I don't really care whether or not you read it, but I was compelled to write a review:
"Check your ingredients before you overdose on the cool," a female voice urges as she finishes the album's spoken word introduction (Baba Says Cool For Thought). Her calm tone is almost a relief to the listener after she first greeted them with a bombardment of social issues, noting the likes of "Katrina!!!" and Virginia Tech to wake us all up.
Free Chilly, a short ballad dedicated to Lupe's incarcerated friend and ex co-manager, helps to quickly transition you into Lupe's anthemic gift to Chicago residents: Go Go Gadget Flow. The quick, stoccato hook coincides nicely with Fiasco's rapid flow, and just as you get amped, Lupe downshifts the vibe with the next track, The Coolest. Along with his intense ability to paint pictures with words, we also re-discover Lupe's cast of characters that were first introduced on Food & Liquor.
Next up, Matthew Santos' vocal crowns Superstar, the single that discusses the concept of celebrity and everything that comes along with it. Lupe opens up on topics like touring, exclusive nightlife and the pressure to succeed. As somewhat of a newcomer, he explains that life's simpler things are often more realistic and fulfilling. Smooth track Paris, Tokyo follows... it's chill sound will make any listener vibe out as Lupe describes the downside to his jet-setting lifestyle. While expressing how much he misses a special lady back home, he also manages to illustrate extremely rich examples from his travels.
Hi-Definition (f. Snoop) is probably my least favorite track, but I guess the album needed some "Good Life," high energy mojo - "loopy hit the lotto, snoopy hit the lotto!" Gold Watch on the other hand, is solid gold: Claiming to deliver the "essentials of The Cool," Lupe plays with a consumeristic theme (and hook) by listing all of his favorite items, ostensibly for us to fall in line and cop (because he said so). At the end of the track, however, he unveils that his self esteem is actually far more important to him than anything else.
Hip Hop Saved My Life made me look at the "ringtone" state of hip hop much less cynically than I had previously. Lupe tells the story of a struggling rapper making a living off his success in the game, supporting his family and so on. I guess some of these corny, one-hit-wonder guys actually have souls (and bills to pay!) Intruder Alert comes next with three powerful verses that discuss rape, drug abuse and immigration, respectively. Lupe does a good job of playing with the definition of "intruder" on this track, and although I think the verses could have been better suited in a different order, hopefully most people will listen past the chorus to really discover the lyrics.
Streets On Fire brings out the conspiracy theorist in all of us by mentioning some of society's falsehoods that have recently come into question. With a hook that is undeniably fierce, Lupe continues his trend of hitting us with unpleasant imagery (otherwise known as reality's current events). Little Weapon is intense from start to finish; the involvement of children in warfare is woven throughout the theme, and Lupe doesn't hesitate to tell us how sad it is that kids in hostile communities have been unknowingly robbed of their childhoods. From it's dark intro to the battle-like drum pattern, this track is going to beat you up!
Spoken from a hamburger's point of view, Gotta Eat is Lupe's critique of poor nutrition in urban areas. The beat is just as sick as what most people choose to put in their bodies, and as always, his flow is right there alongside it. Dumb It Down then goes in on Lupe's critics, boasting complex wordplay to illustrate the point that his content-driven style isn't going anywhere. Next, his attempt at rocking out arrives via revolution-beckoning track Hello/Goodbye. Within a Limp Bizkit-esque description of potential apocalyptic destruction, Lupe bursts our lack-of-awareness bubble, letting us all know that one day, the sky could inevitably fall.
While Lupe warns his main character (Michael [The Cool] Young History) of his looming demise on The Die, Gemstones simultaneously tells the story from the killer's point of view. The track closes with a gunshot skit that serves as the perfect transition into scruffy sounding track Put You On Game. Delivered from the authoritative voice of The Game, this song does exactly what it's title offers. Dark in content again, Lupe utilizes his captivating flow to reveal the analogies behind this notorious character as well.
And just when the intensity has come to a head, Matthew Santos' soothing voice enters with the chorus from Fighters. Lupe showcases personal aspects of his life on this track, and even if every listener can't directly relate to his words, his humanity is likely to transcend boundaries and allow him to connect with them. Go Baby comes last, and maybe I'm missing something, but I don't necessarily agree with where it was placed on the album. I don't mean to take away from the song's positive message (that advocates couples supporting one another in relationships), but I do feel the track may have been more suited in another spot.
Content, flow, wordplay and production are all solid on this album. It met and surpassed my expectations, so I really have nothing else to say except that you should spend some time with it yourself. XO
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