Disclaimer to Lupe Fiasco Fans: This one is for those who enjoy untz untz Lupe, not necessarily for fans of boom bap Lupe. The Chicago rapper has debuted an updated version of “Thieves” from his side project SNDCLSH with DJ Sky Gellatly. The track is way more within the EDM/club/pop realm of things than what you will usually find around here. This is closer to Daft Punk than the typical social issues he tends to spit about. Stream the dance song below.

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Lupe Fiasco visited Chicago’s St. Sabina church at the behest of Father Michael Pfleger to talk about the violence plaguing the city and the importance of faith. His visit comes after a recent tribute to slain Chicago infant Jonylah Watkins. The speech touches on the transformative power of faith and the ability it has to positively affect an individual’s life decisions. Lupe makes powerful statements about metamorphosis and escaping the worldly cycles of suffering affecting the world. He gives voice in some ways to the feelings of helplessness and frustration hanging over the city that has experienced a barrage of catastrophic losses in a matter of months. He makes his point through references to pop culture, fine art and even the names of the city’s most recent victims in order to convey the the fragility and significance of human life in real time. The six part video series runs for about 72 minutes. Check out the fifth segment below. Scroll down for a look at Lupe’s recent Twitter-festo further illustrating his feelings on the issue of gun violence in the city of Chicago.

Violent music (and all violent media) effectively says its “ok” to be violent. It provides positive reinforcement for negative actions. If you rap and make violent music then own up to it. Stop hiding behind “art imitating life” as a way to evade the guilt. “How the hell you gonna tell this man not 2 be violent?, Cuz he dont need to go the same route that I did” -Eminem & Dr. Dre “Choices”. Sorry…”Bad Meets Evil”…”Guilty Conscious”…sorry…lol correct title of the song aside, U know what I meant! The issue stands that violent music puts violence into this world one way or another.

It creates the atmosphere that violence is an acceptable means to an end. Agree or disagree doesnt really matter at this point honestly. But to not even acknowledge the possibility that violent music has even the most minute effect on violence in the world is frankly bullshit. Ive made violent music. Done violent things. Most my friends are violent. Lived in violent neighbors. Seen violence first hand. A certain point you start to get tired of it. You ask why? why is it like this? what is causing this? why is this ok to live like this? Then you turn on the news and see that a 12 month old got shot in the face by two teenagers in Georgia for no reason at all. Then you hear a song on the radio talking about “shooting everyone in sight”…bad times man…fuck… you may not give two shits about the next man and his troubles and thats cool with me…live you life…but I do and most people I know do. but dont sit there and act like high ass inner city murder rates are just falling from the sky for absolutely no reason… everything plays a part…EVERYTHING. Take responsibility for the part you play. motherfuckers can at least start there. yeah I got issues. My hood aint been safe in 25 years! At the point now u can die for nothing. just random death and disregard. tired of it. I know you don’t hear me. I guess its the LAST desperate act of a desperate man in desperate times. On one…peace…

And that’s it. In That last retweet. CARE. Compassion. Empathy. Do you care? Yes or no? Sometimes? All the time? That’s the issue at hand. One more and I’m done. Promise. Somebody just said the violence in Shakespeare didnt make people more violent or had no effect. And my thought was the people who could even afford to see a Shakespeare play at the time probably got their money from the slave trade. Now ain’t that bout a bitch…bad, woman good…lol…y’all move in peace out there one love #CHI

Shouts to HT + FSD

The post Lupe Fiasco Talks Violence At Chicago Church + On Twitter appeared first on Okayplayer.

Lupe Fiasco drops a tribute track for Jonylah Watkins, the 6-month old Chicago girl shot five times when a gunman opened fire on her father, who was changing her diaper in the front seat of his car on Monday. The track is a celebration of life – that of Jonylah and those around her who held, loved and helped her at her most precious and vulnerable moments. Lupe Fiasco posted the song to his Twitter page with one simple request:

Not a song but a life. Be respectful. Please keep negative comments to yourself.

#lovelifechitownforever

With this track, the rapper mourns her death and offers a heartfelt commentary on the senseless violence that has plagued the city of Chicago – the number and manner of violent crimes officially hitting a new low with the slaying of Jonylah Watkins, who died of the wounds she sustained on Tuesday. Her death is the latest in a string of killings that have brought the city into the national spotlight as the public debate over gun control continues. Listen to Lupe’s track below.

Spotted at LE

The post Lupe Fiasco Celebrates A Life With “Jonylah Forever” [Audio] appeared first on Okayplayer.

I was just getting ready to post this snippet, and Lupe Fiasco decides to liberate the full track with the caption: “DONT MIND ME….JUST STAYING IN SHAPE…JUST PRACTICE…LIKE A PIANO PLAYER OR A GYMNAST.  Not on T&Y…So pls dont Say It Is on your blog. Thanx.” Check the DJ SimonSayz produced “Light Blue,” below. As Lupe states, this won’t be on his next album, Tetsou & Youth. However you may feel about his political views, never forget he’s one of the best lyricists hip-hop has to offer (see below for proof).

