Food and Liquor

Today's Music of the Day is Lupe Fiasco's Food and Liquor. This album was likely borrowed from the public library, partially in an attempt to diversify my music library, partially because Lupe Fiasco has one of the better names in music today.

While I wouldn't consider myself a rap connoisseur, this album was pretty enjoyable. Fiasco has a sharp, snare-drum cadence to his verses - even the more laid-back songs are crisply punctuated. There's a definite energy to the album; even though the instrumental portion of the album is largely electronic, the potent voices give Food and Liquor some life. Fiasco also has some heavy, literate rhymes, but he's not without a sense of humor - the man sounds equally adept rapping about a man's early death as he does dropping lines about the Sega Genesis.

I'm also normally partial to more organic elements of sound - see my ongoing love of Beirut - but the electronic-dominated album is fairly dynamic. There aren't a ton of guest stars here - it is Fiasco's first album, after all - but those that do show up, such as the female vocalist on "He Say She Say", don't wear out their welcome.

Some tracks are stronger than others - this is the case on virtually any album (except for those that have no redeeming quality, perhaps). Having said that, Food and Liquor is a pretty solid album from top to bottom, save for maybe "Outro", an extended thank-you to everyone involved with the album. Standout tracks - in my opinion, anyway - include "The Cool", "The Instrumental", and both parts of "Kick, Push". This isn't really a dance-rap album, though - 50 Cent lovers beware - but it's not hard to listen to.

In Short: this is a fine album for a budding hip-hop enthusiast, or just someone who is sick of rap songs about money and treating women like crap.

In Other News:
This post was as much fun to write as anything in the last few weeks. Why was this so complicated?

I got some more We Were Promised Jetpacks this week. Despite the beyond stupid name, I'm enjoying the songs very much.

Why can't it be Wednesday night yet?

The Cool

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.