Lupe Fiasco’s debut studio album Food & Liquor turns 11 today. The title is a philosophy that Fiasco believes about human nature. He went on to elaborate:
“In Chicago, instead of having bodegas like in New York, the majority of the corner stores are called ‘Food and Liquors.’ The store is where everything is at, whether it be the wine-o hanging by the store, or us as kids going back and forth to the store to buy something. The ‘Food’ is the good part and the ‘Liquor’ is the bad part. I try to balance out both parts of me.”
The project features production from The Neptunes, Kanye West, Needlz, and the Roc Nation boss himself Jay Z. Taking a look back at the year 2006, the way the production sounds and even the content that was present throughout the album was very influential in bringing backpack rap to the forefront of mainstream Hip-Hop.
The year before Kanye West had released Late Registration in which he had cemented his presence within the industry not only because of the incredible production that featured programmed drum patterns and sped up soul samples but also because of his capabilities as a taste-maker as well. Just Blaze flipped Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” and turned it into “Touch The Sky,” a song which featured the then 19-year-old MC from Chicago.
Yes, Yes, Yes guess who’s on third/Lupe steal like Lupin the 3rd/ Here like ear till I’m beer on the curb/Peachfuzz buzz but beard on the verge.
Kanye had introduced the world to someone who made even his prepubescent years sound cool by the use of his wit and wordplay, a skill that would definitely follow Lupe into his debut effort. Fiasco was never the type to brag about his jewelry or talk about selling drugs in order to survive his neighborhood, instead, his prominence came from talking about things that were relatable to young teens whether it was skateboarding, robots, or anime. Something that he made possible because of his dexterous flow and passionate storytelling.
The rapper captivated Hip-Hop with a song called “Kick, Push” inspiring a generation of kids who loved the ambition and rawness of the genre but were also skateboarders as well.
He said I would marry you/ But I’m engaged to these aerials and varials/ And I don’t think this board is strong enough to carry two”/ She said “Bow, I weigh a hundred and twenty pounds/ Now, let me make one thing clear/I don’t need to ride yours, I got mine right here”
Lupe Fiasco continued to spark interest in his ability to rap with other records such as Daydreamin’ featuring Jill Scott which including a hazy-like/movie score production from Craig Kallman that sampled I Monster’s song by the same name.
As I spy from behind my giant robot’s eyes/ I keep him happy ’cause I might fall out if he cries/ Scared of heights, so I might pass out if he flies/ Keep him on autopilot ’cause I can’t drive
Check out the album below and let us know how you feel about the album’s legacy.
https://open.spotify.com/album/0TDJRkEr2SrhWTetdkEzED?si=4Ms3GN0L