 |
| Source: amazon.com |
Artist: Lupe Fiasco
Producer: S1 and DJ Dahl
Genre: Hip-Hop
Date of Release: 20/01/15
Rating: 4.5/5
Album Cover Art: Uomo Mangiato Tigre (Man-eating Tiger) by Lupe Fiasco
Tetsuo and Youth is finally out!
 |
| imgur.com |
After 3 years, Lupe has blessed us once again with his 5th studio album, “Tetsuo and Youth” on 20th of January. He released some amazing tracks such as “Animal Pharm” and “Thorns & Horns” prior to “T&Y” release, which only made Lupe ‘stans’ expect more from his album.
1. “Summer”
The album divides into seasons, from “Summer” to “Spring.” It feels like “All of the Lights (Interlude)” by Kanye West by giving us a soothing instrumental before we get hit by a storm, “Mural.”
2. “Mural”
 |
| Source: rapgenius.com |
3. “Blur My Hands”
I absolutely loved the production and Guy Sebastian singing on the hook. It sounded like it would be on his third album, “Lasers,” which I did not enjoy, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought, because of its ability to calm me down after “Mural”’s heat.
4. “Dots & Lines”
This song flows so well; his hook was smooth and the production was commendable. The beat reminded me of Chinese traditional music and the banjo surprisingly fit well into the song.
 |
| tumblr.com |
'In a line, in a line, in a line, in a line, in a line...'
5. “Fall”
Another relaxing jazzy instrumental. I am quite glad that he put these breathers before he hits us with another heat. Everything “falls” down after this.
6. “Prisoner 1 & 2” (Feat. Ayesha Jaco)
 |
| Source: imgur |
Rapping in two perspectives: a prisoner and a guard, it was good to see Lupe on his feet again, emphasising racism and crime justice system in America. His flow was outstanding and the beats hit hard. The skits perfectly set up the dark atmosphere of the song.
7. “Body of Work”
A hypnotising track... it grew on me after few more plays, but I feel like Lupe could have done better on this. But Terrace Martin’s sax solo though… his joints are always enjoyable.
8. “Little Death” (Feat. Nikki Jean)
Lupe’s music is “la petite mort” to my ears. He talks about a lot of topics on this song, including gay marriage and materialism. The beat is jazzy but also resembles Western Classical music. I hope Nikki Jean continues to work with Lupe Fiasco.
9. “No Scratches” (Feat. Nikki Jean)
Unlike the other songs in “T&Y”, “No Scratches” is slow-paced. The hook from Nikki and Lupe was harmonious and his slow flow kept me relaxed throughout the track. For some reason, the hard rock guitar in the beat resembles exotic beach music.
10. “Winter”
Third seasonal instrumental, this sounds different from “Summer” and “Fall.” The violins sound cacophonic, as if there is a storm in the background.
11. “Chopper” (Feat. Billy Blue, Buk of Psychodrama, Trouble, Trae tha Truth, Fam-Lay & Glasses Malone)
Personally, I didn’t enjoy this song. The features felt lacklustre and unfitting to Lupe Fiasco; in my opinion, someone like Twista would’ve been a better choice. The beat felt boring compared to other songs. On the bright side, the hook was catchy.
12. “Deliver”
This is the first single of “T&Y” that was good enough to get fans hyped. It felt like a sequel to “Gotta Eat” from one of his albums, “The Cool.” I was very impressed by how Lupe was able to “deliver” his ideas about the ghetto society through a story of a pizza delivery.
13. “Madonna (And Other Mothers In The Hood” (Feat. Nikki Jean)
Lupe talks about violence in ghetto neighbourhoods through storytelling. His choppy flow made the song feel more intense and suspenseful. The use of auto-tune was reminiscent of Chief Keef and Kanye West.
14. “Adoration of the Magi” (Feat. Crystal Torres)
Let me just say this: I love what DJ Dahl has done throughout the album...his production is just heavenly. It was interesting to see Lupe talk about Christianity since he is, in fact, a Muslim. This is one of my favourite songs in “T&Y” and the hook is seriously something else.
15. “They.Resurrect.Over.New” (Feat. Ab-Soul & Troi)
 |
| Source: thecomeupshow |
This is the song I have been waiting for so long after listening to “World Runners” and “Thorns & Horns.” It showed good chemistry between Lupe and Ab-Soul. The production by DJ Dahl was very refreshing and new. Their verses were top-notch and the flow is just fantastic. I would like to hear more songs from them, maybe even a joint album.
16. “Spring"
The last track of the album marks the new beginning for Lupe Fiasco as he will be an independent artist soon. The instrumental sounds similar to “Summer.”
To conclude,
 |
| Source: rapgenius |
Although I do not think that this album can be considered a classic, it was still something extraordinary. It is Lupe’s most artistic album so far, and it seemed like he put a lot of effort into the concepts and themes he conveyed. None of the songs disappointed me.
Still, the album was hard to understand at first. Initially, I thought he was talking about Jesus, however it also seemed as if he was talking about the “Youth” and the hood where he lived as a child, because he made a lot of references to games such as “Mortal Kombat” and “Tron.” Lupe did a good job balancing his album, by discussing heavy social issues on one hand, and playing cheerful light songs on the other.
I wonder how his next album is going to turn out as Lupe will be leaving Atlantic Records, creating his next album on his own, which I believe will bring out the best in him.
See you then, Lupe. Keep up the good work.
0 comments: