Lupe Fiasco's The Cool

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Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool cover
Studio album by Lupe Fiasco
Released December 18, 2007
(see release history)
Recorded 2007
Genre Hip hop
Length 70:44
Label 1st & 15th, Atlantic
Producer Charles "Chilly" Patton (exec.)
Lupe Fiasco (exec.)
Darrale Jones (co-exec.)
Alshux, Chris & Drop, Chris Goss, Le Messie, Patrick Stump, Simonsayz, Soundtrakk, Unkle
Professional reviews
Lupe Fiasco chronology
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
(2006)		 Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
(2007)		 Lupe Fiasco's LupEnd
(2008)
Singles from Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
  1. "Dumb It Down"
    Released: September 25, 2007
  2. "Superstar"
    Released: December 4, 2007
  3. "Hip Hop Saved My Life"
    Released: March 18, 2008
  4. "Paris, Tokyo"
    Released: April 21, 2008

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, commonly referred to as simply The Cool, is the second studio album by Chicago hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco, released on December 18, 2007 in the United States. The Cool is a loose concept album, based on a song and its titular character from his debut album Food & Liquor of the same name. The album features production from Soundtrakk, Unkle, Patrick Stump and Chris & Drop, among others. Guest appearances include, but are not limited to, GemStones, Snoop Dogg, and Matthew Santos. The album debuted at #15, moved a spot up to #14 on the Billboard 200 in its second week. It has been certified Gold by the RIAA.[1]

Contents

[edit] Background

[edit] Concept

During the recording of the album, Lupe Fiasco's father died,[2] his good friend Stack Bundles died, and his business partner and mentor—Charles "Chilly" Patton—was sentenced to 44 years in prison.[3] When asked about the album's dark side, Lupe Fiasco replied:

Oh yeah. A lot of loss. I lost my father, I lost my business partner to prison, and I lost some friends. It was a very dark period. It still is in some aspects, but you know, I'm kind of coming out of it. But especially during the time that the album was being cooked, in my head it was a very dark kind of period.[2]

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool expands on the story Lupe told on the track, "The Cool", from his debut album. Fiasco introduces the characters the Streets and the Game.[4] The album tells the story of the little boy from "He Say, She Say" who grew up without a father, and the people that step in to raise him are the Streets and the Game.[5] Speaking on the concept Lupe said:

I expand on the story, I introduce two other characters, the Game and the Streets. The Streets is a female. She's like the action personification of the streets, the street life, the call of the streets. The Game is the same way. The Game is the personification of the game. The pimp's game, the hustler's game, the con man's game, whatever. Then they've got supernatural characteristics. Like the Cool, his right hand is rotted away. The only thing that rotted away was his right hand. It represents the rotting away of his righteousness, of his good. And the Streets and the Cool kind of have a love affair going on. So she's represented by this locket. And the locket has a key and it's on fire. And as a gift to the Cool on his rise to fame, she gave him the key. And the key represents the key to the Streets. So she wears a locket around her neck at all times. And the way the story goes, she has given that key to tons of people throughout time. Al Capone, Alexander the Great, whatever. She's giving them the key to the Streets. Fame and fortune — but also the prices. The Game, he's represented by a stripped-down skull, a skull with dice in his eyes and smoke coming out of his mouth. The billowing smoke is actually crack smoke. It's not a full concept album; it's more spread over like five [tracks], really abstractly.[6]

Lupe also stated that there are plans to spin The Cool into a horror-themed radio program, and a comic book. The album was also personalized into a promotion in the form of a skateboard design contest, hosted by imeem, which was won by Sluglife, the show name for designer/artist Lawrence Ervin.[6]

[edit] Recording sessions

In an interview with MTV News Lupe Fiasco explained how he planned to record The Cool:

The timing is gonna be pop, pop, pop. There's gonna be a lot of setup and a lot of preproduction on this album, so it's gonna be in pieces. But the pieces won't come together, seriously, until like three weeks before it comes out. We'll probably record everything in, like, a week. Allah Akbar. So we're just gonna get it all together, map it out, have it done to a T, and then go and record. Then fresh from the studio, fresh to mastering ... so it eliminates a lot of time and error that was surrounding [my debut].[7]

