What do I have to say
for Lupe except for his phenomenal debut records,
The Cool and
Food &
Liquor are considered one of the very best coming from a socially conscious
rapper. With singles such as ‘
Kick, Push’
and ‘
Superstar’ Lupe has always been
one for conceptual lyrics, being political, socially aware and pushing the
boundaries of conscious hip-hop in itself. Tetsuo and Youth being his latest
effort has me sceptical as his previous work such as ‘
Lasers’ & ‘
Food &
Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album’ have been disappointing to say the
least. But I will still give him another try, here is my track-by-track review
on Lupe’s new project.
Summer
So this is self
explanatory, this track starts with sounds of kids on a beach, playing,
laughing having fun, probably the start if a season that Lupe wants the album
to kick off with.
Mural
This record hits you, a nearly 9 minute song
that has Lupe rapping his ass off, we’re talking triple entendres every second
line. This will have you wanting to read this song up, 3 solid verses, flows
are consistent and you will find yourself bumping this and being lost in it. It
feels like some sort of spiritual lyrical trance that will leave you wondering
what he’s really talking about, you have to keep your ears open and follow as
though it is a story, a motion picture that consists of discussion of a broken
world. This is Lupe doing what he does best and it is no surprise that people
talk about this record in particular.
Quotables:
“Life is not a dictionary, it's a
thesaurus
And I feel like a missionary to a
clitoris”
“When I was young I had visions
of another world
Sneaking looks at the porn stash of my brother
hurl
Incense smoke made vortices and
other curls”
“My rap position was black
condition and activism
Ammunition for abolition, missions attacking
systems
But they're not apt to listen,
unless it's dropping on Activision
Are we apps or are we bodies
filled with apparitions
Operating applications, stuck inside an Apple
prison
Chicken hack and download updates
that lack religion”
Blur My Hands (feat Guy Sebastian)
Was not looking
forward to this record initially as I found Lupe’s and Guys last collaboration
to be annoying, plain and pretty much lacking an overall written song. However
I am happily surprised by the third track and second attempt as this comes
across smooth, the hook is sweet and you can rock to It, it doesn’t come across
cheesy although it has radio qualities it has enough to satisfy a listener.
Quotables:
“Sitting in your car, just
listening to the bars
And there’s traffic all around and you feel
like falling down
And the music that I’m spewing out, enough to
calm it down
‘Fore you know you’re out your car with your
briefcase walkin’ round”
Dots and Lines
Don’t let the banjo
in the beginning throw you off, this song is well produced and deals with
subject matter that involves math and Lupe himself wanting to leave Atlantic
Records, a light friendly production with content of closure of previous single
failures.
Quotables:
“To make gold from garbage is not
the alchemical point of this math
But truth be told it's the pursuit of gold
that turns the goal of men into trash
The soul's gold and they turning gold into
cash”
Fall
Another small
instrumental with vocals of children heard makes another interlude into a
collection of songs that follow suit.
Prisoner 1 & 2
2 songs in one coming
from two perceptions of prisoners, this record has so much depth. The first
prisoner is someone who is actually imprisoned within a jail cell whereas the
second prisoner is a security guard who is suffering yet in another way.
Clever, to say the least. The production is strong and futuristic in its
execution.
Quotables:
“Wicked, swung
the shank around on a mop string
They had to pull
him out the cell with a SWAT Team
That's a cop
team, they sent hella cops, to stop, the helicoptering
Man,
he thought that he'd fly away, like a kite, take flight
Like
a letter on a string, like propellers on a wing
But
they can't find the key”
“You
a prisoner too, you living here too
You
just like us, til' your shift get through
You could look like us, you know shit get through”
Body Of Work (Feat Troi
& Terrance Martin)
A record that personifies hip-hop in a body of a woman has been done
before but not quite like this, Lupe talks about a woman’s body being drug
trafficked as metaphor of what we put in popular culture. Troi is on the hook
and does a good job of using his vocals simple, you have Terrance blessing the
song with the sax at the end of it.
Quotables:
“Quiet in the
court for the courtship
Marriage of the
dork and the gorgeous
Took her from the
king of the corpses”
Little Death (Feat Nikki Jean)
This is my
personal favourite track off the album, simply because the beat is infectious
and it grabs you, Nikki does a great job with a hook that is somewhat
reminiscent to records on The Cool. I
perceive this to be the love song of T&Y, not necessarily a romantic love
but one of awareness. Lupe seems to be discussing issues regarding passionate
affairs between people, there is a gay marriage reference within the first
verse that basically states that there are opinions on love and regardless of
what your opinion is on something it will always be deemed inappropriate by
others, much is life. The hook supports such a statement.
