CD Review: Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Tuesday December 18, 2007
Last year, Lupe dazzled with his ground-rattling debut, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. Lupe is now back on the saddle for his second go-round, a more detailed and more conceptual album titled Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. Guest writer Shannon Barbour says that the elaborate plot on The Cool may evade some listeners, but that diehard fans will still find the music enjoyable. Here's Shannon's full verdict on Lupe Fiasco's The Cool.
Album art © Atlantic
Comments
Whaaaaaaaaaaat?
I honestly think you did not fully articulate the album yet, for the simple fact that you made weak references to the exceptional lyricism he displayed in this album. You also failed to realize that his concept was meant to be interpreted in an abstact manner not concrete and it will take you a couple of listens to realize and get the complete picture of the concept of the three characters that serve as the backdrop for Lupe’s life.
you gotta be kidding me. I usually agree with your reviews but i think this album is unbelievable.
this album without a doubt is 07’s finest topping common’s ff and the overrated graduation
but i still agree with your ratings
3.5 is suitable because some of the songs would’ve been more appropriate for mixtapes which threw off the ‘concept vibe’ think hello/goodbye into gotta eat and what about ‘go baby’… currently Lupe’s my favourite artist and i’ve listened to this album for a week so far. i dont mind if he gets a pile of cash it’s just he should know that fnl is better quality and many of the devoted fans worship because of that album n not this one. regardless as the time being this album is waay more entertaining than food n liquor
The Cool > Food & Liquor
And I gave F&L a 4.5
’nuff said.
I always thought that concept albums can be cut some slack for not strictly adhering to the planned concept if the songs are good enough to elevate above the concept. Really, how many great 100% pure concept albums are there?
For me, The Cool gets a pass. And, definitely deserves more that 8 diagrams.
Bad Review…This is the album of the year
album of the year for sure, fallowed by common finding forever
Definitely album of the year!! Deserves 4 stars at the bare minimum, i have to agree with henry about the production though. I felt that the beats were way better on F&L. Still an awesome album though.
“i have to agree with henry about the production though.”
————-
Eh…that wasn’t Henry’s review. Take another look.
My opinion on the album remains the same, and I will expound on it when I publish my Top Picks of 2007. It’s been a good year for hip-hop.
I don’t think you understood the point of this album. Just like food and liquor lupe is trying to give the world his thoughts. The album does not need to be all about one thing. Lupe is not trying to be mainstream his beats are innovative and purposely darker in the cool. I will be listening to the cool non-stop to try and understand the depth of all of his lyrics. we can all learn a lot from lupe fiasco… and he will never dumb it down!
the thing most of the folks that have commented on here are missing is that this album is
“NOT A CONCEPT ALBUM” , and Lupe did not intend
for it to be a concept album. There are only 4 songs on the entire album that are an actual
continuation to the concept and storyline of the cool, and i think that was a good move on Lupe’s part, because he isn’t yet deeply in
the public eye at a level that he can begin creating concept albums.
On the other hand, there are some tracks such as “Go Baby, Hi-Definition, The Die,& may be Goldwatch” that did not need to be on the cd.
Over all, the CD IS AWESOME AND A MUST HAVE
the incredible eclecticism and creative vernacular he made use of is truly powerful and aids the entire album in giving it substance.
Hey, don’t diss “Gold Watch”…that and “Paris, Tokyo” are my 2 favorite songs on the album.
Actually it is a concept album. He said it himself…
To be honest, I am slightly disappointed with “The Cool”. We all have our own opinions, and I’m not bashing anyone’s & I hope nobody jumps on my case over mine. I just think a lot of the songs sound far too samey and mesh a little too much. I also think that the album sort of a fails as a concept album. I mean, had Lupe not told us it was a concept album before the release of the album, I’d have no clue it was one. However, looking at the album just as good/great music, it is certainly a winner, and I’m not saying it’s a letdown as it’s far from one.
