Lupe Fiasco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco teaching at MIT in 2022
Background information
Birth name	Wasalu Muhammad Jaco
Also known as	Double J
Born	(1982-02-16) February 16, 1982 (age 43) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper singer songwriter record producer educator
Years active	2000–present
Labels	1st & 15th The Orchard Thirty Tigers (current) Atlantic (former)
Signature

Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), known as Lupe Fiasco (/ˈluːpeɪ/ LOO-pay), is an American rapper, songwriter, and educator. He was born and grew up in Chicago. He became well-known after appearing on Kanye West's song "Touch the Sky" in 2006. This song reached the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Lupe Fiasco also started a rock band called Japanese Cartoon in 2008, where he is the lead singer.

Lupe Fiasco became interested in hip hop as a teenager. At first, he didn't like the genre because of its strong language. When he was 19, he joined a hip hop group called Da Pak. Soon after, he met the famous rapper Jay-Z, who helped him sign with Atlantic Records. His first album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006), was a big success. It reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for four Grammy Awards. His song "Kick, Push" was his first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 as a main artist. Another song, "Daydreamin'" (with Jill Scott), won a Grammy Award.

His second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007), was also very popular. It included the hit song "Superstar" (with Matthew Santos), which reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. After some delays, his third album, Lasers (2011), was his most successful. It was his first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. The main song from that album, "The Show Goes On", reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. This is still his highest-charting song.

His fourth album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (2012), also did well, reaching the top five. His fifth album, Tetsuo & Youth (2015), was praised by critics and was his last album with Atlantic Records. After that, he started his own record label, 1st & 15th Entertainment. Through his own label, he released albums like Drogas Light (2017), Drogas Wave (2018), Drill Music in Zion (2022), and Samurai (2024).

Besides music, Lupe Fiasco is also involved in fashion. He has two clothing lines, Righteous Kung-Fu and Trilly & Truly. He has also designed shoes for Reebok. He helps with charity work, like the Summit on the Summit trip to raise awareness about clean water. In 2010, he recorded a song to help people affected by the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2025, he became a professor at Johns Hopkins University for their music program. Lupe Fiasco is also known for sharing his views on society and politics in his music and interviews.

Life and Career

Early Life (1982–1999)

Lupe Fiasco was born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco on February 16, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois. He is one of nine children. His mother, Shirley, was a chef, and his father, Gregory, was an engineer. His father was also a martial arts teacher and was involved in community groups. Lupe Fiasco grew up Muslim on the West Side of Chicago.

When he was three, Lupe Fiasco started taking martial arts classes. His parents divorced when he was five, and he lived with his mother. However, his father remained an important part of his life. He said his father exposed them to many different things. One day they might listen to music, and the next they might be learning karate.

In sixth grade, he moved to live with his father in Harvey, Illinois. Lupe Fiasco says he had a good education as a child. His parents encouraged him to read and learn about many subjects. As a teenager, he took part in academic competitions. His mother described him as a "great spirited child" who was "smart, a bit complex." She said he was a bit of a loner and always had a book and a writing tablet.

Lupe Fiasco didn't like hip hop music at first because of its strong language. He preferred jazz music and admired the clarinet player Benny Goodman. He tried to learn an instrument but found it hard. This led him to write poetry instead, which then sparked his interest in the words used in music.

He started rapping his poems in eighth grade. After hearing Nas's 1996 album, It Was Written, he decided to pursue hip hop seriously. In high school, he became friends with Bishop G, who also loved music. Lupe Fiasco's father let them make music in his basement. They became known at school for their music. However, their unique style was not always understood by the hip hop community at first.

Early in his career, he used the names Little Lu and Lu tha Underdog. His mother gave him the nickname "Lu." "Lupe" came from a high school friend. He chose "Fiasco" from a song, liking how it looked. He later realized the name meant a big failure, which he said "humbled" him.

Career Beginnings (2000–2005)

Lupe Fiasco performing at the Intonation Music Festival, 2006.

When Lupe Fiasco was 18, he started making music by himself in his father's basement. His parents were not very excited about him becoming a rapper. He found old music equipment like a mixing board and a record player at flea markets. He also found many vinyl records to use.

At 19, Lupe Fiasco joined a group called Da Pak. They signed with Epic Records and released one song before breaking up. Lupe Fiasco then decided he wanted his music to reflect his true self. He wanted to create songs with deeper and more meaningful messages.

