Lupe Fiasco is one of the most renown lyricists in the game. His reputation as a top tier MC has been set in stone since he debuted in 2006. With his skills, lyricism is the last thing in the world that you would think Lupe would need help creating.
Lupe made these claims on his own social media. In a video he posted to Twitter on Wednesday (March 20), the Chicago rapper calls out Atlantic for allegedly trying to change his image and stifle his creativity. But the true bombshell is that he alleges that the brass over at Atlantic tried to convince the “Hip-Hop Saved My Life,” MC to employ the assistance of ghostwriters to ensure his success.
“Atlantic is so filthy with the shit, that they would turn around and have a team of writers, a team of producers waiting for you! So, once you go through the meeting, they strip away all your esteem, they strip away all your confidence and your own work,” Fiasco says in the video. “They send you right to the studio with the hot producer of the time with the creative team and the writers, and they got whole songs waiting on you. And for some niggas, they even got their raps waiting on you! You won’t believe the phone calls I got in the middle of the night from niggas talking about, ‘Man I want you to come into the studio but let me write all your shit!’”
Lupe has had major issues with Atlantic Records, his former label. On his latest project, Drogas Wave, he released it on his own imprint 1st and 15th productions.
Next month, Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap turns one. That same week, Nip’s major label debut in a discography filled with elite mixtapes will compete for “Best Rap Album” at the Grammy Awards (February 10). If it gets the win, Nip’ will have come a long way from his decade as an underground hero in Los Angeles, California’s Crenshaw district.
Victory Lap is still making its rounds. The title track is one of the highlights in the All Money In No Money Out/Atlantic Records LP. Featuring Stacy Barthe, the track adheres to Hussle’s mixtape narratives of moving with care through the ‘hood and refusing to compromise. That formula took him to the top, even if it was a journey where trusting the process was essential.
The video sees Nipsey Hussle journeying from Crenshaw to a luxury beachfront destination in Mexico. It parallels his 2018, which shows no signs of stopping—win or no win.
The opening song from the LP is co-produced by Mike & Keys. The production duo formerly known as The Futuristiks, has a decade in the game. They’ve worked on albums by Redman, 50 Cent, and Domo Genesis, as well as longtime collaboration with Neighborhood Nip’.
Next month, Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap turns one. That same week, Nip’s major label debut in a discography filled with elite mixtapes will compete for “Best Rap Album” at the Grammy Awards (February 10). If it gets the win, Nip’ will have come a long way from his decade as an underground hero in Los Angeles, California’s Crenshaw district.
Victory Lap is still making its rounds. The title track is one of the highlights in the All Money In No Money Out/Atlantic Records LP. Featuring Stacy Barthe, the track adheres to Hussle’s mixtape narratives of moving with care through the ‘hood and refusing to compromise. That formula took him to the top, even if it was a journey where trusting the process was essential.
The video sees Nipsey Hussle journeying from Crenshaw to a luxury beachfront destination in Mexico. It parallels his 2018, which shows no signs of stopping—win or no win.
The opening song from the LP is co-produced by Mike & Keys. The production duo formerly known as The Futuristiks, has a decade in the game. They’ve worked on albums by Redman, 50 Cent, and Domo Genesis, as well as longtime collaboration with Neighborhood Nip’.
Thirteen years ago this week, Nipsey Hussle released his debut mixtape, Slauson Boy. Shortly thereafter, the MC’s buzz started permeating the West Coast, and then the global Rap industry. The artist from the Crenshaw section of Los Angeles, California rapped with a sense of angst, awareness, and authority that stood apart from his peers. From Snoop Dogg to Chamillionaire to Rick Ross, a cross-section of Rap artists took interest in Nip’, giving him features and putting the artist on his songs.
While Nipsey eventually landed at a restructuring and rebranding Epic Records, the 2000s ended without an album. Instead, the rapper fed the streets with a steady stream of unadulterated mixtape product. Bullets Ain’t Got No Name and Marathon became sought-out series, very much tied to themes that surrounded Nipsey’s environment and a different industry blueprint. 2013’s Crenshaw, a mixtape sold at $100 a clip, combated the notion that free music lacked value. Pressed on CD, packaged with artwork, Nipsey Hussle set up shop beyond the industry in a way that was just as impressive as his art. JAY-Z was a noteworthy supporter, copping 100 copies of the celebrated work.
Until this year, Hussle delivered mixtape singles to the charts, kept a high-profile beyond the label machine, and continuously made top-shelf music during a renaissance of West Coast Gangsta Rap. Finalizing a partnership beyond the traditional deals, Nip’s Victory Lap with Atlantic Records this year pushed the quality even further. While the streets and the charts warmly received the February album, few could have predicted the Grammy Awards recognition as “Best Rap Album” nominee. In the coming weeks, Heads will see if the low-key artist from Crenshaw can achieve something that Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and The Game have not.
Closing out his banner year, Hussle releases “Perfect Timing.” Like so many other songs in his catalog, the record focuses on the hear-and-now of his career. “I know perfect timing feels like I’m too late / And I know I’m still great in spite of my mistakes / You know it’s authentic, every rhyme I say / My only regret is I made ni**as wait / See, ain’t too many like us, we life in this, baby / An’ I don’t f&ck with busters, y’all can’t integrate / Grew up with these killers in my living space / Lotta ni**as folded through them village days,” he opens.
Thirteen years ago this week, Nipsey Hussle released his debut mixtape, Slauson Boy. Shortly thereafter, the MC’s buzz started permeating the West Coast, and then the global Rap industry. The artist from the Crenshaw section of Los Angeles, California rapped with a sense of angst, awareness, and authority that stood apart from his peers. From Snoop Dogg to Chamillionaire to Rick Ross, a cross-section of Rap artists took interest in Nip’, giving him features and putting the artist on his songs.
While Nipsey eventually landed at a restructuring and rebranding Epic Records, the 2000s ended without an album. Instead, the rapper fed the streets with a steady stream of unadulterated mixtape product. Bullets Ain’t Got No Name and Marathon became sought-out series, very much tied to themes that surrounded Nipsey’s environment and a different industry blueprint. 2013’s Crenshaw, a mixtape sold at $100 a clip, combated the notion that free music lacked value. Pressed on CD, packaged with artwork, Nipsey Hussle set up shop beyond the industry in a way that was just as impressive as his art. JAY-Z was a noteworthy supporter, copping 100 copies of the celebrated work.
Until this year, Hussle delivered mixtape singles to the charts, kept a high-profile beyond the label machine, and continuously made top-shelf music during a renaissance of West Coast Gangsta Rap. Finalizing a partnership beyond the traditional deals, Nip’s Victory Lap with Atlantic Records this year pushed the quality even further. While the streets and the charts warmly received the February album, few could have predicted the Grammy Awards recognition as “Best Rap Album” nominee. In the coming weeks, Heads will see if the low-key artist from Crenshaw can achieve something that Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and The Game have not.
Closing out his banner year, Hussle releases “Perfect Timing.” Like so many other songs in his catalog, the record focuses on the hear-and-now of his career. “I know perfect timing feels like I’m too late / And I know I’m still great in spite of my mistakes / You know it’s authentic, every rhyme I say / My only regret is I made ni**as wait / See, ain’t too many like us, we life in this, baby / An’ I don’t f&ck with busters, y’all can’t integrate / Grew up with these killers in my living space / Lotta ni**as folded through them village days,” he opens.
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