Lupe Fiasco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lupe Fiasco
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Lupe Fiasco teaching at MIT in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wasalu Muhammad Jaco |
| Also known as | Double J |
| Born | February 16, 1982 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Midwestern hip-hop |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), known as Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper, producer, and music educator. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Lupe Fiasco became well-known after appearing on Kanye West's 2006 song "Touch the Sky." This song reached the top 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He 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. He started recording songs in his father's basement when he was 19. He later signed with Atlantic Records with help from rapper Jay-Z. His first album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006), was very successful. It reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for four Grammy Awards. His song "Daydreamin'" won a Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.
His second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007), was also highly praised. It included the hit song "Superstar," which reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. His third album, Lasers (2011), was his first to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. The song "The Show Goes On" from this album became his highest-charting song, reaching number nine. After leaving Atlantic Records, he started his own label, 1st & 15th Entertainment. Through his label, he released albums like ... Light (2017), ... Wave (2018), Drill Music in Zion (2022), and Samurai (2024).
Besides music, Lupe Fiasco is also involved in fashion. He has clothing lines called Righteous Kung-Fu and Trilly & Truly. He has also designed shoes for Reebok. He supports many charities, including the Summit on the Summit expedition. In 2010, he recorded a song to help victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2025, he joined Johns Hopkins University as a visiting professor.
Contents
Lupe Fiasco's Early Life and Career Beginnings
Growing Up in Chicago
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 Black Panther Party member, a drummer, and a karate teacher.
Lupe Fiasco was raised Muslim on the West Side of Chicago. He started martial arts classes at age three. His parents divorced when he was five. He lived with his mother but his father remained a big part of his life. Lupe Fiasco said his father taught them many things. They listened to different kinds of music and learned about various cultures.
When he was in sixth grade, he moved to Harvey, Illinois, to live with his father. His father taught him how to use guns for self-defense. Despite a challenging childhood, Lupe Fiasco said he was well-educated. His parents encouraged reading and exposed him to many subjects. As a teenager, he competed in Academic Decathlon events.
Discovering Hip Hop and Finding His Name
Lupe Fiasco first disliked hip hop music because of its language. He preferred jazz music and admired clarinet player Benny Goodman. He tried to learn an instrument but found it hard. This led him to write poetry instead, which sparked his interest in music lyrics.
He began rapping his poems in eighth grade. After hearing Nas' 1996 album, It Was Written, he decided to pursue hip hop. In high school, he became friends with Bishop G. They made mixtapes in Lupe's father's basement. They became known at school for their music.
Early in his career, he used names like 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 called "Firm Fiasco." He later realized the name meant a "great disaster," which he said humbled him.
Music Journey and Major Albums
Starting His Solo Career
At 18, Lupe Fiasco started making music alone in his father's basement. He found old music equipment at flea markets. At 19, he joined a group called Da Pak. They signed with Epic Records but broke up after one song. Lupe Fiasco felt like a hypocrite making songs about things he didn't believe in.
After leaving gangsta rap, he focused on the lyrics of artists like Jay Z and Nas. His mother also introduced him to The Watts Prophets, a group known for spoken word music. He recorded a song called "Could Have Been." This song was about other career paths he could have taken. He saw it as a turning point in his music.
Lupe Fiasco later signed a solo deal with Arista Records. He met Jay-Z, who was then president of Def Jam Recordings. Jay-Z called him a "breath of fresh air" and helped him sign with Atlantic Records. While working on his first album, he released mixtapes online called Fahrenheit 1/15.
Gaining Attention and First Album Success
Lupe Fiasco remixed Kanye West's song "Diamonds from Sierra Leone." He called his version "Conflict Diamonds." He wanted to raise awareness about the conflict diamond trade. This caught Kanye West's attention. West asked Lupe Fiasco to be on his song "Touch the Sky." This 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. The song was a love story about two skateboarders. This topic was new for hip-hop. Lupe Fiasco said, "Skateboarding culture is just as deep as hip-hop." The song and its music video brought him much attention. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2007.
Jay-Z helped produce Lupe Fiasco's first album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. The title refers to 'Food and Liquor' stores in Chicago. Lupe Fiasco explained that "Food represents growth and progression... Liquor is not a necessity; it is a want. It destroys you." The album was released on September 19, 2006. It included songs like "Kick, Push," "I Gotcha," and "Daydreamin'" featuring Jill Scott. The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album. Lupe Fiasco won "Best Urban/Alternative Performance" for "Daydreamin'."
The Cool and Lasers Albums
In 2007, Lupe Fiasco announced his second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. This was a concept album that continued a story from his first album. During its recording, his father passed away. These events influenced the album's themes. The album was released in December 2007. Its first single, "Superstar" featuring Matthew Santos, became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool was highly praised by critics. The New York Times called it "one of the year's best hip-hop albums." "Superstar" was about his rise to fame. In 2007, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams formed a group called Child Rebel Soldier. They released one song called "US Placers." In 2008, MTV named Lupe Fiasco one of the Hottest MCs in the Game.
