The latest offering from Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco is the second installment in his ongoing Food & Liquor series, with the first arriving in the shape of his 2006 debut Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor and another apparently already in the works. It would appear that Lupe isn’t taking the subtitle The Great American Rap Album lightly, as the rapper – a purveyor of socially conscious hip hop in the vein of Public Enemy or The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy – tackles a myriad of issues on the record.
Which is good, and he makes some fine points about global repression and the tackier aspects of American culture. However, political viewpoints are much more effectively communicated in the company of an irresistible groove and in this Food & Liquor II falls short. The album puts Lupe Fiasco’s vocals front and centre, usually over crunching beats and twisting synths. The rhythms on the likes of ‘Strange Fruit’, ‘Itals (Roses)’ and ‘Audobon Ballroom’ are okay – but do they measure up to, say, the electrifying mix of social commentary and funk on Gil Scott Heron’s classic ‘The Bottle’? Not even close.
There has been a trend in hip hop in recent times for stars – almost inevitably with huge egos – to make a self-conscious attempt at a masterpiece. Perhaps the most obvious example was Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – which again was fine, but thanks to the ridiculous hype ended up being the most overrated album in living memory. For its part, Food & Liquor II does have some very strong moments in the jazz-tinged ‘Around My Way (Freedom Is Free)’ and the US No.1 ‘Bitch Bad’ (which criticises some rappers’ casual misogyny).
However, calling a record The Great American Rap Album is a bold move which requires serious backing up. If Fear Of A Black Planet could be said to be top of the Premier League, then this is strictly mid-table...