Basically, “The Cool” is a quality album, I guess I just thought it would be better than it turned out to be. Still, I’ll be picking it up in the near future.
Album of the year hands down. My favorite tracks are “Paris, Tokyo”, “Little Weapon”, and “Hi-Definition”. Still not sure though if it beats Food & Liquor.
I was not knocking Lupe’s ability to stick to a concept; the album as a whole was not cohesive. This is not to suggest that The Cool was not enjoyable. I recommend it. Three and a half stars is still a good review and this is one of the better hip-hop albums this year.
I like the album…it was 4 stars on the first listen…but after 3 listens 4.5…but still dont know if it beats 8 Diagrams…probably not..
Happy Christmas people I hope you all have a great one!
http://www.myspace.com/thephoenixeire
I’ve just listened to the album and I gotta say it’s album of the year. He improved lyrically and the production is dark as hell, I love it. All the songs r dope to me except for Gold Watch, Hello/Goodbye, and Go Baby.
Not the album of the year by any means, but still a solid album.
This album is not album of the year that honor belongs to graduation. This album is second best of the year. Nevertheless this album deserves 4.5 stars. It was a dope album and better than F&L but there was about 1 or 2 tracks that i wasn’t feeling.
Ahead of its time, this album will be remembered as a classic, I’m sure of that, 4.5-5 is my verdict for now, maybe a bit above.
And it wasnt H’s review fyi, it was Shannon’s
Shannon Barbour (who incidentally shares the last name of the girl who plays ‘The Streets’ in the album art) is WAY OFF on this one. Barbour managed to include 4 of the album’s worst songs in the “Top Tracks” section.
Obviously Shannon is not ready for this greatness yet, he is not used to being forced to listen to rhymes multiple times in order to find hidden suprises.
To understand the concept tracks (The Coolest, HelloGoodbye, The Die, Put You On Game, & Gotta Eat, which are all excellent), please listen to Lupe’s song “the Cool” (from Food and Liquor, his last album). Lupe is rhyming about this hustler who rises from the dead – these 5 songs embellish on that story and tell us how this man got to where he is in the song “The Cool.”
For example (from “The Coolest”) Lupe rhymes – “Quote: To a dishonored baby mama whose the mama of a daughter I had fathered from afar – my new lady gave me a mercedes and a necklace with a solid gold key like the starter of a car, the opener of a door, or two pounds of raw – you gave me a baby but what about lately, then Hahahahaha’d, right up in her face, G! There’s more fish in the sea, I’m on my mission to be: The Coolest…”
Obviously Lupe is speaking as this undead hustler – ‘The Cool,’ as Lupe refers to him. When he says “my new lady,” he’s referring to another made up character who reappears later on in the album whose name is The Streets.
Shannon, basically I feel that Lupe Fiasco speaks for this new generation when he addresses so many issues in his album (something no one else does).
I would not hesitate to give this album 4.5 or even 5 stars.
Come on. If you can only give the man 3 and a half stars for being able to make music so intellectual, then you don’t even need to write a review. Lupe fiasco isn’t even my favorite rapper, but he’s probably better than anything I’ve heard on the radio. Listen to “Dumb it Down” he slaps the listeners in the face and tells them that they don’t feel him cause they’re not smart enough. Who’s fault is tha? Theirs. They don’t wanna think. It’s sad that people are so stupid.
This album is a good one…I don’t understand why the tracks “Indruder Alert” and “Hip Hop Saved my Life” were overlooked. The other songs sounded a lot more mainstream but those two are my favorite HANDS DOWN. Then again…I am female.
this reviewer doesnt no wat the hell shes talking about…! POINT BLANK AND PERIOD!
I can’t take a review seriously when it doesn’t even mention Dumb it Down. Saying that the top tracks on the album are “Paris, Tokyo” and “Superstar” just proves Lupe’s point that “You’ll sell more records when you Dumb it Down.”