After leaving Da Pak, he gained a greater appreciation for the lyrics of Jay-Z and Nas. His mother also introduced him to The Watts Prophets, a group known for combining spoken words with music. Lupe Fiasco continued to record music on his own. One of his first songs was "Could Have Been." This song talked about the different jobs he could have had if he hadn't become a rapper. He saw this song as a turning point in his career. It showed a big change in the topics he sang about. "Could Have Been" was released as a demo tape and was noticed by MTV.

Lupe Fiasco later signed a solo deal with Arista Records. However, he was dropped when the company's president left. During his time at Arista, he met Jay-Z, who was then the president of Def Jam Recordings. Jay-Z called him a "breath of fresh air" and said he reminded him of a younger version of himself. Jay-Z later helped him get a record deal with Atlantic Records. While working on his first solo album, Lupe Fiasco released a series of mixtapes called Fahrenheit 1/15 online. These mixtapes became popular through word-of-mouth.

He remixed Kanye West's song, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone". He called his new version "Conflict Diamonds." With this song, Lupe Fiasco wanted to raise awareness about "conflict diamonds". These are diamonds sold to fund wars. This remix caught Kanye West's attention. West then asked Lupe Fiasco to be on his song "Touch the Sky" for West's album Late Registration. The song became a hit, reaching number forty-two on the Billboard Hot 100.

After this success, Lupe Fiasco's first single, "Kick, Push", was released earlier than planned. The song was a love story about two people who loved skateboarding. This was a topic not often heard in hip-hop music. Lupe Fiasco explained that skateboarding culture is "just as deep as hip-hop." The song and its music video helped Lupe Fiasco get attention in the hip-hop community. It was later nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2007.

Food & Liquor and The Cool (2006–2008)

Jay-Z helped Lupe Fiasco produce his first album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. The album's title refers to the 'Food and Liquor' stores common in Chicago. He explained that "Food" means growth and strength, while "Liquor" is not needed and can be harmful. He felt that liquor represented the bad, food represented the good, and everyone has a mix of both.

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor was released on September 19, 2006. The album featured production from Jay-Z, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, and others. It included the songs "Kick, Push", "I Gotcha", and "Daydreamin'" with Jill Scott. The album was highly praised by critics. It was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album. Lupe Fiasco won "Best Urban/Alternative Performance" for "Daydreamin'". That same year, GQ magazine named him the "Breakout Man of the Year." The album reached number eight on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 2007, Lupe Fiasco announced his second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. This was a concept album that continued the story from a song on his first album. The first song and video from the album, "Superstar" featuring Matthew Santos, was released in November 2007.

Fiasco performing in Commerce City, Colorado on July 19, 2008.

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool was very well-received by critics. The New York Times called it "one of the year's best hip-hop albums." "Superstar" was about his rise to fame and reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Many baseball players, like Hanley Ramírez and Troy Tulowitzki, used "Superstar" as their song when they came up to bat. The album's second song was "Paris, Tokyo", which was about Lupe Fiasco's experiences touring the world.

In 2007, it was announced that Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams had formed a group called Child Rebel Soldier. They released one song called "US Placers". In 2008, Lupe Fiasco and his band joined Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour. This tour also featured Rihanna and N.E.R.D. In 2008, MTV named Lupe Fiasco one of the top MCs (rappers) in the game.

Lasers (2009–2011)

In February 2010, Lupe Fiasco performed new songs from his album, then called We Are Lasers, in New Zealand. He said the album was finished and waiting for a release date from his record label, Atlantic Records. However, Atlantic Records worried the album didn't have enough popular songs. They wanted Lupe Fiasco to record different songs. He refused because he wouldn't own those songs. He explained that the label mostly wanted a number-one hit.

For six months, the reason for the album's delay was not clear to the public. In response, Lupe Fiasco's fans started an online petition. They demanded that Atlantic Records release Lasers. The petition gained a lot of attention and got over 16,000 signatures. Lupe Fiasco said the petition "brought [him] to tears." To thank his fans, he released a song called "B.M.F-Building Minds Faster."

While waiting for Lasers to be released, Lupe Fiasco finished another album. It was called Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album. He wasn't sure if this album would ever be released. He put out the song "Go To Sleep" from it because he really wanted to release new music. He also worked on many other projects during this delay.

