madtheory's Full Review: Food & Liquor [PA] by Lupe Fiasco
Saying that there are high expectations for Chicago emcee Lupe Fiasco debut is a bit of an understatement. Some more attuned to the underground might have picked up on the burgeoning talent when he took Kanye West’s “Diamonds” single, and ingeniously flipped it into a political piece concerning the strife in Sierra Leone called “Conflict Diamonds.” Those who didn’t definitely caught on when he shone on his guest spot on “Touch the Sky” off Kanye’s Late Registration. A few singles and plenty of buzz later, Lupe is ready to scribe his own entry to Chicago’s abstract Hip-Hop ledger with his debut LP Food & Liquor.
Food & Liquor starts off on shaky ground with the first few selections, “Real” and “Just Might Be OK.” The rapper is very disappointing on these irritating and overly grandiose opening selections, Fiasco adopting an unhurried, Dipset-like broken rhyme pattern to compliment the similarly askew beats and rhythms on the former, then commits the ultimate rap sin -- appropriating Jay-Z’s flow -- on “Just Might Be OK.”
Fortunately the album recovers quickly with the lead single, “Kick, Push.” 1st and 15th producer Soundtrakk is on point here, layering a jazzy horn and string arrangement over nonchalant low-end grooves and drums. Lupe’s lyrics narrate the tale of a young man’s passion for skateboarding, although the artist’s use of the theme of “grinding” makes the song feel more universal -- a metaphor for trying to make one’s way amidst everyday life struggles. It’s likely this is the reason “Kick, Push II” shares the same title and vibe despite being vastly different from the original. Fiasco takes this second version to the streets, punctuating the brick-hard drum kicks, snares, and bitter piano melody with gritty street stories far removed from clear skies and tree-lined walkways implied in the original.
A large part of Lupe Fiasco’s appeal comes from his fondness for crafting abstract songs with purpose instead of rehashing derivative ghetto stories. “He Say She Say” is an affecting appeal to absentee fathers to consider the consequences of their actions as told by the mother and child left behind. The beautiful “Daydreamin’” dips deep into surreal imagery to paint a bizarre collage of stark urban imagery and rap industry politricks. The first verse is his slightly nerdier version of Nas’ “Project Windows,” Lupe describing everyday ghetto occurrences as seen from the cockpit of his ‘giant robot’ – his tenement building. Guest vocalist Jill Scott shows just how amazingly versatile her voice is on this lush soundscape, modifying her voice in the opening to emulate the 1950’s-ish jazz vibe invoked by the use of I Monster’s “Daydream In Blue” sample in the opening before she explodes with soul in the denouement.
Still, Fiasco is certainly capable of successfully putting together more carefree material. “I Gotcha” is a nice and lighthearted brag rap joint endorsed with an old-school reminiscent bounce forged by the Neptunes. “Pressure” sees a rare cameo by the Chairman of the Board Jay-Z, although Hov’s phoned-in bars are completely overshadowed by Fiasco’s verbal jousting. He compares the rap game to a sweatshop, Lupe envisioning his own sewn creation as “a little Big in the waist, 2-Pac-ets (pockets) on the back.”
So while there are a lot of good things to be found on this LP, Lupe Fiasco does still have significant obstacles to overcome; his rhyme style isn’t particularly cohesive and utilizes some unwieldy phrasing, he often borrows heavily from his mentors, and a lot of his hooks are just plain poorly sung, awkwardly worded garbage. Also, the 1st and 15th beatmakers are so eager to prove themselves that they often overdo it on the production, making the tracks so flamboyant that it feels as though Lupe Fiasco is fighting with their arrangements for center spotlight.
Regardless of the flaws, Food & Liquor is definitely worth the price of admission. Lupe Fiasco is a promising artist who has a solid artistic voice and a talented cast of producers backing him. He may not have established himself as the next big thing, but the potential shown on this effort is undeniable.
Track Listing:
01. Intro
02. Real feat. Sarah Green
03. Just Might Be OK
04. Kick, Push
05. I Gotcha
06. The Instrumental feat. Jonah Matranga
07. He Say She Say
08. Sunshine
09. Daydreamin feat. Jill Scott
10. The Cool
11. Hurt Me Soul
12. Pressure feat. Jay-Z
13. American Terrorist feat. Matthew Santos
14. The Emperor’s Soundtrack
15. Kick Push II
16. Outtro
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