Summer ain't over yet, games and food ...

I'm still reminiscining about the pair of Roots performances that I caught about a week ago ...

Okay, so I've sort of not been listening to what I should be listening to ... right? I don't want to say I've been feeling slumpy, but I've certainly been attached/attracted to something other than what I promised to check out.

So here's what keeps loopin in my music player:

• Pigeon John, "...and the Summertime Pool Party"
• The Roots "Game Theory"
• Lupe Fiasco "Food & Liquor"

I've already given you the low on the first two, but now is the time to school you on the guy who everyone has been talkin about - Lupe Fiasco.

I caught the buzz on this one some time ago - I can't pinpoint the exact time, but I believe that it was sometime this summer (well, of course it was, that's when "Kick Push" was released - and that is such a cool song).

And on a side note, just let me say, I am NOT a fan of the cover art on Lupe's latest. It does not seem befitting of his personality. So let me give you a brief description because I refuse to post it on this here blog. It is a bit shiny and intergalactic; notice how I did not say 'bling' because that, it is not. It seems like he is in outer space w/laser's behind him, he has an old school boom box and what appears to be some other digital devices ... He is also sporting what looks like a pleather bomber jacket - an NO, I am not trying to clown him. At any rate, maybe, you should check it out yourself ... come to your own conclusion, why don't you ...

Anyway, a few weeks before the official drop date for "Food & Liquor," I received a copy of of the "Chi Town Guevara Mixtape." There were some familiar tracks on there like "Touch the Sky" and "Kick Push." Acutally, there is not a great deal of overlap from the mixtape to the current project. But the mixtape was hot! Lupe's skills are bonafide. There was an edge to his delivery accompanied w/DJ Envy's mix skills, it was a good listen. Lupe's good at storytelling. I like that. What I did not like was his constantly dropping the n-bomb. What is w/that...? I know you'll say that's the way of the street and it is a mixtape, right...? Whatever is my response. The mixtape was so heavy on the n-bomb that I did not even bother to try to edit it. One reason I did not try to edit it was because I thought that the same tracks would appear on "Food & Liquor" - wrong. It seems the mixtape includes some previously recorded material and/or some exclusive material for the mixtape - you know how they roll...

So why am I peeved about Lupe and the n-bomb, well, you see, from what I'd read about him I got the impression that he was a cool dude - conscientious, positive, a skateboarder, somewhat nerdy and of the Muslim faith - in other words, I truly did not anticipate that he would so comfortably drop the n-bomb, but I guess that's where my misjudgment is just another poor assumption, eh?

Once I get over that bit of disappointment, I trudge through and am mostly pleased w/what I hear/heard. His style reminds me of someone, but I can't place it right now... Here's what I like on the mixtape: "Outty 5000," and "Switch."

Then there is the "Food & Liquor" disk; Lupe has some uptempo tracks like "The Instrumental," which I really like. But he also goes mellow on several cuts including "Daydreamin" w/Jill Scott. He goes on to enlist the skills of Def Jam Pres Jay-Z on "Pressure." I'm not so crazy about the second single "I Gotcha" - it just seems like it is missing some umph and it's a bit non-descript. But, oh ... there's the 12 minute "Outro" where he gives 'shout outs' to everyone - everyone but me, but he does say that if he forgot anyone, he'd shout them out on the next one - I guess I'll start my email campaign started now so that I can get mine on the next joint ...

I won't promise to listen to anything in particular in the near future, but you can count on me to give you some perspective on what I love most - hip hop culture, from the not so known world.

stay true ... kfox