[edit] Sales

The album debuted at number fifteen on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 143,407 copies in its first week.[8] Although the album did have higher first week domestic sales than his debut effort Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor did, it failed to chart as high. In its second week, the album jumped one spot to number fourteen, selling 54,398 copies.[9] In its third week, the album fell three spots to number seventeen, selling 30,782 copies.[10] In its fourth, the album fell six spots to number twenty three, selling 20,498 copies.[11] In its fifth week, it fell three spots to number twenty six, selling 18,526 copies.[12] In its sixth week, it fell three spots to number twenty nine, selling 17,928 copies.[13] In its seventh week, it fell fifteen spots to number forty four, selling 15,841 copies.[14] In its eighth week, it fell thirteen spots to number fifty seven, selling 14,767 copies.[15] In its ninth week, it went up fifteen spots to number forty two, selling 22,565 copies.[16] In its tenth week, it went up twelve spots to number thirty, selling 19,524 copies.[17] In its eleventh week, it fell two spots to number thirty two, selling 17,362 copies.[18] In its twelfth week, it fell three spots to number thirty five, selling 16,218 copies.[19] In its thirteenth week, it fell six spots to number forty one, selling 15,230 copies.[20] The album is currently #73 on the Billboard 200.[21] The album was certified Gold. In the UK, the album debuted at #7 due to the success of the first single, "Superstar" reaching the top 5 on the singles chart. It fell out of the albums chart the next week.[22] The album has been officially certified gold selling 500,000 copies in the USA.[23]

[edit] Reception

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool was received with mostly positive reviews from music critics, with an 77 (out of 100) rating from review aggregator MetaCritic.com.[24] Entertainment Weekly said "Sonically, he's got the same kind of gratifying ADHD going on. Some tracks, like 'Paris, Tokyo,' contrast his Twista-style rapid-fire delivery with a lazy rhythm that's close to smooth jazz which can comparable to A Tribe Called Quest. 'Hello/Goodbye,' at the other extreme, has U.K. electro outfit Unkle providing a tense rock feel."[25] The New York Times, hailing the album as "one of the year’s best hip-hop albums," added that "The songs only grow more urgent as Lupe Fiasco expands his sociopolitical perspective. 'Intruder Alert' starts as a wary love song and broadens its topic to immigration. 'Little Weapon,' produced by Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, looks at children with guns, from child soldiers in Africa to high school shooters."[26] All Music Guide said "He is one of the most clever artists around, and as far as telling stories with rhymes goes, he's way up there, best exemplified by 'Hip-Hop Saved My Life' (a gripping story about a struggling rapper) and 'Gotta Eat' (where Lupe's inspiration for metaphors is a cheeseburger, yet it is no more corny than Main Source's classic 'Just a Friendly Game of Baseball')."[27]

[edit] Track listing

# Title Songwriter(s) Producer(s) Featured guest(s) Length
1 "Baba Says Cool for Thought" Jaco, Ayesha Iesha Jaco Iesha Jaco 0:46
2 "Free Chilly" Soundtrakk Sarah Green & GemStones 1:02
3 "Go Go Gadget Flow" Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk 4:10
4 "The Coolest" Paultre, Chris/Braxton, Derrick/Lupe Fiasco Chris & Drop 5:12
5 "Superstar" Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk Matthew Santos 4:48
6 "Paris, Tokyo" Deodato, Eumir/Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk 4:30
7 "Hi-Definition" Broadus, Cordozar Calvin/Shuckburgh, Alexander/Pooh Bear/Lupe Fiasco Alshux Snoop Dogg & Pooh Bear 3:51
8 "Gold Watch" Paultre, Chris/Braxton, Derrick/Lupe Fiasco Chris & Drop 4:12
9 "Hip Hop Saved My Life" Lupe Fiasco/Jean, Nikki/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk Nikki Jean 4:03
10 "Intruder Alert" Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk Sarah Green 4:00
11 "Streets on Fire" Paultre, Chris/Braxton, Derrick/Lupe Fiasco Chris & Drop Matthew Santos 4:40
12 "Little Weapon" Stump, Patrick/Lupe Fiasco/Bishop G Patrick Stump Bishop G & Nikki Jean 4:05
13 "Gotta Eat" Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk 3:24
14 "Dumb It Down" Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk GemStones & Graham Burris 4:03
15 "Hello/Goodbye (Uncool)" File, C./Goss, J./Homme, J./Lavelle, J./Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco & Chris Goss with Unkle Unkle 4:26
16 "The Die" GemStones/Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk GemStones 3:23
17 "Put You on Game" Simonsayz/Lupe Fiasco Simonsayz 3:02
18 "Fighters" Messie/Lupe Fiasco Le Messie Matthew Santos 3:33
19 "Go Baby" GemStones/Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk GemStones 3:36
20 "Blackout" (Circuit City bonus track, limited time only, time expired) Lupe Fiasco/Soundtrakk Soundtrakk 4:00

