Lupe Fiasco - Samurai (June 28th)

julesocean

Superstar
Supporter
Joined
Apr 10, 2015
Messages
7,886
Reputation
2,046
Daps
18,586
Halfway through, Palaces/Mumble Rap/No. 1 Headband :whew: Will review as I listen

The hook on Cake is terrible :mjlol: I hated it two weeks ago and still hate it, the production also sounded off when I heard it but it fits better in the context of the album.

Samurai is a very dense track that doesn't have the effortlessness of the top 3 tracks I already named. That being said, I like it for what it is and love the sample.

Bigfoot is sounding very forgettable halfway through this song, skip status tbh and unlike Cake the verses aren't making up for slogging through.

listening to Outside rn, the production definitely isn't hitting the same level as the top 3. Lupe in ramble-rap mode lol, what is he talking about on this 2nd verse. The rapping about rap artistry thing is an interesting concept but he approached it very similarly on Mumble Rap and Palaces already so this sounds like a b-side to those. The wordplay is there but it feels very meandering on this song and doesn't really crystallize into a destination.

Til Eternity's production :ehh: this is hard, Lupe sounds way more inspired on this already. The hook is lowkey weird though lol but the verses make up for it. IDK why this nikka gotta sing every single hook, on a harder beat like this (and particularly because it's about the craft of RAP) I wish he would've came with a harder Hip Hop hook and less abstract R&B.

O/A this is an uneven listen, the production feels consistent but w/ some very pronounced dips. The good tracks are really good though and when he really gets in his bag he sounds like the hungriest he's been in years.

I give it a 6.5/10, I felt like DMIZ was a 7/10 but it was a slightly longer project so it had more range. TBH the best rapping displays on this album from a pure performance/flow standpoint >>>> DMIZ, I preferred the conceptual content on DMIZ though.
You nailed it.
 

Prince.Skeletor

Don’t Be Like He-Man
Joined
Jul 5, 2012
Messages
28,924
Reputation
-7,164
Daps
56,272
Reppin
Bucktown
I like the album
I had mumble rap on repeat for over an hour yesterday while sipping on some whiskey and smoking a blunt.

Headband is really good too

I'm just really not into the singing tho man
And sometimes the singing hook is too long too

I'm gonna keep playing it but I would really LOVE a dope ass HARD Lupe album right about now,
 

ball15life

Superstar
Supporter
Joined
Jan 1, 2014
Messages
9,999
Reputation
2,950
Daps
48,967
Reppin
The unknown
Really good project. Not my absolute favorite of his but it's still a good listen.

My favorite sequence is:

Mumble Rap
Cake
Palaces
No 1 headband

Especially Palaces. Him doing the hook on this one was a good example of when it can work if done properly.

It kind of seems like he cheaped out by not paying singers for the hooks and it's hit or miss.

I'd like to think Nikki Jean is on his speed dial
 

Kenyan West

lazy fba philly nikka,
Joined
May 12, 2012
Messages
1,985
Reputation
1,312
Daps
8,043
Reppin
Philadelphia
It’s crazy how much Cake grew on me. Insane in the whip.

My chick being annoying, talking to me every thirty seconds about her life ills so I can’t really digest the album right now but I skimmed it. Feels like a companion piece to DMIZ. Smooth, jazzy, laid back, mature.

I know Soundtrakk almost dying has had Lupe blowing up his phone for beats (and they’re good), but it’s time to move on for the next one.

Immediate stand outs to me are Samarai, Cake, Headband, Palaces, Til Eternity.

Album needed like 4 more tracks, I hate short ass albums
 
Top