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"

iamduval

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Lupe stans swear it is only they who understand his genius and how dare anyone not see that he is the greatest ever in all categories!!!!

:russ::russ::russ:

No one in here has said that Lupe is the greatest ever in all categories. He’s not even that good at wordplay/punchlines imo.

I’d be curious to hear who you think is a more advanced story teller. Would love to go check out their music
 

Kdot

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He weaves his wordplay into the verses and doesn’t make a show of it, makes it simple but effective. So something like “soon as I press that button nikkas better get right like the ambulance coming” goes under the radar
If he give up now, that's gon' cost him, life's a bytch
You could be a bytch or step out the margin," I got up quick
I'm chargin' baskets and falling backwards, tryna keep balance

So effortless most people probably didn't notice since he doesn't try to force that shyt on you :childplease:
 

Insensitive

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Mural has terrible lyricism.

Like it is just fukking horrible.

It's the rap equivalent of playing the A-Aeolian really Fast over Distorted Power Chords and pretending
it's fukking Coltrane or something.


"Now what's a coffin with a scratched ceiling?
And what's the talking without the match feeling?
As buried living and cherry picking
Every linen from your berry system
Then proceed with the pack feeding
When I was young I had visions of another world
Sneaking looks at the porn stash of my brother hurl
Incense smoke made vortices and other curls
Casting calls from porn films and ad space for rubber girls
I like my pancakes cut in swirls
Morrocan moles and undercover squirrels
I like cartoons, southern cities with large moons
Faith healers, ex-female drug dealers and art booms
Apologize for my weird mix
What taste like hot dogs and tear drips
And looks like pantomime and clear bricks
And smells like shotguns and deer piss"

Like, I'm not even being a hater.

All End Rhymes "Weird Mix, Tear Drips, Clear Bricks Deer Piss", the scheme and rhythm isn't complex.
Absolutely no inner rhyme and not beginning any of the bars with Rhymes.

Guys like Elzhi do this shyt IN THEIR SLEEP.

Does it hint at a greater theme? A bunch of different things slammed together thus a "Mural"?
In this case, how is this ANY DIFFERENT from Lil Wayne just going off with punchline after punchline?
This it not "high brow" or "witty".


What is impressive about this? I love guys like Saul Williams, El-P, Death Grips and Aesop Rock.

I like Metaphor riddled, complex lyricism but Mural is not:



Listen to this, read the lyrics.

Saul Williams did whatever Lu is supposed to be doing several fukking years before he ever did.

"Shepherd of a b*stard flock that graces in the streets" is one of the hardest bars ever written and takes
a complete dump on any of the rap rock Lupe attempted.

I'm sick of y'all treating this garden variety, middle of the road shyt is Avant Garde and Deep.
Even worse, I'm sick of y'all claiming this dude is better than Nas or Jay-Z.

He's barely better than this XXL contemporaries.
 

spliz

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NY all day..Da Stead & BK..
"Drogas Wave" is a concept album by Lupe Fiasco that tells the story of African slaves who were thrown off ships during the Transatlantic Slave Trade and transformed into water beings. These beings, known as "Longchains," embark on a journey through time and space, seeking redemption and freedom.

The album explores themes of identity, history, and resilience, using intricate storytelling and thought-provoking lyrics. It's a complex and immersive narrative that dives deep into the legacy of slavery and its enduring impact on society.






They’re not serious bro they just can’t be

nikka is a Kendrick dikksucker. No way can any rational person think Kendrick would win a rap battle against Lupe and I damn near COMPLETELY disagree with Lupe's original point.
 

Insensitive

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Like if we're just talking about the MECHANICS of WRITING A RAP.

BIG PUN?
KOOL G RAP?
NAS?
ELZHI?
All of these people are somehow "worse" than Lupe Fiasco?

Why? Because he wrote Mural? :pachaha:
Because he did some cool creative writing nearly 17 years ago?

"My Cool Young History" is dead and buried, now all we get is pretend plays at being Langston Hughes or Maya Angelou.

While dry hating someone who writes actual fukking poetry and gets awards for it.
 

Chip Skylark

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nikka is a Kendrick dikksucker. No way can any rational person think Kendrick would win a rap battle against Lupe and I damn near COMPLETELY disagree with Lupe's original point.


Oh I see. Dudes in here saying he isn’t Neo of lyricism just to big up K dot

Lupe is the goat lyricist to me but I can also acknowledge that Kendrick makes more digestible music for rap fans while maintaining a certain level of lyricism while Lupe is more avant-garde you can appreciate both
 

((ReFleXioN)) EteRNaL

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You’re way off here. Go listen to Drogos Wave and tell me again lupe doesn’t have depth. He’s probably the most advanced story teller ever
DW is a great album and I enjoyed it. Wav files is a masterpiece to me. But that album still had a lot of try hard shyt too. But even then, Lupe rarely reached this level in his career. Most of his shyt is just not engaging. Tetsuo and youth is considered one of his best. I went to Google and picked a random song and came up on adoration of the magi.


