In the space of a single album, Lupe Fiasco has accomplished what many rappers hope to achieve in their entire careers: true respect as a lyricist. Many have listed him as a top emcee, if not as a top five contender. He excelled on his debut, Food and Liquor, with rhymes about unusual subject matter from the skate anthem "Kick, Push" to the futuristic "Daydreamin'" with Jill Scott. True fans should not be surprised that Lupe takes his already intricate rhyme schemes a step further by building them into a complex concept CD dubbed The Cool.
The Story
The Cool's title and concept is taken from a song of the same name on Food and Liquor about a gangsta who was literally "fresh to death," and this is where Lupe goes a little Wes Craven with an Orwellian twist. He weaves together the negative influences that often derail the lives of too many youth through three main characters. The Cool represents the need for peer acceptance at any cost, the Game (unrelated to West Coast rapper The Game) is the personification of trickery and deception, while the Streets is a woman who serves as the backdrop of all the action. Make sense yet? Fortunately, The Cool's cautionary tales and darker elements are more subtle when heard than they are read as The Cool's plot is better suited to be a novel than an album.
As with Lupe's debut, the introduction is a poem from Iesha Jaco, who talks about the Street's impact on her inhabitants, not much unlike Ursula Rucker's spoken word on the Roots' earlier work. The intro launches into "Free Chilly," a brief, but heartfelt show of support for Lupe's business partner Charles "Chilly" Patton jailed on drug charges. Lupe then ups the bpm with "Go Go Gadget Flow," where he almost adopts a down South flow style. The story finally begins to take shape on "The Coolest" where the title character emerges and unites with the Game and the Streets. Despite a rather weak hook, "The coolest n*gga what," the subject is most clearly articulated with the lyrics, "an obscene obsession with the bling/She would be my queen/I could be her king/together she would make me cool/And we would both rule. Forever."
The Sounds
The jazz-tinged "Paris, Tokyo" seems to deviate from the concept/formula. Sonically, it's a nod to the best hip-hop of the early nineties, but there are no direct references to the unholy Cool/Game/Streets trinity. Still he's at his most clever with, "grabbed my go-yard trunk/got ready to 'walk it out,' like Unk/in my John Lennon chucks. "Die" which is about the eventual death of the Cool, (whether it is literal or metaphorical, cannot be determined) is undermined by a overly simple staccato beat. And the closing song for the ladies, "Go Baby" sounds uncomfortably out of place.
The most obvious difference from Food and Liquor to the The Cool, however, is Lupe's flow. Where his breaths between rhymes were clearly audible on F&L, now he succeeds in breezing through many different styles. On "The Die," he could easily give fellow Chicagoan Twista a run for his money. Lupe knows that in order to remain a hip-hop heavyweight, it's not enough just to have fans marvel at the dope lyrics. He now shows that he can further strengthen his impact by smoothing out his delivery and punctuating his sharp wit with strategically placed vocal inflections.
The Lineup
Super-producers, such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West or even Jay-Z who executive produced his first effort are notably absent. Instead, Lupe worked with 1st and 15th's Soundtrakk, British rock/trip-hop group, Unkle, and Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy. The result is an interesting cornucopia of sounds - from hard driving rock guitars, to smoothed out keyboards, to fast drum and bass beats. In addition to stepping out of his comfort zone with big-name producers, Lupe employs a guest list that fits nicely. Even Snoop Dogg's appearance on "Hi-Definition" avoids sounding like an attempt to gain more street or commercial credibility. Instead Snoop lends a "been there, done that" feel when rhyming about the wiles of the thug life. Matthew Santos, who sang on "American Terrorist" is back for the lead single "Superstar" and "Fighters."
The Bottom Line on The Cool
Hip-hop has had it's share of concept albums, some more fully realized than others, and The Cool , though thoroughly ambitious, does not fully deliver. The structure is not solid and the production is not consistently strong enough to support the lyrical content. Still, it is quite listenable and will hold fans who have been eagerly awaiting to hear what Mr. Fiasco would come up with next.
Top Tracks
- "Paris, Tokyo"
- "Superstar"
- "Hi-Definition"
- "Gold Watch"