Quotables:
“Sam marrying Sam
Band pushed upon the finger of Sam's hairiest hand
If that sickens you, you a bigot
If it doesn't well then you wicked”
“How is your memory?
Is it returning like a lemon tree
To bear bitter fruit of what you meant to me
Or was it slippin' like permission am I trippin' like Phil
I feel I'm grippin' but maybe the transmission
Still left out the life, also left out the will, grief
Will cheese never touch your teeth”
No Scratches (feat
Nikki Jean)
This sounds like it could be produced for Sade Adu, powerful
instrumentation and follows the theme of love but more or less the destruction
of it. The hurt from a relationship, which gradually weakens due to a lack of
passion on both parties. The whole idea now is to walk away and not leave
scars.
“But off in the
future, and what it’s finna be
All your memories
can become enemies”
Winter
Notice no
children playing this time.
Chopper (Feat Billy Blue, Buk Of Psychodrama,
Famlay, Glasses Malone, Trae Tha Truth & Trouble)
This track is too damn long and Lupe has even said that, this song has
each rapper hitting us with 32 bars. Whew my least favourite though because it
can just be a bore to continuously listen to. Some good lines here but it just
drags. The beat is ratchet; a new age beat with a hook delivered by Lupe.
Quotables:
“Been servin’ since
a jit tryna dodge all the obstacles
My teachers all
told me that were probable”
“RIP to the homies but long live the killas
Its why I look at god kinda odd
Cause these are the cards that he deals us”
Deliver (feat Ty
Dolla $ign)
This song right here reminds me of the conceptual, lyrical Lupe that
plays with ordinary content that actually have a heightened reason as to why he
is saying it. He conveys a message through the narrative of a pizza man,
Chicago is notorious for violence, and the song basically discusses isolation,
there are neighbourhoods and blocks that pizza men aren’t allowed to deliver at
simply because the pizza men could be shot dead, and this has happened many of
times and still there are many pizza delivery men that have died. There are
communities who cannot deliver pizza because of this. It strange when you think
about it and Lupe paints that picture.
Ty has nice adlibs throughout he adds a nice touch, the production is
smooth and you can for sure rock to it. Catchy and conscious in not an annoying
nor preachy way.
Quotables:
“The Ghetto was a physical manifestation of hate
And a place where ethnicity determines your placement
A place that defines your station
Remind you niggas your place is the basement
White people in the attic
Niggas selling dope, White people is the addicts
White folks act like they ain't show us how to traffic”
Madonna [And other
mothers in the hood) (Feat Nikki Jean)
Some 808’s influence on here, there is neo soul uses within production.,
the record discusses mothers, linking to Christianity and the Virgin Mary.
Talking about mothers providing for their children, it is a portrait for the
women who protect us from various things. I like how Nikki and Lupe harmonize
on the hook.
Quotables
“Mama please send a sign to me
What's looking like life?
It's probation and a fire to me
Lawyer said I'd be alright
But I think they be lying to me”
Adoration of the Magi
One of the hottest songs on here, this record has the ability to alleviate
you. This encompasses the album and it takes you to a certain direction that
helps you understand where Lupe is in his life right now. The hook is smart and
the production is consistent to the theme Lupe is going for here. This has to
do with the youth and their struggle of growing up quickly and the expectations
of those to grow up at such a young age.
Quotables:
“You not the
first person
The first
person from your first cursin'
To your first
cursive
And your curse
words is in the curve version
It occurs
virgin is the word version
That refers
perfect to the first person
In the third
verse, who’s really me
In the third
person but prefers the first one, that’s me”
“Why you ready to
die? You just a baby
Why them tears up
under your eyes? You just a baby
Keep your head up
in the sky, you just a baby
Quit chasing
money, never mind, you just a baby
Why you wanna be
born again? You just a baby
Why you playing
in the streets? You just a baby”
They.Resurrect.Over.New(Feat
Ab-Soul & Troi)
TRON themes here the use of space and time being stated with video
game references make this record young. If you wish to play this album in
reverse I would suggest it, you’ll find out why. The concept of this album only
gets more interesting. A lot of kicks and scratches in this song with a
mediocre verse from Ab-Soul, nevertheless a fine track and an appropriate final
song or even intro.
Quotables:
“Give them all
showers
Tony found the
fountain of youth, in the mountain of power
To only find
truth in the fountain, drowning in power
Surrounded with
dollars”
Spring
The kids are back.