His third album, Lasers, faced delays. Fans created an online petition to ask Atlantic Records to release it. Lupe Fiasco was touched by the support. He released a song called "B.M.F-Building Minds Faster" to thank his fans. While waiting, he formed a hip hop group called All City Chess Club in 2010. He also released music with his rock side-project Japanese Cartoon.
Lasers was finally released on March 8, 2011. The first single was "The Show Goes On." This song became a big hit, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Lasers was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2012 Grammy Awards.
Food & Liquor II and Tetsuo & Youth
Lupe Fiasco released Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 on September 25, 2012. He also collaborated with Australian singer Guy Sebastian on the song "Battle Scars." This song became a number one hit in Australia. It also reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S. The album received positive reviews and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Grammy Awards.
On February 10, 2013, Lupe Fiasco announced his fifth album, Tetsuo & Youth. He released new songs that were not on the album, like "Light Blue" and "Jonylah Forever." He also collaborated with artists like Ed Sheeran on the song "Old School Love." The album was released in 2015. In 2014, he released "Mission," a song to support people facing cancer. He teamed up with Stand Up to Cancer for this project.
Recent Albums: ... Light, ... Wave, Drill Music in Zion, and Samurai
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In 2016, Lupe Fiasco announced he would release three final albums. These were ... Light, ... Wave, and Skulls. ... Light was released on February 10, 2017. In March 2018, he premiered a TV documentary called Beat N Path. In this show, he traveled around China to explore his love for martial arts. This was a tribute to his late father, who was a martial arts grand master.
On September 13, 2018, Lupe Fiasco announced that ... Wave would be released on September 21, 2018. This album was the second part of his planned album series.
Lupe Fiasco released Drill Music in Zion on June 24, 2022. He also worked with Aesop Rock on the song "Pumpkin Seeds" in December 2022. This song helped raise money for skateparks in Dayton, Ohio. On April 28, 2023, he released "SentRock" with Chicago artist SentRock.
His latest album, Samurai, was released on June 28, 2024. This album is a concept album dedicated to the life of singer Amy Winehouse.
Artistic Style and Influences
Musical Influences
Lupe Fiasco has been influenced by many artists. Some of his influences 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 Approach
Lupe Fiasco is known as a pioneer of the conscious hip hop movement. This style of hip hop focuses on social issues. In his music, he talks about topics like family, religion, and war. He believes his diverse upbringing helped him care about social issues. He avoids language that disrespects women, which is sometimes found in hip hop. However, he also believes in freedom of speech in music.
He uses different writing techniques in his songs. He sees hip-hop as a great way to tell stories. This comes from his background in theater, where he wrote plays as a child. He uses both metaphors and direct statements in his lyrics. For example, the song "Gotta Eat" from Lupe Fiasco's The Cool is told from the perspective of a cheeseburger. It uses a continuous metaphor to discuss nutrition issues in communities.
Other Ventures and Interests
Business and Charity Work
In 2001, Lupe Fiasco co-founded 1st & 15th Entertainment. This is an independent record label. Most of his music is produced by this company. In 2005, he started Righteous Kung-Fu. This company designs fashion, sneakers, toys, video games, and comic books. He also has a fashion line called Trilly & Truly. He has sponsored a skateboard team and worked with Reebok.
In 2009, Lupe Fiasco performed in The People Speak. This documentary used music to share letters and speeches from everyday Americans. On January 7, 2010, he joined other celebrities on an expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro. This event, called Summit on the Summit, raised awareness about access to clean drinking water. He also released a song called "Resurrection" to help victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
From 2020 to 2023, Lupe Fiasco was a visiting scholar and artist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He taught a class called "Rap Theory and Practice." In January 2025, he became a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Institute.
Personal Hobbies
Lupe Fiasco enjoys playing video games, especially the Street Fighter series. In 2016, he surprisingly won a Street Fighter V match against professional player Daigo Umehara.
He is also a big fan of martial arts. He has black belts in karate and two styles of samurai sword fighting, kendo and aido. He also has a high level in Chinese wushu. His family has been involved in martial arts for three generations and runs five karate schools in Chicago.
Faith and Views
Lupe Fiasco is Muslim. He has said that Islam is a part of his life. He prefers not to make his religion a public display. He doesn't want people to see him as a perfect example of Islam. His mixtape series Fahrenheit 1/15 included a popular remix of Kanye West's "Jesus Walks" called "Muhammad Walks."
Lupe Fiasco believes in criticizing power, even if you agree with it. He has expressed his views on various topics. He has also shown interest in visual arts, including photography, acrylic painting, and pencil drawing. In October 2020, he held his first art exhibition in Chicago. In October 2022, he shared images of a graphic novel he is working on, called 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)
- ... Light (2017)
- ... Wave (2018)
- Drill Music in Zion (2022)
- Samurai (2024)
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2017 | Rock 'n' Roll Guns for Hire: The Story of the Sidemen | Himself | Interviewed for documentary |
| 2018 | Beat N Path | Himself | 3 episodes; also executive producer |
| Empire | Himself | Cameo |
Awards and Recognition
In 2006, GQ magazine named Lupe Fiasco one of their Men of the Year. He won a Grammy Award in 2008 and has received 12 Grammy nominations. He has also won other awards, including the Character Approved Award for a Musician from the USA Network in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Lupe Fiasco para niños
