Album review: Lupe Fiasco, Tetsuo & Youth

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28 Jan, 2015 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Lupe Fiasco. Photo / Getty Images

In his early days, Lupe Fiasco was billed as a mini-Kanye, full to the brim with self-aware raps and smart social commentaries, with an ego to match.

But lately he's been a mixed-up mess, delivering substandard albums and an unfocused performance at his recent Auckland show supporting - of all people - Nelly.

So the signs weren't good for Tetsuo & Youth, the Chicago rapper's fifth album that arrives with plenty of controversy, including Twitter beefs, label disagreements and lyrics perceived - but denied - as being anti-Obama.

Against all the odds, Lupe's delivered a stunner, easily his best since his 2006 debut, Food & Liquor.

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The Chicago-based 32-year-old has found that sweet spot between taking on big issues and enjoying himself while he does it. On Mural, he sprays out so many great couplets in eight minutes there's enough to base an entire album around it, asking, "What's a coffin with a scratched ceiling?" over its soul-drenched summer lope.

Like all his albums, Tetsuo & Youth comes with a concept - a seasonal theme - as he moves from the darker wintry vibes of Chopper and Deliver (both of which deal with gang shootings) into the more uplifting They.Resurrect.Over.New.

Smart move - Tetsuo & Youth can soundtrack the entire year, and proves Lupe Fiasco has once again confounded expectations.