Lupe Fiasco Presents The Cool

After listening to Lupe Fiasco’s new album, The Cool, I expect Lupe’s to do list looks something like this
1) Get my name out in rap world- Done
2) Expand my horizons into the fashion, shoe, and endorsement realms- Done
3) Release the best rap album since Kanye West’s The College Dropout- Done, done, and done
The Cool is not only one of the best rap albums of the last decade, but I’d go as far to say one of the best albums of any genre to be released in any genre of the past decade ( I exclude James Blunt from this category because I find him sooo dreamy.) Every track is as diverse as the one preceeding it. Every rhyme is constructed to perfection. Every second of this album transcends the norm. To put it bluntly, This album as no equal the instantly pops into mind.
The album manages to tell a story, send a message, let you know what Lupe is all about, and (most importantly) entertain all at the same time. Not a single track gets bogged down, by becoming preachy, filler, or empty. There is no fluff. There is no wasted breath. There is only flawless execution on every single track.
The CD contains powerful ballots like Hip Hop Saved My Life and Intruder Alert. It contains bouncing, club its like Go Go Gadget Flow and The Die. It has the potential hit singles like Go Baby, High Definition, and Paris, Tokyo. It also has lyrical gems in Streets On Fire and Put you on Game. Not to mention an amazing tack that seems almost like the best swan song ever, Fighters.
What’s more impressive is the emotion of this album. My only complaint with rap music has always been how it doesn’t make me feel anything. Music is always more powerful when emotion fuels it, and this CD is proof of this. You can literally feel how much Lupe wants to help his Producer, who is incarcerated, on the track Free Chilly. The lyrics are direct enough for you to understand what Lupe means, but vague enough for you to project your own meanings onto them.
In the song Fighters, Lupe manages to project a feeling of helpless-ness and sorrow through the whole song, throwing references to his deceased relatives ( most notably his father, who just recently passed away.) Then he pulls you back with inspiration thanking his friends and family.
Intruder Alert is another powerful song which Lupe tells the story of three people with demons they have trouble conquering. Put you on Game manages to actually kick up a slight sense of fear in the sinister beat and intimidating lyrics.
Lupe did something with this album that I have never seen anyone else do. He creates a world where he expresses himself freely and manages to avoid alienating anyone. He walks a tight rope on this album and I couldn’t be happier that he took the risks he did on this album.