Interviews 689Lupe Fiasco This week's guest is rapper, Chicago native, and now Grammy nominee Lupe Fiasco. Lupe, or Wasalu Muhammad Jaco to his parents, made a smash with last year's release, Food & Liquor.

He may have even made a bigger smash with the internet leak of the album. And now the album and his hit single, ' Kick Push' have been nominated for three Grammy Awards.“Kick Push”began as a track Lupe and producer Soundtrakk created for a.

He was inspired by a Filipino jazz song and wanted to evoke the atmosphere and culture of skateboarding. Listen to Lupe's live performance of the song, as well as that of ' American Terrorist' featuring Matthew Santos.

A federal judge delivered President Trump yet another legal victory on his travel ban executive order late Thursday, allowing to remain in effect the White House's revised rules that cast a fairly narrow screen on who will be admitted as refugees or from six targeted countries. He also digs Tom Waits and Nick Lowe, and has ventured into newer territory with artists like Neko Case and Ben Folds. Peter also reveals that he likes ' Jesus Walks,' but may be the last person on the planet who hasn't gotten into Kanye West. Greg cues in to Peter's fondness for singer/songwriter s and theatricality.

Our guest is something of an anomaly in hip hop today, in that he shies away from misogyny and profanity in his music. Lupe is also a religious Muslim.

Greg asks Lupe about reconciling his values with his love of hip hop-something he raps about in the song, ' Hurt Me Soul.' Lupe explains that his first exposure to vulgar hip hop was through the N.W.A. Records his father would play.

Jim points out that even Lupe's parents would be interesting to interview. His mother was a chef, and his father was a Green Beret, martial arts master, engineer and active with the Black Panthers. 1306Jeff Chang Jeff Chang, author of Can‘t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation, joins Jim and Greg in the studio this week. Jeff, who co-founded the Quannum Label in San Francisco, was on the show previously when his book first came out, and he and our hosts engaged in a discussion of hip-hop's history. Now that Jeff's book has come out on paperback, Jim and Greg welcome him back to the show to discuss where hip-hop is today and where it is going. In order to get a sense of hip-hop's diverse makeup, the three music journalists decide to embark on a geographical tour of the genre, beginning with Chicago and working their way through the United States, and even the U.K.

Chicago Our hometown sound developed out of the East Coast style, but infused the distinctive elements of Chicago house music and soul. Established artists include Kanye West, Common and Twista, however listeners should look out for emerging rappers and producers Diverse, The Molemen, Rhymefest, All Natural and Lupe Fiasco who is featured on Kanye's latest single ' Touch the Sky', and who is set to release an album this summer produced by Jay-Z and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park.

The South Southern rap has dominated the charts for many years now. This can be attributed to the sound, as well as the single-oriented, club-friendly nature of the scene. Atlanta, with artists like Outkast, Ludacris, Cee-Lo and Jermaine Dupri, was the hub of this scene for some time. Rappers and producers Lil Jon, and the Ying Yang Twinsalso propelled crunk music which is distinctive for its rhythmic, repetitive lyrics and prominent looped drum sounds.

Now it has rappers like Lil Bow Wow, T. Download Film Korea Terbaru 2015 Sub Indo. I. And Young Jeezy emerging.

Houston has recently challenged Atlanta's status as a hub. Paul Wall, D4L, Slim Thug and Mike Jones have all enjoyed tremendous success. While crunk/Atlanta rappers have made their sound synonymous with energy, the Houston sound is the exact opposite aesthetic. Dubbed“Chopped and Screwed,”its signature sound (based on a mixing effect perfected by the late DJ Screw) essentially slowed the tempo of the record while repeating certain phrases.

There are other, smaller Southern scenes as well. Missy Elliott, Pharrell and the Neptunes, Timbaland, and most recently, Clipse, all come out of Virginia.

Arrested Development and recent Oscar winners Three Six Mafia come from Tennessee. Trick Daddy, 2 Live Crew and Pitbull emerged from Florida. And North and South Carolina are home to Petey Pablo and Little Brother.

East Coast Most people are familiar with the big players like Nas, Jay-Z and the late Notorious B.IG., as well as pioneers like A Tribe Called Quest, WuTang Clan and Public Enemy, but the New York/ Philadelphia scene is far from insignificant. 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Cam'ron, The Roots, and newcomer Papoose continue to keep it alive. Plus, with Nas signed to Jay-Z's Def Jam label, and Jay-Z reportedly working on an album with Dr. Dre, expect new things to come. West Coast The West Coast, whose sound was established by names like Dr.

