Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 2012 Album

Lupe Fiasco

I've never loved Lupe's beat selection—even on his acclaimed debut—and there isn't a lot here that blows me away either, but it's comfortably better than his previous two albums, as far as it being a cohesive project goes, as I feel the production more. The only thing I don't like on this is 'Bitch Bad', because no matter how relevant the message is in this song, it isn't brought forward in a way that is very entertaining. Much of the subject matter has been heard before throughout the album, but as Lupe says on 'ITAL', "I know you’re sayin’, Lupe rappin' 'bout the same shit, well, that's cause ain’t shit changed bitch." I also ask the question of what albums these days offer something that is very much original lyrically? It seems okay to be repetitive with pop rap or gangsta rap, but with conscious hip hop it is frowned upon. The rapping is dope though and makes the album for me, as Lupe takes ownership of the songs using a variety of flows, and I don't think that this feels like a 70-minute album. A few songs could have been left in the studio—largely between tracks 9-12—but I don't understand the hate and I enjoy the majority of this album. Best Tracks: Strange Fruition, ITAL (Roses), Around My Way, Audubon Ballroom, Lamborghini Angels, Cold War