In April 2010, Lupe Fiasco formed a hip hop group called All City Chess Club. It included Pharrell Williams, Asher Roth, B.o.B, and others. The group has released one song, a remix of Fiasco's "I'm Beamin." Also, on July 16, 2010, Lupe Fiasco released his rock side-project Japanese Cartoon's first EP (Extended Play) called In The Jaws of the Lords of Death. Japanese Cartoon was inspired by many types of music. Lupe Fiasco said he always loved all kinds of music. He wanted to try different forms of music besides hip hop.

More than two and a half years after it was finished, Lasers was released on March 8, 2011. The first song from the album was "The Show Goes On". This song used a sample from "Float On" by Modest Mouse. "The Show Goes On" reached number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100. It later peaked at number 9. The album featured artists like Skylar Grey, Trey Songz, and John Legend.

When Lasers was released, it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold 204,000 copies in its first week. Even with its commercial success, Lasers received mixed reviews from music critics. Some critics felt that Lupe Fiasco's unique style was changed too much to try and make pop hits. However, Lasers was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2012 Grammy Awards. "The Show Goes On" was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. Lupe Fiasco also supported the Occupy Wall Street movement. He donated tents and released a poem to support the protesters. He also released his "Friend of the People: I Fight Evil" mixtape.

Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album (2012–2013)

Lupe Fiasco then released Food & Liquor 2. He also worked on an album with Pharrell Williams, who was also part of Child Rebel Soldier and All City Chess Club. Before the album came out, he said he wouldn't release any more mixtapes before Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album. This album was planned to be a double album, with Part I coming out in fall 2012.

Its first song, "Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)", was released on May 21. This song caused some debate because it used a sample from "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" by Pete Rock. Pete Rock was upset about the use of the sample.

In 2012, Lupe Fiasco also worked with Australian singer Guy Sebastian on the song "Battle Scars". The song was recorded in Australia when Lupe Fiasco was there for a music festival. It appeared on Guy Sebastian's album Armageddon. "Battle Scars" became Lupe Fiasco's first number one song in Australia. On August 21, it was announced that "Battle Scars" would be on Lupe Fiasco's fourth album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1. It was released as the fourth song in the United States on August 28, 2012. It reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was very successful, spending six weeks at number one in Australia.

Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 was released on September 25, 2012. The album received mostly positive reviews from music critics. It was also nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Grammy Awards. The album was originally meant to be a double album, but Atlantic Records did not allow it. So, it was split into two parts. A Part 2 was planned for Spring 2013. Lupe Fiasco said the album showed more of his skill and deep lyrics. However, on January 17, 2013, he canceled the plan for the second part. He then said he would release another album in 2013.

Tetsuo & Youth (2013–2015)

On February 10, 2013, at the Grammy Awards, Lupe Fiasco announced his fifth album would be called Tetsuo & Youth. Since then, he has released songs that were not planned for Tetsuo & Youth, such as "Light Blue" and "Jonylah Forever." After hearing her name in Lupe's song Form Follows Function, Imogen Heap contacted Lupe on Twitter. This led to Lupe Fiasco asking her to be on his next album. On August 4, 2013, Lupe Fiasco announced a new song called "Peace of Paper/Cup of Jayzus" would be released on September 11.

On August 24, 2013, Lupe Fiasco shared the first song from Tetsuo & Youth, called "Crack", featuring Chris Brown. Then, on October 3, 2013, Lupe Fiasco announced the Tetsuo & Youth Preview tour. The tour took place between November 2 and December 15, 2013. He also said the album Tetsuo & Youth would be released in early 2014, but it was later moved to 2015. On October 14, 2013, Lupe Fiasco released the first official song from the album, "Old School Love", featuring singer Ed Sheeran. He later revealed that Big K.R.I.T. and Rick Ross would also be on the album.

On May 19, 2014, Lupe Fiasco released a song called "Mission." He explained that "Mission" was a song to encourage those fighting cancer. It also honored cancer survivors and remembered those who had passed away from cancer. He teamed up with Stand Up to Cancer as a celebrity ambassador. On June 24, 2014, Lupe Fiasco released another song called "Next to It" which featured Ty Dolla Sign.