Dre, Snoop Dogg, NWA and Tupac Shakur, also continues to thrive. Dre continues to produce records for fellow Californian The Game, as well as Eminem and 50 Cent. Also, the Black Eyed Peas pop makeover brought them big success in the past couple of years. San Francisco is also home to DJ Shadow, Blackalicious and Lyrics Born, and our guest mentions the E-40 and the rising Hyphy sound, which is like a faster, less dense version of crunk.

London Surprisingly, one of the major bases of hip hop's future may not even be on US soil. Grime music, which comes out of London, has roots in both electronic music and hip hop.

It varies, but much of the grime sound can be fairly dark and aggressive with rapid rhyming. British artists to check out include Dizzee Rascal, The Streets, Ms.

Dynamite, M.I.A., and Lady Sovereign, who was recently signed to Def Jam Records. Specials 110Copyright Criminals Musicians throughout time, from Igor Stravinsky to MC Hammer to Girl Talk, owe a great debt to sampling. The act of quoting, re-contextualizing or“stealing”from other artists has become an art form in itself. But the practice of sampling has also caused a lot of controversy when it comes to the law and ideas about intellectual property.

So Jim and Greg spend the bulk of today's episode digging into sampling. First they talk to Kembrew McLeod, a filmmaker and professor of communication studies at the University of Iowa. His latest documentary, Copyright Criminals, examines debates about the value and legality of sampling. Jim and Greg also play their favorite sample-based songs: Jim • ' Loser' by Beck • ' Kick Push' by Lupe Fiasco • ' Groove Is In the Heart' by Deee-Lite Greg • ' Power,' by John Oswald • ' Welcome to the Terrordome' by Public Enemy • ' Stem' by DJ Shadow. Jim Greg 2570Lupe Fiasco Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Next up is rapper Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album. It wasn‘t too long ago in 2006 that Jim and Greg reviewed Lupe’s debut, the original Food & Liquor. It was a standout album in a wave of conscious hip-hop coming out of Chicago at the time.

Now at age 30, Lupe is a veteran of the rap game. What does he have to offer on Food & Liquor II?

According to Jim, plenty of food for thought. Lupe is rapping about issues like misogyny, economic exploitation of the poor, and native American rights that Jim says no one else in hip-hop is tackling. And if Lupe sometimes gets a little preachy, he also leavens his critiques with humor. Greg agrees, but he wishes the greatness of Lupe's lyrics were matched by consistently great production. Despite those production flaws, Food & Liquor II gets a double Buy It. Jim Greg 2381Lupe Fiasco DROGAS Light After a public battle with his former music label, Atlantic, rapper Lupe Fiasco has finally released a new album.

DROGAS Light is Fiasco's sixth studio record, and is the first of his final trilogy of albums. Jim has always enjoyed Lupe's music, and says that he is one of the most intelligent people he has ever interviewed. That being said, this album is not reflective of his intellect and lyrical prowess. Many of the tracks feel like leftovers from other projects and sound far too much like bad commercial rap songs. Jim gives it a Try It at best.

Greg is also a huge fan of Lupe, and almost always finds his music profound and interesting. However he finds DROGAS Light to be repetitive, crass and unimaginative. Although it pains him to do it, Greg gives this album a Trash It. Jim Greg 2735Lupe Fiasco The Cool Rapper Lupe Fiasco has a new record out called The Cool. The Chicago native, and recent Letterman guest, got attention with his 2006 debut album Food and Liquor. With this second record, the self-professed nerd has taken a turn for the dark.

His music is reflecting the serious subjects that have always been apparent in his lyrics. Greg admits that at times Fiasco borders on preachy, but he was impressed by the complexity of The Cool and gives it a Buy It. Art Of War 2 Global Confederation Apk Download more. Jim was a little lost by some of the lyrics, but finds the music incredibly inventive. He thinks people who deny that rap is music should listen to this and also gives the record a Buy It. Jim Greg 2414Lupe Fiasco Lasers Next up, Jim and Greg review the new album by Lupe Fiasco called Lasers.

The Chicago hip-hop artist debuted in 2006 with Food and Liquor, showcasing a sensibility unique in rap. This third album was a labor, and not necessarily of love. Lupe has admitted to having real difficulties with his record company – difficulties that led to compromises on a lot of tracks. That said, Jim loves Lupe's lyrics and ' 1960s message.' There are inflated choruses and too many guest stars, but his words trump it all. Jim says Buy It.

Greg wishes he could agree, but it's too clear which tracks he was less involved in. He looks forward to the next effort, but for now says Burn It. Jim Greg 2934Lupe Fiasco Tetsuo & Youth Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco was written off by some after battling his label for years and earning notoriety for his outspokenness on Twitter.

