Lupe Fiasco reviewed

Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool
(Atlantic)

It would be hasty to call Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool a sophomore slump, yet the second album from the righteous hometown rhymer isn’t as sonically satisfying as his 2006 debut.

Unlike the well-balanced Food & Liquor, this album is lopsided. The lead single, the synthy “Dumb It Down,” is a perfect representation of the second half of The Cool: heavy on gloomy production and dense commentary on the corruption in the rap game and the streets. It’s on these songs Lupe reveals his deftness as a writer and social activist, but not so much as an MC or performer. On “Streets On Fire,” for one, Lupe’s message is marred by his rushed, impassive delivery and an underwhelming beat. Aside from “Gotta Eat,” the enthusiastically delivered cut about the survival of the fittest mentality in the hood, the most engaging material on this album drops within the first 30 minutes.

With the radio-friendly single “Superstar” and the soulful “The Coolest” Lupe succeeds at making intelligent hip-hop that isn’t bleak. He does so on these early numbers by keeping his lyrics and flow sharp yet approachable and the production (from Soundtrakk, Chris Paultrie, and Derrick Braxton) epic. And despite Lupe admitting to not being a huge fan of A Tribe Called Quest (in his VH1 Hip-Hop Honors snafu), the magnificent, ultra-melodic “Paris, Tokyo” sounds entirely influenced by Tribe’s early-’90s jazz-inspired vibe.

No doubt The Cool has some great songs — some of his best yet even. The problem with Lupe’s sophomore effort is as the album unfolds, he almost forgets to carry the songs all the way through. If there’s one consistency it’s his dedication to lyrically chastise the morally corrupt and stick up for the downtrodden. Unfortunately, strong convictions don’t always amount to strong songs.

6

— Max Herman

Category: Spins, Weekly