I have slept on Lupe and his talent for far too long it appears. My twitter fam had to convince me last year to even re-listen to Food & Liquor…which I did do. And I was finally open to him…but I still felt he was just like the numerous other conscious but underrated and underpaid rappers that we know and love…and well, I just said fuck it, what do I care to buy his album, message ain’t changing right? nor the flow and rhymes ..But then I really listened to this new track, called I’m Beaming that was leaked sans Lupe’s approval and within hours removed and became a believer. The beats are of course by one of the best producer groups out there, Neptunes. It gives a really nice sneak peak into the overall vibe, message, sound and attitude of Lupe’s upcoming album, We Are Lasers. I don’t know what’s more exciting…that it’s just one of many records that may make the album, suggesting there are others that are 10x as good in the works or how secretive Lupe’s camp is being about the album in general…they made every site remove the link! (look here). The track had definitely a futuristic sound…splash of electronica, smidgen of hip/hop, pinch of 80s new wave, and I’m sure those aren’t even all of the different elements in there! Even after mixing all these different sounds…it was still simple, which made it so perfect. It was just Lupe weaving in and out of the track talking about some real ish. Now, normally I’d listen to a track obsessively for weeks, just so I can catch every layer, but this time I was not fortunate enough to be able to since it’s no longer available; so know that my description does not do the track and Lupe justice at all.
If I find this track anytime soon or any others that may get leaked from We Are Lasers, I’ll make sure to keep them somehow and share it with yawl. Till then, take a listen to Lupe’s most recent mixtape that came out just this past Thanksgiving, Enemy of the State: A Love Story
-Selamawit
SHADE Magazine 