Today's Music of the Day is Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. As it turns out, there is some rap and hip-hop that I like - Lupe Fiasco is more than just a great name. I've woefully under-represented rap on this blog, and today is a small concession towards my neglect. But this blog isn't about self-pity, it's about music.
The Cool is fairly diverse in its sound and message, and the album really flows because of it. Lupe himself doesn't have the most unique voice, but he certainly has skill. (Note that unique can refer to, say, Shaquille O'Neal, but also to Dennis Rodman.) His lyrics are strong too - there are some clever pop-culture references (The Odd Couple !?) but the album doesn't rely on them, thankfully. There are some guest rappers and singers - again, they don't dominate the album, but contribute in parts, limiting their exposure but strengthening the effect.
Some of these songs are straightforward jams, whereas others are more narrative, but the entire album works very well. The balance between the two is what holds the album together. For every "Superstar" there is a "Paris, Tokyo", for every "Go Go Gadget Flow" there is a "Hip-Hop Saved My Live". This album is clever and Lupe keeps his voice down just enough so that when he does speak up, it's hard not to pay attention. Maybe this album isn't for you - since reading this blog probably means that you are middle-class and white - but you should still give it a shot.
In Other News:
Forget daylight savings time. Seriously. I will be lucky to recover that hour by June.