Lupe followed up F&L with another strong effort in The Cool, which was more of a concept and darker album than the first. With hip-hop still being heavily influenced by artists ( or should I say "garbage") like Lil John and Paul Wall ( this was an age where Mike Jones could release a top 20 single), F&L was a breath of fresh air, even causing the likes of Jay-Z to proclaim Lupe as hip-hop's "next vanguard". "The Instrumental" is a great example of this, as Lupe discusses the problem with Americans' addiction to television by referring to it as "the box" and how much it influences our everyday speech. The other hand showed that Lupe was also an incredibly introspective artist, who examined society's problems through music. On one hand, Lupe showcased his abilities as a lyricist in the creative sense, producing songs such as "Kick, Push" about the life a skater to "He Say She Say", which details the struggles of a child with divorced parents. F&L was a masterpiece for Lupe in two senses of the word. Lupe began his career with the widely acclaimed Food and Liquor.
If you're even just a casual follower of hip-hop, you know the story by now.
In the last six years, it's hard to find a rapper that has had more ups and downs than Wasulu Jaco ( known to the rest of the world as Lupe Fiasco).