29 Days of Lupe: Creativity

Lupe is a creative genius when it comes to penning raps. He's able to succinctly provide mini-stories with profound meaning. While the big idea may be the same throughout his songs, the content is always presented with different visuals, feelings. The material sounds refreshing regardless if he was trying to prove the same point last album or song out. The ideas overlap at times too and pick up where another song, concept left off.

Being stuck in situation that you know you shouldn't be in is the big idea on "Instrumental". Lethagry and paranoia set in and gradually you're stuck in a certain lifestyle: "The Die". Both songs deal with choices and the consequences of our actions.

The use of the box as an entrapment is sublime. The box is television or your surroundings. We watch that blue flicker, jaw-dropped with amazement. Youth, and even grown-ups, are like sponges and they absorb what goes around them. Behavior is learned by observations. To strengthen our minds, we apply and mimic what we see and are exposed to. There are times when we want to change but don't see a way out, any viable means to better ourselves. Hence we continue to wrongly watch it, the box, to find that way out. Dependency arrives and hell, since this way seems to be getting us by, our thoughts crystalize; fate sets in and we may become guarded. 'Enroll in college?'... get that wack shit outta here! See I blocked it, because it didn't come out my box. We lock ourselves shut, our perception of change seizes. Belief in the box is paramount to our newfound survival.

"The Die" furthers the character in "The Instrumental". Since he's conformed, and become a mere statistic by the doctors (society), he's lost his voice. So what does he grow into? A gun addled hustler of sorts. While "Die" doesn't stick to a story form, the swagger, intensity and knowledge provided by Lupe and GemStones is more than enough to put two and two together. The kid is now caught, determined to walk and talk like those he'd watched. The initiation is over. In a retaliatory measure he's become a target no matter how smooth he were. Remember, karma's a bitch! To spit off all that about guns at such a high rate like GemStones does, means only one thing: gun talk is more than a hobby. Loving thy weapon "polishing my pistol" and the g's conundrum "should I let the mini-mac or the shotgun hit him?" are duely noted. The kid goes about business as usual, becomes arrogant, and even with his paranoia attended to (guns galore and bulletproof shoe laces), he becomes a victim.

"The Instrumental" is the song, the spirit within a youthful gang memeber who still has a chance to change. But the more he swims in those street games, he begins to sink; the window of opportunity closes. He'll soon be an OG. He grows into a hood star on "The Die", knee deep in partying and bullshit. The immintent death is pre-meditated and sought after like a predator-prey circumstance. It's the vapor coming from your mouth on a cold ass night, you breath faster and your walk is quicker. The choices have evaporated, and that's even deadly in it of itself.