"Mural" by Lupe Fiasco [Audio]

"You gotta treat your vocal chords like it's a fortress/

And treat every single one of your words like reinforcements/

And especially when you recording cuz that's the portion that's important/

When I was reporting it I was poor, but now I'm more than/"

I really haven't heard much about Lupe's upcoming album, "Tetsuo & Youth", but it seems like that's how it always happens for me. I always end up getting his albums a bit late and regretting that I wasn't there to pick it up day one. These (pretty much) 9 minutes will prove to anybody that Lupe definitely hasn't lost it. Dope shit... check it!

"#1234" by Lupe Fiasco [Lamborghini Angels/ ITAL (Roses)/ Audobon Ballroom]

Lupe Fiasco - #1234 from Alex Nazari on Vimeo.

"It's called being fiscally responsible/
Don't let these lying images up in hip-hop here conquer you/
The TV's not your father fool, that video not your mama/
Try yo best to be a man and the worst to be a monster/"

This video's almost 13 minutes, and features 3 full songs from Lupe Fiasco's "Food & Liquor Pt. 2". But if you like music that expresses social awareness and the demand for change, this project's for you. It does get a little hard to sit through when "ITAL (Roses)" comes on because it's mainly one frame of the kid watching TV. But if you dissect what happens in this video, it has a pretty deep message to it. I seen this as a way of showing the progression of the effects of oversaturated hip-hop music. First it shows kaleidoscopic images of fried chicken, a hot bitch, blunts and various material items that are glorified strongly through mainstream music. I perceive it to proceed into the effects that this form of hip-hop may have on the little black kid, who just accepts everything he's been fed and becomes what he's been exposed to. For the third song I was thinking maybe they were showing the different groups of people who have contrasting opinions on what's being displayed to the youth. But that's just my quick interpretation which could be completely inaccurate from the message that was intended to be shared. Seems like it could mean something deeper than I'm capable of analyzing at this hour of the night lol. Check it out and form your own opinion!

"Light Blue" by Lupe Fiasco

"In my hot rod with my vans on, and my ???/
And my hair long and my circle tight and my square's strong/
I'm in great shape with no shake weights/
And no weight shakes, and tell ya momma this cake's great/"

This song just sounds really cool. Lupe's flow along with the distorted beat just gives off a cool vibe. Lately I feel like Lupe rambles a little bit and I'm not sure what he's trying to say. Seems like he's adapted to the new school and that's just his style. Maybe I'm just too used to "Food & Liquor" and "The Cool". Anyways, if you're a Lupe fan, you should enjoy this joint.

"Bitch Bad" by Lupe Fiasco

"Couple of things that's happening here, 

first he's relating the word bitch with his Momma, comma/

And because she's relating to herself as most important source of help and

mental health, he may skew respect for dishonour/"

The first time I heard this song, I had a hard time listening to it. Not because of the content or anything, simply because of the tone and choice of words Lupe was spittin'. It was until I seen the video that I realized how sick this song really is. The whole song is a deep analysis of the portrayal of women in urban media. The first verse covers how young men could perceive "bad bitches", the second how young women could perceive "bad bitches". The last verse kind of confused me because he said "bad" and "bitch" so much, and I kinda got lost in it the first few times listening to it. But it sums up to both male and female having different ideas of what qualities to look for in a person of the opposite gender. It was more focused on afro-american people, and I think Lupe was trying to point out how there's still forms of blackface stereotypes in modern day media. This is some deep shit, and the video's sick. Check it.

IM KILLIN THESE BITCHES!

"Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)" by Lupe Fiasco

"To me, the truth is more fulfilling than the method/

Of finding really fast internet to have some sex with/

It's all one song short of a set list/

Couple croissants shy of a continental breakfast/
Blowin' out your birthday candles just to make a death wish/

So absurd, word to Chief bone necklace/"

Around my way, when Lupe drops a track, nobody really gives a fuck except me. I've been a fan of Lu ever since Food & Liquor, due to the cool song ideas he creates and the messages he represents. Even though I'm a fan of him, sometimes it's easy to overlook his tracks when I'm scrolling through my iPod playlist. But in the end he's maintained his authenticity as an artist. This track right here, "Around My Way" highlights all the bullshit happening in the world, like most of Lu's recent music. The beat has a familiar sample that I can't quite identify, and a bunch of cool lines that make you think. Apparently it's the first single off of his upcoming album, Food & Liquor 2, but I'm not sure if that's even accurate. Anyways, check this shit out!

"Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)" by Lupe Fiasco

"All you see is all my feats, All I see is all my flaws/

All I hear is all my demons, Even through your applause/

All you see is all my flights, All I see is all my falls/

All you see is all my rights, All I see is all my wrongs/"

This is one of my favourite Lupe Fiasco tracks of all time. It's off his lastest album, "Lasers" and features MDMA (which I have no knowledge of). It has a cool electronic beat and a very deep and meaningful set of lyrics. The central idea of this track revolves around the hardships of life, especially when you're living the life of a praised celebrity. Yet another example of a talented and genuine artist who was able to stay real despite the shit around them. Open ya Earz!