29 Days of Lupe Fiasco: G.O.A.T.

It's actually quite simple.

No. Given Lupe will finish with three albums, half a dozen mixtapes and a collabo album, in CRS, it's not enough material to claim G.O.A.T. Every detractor will stake this claim. And they're right. Being the greatest means long lasting greatness. Would Lupe so sound ill in five years? Will his Cool schtick run its course and grow stale? I dig the Cool movement, er, the anti-Cool movement BUT could Lupe be tight without the Cool? I think he's so good that he could leave the Cool shit behind and make great music. It's just that he'd actually have to demonstrate that to us. Ice Cube was a beast and was Gangster Rap's Icon in the early 90's. Then he went Hollywood, made kiddie movies and so-so albums in between (I wouldn't know, I never let my ears listen the War & Peace volumes). In '95 there may have been claims of Cube slapping his sticker atop the halls of greatness. Eminem's first three albums were progressively better but his fourth was a clunker that killed his career (and Kim and his mental state etc., etc.). Papoose was supposed to be the next best but he oversaturated his own hustle with those mixtapes (see today). Wackness can strike the best of them, really. Right now I'd doubt it would ever happen to Lupe because he's far superior to each of them. But we never know until time plays out. Since he'll be gone before there's that possibility of sounding wack, I can't give him the spot. As much as Jay Z overuses it, and as much as some of the projects were regular, he did come for 12 straight summers (or however long).

Yes. Those arguments are about the only knocks on Lupe. The lyrical prowess he posesses is--his only competetion is Jay Z. I'll just be simple. It's either him or Jay. Lupe is just about as smooth as Jay is on the delivery. Other than that he's got: content, connection, quality over quantity. I've never heard a weak track from Lupe. Jay still makes goofy club songs and some of the beats he chooses are terrible. Lupe may not need a beat. Sometimes I listen to Jay for the beat ('I'm sorry, what you want me to do?'). Fuck the only three albums shit. He's had top notch mixtapes and features. A great rapper doesn't need to show up 12 summers to be tight. Whatever Lupe was done so far, he's smashed the competetion. The trilogy will be in my stereo 30 years from now. Lupe's down to Earth. Jay can be an asshole, talking about Warhols in his halls ("Ain't I")? Get the fuck outta here. Jay has never spoken to me. While the Cool movement doesn't necessarily pertain to me, I still find a connection to him. He's had a profound impact on my life, on the way I think. Jay... Pahhlease! Very few musicians of any genre have done meant something to me. Tupac is probably the only rapper that has affected me previously. He'll go down as not only the best rapper ever but one of the best musicians ever. Lupe is my ideal vision of a rapper. I'd never thought I'd find it but I did. Thirty years from now, we still won't find another Lupe. His nonchalant attitude, exibited most of the times, is a huge plus; he's been able to carve out a G.O.A.T. spot without the fanfare. My favorite thing about Lupe's music is that it hits on many levels. You want conscious, you got it. Ditto for an MC, personal connections (he's at my level), beats, when I want to sing along or just have background music, in the ride--Lupe is good anytime, anywhere. I could listen to Lupe with a splitting headache. 29 days of Lupe is like giving 29 reasons why Lupe is G.O.A.T. Move over (and tighten up the tie) Jay, you've kept the seat warm long enough. Why do think I spent an hour plus everyday writing about dude? He is, and will be, the Greast of All Time... EVER!