Lupe Fiasco knows how to rap. Perhaps that’s an understatement. Lupe knows how to rap better than most people on the planet. He has a rare ability to make rhymes sound sophisticated and cool at the same time, if you’ll pardon the pun. He also managed to put out some of his best work in the second half of his career. Fans worried that Food & Wine would become his only classic are reassured by everything he’s given up over the past eight years. Samurai continues his hot streak.
The album draws obvious comparisons between the titular Japanese samurai and Lupe’s proficiency as a rapper. This is where the obviousness of this album stops. The Chicago icon spent thirty minutes rattling off dense bars and intricate stories in a jazzy production. Samurai only has eight songs, but the album never feels rushed or incomplete. Lupe Fiasco is such a confident, careful storyteller that at this point he seems unmissable. Those looking for radio hits like “Kick, Push” or “Superstar” will be disappointed, but Lupe is at a different stage in his career. He focuses on technique and crafts the entire album with excellent deep cuts. Samurai won’t convert non-Lupe believers, but it will remind fans of his greatness. Especially “Mumble Rap” and “Til Eternity.”