Now let's vogue, Martin pose
Downward facing dog, warrior pose
Tree pose, bridge pose
Triangle pose, seated twist (pose, pose)
Upward facing dog (pose, pose)
Pigeon pose
In this bytch, that's vulgar, that's yoga
Let's try it again with clothes
And closer, enclosure, eposures
Quiet is kept like Rosicrucian meet koza nostras on Oprah's sofa
With both controllers
Watchin' Gazans and ashkenazis ride roller coasters
Say yeah
Yeah, lots of options, now up is down, two player
Now A is jump and B is punch
You seein' somethin' that weren't there
To find friendliness in a nemesis, it's a old test
3 buttons, see somethin'

That's emphasis on genesis


Now I'm sure Lupe stans will say this is genius and we just don't get it. But nah. It's not genius. It's pretentious. Technically is it great?...Of course. But using a bunch of obscure references that only a select few will catch is not having a great imagination. It's just fake deep nonsense. But like I said before. Lupe knows he can hide behind this type of shyt because his fans will break them down and make him out to be a god. I see right through this type of shyt.
 

iamduval

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I don’t like the tetsuo album at all so I can’t debate you on that

I’m just saying at his peak, he is a masterful story teller with a lot of depth and substance to his music. He is not a lyrical miracle spiritual guy when he’s making his best music.
 

Insensitive

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Saying Lupe Fiasco doesn't know what Lyricism is, and saying that lyricism is having context beneath what you're saying- TO LUPE FIASCO is the most ignorant shyt I've ever read

:dead:
The whole appeal of "Super Lyrical" contemporary Lupe is being obtuse and leaving the listener to give the lyrics context.

This is exactly why people ride Aesop Rocks dikk so hard and say he's better than other rappers.

Why?

Because they get to do all of the conclusion drawing while the writer leaves everything up to interpretation and lacking in concrete details.
 
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maxamusa

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If he give up now, that's gon' cost him, life's a bytch
You could be a bytch or step out the margin," I got up quick
I'm chargin' baskets and falling backwards, tryna keep balance

So effortless most people probably didn't notice since he doesn't try to force that shyt on you :childplease:

Does he write his raps with one of this madlybs books?



Cause thats exactly what it looks like off that.

is "baskets" supposed to mean 2? like a bucket? :jbhmm:


how are you charging double and falling backwards?:what:


or does he mean he's charging like on a fast break.....but somehow falls backwards? :dahell:


He could have used that same rhyme scheme and actually said something lol.
 

Chip Skylark

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DW is a great album and I enjoyed it. Wav files is a masterpiece to me. But that album still had a lot of try hard shyt too. But even then, Lupe rarely reached this level in his career. Most of his shyt is just not engaging. Tetsuo and youth is considered one of his best. I went to Google and picked a random song and came up on adoration of the magi.


Now let's vogue, Martin pose
Downward facing dog, warrior pose
Tree pose, bridge pose
Triangle pose, seated twist (pose, pose)
Upward facing dog (pose, pose)
Pigeon pose
In this bytch, that's vulgar, that's yoga
Let's try it again with clothes
And closer, enclosure, eposures
Quiet is kept like Rosicrucian meet koza nostras on Oprah's sofa
With both controllers
Watchin' Gazans and ashkenazis ride roller coasters
Say yeah
Yeah, lots of options, now up is down, two player
Now A is jump and B is punch
You seein' somethin' that weren't there
To find friendliness in a nemesis, it's a old test
3 buttons, see somethin'

That's emphasis on genesis


Now I'm sure Lupe stans will say this is genius and we just don't get it. But nah. It's not genius. It's pretentious. Technically is it great?...Of course. But using a bunch of obscure references that only a select few will catch is not having a great imagination. It's just fake deep nonsense. But like I said before. Lupe knows he can hide behind this type of shyt because his fans will break them down and make him out to be a god. I see right through this type of shyt.


Here we go again

This is your personal opinion and perception of Lupe Fiasco's work. The issue lies in the absolutist language and dismissive tone you’re using trying to discredit the album and its fans.

You can’t scream art is subjective then do this. What one person may perceive as pretentious or fake deep, others may genuinely find profound and thought-provoking. Additionally, dismissing the significance of obscure references overlooks the value they can add to the depth and richness of an artist's work, serving as layers for interpretation and engagement.
 

maxamusa

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Here we go again

This is your personal opinion and perception of Lupe Fiasco's work. The issue lies in the absolutist language and dismissive tone you’re using trying to discredit the album and its fans.

You can’t scream art is subjective then do this. What one person may perceive as pretentious or fake deep, others may genuinely find profound and thought-provoking. Additionally, dismissing the significance of obscure references overlooks the value they can add to the depth and richness of an artist's work, serving as layers for interpretation and engagement.


I dig that part :ehh:

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.
 
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