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Review Summary: An excellent return to form and the best collection of music the rapper has put together since 'The Cool'. Few rappers have the raw talent of Lupe Fiasco - who blazed onto the music scene with heavily endorsements by Jay-Z and Kanye West - and quickly became billed as the "Next Big Thing" in hip-hop. His early releases largely delivered on the hype that surrounded him, he charmed listeners with clever wordplay, glassy flow, and complex concepts that often required multiple listens and Google searches to truly understand the message he is trying to convey. But over the past five years, Lupe Fiasco releases have been lukewarm and often met with mixed reviews from critics and fans alike. The sharp wordplay and complexity were replaced with preachy, politically charged lyrics, and straightforward messages. On his latest LP Tetsuo & Youth, Lupe leaves the politics at the doorway and runs with the crafty, artistic rap that gained him a drove of fans willing to protest and hack Atlantic records in order to hear his music.
The album is sectioned into three parts divided by four instrumental orchestral tracks titled after the seasons Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. These instrumentals serve as sonic palette cleansers to freshen the listener before each collection of tracks that each has it's own unique feel, and together present a very diverse range of music to the listener. Mural, the first proper track on the album, is probably the most beautifully crafted lyrical masterpiece Fiasco has laid down in his whole career. Its purpose is clear, Lupe wanted the listener to know that he is still one of the top lyricist in the game and proves this by seamlessly flowing for over 8 minutes on the track. Lyrically the tracks in the Summer section are very optimistic and upbeat, and have instrumentals to accompany that optimism.
The Fall section, covers more somber topics including jail and bad relationships. The instrumentals used for these songs are all very jazzy and soulful. Body of Work is a true standout track in the entire album, with Troi delivering a beautiful chorus and Terrace Martin concluding the song with a smooth saxophone solo that doesn’t feel out of place in the slightest. The track delves into the topic of what it means to be human, and how the things that make us human will also kill us. The message is deep, the production is excellent, and this is exactly the type of track where Lupe shines. The Fall section is followed by Winter, where Fiasco chooses to touch the grittiest topics revolving around problems affecting under privileged communities. He achieves this through clever metaphors and slick references rather than preaching. Adoration of the Magi is a stand out here where he volleys a bevy of video game and religion references at the listener to deliver a stout commentary on youth in under privileged communities. Deliver is also excellent, as it uses pizza companies' reservations of sending deliverymen to certain hoods as a way to cast a flashlight on societal issues.
Tetsuo and Youth is a crowning achievement for Lupe Fiasco, and while it is long (three tracks clock in at over 8 minutes with only one track being under 4 minutes) it doesn’t get lost in its own overindulgence. The tracks will not only capture your attention, they will also demand it as you try to answer the age old question “What is Lupe talking about?” Peeling back the layers to this album is as challenging and fun as it was with Food and Liquor and The Cool.
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Album Rating: 4.0
Good news, will check this out.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off
Album is a masterpiece. Mural is a work of art (no pun intended).
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
yes.
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These are just a couple things you could do to touch up the review
with clever wordplay, a glassy flow, and complex concepts that often required multiple listens and Google searches to
truly understand the message he is trying to convey.
Delete the 'a'
But over the past five years, Lupe Fiasco releases have been lukewarm and often met with mixed reviews from critics and
fans alike, the sharp wordplay and complexity were replaced with preachy, politically charged lyrics, and straightforward
messages.
Delete the comma after 'alike' and put a period in its place
On his latest LP Tetsuo & Youth Lupe leaves the politics at the doorway and runs with the crafty, artistic rap that gained him
a drove of fans willing to protest and hack Atlantic records in order to hear his music.
Put a colon after 'Youth'
before each collection of tracks that each have their own unique feel and present a very diverse range of music to the
listener.
Replace the bold ended part with "has its own unique feel, and put together presents"
Its purpose is clear, Lupe wanted the listener to know that he is still one of the top lyricist in the game and proves this by
seamlessly flowing for over 8 minutes on the track.
Again, replace the comma here with a colon
Dots & Lines is a very solid, upbeat track that was co-produced by Lupe himself.
The sentence really doesn't say anything important, so please delete it
Adoration of the Magi is a stand out here where he volleys a bevy of video game and religious references at the
listener to deliver a stout commentary on youth in under privileged communities.
Change "religious" to "religion"
Deliver is also excellent, as it uses pizza companies reservations of sending deliverymen to certain hoods as a way to
cast a flashlight on societal issues.
Put an apostrophe at the end of "companies"
it doesn’t get lost in being overindulgent.
It reads better if you simplify this to
"It doesn't get lost in its own overindulgence"
"The tracks will not only capture your attention, they will demand it as you try to answer the age old question “What is
Lupe talking about?”
Put an 'also' between 'will' and 'demand'
Great review man, really digging the album and you really did sum up the album quite well, especially for a first
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Love this album. Shaky review but not bad. It really sounds like MBDTF was a big influence on this.
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It's rather impressive for a guy who just joined the site today
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Hey guys thanks for the constructive feedback on the review. I'll be sure to preview and proofread my reviews. I just found this site today, I'm really digging Tetsuo & Youth and just wanted a good platform to write a review without making my own blog and this place seemed PERFECT. Can't believe it's gotten almost 200 views in a few hours, that's great.
420YoloSwag420 has suggested some very good improvements to my review, my question is, Is it possible to edit my review now that it has been posted? I don't see an edit button anywhere. Thanks for your help and the warm welcome with my first review.
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you can edit it from "my profile" where there's a link
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Gotcha, I see it now, thanks
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I'm fucking excited to listen to this. the cool and Enemy of the state at both in my top ten hip hop. I had given up on lupe but everyone's hyping this up as a return to form
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Ye this is real good.
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Yeah can't wait until I have enough free time to look into what he's talking about half the time on this album haha
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And yes it is pretty shocking how good this is
| | | Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off
Great comeback album for Lupe.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Good review. Album is fantastic.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Mural makes for an amazing intro to this album
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
This album's actually pretty cool, might be tempted to come back to this one throughout the year. Nice review btw m80.
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slick production, tight flow clever wordplay and an interesting concept to hold it together.
yep. couldn't be happier with this
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Re-listening to Food & Liquor today confirmed for me that this is Lupe's best album yet
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
fuck outta here a 4.3 with 60 votes? no way its that good but I guess I should listen
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