On August 29, 2015, Lupe Fiasco surprised fans with a new free mixtape. It was called Pharaoh Height and had six new songs with Egyptian-themed titles.

Drogas Light and Drogas Wave (2016–2018)

In April 2016, Lupe Fiasco announced he would release three final albums: Drogas, Skulls, and Roy. Later, this changed to Drogas, Drogas Light, and Skulls. However, in October 2016, he said he wouldn't release these albums between October and January. He said new music would come out after 2017.

On December 12, 2016, Lupe released his "N.E.R.D" freestyle. This song caused some controversy. After the song was removed from SoundCloud, Lupe tweeted that he saw it as a sign to stop making music. He announced that Drogas, Drogas Light, and Skulls were canceled. However, he later announced that DROGAS light would be released on February 10, 2017. The new album was distributed through the record label Thirty Tigers.

In March 2018, Lupe Fiasco showed a three-part TV documentary called Beat N Path. In it, he traveled around China to follow his love for martial arts. This documentary was a tribute to his late father, who was a martial arts master. His experiences helped him write his song "Air China." The documentary was shown on KIX in Southeast Asia.

On September 13, 2018, Lupe Fiasco announced that Drogas Wave would be released on September 21, 2018. This album is the second part of a planned group of three albums. Drogas Light came before it, and Skulls was planned to follow.

Drill Music in Zion and Samurai (2022–present)

Lupe Fiasco released Drill Music in Zion on June 24, 2022. It was released through 1st & 15th Too and Thirty Tigers. Two songs, "Autoboto" and "Drill Music in Zion", were released before the album. On December 9, 2022, Lupe Fiasco was featured on Aesop Rock's song "Pumpkin Seeds." This song was a fundraiser for the Collaboratory, an organization that supports skateparks in Dayton, Ohio.

On April 28, 2023, Lupe Fiasco released the song "SentRock." This was a collaboration with Chicago visual artist SentRock. Lupe Fiasco wrote and produced the song. SentRock painted a piece of art that matched the song's lyrics.

Lupe Fiasco released Samurai on June 28, 2024. It was released through 1st & 15th Too and Thirty Tigers. Two songs, "Samurai" and "Cake", were released before the album. Samurai is an album dedicated to the life and music of neo-soul singer Amy Winehouse.

Artistry

Influences

Lupe Fiasco has been influenced by many artists. These include Nas, Jay-Z, Common, AZ, De La Soul, N.W.A, Mos Def, Pharrell Williams, A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip, Linkin Park, and Gang Starr.

Lyrical Style

Lupe Fiasco, along with rappers like Common and Mos Def, is known for being a pioneer of the conscious hip hop movement. This style of hip hop focuses on social issues. Lupe Fiasco believes his interest in social issues comes from his educated upbringing. He describes his mother as "very intellectual" and his father as a "Renaissance man" (someone with many skills and interests).

He does not like the disrespect towards women often found in hip hop. He talks about this in his song "Hurt Me Soul". However, Lupe Fiasco is against censoring music. He believes that if we censor everything offensive, we would have to "blind and deafen everyone." He thinks it's more important to focus on education and reading.

Lupe Fiasco uses different writing techniques in his songs. He sees hip-hop as a good way to tell stories. Storytelling is a big part of his lyrics because he has a background in theater. He wrote plays as a child, which influenced how he writes songs. Lupe Fiasco uses both metaphors (saying one thing is another to make a point) and direct statements in his work. He tries to get his message across with as few words as possible.

Philanthropy and Business Ventures

In 2001, Lupe Fiasco started 1st & 15th Entertainment with Charles "Chilly" Patton. This is an independent record label separate from Atlantic Records. It is named after the two times a month people usually get paid. Even though his albums are released by Atlantic, most of his work is produced by 1st & 15th. In November 2009, Lupe Fiasco announced he would stop running the 1st & 15th label for a while. He felt he needed to focus on his own music. In March 2013, Lupe Fiasco announced on Twitter that he had become the Creative Director at Higi. This is a system that helps people learn more about their health.

In 2005, he started Righteous Kung-Fu. This company designs clothes, sneakers, toys, video games, comic books, and art for album covers and skateboards. Lupe Fiasco also has a fashion line called Trilly & Truly under Righteous Kung-Fu. He has sponsored a skateboard team and has deals with DGK Skateboards. In January 2006, Lupe Fiasco signed with the shoe and clothing company Reebok. He was part of a campaign where rappers like Lil Wayne designed their own shoes.