Spotted at LUPEnd

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Lupe Fiasco visited Conan O’Brien last night to drop a heartfelt performance of his hit “Battle Scars” with Aussie pop powerhouse Guy Sebastian. The song is the fourth single from his latest release, Food and Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 and feels like a little bit of a comeback to see him perform it on prime time. Lupe recently made headlines for a performance cut short following controversial opinions the star expressed about the POTUS during inaugural celebrations. Compounding that was increasingly heavy fire from fans who have criticized him for what they perceive to be his disinterest in rap as of late. In a world where you’re only funky as your last cut it had begun to seem like Lupe Fiasco was in serious need of a win. Buoyed by a live band and an amazing vocal performance from Guy Sebastian, he silenced doubters with a stellar performance that made it absolutely clear that he has not lost a step. Only he can say what the future holds. For now, just enjoy the music. Food and Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 is available now, purchase on iTunes here.

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Lupe Fiasco and Australian r&b superstar Guy Sebastian have been promoting their collaborative single “Battle Scars,” in Los Angeles all week as part of events preceding the 2013 Grammy Awards. They performed the track at the Grammy Foundation’s Play it Forward concert. In the video below, the two are joined by a full choir and it concludes with Lupe going in with a poem as well as his verses–a performance rivals the energized appearance backed by The Roots on Jimmy Fallon. We also get a video of the pair being interviewed by Toronto’s KISS 92.5 where Lupe discusses his discouraging experiences in Vancouver as well as his wish to have been asked to perform during the Grammy Awards, which he calls “The Pepsi of Award Shows.” Check out both clips below.

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Outspoken rapper and activist Lupe Fiasco was removed from stage by security personnel at an Inauguration celebration for President Obama last night after performing the first verse of his anti-censorship anthem “Words I Never Said” (which contains some stridently anti-Obama lyrics. The whole incident was recorded in not quite-real-time via the twitter timeline of @LupeFiascoStore, which reported as follows:

So Lupe just performed the first verse of “Words I Never Said” for 30 minutes straight. He had to be removed from the stage…. for performing. Im at a loss for words…20 min straight… **they cut his mic off**. Raps with no mic for 5-10 more minutes, People booing and everything. They cut the power to the stage. All those people… stunned! Security had to remove the homie from the stage.He did the entire set, all the music from all the songs he was going to play were played… but he only did that verse. He stopped and had water once, and then he started the verse again…and again… and again… and again… No arrests… they just removed him from the stage. Nothing violent or negative was done. Just an #EpicShow!Take this Day serious. #MLKDay.

A highlights reel of the entire episode–including closed caption transcription of the anti-Obama verses for the rapping impaired–was captured on video, which can be seen below.

Considering that a) by hi-jacking this event, Lupe is basically doing in real life what he did in mini-movie form in the video for “Words I Never Said” and b) he has never minced his feelings about the POTUS, going so far as to call him a terrorist and then defending that statement to, of all Obama-boosters, Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly–nobody should really be shocked by this turn of events. In fact, as Rapper Big Pooh pointed out (also via twitter) the most questionable actions here may be those of the person who thought it made sense to book Lupe for this event. In any case, there will be doubtless be much more said about this high-profile protest amidst the ongoing commentary from all sides on today’s public inauguration and related festivities on the mall in DC–stay tuned!

spotted at LE

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Common has paid a visit to DJ Whoo Kid’s Whoolywood Shuffle radio show on Sirius Shade 45. In the interview, he discusses his role in the movie Luv, which is in theaters today. He tells us what kind of acting roles he enjoys taking as well as how the film compares to life in his hometown of Chicago. He also leaks that he will be dropping his FIRST EVER MIXTAPE in May, which will feature appearences from No I.D., Kid Cudi, Travi$ Scott,  and Hit-Boy. Common also describes his desire to get Lupe Fiasco on a track! Speaking of Lupe, he announced yesterday that he will not be releasing a Part 2 to Food & Liquor II, as previously promised–at least not this year. Lupe left his fans this message  on Twitter:

Hello. A decision has been made that the project titled “F&L2 Part 2″ will be summarily cancelled for public release in 2013. The title/concept for Lupe’s 2013 release will be revealed later this year. The LF twitter will be closed until that time.

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While we didn’t get a performance from Common on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night, another OKP favorite, Lupe Fiasco, blessed us with just that. Lupe teams with Guy Sebastian and The Roots for this live rendition of his Food & Liquor II track, “Battle Scars.” I was on the fence with this one when it dropped, but the live renditions I’ve seen (this one being the best, of course) really elevate the song for me – check it out below.

Spotted at MWP

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Taking the time out in Miami to chop it up with Power 96′s KC Chopz the other day, Lupe Fiasco discussed the difference between Kanye and Pharrell‘s production, why he didn’t sign with G.O.O.D. Music or Roc-A-Fella Records early in his career, and even his favorite rising rappers – Kendrick Lamar, Danny Brown, and Earl Sweatshirt. He also shares his thoughts on the effects of Twitter and the internet on hip-hop, his new found passion for electronic music, and future plans (did he say retirement?). The full interview runs just above 16 minutes, watch it below to see what’s going on in Lupe’s world.

The post Video: Lupe Fiasco Compares Kanye West & Pharrell, Speaks On Not Signing To G.O.O.D. Music + More appeared first on Okayplayer.