Lupe Fiasco creates music to think to, not drink to...
I am a self-proclaimed hip hop head. I am a fan of the culture of hip hop and a fan of the music of hip hop culture, which is also known as rap music. I grew up on rap music. I came of age listening to hip hop pioneers...long before hip hop was designated as a "culture" or a movement. And before people realized that rap music wasn't just noise... it was a message from the youth and the under-served communities to the world.To me, rap music and hip hop culture will always be prolific and necessary. Just as necessary as the street griots who stand on corners or sit in the park telling history to whomever will listen. The stories must be told and shared.
That is the hip hop that I know and that I respect. As a head, I'm old school with my tastes in the music (and other parts of the culture). Hip hop music started as party music and eventually a sub-genre appeared known as "conscious rap". Young people had something to say. They had stories to tell about the neighborhoods they grew up in, and how people were dying but no one seemed to care. Rappers became the storytellers of a generation. They still are.
I still listen to hip hop every day. I think that a lot of people believe that hip hop is only for young people. But the truth is that hip hop is for whomever will listen and take notice of the voices of struggle and the sounds of hope that are wrapped around dope beats and spit with intensity. Because I am a fan of conscious rap, I gravitate towards artists who speak with truth about what is happening in the world (usually the parts of the world that people ignore). One artist I enjoy is Lupe Fiasco. He speaks out about what he sees and what he knows about this world and how people are living... and sometimes dying without the world paying attention.
Lupe is a young man but he seems to have an old soul. While many of his hip hop peers are concerned with fancy cars and loose women and luxury living... he's still on the ground in his hometown trying to stem the tide of violence there. He is a force to be reckoned with. He makes a point to stay in Chicago and to use his influence to help the young people in his city who are dying senselessly. But, he is also speaking out about cancer through his music.
Lupe interviewed with Katie Couric and talked about "Mission". A new song that was written to support and empower cancer patients and survivors. The song is on his new album and will support "Stand Up To Cancer".
I like the song but that's not surprising. What touched me were the testimonials from people directly affected by this disease. I am grateful that he lent his talents to this topic. But I honestly would not expect any less from this young man. As I said before... he is a force to be reckoned with.
