Hip-Hop was originally a social and political movement, but it has been diluted by mainstream acceptance, crass commercialism and Twitter. Lupe Fiasco steps up with some of the most political rhymes in a long while.
The cover of Lupe Fiasco’s new album has a wall on which is hung the neon sign “Losers.” Overlaid on the ‘o’ is the anarchy symbol spray-painted in red. How encouraging is it to see a prominent mainstream artist place himself beyond political parties and the established order?
It is with this in mind that Lupe Fiasco’s new track “Words I Never Said” is so fascinating, not so much for the musical dimension but the fiercely political content of the lyrics. The music is nothing particularly special, aside from the militant beat, and Skylar Grey’s vocals are especially grating. After researching Grey, I learned that she’s a protege of Linkin Park. Yikes! Lupe Fiasco might think of recruiting some better talent for his songs.
How long has it been since Hip-Hop was so blatantly political in the mainstream? And when was the last time a mainstream artist, in general, called out big banking, the bailouts, while boldly proclaiming that it is okay not to vote for a candidate as popular with the left as President Obama? The 60s perhaps?
Lupe Fiasco takes Obama to task in the first verse for his silence regarding the bombing of Gaza. We can assume, of course, that the rapper is referencing the 60 air strikes launched by Israel against Gaza that killed roughly 700 Palestinians and 11 Israelis, and injured over 3,000 Palestinians.
Obama actually wasn’t President when the Gaza War began, assuming the Presidency January 20, 2009. However, it seems that Lupe Fiasco doesn’t believe that Obama was vocal enough before and after he became President.
The rapper takes aim at the intended budget cuts to entitlement programs, claiming it will undercut underprivileged children’s futures. He might have said something of the outrageous U.S. Department of Defense budget, which currently sits at about $700 billion. Fiasco then urges people to question the value of our current media who program news about celebrity dating and “Jersey Shore” goings-on, presumably at the expense of real, substantive reporting.
Lupe Fiasco then cuts to the thinly-veiled racism of conservative blowhards like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn back, calling both “racists.” He laments how radical Islam has pushed Israel into a position that they cannot get behind moderate, peaceful Muslims like Fiasco himself, helping bring peace to the region.
The second verse ends with Fiasco urging his listeners to do something besides listen to Tupac, take pills and drink diet sodas, before he unleashes a vitriolic attack on banks who handed out predatory loans in the mortgage-backed security crisis of 2008.
In the third verse, Fiasco calls out everyone who remains silent despite all the violence, and the fear of seeking the truth even if it means calling into question the status quo.
A status quo in which our political system does not function properly, elevating what we all believed was a populist politician to the presidency, where he speaks not for the lower or middle classes, but the corporate class.
Might Fiasco’s political stridency also be an appeal to recent revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt?
Whatever the case, it appears that Fiasco has philosophically earned the provocative symbolism of his latest album’s cover. Let’s hope he spends that currency by working with better musicians.
February 11, 2011 at 2:22 pm, JustD said:
What’s up with the Skylar Grey bash? Because it’s not an R&B person singing on the chorus, it’s not worth listening to? Linkin Park is one of the biggest groups(including rock, r&B, country, etc.) in the world. You have to respect anyone with that kind of success even if you don’t like the music. If you research a little more you’ll find her connections with Diddy & T.I. have brought out some unique tracks. It’s called being eclectic…look it up.
February 11, 2011 at 3:48 pm, D. J. Pangburn said:
JustD-
I just think that there is a vast gulf of talent between producers like Kanye West and the Neptunes and a songwriter and voice like Skylar Grey. I had no idea who she was until I looked her up.
My first response upon hearing the opening and then each subsequent chorus was that I thought Grey’s voice didn’t fit, and more to the point, it was melodramatic and just plain doesn’t sound good–like an amalgamation of an emo band with a female singer who had been raised with nu metal.
Then when I saw that it was Linkin Park I thought, “Makes sense. She sounds like the female equivalent of their vocalist.” (The one who doesn’t rap).
My point: her vocals are distracting and take away from the impact of the lyrics.
Our readers are free to agree or disagree once they’ve seen the video, such as yourself.
I’m no fan of Diddy, so her work for him is irrelevant. T.I. is okay but he’s not one of my favorites, so he’s again irrelevant.
DJ
February 12, 2011 at 1:56 pm, JustD said:
I see where you are comeing from. I actually didn’t know her either until I heard this song and until I found out she worked on the song “Castle Walls” on T.I.’s last album. I think Lupe was just looking for a rock vocalist because her voice might not be the best, but it does fit the music which is a mix of hip hop and rock….Oh and by the way, I’m no fan of Diddy either lol. I just give him his props when they are due.
February 15, 2011 at 5:09 pm, RealHipHop said:
your kidding me. skylar greys voice is amazing. she was on fort minors rising tide album, on the track “whered you go”, she just did a track for dr dre and eminem on his new album detox, and her grammy performance with them was by far the performance of the night. her voice can fit in with any hip hop song, and whoever wrote this artical is not a hip hop fan or knows nothing about it. youll be hearing alot more of skylar grey, and i bet you bite your tongue.
February 16, 2011 at 1:08 pm, Gidim said:
wow u dnt dese3rve to talk bout lup[e review solja boy next time
February 22, 2011 at 6:08 pm, Hhomer said:
Very nice article. And this is an dope track. I have to correct you where you said “roughly 700 Palestinians” were killed in the war against Gaza. According to the Pali Center for Human Rights it was 1,417, but the Pali Ministry of Health reported 1,440. But it wasn’t 700 people
February 22, 2011 at 6:08 pm, Hhomer said:
Very nice article. And this is an dope track. I have to correct you where you said “roughly 700 Palestinians” were killed in the war against Gaza. According to the Pali Center for Human Rights it was 1,417, but the Pali Ministry of Health reported 1,440. But it wasn’t 700 people
March 09, 2011 at 3:32 am, SupSon said:
Great article but I cant agree with your assessment of Skylar Grey. Diddy/Linkin Park suck but she has also done work with T.I. and she’s on Eminem and Dre’s new song “I need a Doctor”. Not like they got her off the street is all I am saying.
April 29, 2011 at 6:24 pm, YHWH said:
“He laments how radical Islam has pushed Israel into a position that they cannot get behind moderate, peaceful Muslims like Fiasco himself, helping bring peace to the region.”
Haha, look at the lyrics again bud. “Israel don’t take my side, cause look how far you’ve pushed them” He’s making a common reference to how Israel continues Apartheid Occupation of the Gaza strip through false justification. And he’s saying he doesn’t blame the Palestinians for fighting back.
He’s not calling out radical Islam, he’s calling out the *perception* that radical Islam exists, by calling out the radical Zionism that creates the perception. The radical Zionism that has us all by the balls in this “great” country, that we’re too afraid to acknowledge. All of us, being afraid to be labeled with the term “anti-semitic” because we know who our owners are. I ain’t having it, Lupe ain’t having it and I hope that you yourself aren’t going to take that shit either. He’s risking his life to say this shit, really. This is much more provocative and important than your article seems to portray.
May 22, 2012 at 12:16 pm, Listen to Lupe Fiasco reminisce on new single ‘Around My Way’ | Death and Taxes said:
[...] Fiasco reminisce on new single ‘Around My Way’ By Austin Johansen 1 min agoEver since Lupe Fiasco broke onto the scene with “Food & Liquor” in 2006, fans expect to hear the sounds [...]