In 2009, Lupe Fiasco appeared in The People Speak. This is a documentary film that uses music to perform historical letters, diaries, and speeches from everyday Americans. On January 7, 2010, Lupe Fiasco joined musician Kenna, actress Jessica Biel, and other famous people for a trip up Mount Kilimanjaro. This trip was called Summit on the Summit. It aimed to raise awareness about the billions of people worldwide who don't have access to clean drinking water. On January 20, 2010, Lupe Fiasco released a song called "Resurrection" with Kenna. This song was in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The song was part of a collection released through the charity Music for Relief. It encouraged donations to help with immediate relief and long-term recovery after the disaster.

Between 2020 and 2023, Lupe Fiasco was a visiting scholar and artist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He often worked with Professor of Digital Media Nick Montfort.

Personal Life

Hobbies

Lupe Fiasco loves playing video games, especially the Street Fighter series of fighting games. In 2016, he surprisingly won a special match of Street Fighter V against the professional player Daigo Umehara. Lupe Fiasco won 3–2 using the character Ken.

In a 2008 interview, Lupe Fiasco said he has a black belt in karate. He also has two black belts in samurai sword fighting styles, kendo and aido. He also has the equivalent of a black belt in Chinese wushu. Because he loves martial arts so much, he named one of his companies "Righteous Kung-Fu." This brand creates fashion, sneakers, toys, video games, comic books, and more. He also shared on Facebook that his family has been involved in martial arts for three generations. They have five karate schools in Chicago.

Religion

Lupe Fiasco has said in interviews that he is Muslim. He explained that Islam "plays a part in my life and everything I do." However, he prefers not to talk about his religion too much. He doesn't want people to see him as a perfect example of Islam. He doesn't want his mistakes to be seen as flaws of Islam itself. His mixtape series Fahrenheit 1/15 included a remix of Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" called "Muhammad Walks." This song became very popular in the Muslim community. You can hear him using Islamic recitals in some of his songs, like "Hurt Me Soul" and "Little Weapon."

Political Views

In an interview on the show The Colbert Report, Lupe Fiasco shared his belief about politics. He said, "You should criticize power even if you agree with it." In another interview in June 2011, Lupe Fiasco talked about the political messages in his music. He said, "My fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama and the United States of America." He explained that he tries to fight the causes of terrorism, like some foreign policies of the U.S. government. He also criticized Obama's stance on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

Lupe Fiasco said he did not vote in U.S. elections until 2018. He tweeted that he changed his mind because of the views of Donald Trump. He said he would vote for Democratic candidates. However, in 2023, he hinted on Twitter that he still had never voted. He supported Cornel West's 2024 presidential campaign, saying it would be the "first and last time" he would vote.

On January 20, 2013, security removed him from the stage during Obama's second presidential inauguration in Washington D.C. This happened because he refused to stop performing a 30-minute version of his song "Words I Never Said", which has lyrics criticizing Obama. In June 2015, Lupe Fiasco wrote an open letter about white supremacy.

Visual Arts

Lupe Fiasco has created the artwork for his albums Tetsuo & Youth, Drogas Wave, and Drill Music in Zion. He has also talked about his interest in visual arts in interviews and on Instagram. He is especially interested in photography, acrylic painting, chiaroscuro (a way of using light and shadow in art), and pencil drawing.

On October 11, 2020, Lupe Fiasco shared on his official Instagram that he had his first art exhibition at SOHO House Chicago. On October 15, 2022, he shared images on Twitter of a graphic novel he plans to release. It is themed around the Atlantic Slave Trade and is titled Longchains.

Discography

• Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006)
• Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007)
• Lasers (2011)
• Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (2012)
• Tetsuo & Youth (2015)
• Drogas Light (2017)
• Drogas Wave (2018)
• Drill Music in Zion (2022)
• Samurai (2024)

Filmography

Television

Awards

In 2006, Lupe Fiasco was named one of GQ's Men of the Year. He won one Grammy Award in 2008 and has been nominated 12 times. He has also been nominated for many other awards. In 2009, he received the Character Approved Award for a Musician from USA.

Images for kids

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  Lupe Fiasco's signature

See also

In Spanish: Lupe Fiasco para niños