According to rumor, it even took threats from hackers for his new album to be released. But according to Jim, Tetsuo & Youth is Lupe at his lyrical best. The deft pop culture references are wonderful, of course. But ultimately it's the tragic evocation of life in poor black communities that moves Jim to tears.

According to Greg, the density and poetry of Lupe's rhymes is matched by the adventurousness of the music, filled with unconventional jazzy rhythms. He calls it the rapper's best work since his debut. That makes it a double double- Buy It in a single episode. Jim Greg 2868Kid Cudi Man on the Moon II: The Legend Of Mr.

Rager Bringing us full circle, we again think of Kanye West. But this time, we don't ponder his dismissal of Taylor Swift, but rather his influence on a new movement of introspective hip hop. Drake, Lupe Fiasco and now Kid Cudi are all embracing self-examination, as well as rock and roll.

And, explains Greg, Cudi is the great existentialist. His new album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend Of Mr.

Rager, is a continuation of his last concept. It is full of interesting narratives, wordplay, rock instrumentation and cameos. Both Jim and Greg are hugely impressed and give the record another double Buy It.

Lists 626The Best of 2008 So Far Hard to believe it's almost the midpoint of 2008, but lucky for Sound Opinions listeners, that means it's time for a list! Here are Jim and Greg's lists for 2008's mid-year best.

Jim • Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! • Weezer, Weezer (' The Red Album') • Local H, 12 Angry Months • Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple • Lupe Fiasco, The Cool (Yes, it's arguably a 2007 release. But in its infinite wisdom, Atlantic officially issued it on Dec. 18 last year, where it was thoroughly lost and quickly forgotten.

It's an outstanding effort nonetheless, and I‘d argue that it’s only really started to make an impact in 2008 as Lupe has toured with Kanye West.) • Tim Fite, Fair Ain't Fair • Saul Williams, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust (Originally issued as a pay-what-you-think-it's-worth download last November; now getting its official CD release on July 8.) • The Black Angels, Directions to See a Ghost • Portishead, Third • Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords Greg • Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, ' Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!' • Portishead, Third • Rhymefest, Man in the Mirror • Santigold, Santigold • Frightened Rabbit, The Midnight Organ Fight • Disfear, Live the Storm • The Ting Tings, We Started Nothing • Alejandro Escovedo, Real Animal • Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes • Lyrics Born, Everywhere At Once 1273The Best Songs of 2011 - Mixtapes As 2011 comes to a close, it's a great time to think about the songs that defined the year. Jim and Greg have compiled their favorite songs into mixtapes. During the show you'll hear a small selection, but luckily you can stream both mixes in their entirety.

And you can make your own. Happy New Year from Sound Opinions! Features 2760Sample Platter: Lupe Fiasco's 'Kick, Push' In 2006, Lupe Fiasco released the song ' Kick, Push' which introduced Lupe to a national audience. According to Jim, the song accomplished for skateboarding what the Beach Boys did for surfing.

In this installment of Sample Platter, Jim and Greg talk about the unconventional sample that drives 'Kick, Push'. The sample is pulled from Philipina singer Celeste Legaspi's early 1980s song ' Bolero Medley.' Plus, we hear Lupe's take on the sample, and how it created inroads for new audiences. News 107Music News Last week the Atlanta Police Dept., in conjunction with the RIAA, raided the Aphilliates Music Group office in Atlanta.

The result was the confiscation of 81,000 mixtape CDs and the arrest of DJ Drama. Drama is one of the top mixtape DJs working today, having created pre-release buzz for rappers like T.I., Young Jeezy and Lil' Wayne. 50 Cent, Lupe Fiasco and The Clipse can also credit mixtape CDs with laying the foundation for their careers, and many of the best hip hop tracks released each year are put out by these underground DJs and not by the major labels. The question is why some members of the record industry are now treating this useful form of publicity as contraband. Jim and Greg invite hip hop historian and journalist Jeff Chang to join them in a discussion of the role of mixtapes in hip hop and the effects of this recent raid on the rap industry. 132Music News Jim and Greg begin the show with a discussion of Lollapalooza and other summer festivals. There's Coachella in California and Bonnaroo in Tennessee, but Chicago is shaping up to be the major destination for music fans this year.

The Lollapalooza lineup is impressive, with a diverse mix of bands including Lolla vets The Flaming Lips and Red Hot Chili Peppers, indie favorites Death Cab for Cutie and The Shins, and Chicago natives Wilco and Kanye West. Plus, the city will be home to two of the biggest independent music festivals: The Pitchfork Music Festival, featuring Destroyer, Art Brut, Spoon and post-punk pioneers Mission of Burma, and the Intonation Music Festival featuring The Streets, Bloc Party, Lupe Fiasco and a rare appearance by 13th Floor Elevators founder Roky Erickson.