sell drugs, kill people etc. just because someone talks about it doesn't make them unconscious. To me the two sides are like they've been since the beginning of time, Positive and Negative. I think the negative consciousness in hip-hop involves not just merely talking about those negative aspects but more importantly glorifying them and promoting them as the status quo for authenticity and economic empowerment. I choose the positive side of the consciousness "fence" because I really fear the repercussions of my actions in this world, in the next. So I try to talk about more helpful things, I guess for fear of misleading the masses hahaha… The challenges don't really come from the industry but more from a society structure that doesn't and probably isn't ready for a change like that, to make positivity the status quo. But it's funny because I get accepted into a lot of those arenas which are historically reserved for the "pop" elite with open arms. Take being named one of GQ's Men Of the Year for 2006 I think that speaks to something of a shift… maybe!
Do you feel that the higher standard you hold for yourself as a Muslim in day to day life carries over to your music?
Well, to be honest I'm not the most "devoutest" of Muslims but I try… I try not to present myself as the posterboy for Islam because I don't want the enemies of Islam or people who are just trying to understand it more to use me as the "Rosetta Stone"… I don't want my character and moral flaws to be looked at as the flaws of Islam so I don't wear it on my sleeve… but Islam is the backbone of my inspiration to put out positive things into the world…
Do you see yourself as proof that artists don't have to mold themselves into the conventional image of a commercial MC in order to be a success?
Sure… I think over the past year we've proven that outstanding successes can be achieved by taking the unbeaten path. From Grammy Nominations to magazine cover after cover we were competing with the big boys hahaha.
Now there is always going to be drama in the industry but one topic that has a lot of artists heated at the moment is the title of Nas' new album. In your opinion is hip-hop really dead?
I think it is an oxymoron to declare the death of hip-hop on a hip-hop album… I think a press conference or something would've been more fitting. Hip-hop is alive and well and I think Nas disrespected a lot of artists but it raised a lot of constructive argument at the same time which is always good for the health of a genre… One thing I thoroughly disagree with is the notion that he pushes of having to know a "pre-ordained history" of hip-hop according to the elites to be considered authentic or "down". I think it is exclusionary and short-sighted and has no place in hip-hop…
How do you strike the balance between the business man and the creative artist? Do you create with the business in mind?
I create in the business mind and do business in the creative mind. Sometimes it is necessary to just do business as business and creative as creative but for the most part I tailor my music to fit a certain format so that it "sneaks" past the barriers of the industry without sacrificing too much creative merit. It's an art and a circus act all at the same time. One of the things that gives me a lot of freedom is the fact that myself and my company have total creative control over our projects so that opens up the flood gates of creativity even more, another example of how the business is intertwined with the creative.
Tell us about your business, what's in the future for your imprint 1st&15th?
We've diversified a lot over the past 7 years. The 1st&15th brand (F&F) headed up by myself and my partner Chilly currently includes 1st&15th/Atlantic Records, 1st&15th/Asylum Records, 1st&15th/BMG Publishing, FNF Studios (which controls the sub-brands of FNF Recording Studios, FNF Army Promotions, FNF Radio, FNF TV & FNF Films). Then there is Righteous Kung Fu which serves as the design house for all 1st&15th projects from album artwork to promo tee's. RKF also controls the high-end fashion label we just started called Trilly & Truly which is currently doing collaborations with fashion houses like Maharishi, Dr. Romanelli and Swagger and should have a mainline release around this coming fall, God willing. As far as the music end of the company we have our artist Gemini who should be dropping sometime this year, as well as a female R&B group by the name of Risque and a female MC by the name of Shayla G who's working the mixtape circuits and putting an album together as well.
Describe life in your parent's house when you were growing up.
Interesting (laughs)
When did you start writing, and at what point did you start to develop your identity as an artist?
I started writing in like 8th grade and started to get "good" around junior year of high school… I didn't get my identity truthfully until like my second solo record deal with Arista which was around 2002.
Who did you aspire to be like?
Early on, like Eazy-E or Ice Cube and Spice 1… Then as I discovered other rappers naturally it changed… I take more after Nas than anybody I think… but I love Mos Def.
You did a mixtape called Revenge of the Nerd but what makes you such a nerd?
I have the oddest little idiosyncrasies and I fit into a category that they call in Japan as "Otaku", which is people who love video games, animation, toys and the whole cultures behind them. We call it nerd (laughs). I'm a big science buff too so that doesn't help…
You seem to have a bit of a love hate relationship with the media where on tracks like Daydream you thank "all the televisions out there that raised you" or American Terrorist where you say "Turn their televisions on and teach them". What are your feelings on the media and the role that it plays in shaping the perception that our youth, and for that matter people in general, have of the world?
Read up on some Noam Chomsky!!! I think the media is a tool that we all participate in whether we add to it or just are spectators of it or even in both capacities which a few of us are when it comes to mass media. I think media is what shapes our being and our mindstates so it is a very important and sensitive arena. And media isn't just newspapers or TV programs, it is any medium that is used to convey a message or feeling from one person to another or one group to another in a public forum. Outside of religious doctrine, it is arguably the most influential thing on the planet as far as social structuring is concerned and this can be used either to oppress or to liberate, build or destroy. I think those who participate in the media on both ends of the spectrum, sender and receiver, have to be very responsible with the content that is within the media. The media dictates not only bias when it comes to information, such as what you should buy and consume, but also how you should think. Very subtly but also very effectively. I think it is of the upmost importance to be aware of these forces present in the media especially when it comes to what is directed at the youth because as corny as it may sound, the battle for the future direction of society is taking place with them not with us… And it's not with guns or bombs, it's with mp3's and video games…
What role do you think spirituality plays, or should play, in the current turmoil existing in the world?
Spirituality, or shall I say the historical opposing viewpoints of different spiritual groups is the cause of a lot of plight in the world today… So it is a double-edged sword! One man's prophet is another man's terrorist… I think a discussion needs to be started in the sole interest of understanding and not with the ulterior motives of subjugation and capital gain so that some of the base misconceptions surrounding these conflicts can be sorted out… but honestly I think only God Almighty is capable to call such a meeting. Until then I'd say to just stay humble but active and keep an open-mind and a firm temper because it's not going to be easy…
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