Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco (rapper), 2007

Lupe Fiasco (born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco on February 16, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American rapper, artist, producer and CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment

Mixtapes

[1/15 Part I: The Truth Is Among Us] (2006)

• To gain a better understanding, I'm just trying to make it real/reel. Like a fisherman,
  Pon De River fam. I Pon My Bank, deposit my thoughts. Till my mind draws a blank
  and I withdraw from checking. I'll leave that with ya'll for a second...
  • "Run Down"

• We all trying to get to where the suffering ends. In front of the Most High, being judged for our sins. Can't front for the Most High.
• But don't forget the blessing is in the struggle. The Most Forgiving will forgive it if you stay repentant and hustle.
• For we all are sinners. Bless us to be amongst the winners when it ends. But until then please strengthen the mission within our hearts.All praise is due to God
  • "Muhammad Walks"

• Before I start, like to make sure I'm smart. Gather my composure, rather my swagger
  and my couture.Pivot my fitted, then begin to rivet, with a change of lyric. In other
  words, I reposition how I sit it. Then make you feel it, like I mispronounced “filet.”
  • "The Pen and the Needlez"

[1/15 Part II: Revenge of the Nerds] (2006)

• Didn't have a clue that the rapper was helping the rapers, raiders of the villages, the
  pillagers of the school....shooters of the innocents, tortures of the witnesses, burners
  of the businesses..and my bracelet was the fuel.
  • "Conflict Diamonds"

• The truth.. is limitless in its range, If you drop a 'T' and look at it in reverse it could hurt
  • "Glory"

• Heavy problems genocide desensitized environments
  Sometimes make it hard to sympathize, pardon
  • "Steady Mobbin' "

[1/15 Part III: A Rhyming Ape] (2006)

• If you open up your eyes and imagine. Expand your horizon with rhyming and rapping.
  Quit rapping and rhyming bout cocaine supplying. And clapping is anyone out there or are yall all absent?
  • "Make Sure U Getta Shirt"

[Enemy of the State: A Love Story] (2009)

• Jay gave me a co-sign like I was RocaWear, but be clear I'm not the air/heir
  I'm the water, fire and the earth
  That means I'm doing dirt, spitting flames and quenching thirst
  • "Popular Demand"

Friend of the People: I Fight Evil (2011)

• Flowers she would pick like guitar strings, for a real good whiff of how how life behind par seems.
  • "Life, Death, And Love in San Fransisco"

Albums

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006)

• I used to hate hip-hop, because the women degraded. But Too Short made me laugh,
  like a hypocrite I played it; a hypocrite I stated, though I only recited half
  omitting the word b*tch, cursing I wouldn't say it. Me and dog couldn't relate, until a b*tch I dated.
  
• Gangsta rap-based filmings became the buildin blocks
  For children with leakin ceilings catchin drippins with pots
  Coupled with compositions from Pac, Nas's "It Was Written"
  In the mix with my realities and feelings
  Living conditions, religion, ignorant wisdom and artistic vision
  I began to jot, tap the world and listen,
  
• Hennessy and Hypnotic swallowin, hydroponic coughin and
  All the world's ills, sittin' on chrome 24-inch wheels
  • "Hurt Me Soul"

• Life ain't meant to come around twice, that's why I gotta get it right. They said I gotta
  get it honest, now I gotta give them light, but sleep on it, that's why God gave you night
  • "Real"

• I only fear God, know the weapons of the weak, the weakness of the heart, and never fall asleep...
  • "Emperor's Soundtrack"

• And so it seems that I'm, sewing jeans. And, 1st and 15 is just a sewing machine. So I,
  cut the pattern and I, sew in seams. And, button in this hustling then publically, I'm
  Buddy Lee. There's no bustin' them and cuffin' them is like. Ushering in the regime, they want
  me to make Prince pants. But I withstand, I ain't gotten into that. A little big (B.I.G.) in the
  waist, two-pocket (Tupac-it) on the back. Call them Lu-vi's, O.G.'s covered in blue dye
• Made me a ripper, deliver like a river, content a little more thicker, slicker...and they said
  oil and water don't mix, now they all down at the beach washing off the fish.
  • "Pressure"

• I love my city really hope that God bless it, have my mind moving faster than that Hog in the Hedges
  • "I Gotcha"

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007)

• A match made in Heaven, set the fires in Hell
• Rap records pressured to laugh, at a life not fast.
  • "The Coolest"

• My most coveted thing is a high self-esteem, and a low tolerance for them telling me how to lean,
  see the most important parts are the ones that are unseen, cause the wings don't make you fly
  and the crown don't make you king
  • "Gold Watch"

Lasers (2011)

• So tell my enemies that they can’t injure me, I know that irritates, you have my sympathies.
• And baby girl what does it matter where your purse from. Your hair done, your nails did, your ass fat...but you're dumb.
  • "I'm Beaming"

• The future's cloudy and it's rainin on the poor class.
  Road to peace is closed, heavy traffic on the war paths
  • "State Run Radio"

• Your child's future was the first to go with budget cuts,
  if you think that hurts then wait here comes the upper-cut,
  the school was garbage in the first place that's on the up and up.
• Glenn Beck is a racist, Limbaugh is a racist,
  Gaza strip was getting bombed Obama didn't say shit.
• I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence,Fear is such a weak emotion that's why I despise it.
  • "Words I Never Said"

Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album (2012)

• Come across as very calm, mental state is Zen like. Always had a lot of heart, never been the tin type
  • "Go To Sleep"

Features/Unreleased/Others

• I'm not a prophet but Fahrenheit 1/15 is being quoted by preachers. Far from being a leader but I'm still being invited by teachers.
  • "Dear Fall"

• My teacher's like, "Mr. Jaco?"
  "Yes?"
  "With all that knowledge, You aint trying to go to college?
  Be a lawyer or a doctor, Get a whole lotta dollars?
  Rather degrade women and glorify violence?"
  "Well the work that works for me might not work for you
  No homework, I got work to do."
  • "Be Somebody"

Rules 2 Rule

• In darkness is where we truly find ourselves, in light we only find others and in others you cannot find yourself.

• Consider power as NOT getting people to obey you, but getting people to work in harmony with you with the goal being mutual benefit.

• Greed redefined and corrupted what true power is. Domination is for the weak, Harmony is the true sign of strength.

• Knowledge alone is not power, knowledge plus action equals power. Knowledge is useless without action and vice versa.

• We all KNOW better, but do we actually DO better?

• A definition of ignorance is not KNOWING what we DO & improvement is handicapped when we don't DO what we KNOW.

• The fear that rules us comes NOT from the outside but from within. Mastering self-control also means stripping the rulers of a prized weapon.

• Fear and Sex are the two most effective weapons that are used against the people. Tempering desire motivates liberation.

• Separate wealth from value. All living things have value. We impart this value upon lifeless things to give them worth not vice versa.

• Never apologize for being real...ever. Reality is the enemy of fakes, frauds, liars and protectors of ignorance. It scares them.

• Choose respect over fame every time. Fame is just attention. Respect is an attribute of love.

• To be unknown but loved by just one is better than being known by many but loved by none.

• Try not to measure your success by the success of others. Success should be defined by one person...Yourself.

• If you feel comfortable, and you feel happy, and successful at your job, then that’s success. You define that as success, then that’s success. Success is not a general thing. It’s a personal thing. It’s a personal attribute.

• Some will love you. Some will hate you. Most won't care about you either way. This world is all Good vs. Evil. And I fight evil.