Fans of Kanye West will remember his 2009 hit Touch The Sky which featured the relatively unknown rapper and producer Lupe Fiasco. It came out three years after his Food & Liquor album and sampled Curtis Mayfield’s 1970s hit record Move On Up , rap heads will have already known Lupe for his seminal skateboarders anthem Kick Push however; which dropped in 2006.
This was a good year for him as it also saw the release of Daydreamin’, which was extremely popular partly due to it’s Jill Scott Sample. Lupe aka Wasalu Muhammad Jaco admits that “I didn’t even wanna do ‘Touch The Sky.’ I didn’t wanna do that. That wasn’t my piece,” but it definitely gave his career a kick and a push in the right direction. This year he gave us Drogas Light, his sixth studio album so far, crediting production from Simon Sayz, Floss & Fame, Ty Dolla Sign and more. The project has attracted some equally impressive features as well, Rick Ross and Eric Turner are just some of the vocalists involved.
At 14 tracks this album covers a lot of ground, ranging from more rugged trap inspired productions, through to a more upbeat and soulful approach at times. He sounds more than conformable spitting over electronic beats, the impact of the intro Dopamine Lit paves the way for more of the same. Considering the style that built his success it is both surprising and commendable to hear him over some darker soundscapes, if you like rappers such as Vince Staples then this one is for you. NGL which follows pulls things back a little, without losing its edge it is definitely more mainstream and would sit alongside artists like TI or Drake. The chorus and extra vocals from Ty Dolla Sign glue everything together, suiting the wavier production.
DROGAS Light is the sixth studio album from American hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco
The first beat to really grab your attention comes from Promise, with its strong staccato Cello melody and crisp snare rolls you would be forgiven for assuming it was made by Bristol’s Dubstep and Grime rising star Kahn. Its slower pace lends itself to a different type of delivery from Lupe, closer to Drake or the Weeknd but still his own. So far we have not heard any ground breaking lyricism or songwriting but equally the quality has been high, continuing on to the gangster vibes on Made In The USA feat. Bianca Sings. Lupe has often been criticised for his inconsistency, and here he almost sounds like an imposter. People expecting to hear a more traditional hip hop album will be disappointed but the different characters portrayed so far have certainly been entertaining.
Jump is up next and features Gizzle, it has a lot of similarities to the intro track and even though it carries the same weight it does sound a little paint-by-numbers. The hook referencing money, bitches and trapping, sounds like they are not taking it all too seriously; thankfully they pull it off. The two tracks that follow fail to impress quite as much, even if City Of The Year does have a killer hook, but the Rick Ross and Big K.R.I.T collaboration afterwards is possibly the album’s highlight. A much leaner sound palette and more solid vocals all round have helped to build a winner.
Kill feat. Ty Dolla Sign & Victoria Monet finally flips things upside down, the introduction fools you into an Outkast inspired hip hop number, but what emerges is a gorgeous R&B groove. Overall it could even be compared to beats by London based Swindle, and the snare has a definite Wiley / Eski flavour. Ty Dolla Signs sung elements once again manage to really tie everything together, Law feat. Simon Says also boasts some great singing but Lupe could be perceived as a Drake copycat. Some more wobbly moments follow, a Daft Punk-esque car crash, a dated pop song, some more house beats and generally weaker music. This album definitely could have done with trimming the fat and losing a third of its tracks, his label boss has apparently already been fired and you can hear their possible differences of opinion. It really does seem as if these have been squeezed onto the end, they may be hidden but they still distract massively from what has been a decent album.
At times Lupe jumps through the microphone and out of the speakers, but often his bars are missing that spark. Stand out punchlines and memorable moments are few and far between, and a handful of powerful singles are dwarfed by some bad decisions. That being said he has kept up with modern trends without sounding like he has lost his touch completely. Come and hear it on our demonstration over-ear headphones at Richer Sounds today!
