Lupe Fiasco: "Metaphors and punchlines matter....don't need to be a great lyricist to tell a story....shouldn't rely on delivery and flow"

[nieman]

fukking nerd

I hate when hip hop gets to this point. Nggas talking about it like analytics white boys talking about hoops. It isn’t organic, it sounds like he’s explaining rap to a white audience

Put it this way…her you ever heard or can you even imagine jay z, nas, pac, Ghostface talk about hip hop in this fashion?

Like i get it rappers are teaching classes now cool but save that ‘history of hip hop’ shyt for harvard. These tweets are so annoying

Nas has songs in which he references different techniques and the reactions and criticism he gets for using it, and when Ghost is with Wu, they talk break it down like that. Pac wasn't around long enough, and these discussions about him came posthumous. Jay said he don't care cause he makes money. But in general, these discussions are had by rappers...with emphasis on the different styles being used.

But the fact still remains, you will never call a trash lyricist a great lyricist, when there's no merit for them being considered such, no matter how popular they are or number of people that like their music.

 

[Po pimp]

Punchlines and metaphors are definitely not a requirement for being a good lyricist. Someone like Pac didn’t rely on punchlines, but his ability to deliver his message in a way you can easily see the picture, all while realizing he’s rhyming words at the same time, I’d rather listen to that than someone spitting a punchline every other bar, but not really saying shyt. Or those who use the most obscure references for their punchlines, where you need to do research to know what the hell they’re talking about.

Edit: when I say obscure references, I mean those who try to be so clever that only the artist themselves know what they’re referring to.

 

[I AM WARHOL]

I dig that part

the italicized part is important. when I was a kid listening to rap I would actually then go discover references I didn't know. Rap put me onto a lot history film etc.....

all because I loved the song that educated myself so I knew what they were talking about.

Bingo. Kendrick and Lupe are my two favorite rappers. I find the whole back and forth in this thread surprising. But the disingenuousness when it comes to Lupe’s skill is insane. A lot of this is why rap has such a low barrier of entry. Got dog shyt rappers like Sexy Redd, Yeat and countless other talentless bozos in rap cause apparently rapping about things you might have to look up is pretentious. Y’all nikkas ain’t serious

 

[Art Barr]

Founder of death row

I listend to his first mixtape based off the coli. I thought it was a joke. it came out in the peak of mixtapes 2. breh put out a whole bunch of trash mixtapes then went straight pop.


I don't care how good he is in 2k24. he gets 0 respect from me. Chicago is a hip-hop city 2. I don't get it.

Lupe is just a gangsta rap label plant artist. Similar to chilly being Harry o in the creation of death row.
Meets jayz's ghostwriter trolls Nas insider jokes.


Art Barr

 

[Dboy41]

I intended on just reading this thread. But you sir are completely outta pocket. You sound like a damn fool that has no idea about Lupe's catalog

Lupe's range for song making is ELITE. He has crafted classic basic records and classic complex ones.







Only posting a few straightforward tracks due to stupidity

Why do they act like Lupe is only super abstract/complex and nothing else?

he excels at it, but thats not the only thing Lupe is capable of as rapper.

 

[Loose]

Why do they act like Lupe is only super abstract/complex and nothing else?

he excels at it, but thats not the only thing Lupe is capable of as rapper.

Yea I don't agree he is all that abstract nowadays, T&Y was but outside of that he's been pretty straight forward. Fans just became lazy

 

[Bugzbunny129]

That dude liking Aesop Rock so much is such a fukkin mystery to me. That dude is dirt. Like son is horrible.

Aesop rock is imo atleast original. Idk any rapper that sounds like this guy. Id say 99% of his shyt is unlistenable myself, but my boy loves him. Of course hes a alt rock white kid who didnt really listento hip hop but im pretty positive aesops a heady nyc ug rapper for real.

He got like 10 albums maybe 20 songs i can vibe with his whole career. But when its dope its dope. But hes just too weird for me.

 

[NoHalfWay]

Yea I don't agree he is all that abstract nowadays, T&Y was but outside of that he's been pretty straight forward. Fans just became lazy

Nas said out his mouth Lupe is the emcee he mostly identifies himself in. When nobody was thinking about him

These Coli nikkas are sideline analysts for the most part. I understand not liking him, but dude is a lyrical wizard with the pen & crazy with the flows

 

[FINALE]

Yea I don't agree he is all that abstract nowadays, T&Y was but outside of that he's been pretty straight forward. Fans just became lazy

Drogas Wave was pretty abstract too in parts

 

[Loose]

Drogas Wave was pretty abstract too in parts

In parts yea, wasn't anymore abstract than the cool. Like I said fans just became lazy