[edit] Samples

"Streets on Fire"

"Paris, Tokyo"

"Gold Watch"

  • "Do Whatever Turns You On Pt. 2" by Prepositions

"Hello/Goodbye (Uncool)"

[edit] Personnel

Information taken from All Music Guide.[28]

  • Chris Allen – programming, digital editing, mixing
  • Veronica Alvericci – marketing
  • Craig Bauer – mixing
  • James Book – bass, programming, digital editing
  • Derrick "Drop" Braxton – producer
  • Chris "Cosmic" Paultre – producer
  • Jeff Breakey – digital editing, assistant
  • Nathanael Cabrera – art direction, design
  • Pablo Clements – programming, background vocals, digital editing
  • Lionel Deluy – photography
  • Lupe Fiasco – producer, executive producer, vocal producer
  • Richard File – organ, piano, programming, digital editing, synthesizer strings
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering
  • Jesse Gladstone – assistant
  • Chris Goss – guitar, producer
  • Josh Homme – guitar
  • Darrale Jones – executive producer
  • James Lavelle – background vocals
  • Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearance
  • Andrew Painter – photography
  • Dave Pensado – enhanced recording
  • Brian Ranney – package production
  • John Regan – layout design
  • Jason Salvador – management
  • Livia Tortella – marketing
  • "You Can Ask" Giz – mixing

[edit] Chart positions

Year Album Peak Chart Positions
Billboard 200 Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Top Rap Albums UK Top 40 Albums
2007 The Cool #14 #4 #1 #7

[edit] Singles chart positions

Year Song Chart positions
Billboard Hot 100 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Hot Rap Singles
2007 "Superstar" #10 #19 #3
2008 "Paris, Tokyo" TBD TBD TBD
2008 "Hi-Definition" TBD TBD TBD

[edit] Release history

Region Date
Japan October 31, 2007
United States December 18, 2007
United Kingdom January 21, 2008


[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_bMC5QUXLY
  2. ^ a b Archna Sawjani (December 17, 2007) Lupe Fiasco: Thought Process XXL. Accessed December 19, 2007.
  3. ^ Fullmetal (June 4, 2007) Lupe Fiasco's mentor sentenced to 44 years in prison Def Sounds. Accessed December 19, 2007.
  4. ^ Hillary Crosley (November 27, 2007) The Unclassifiable Lupe Fiasco Billboard. Accessed December 1, 2007.
  5. ^ Jokesta (November 28, 2007). Lupe's LupEND, Talks Cool Concept Def Sounds. Accessed December 1, 2007.
  6. ^ a b Matthew Solarsk (November 30, 2007) Lupe Fiasco Talks The Cool, Cheeseburgers, Retirement Pitchfork Media. Accessed December 1, 2007
  7. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson (2007-01-04). Lupe Fiasco Hopes To Thwart Bootleggers So Album Sales Match Acclaim. VH1. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
  8. ^ Jake Paine (December 27, 2007). Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 12/24/07. Accessed January 26, 2008.
  9. ^ Allen Jacobs (January 3, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 01/02/07. Accessed January 26, 2008.
  10. ^ Allen Jacobs (January 9, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 01/07/08. Accessed January 9, 2008.
  11. ^ Aliya Ewing (January 16, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 1/15/07. Accessed January 26, 2008.
  12. ^ Aliya Ewing (January 23, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 1/20/08. Accessed January 26, 2008.
  13. ^ Aliya Ewing (January 30, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 1/27/08. Accessed February 7, 2008.
  14. ^ Allen Jacobs (February 6, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 2/3/08. Accessed February 7, 2008.
  15. ^ Aliya Ewing (February 13, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 2/10/08. Accessed February 13, 2008.
  16. ^ Aliya Ewing (February 20, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 2/18/08. Accessed February 21, 2008.
  17. ^ Aliya Ewing (February 27, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 2/24/08. Accessed February 27, 2008.
  18. ^ Aliya Ewing (March 5, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 3/2/08. Accessed April 4, 2008.
  19. ^ Jake Paine (March 12, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 3/10/08. Accessed April 4, 2008.
  20. ^ Jake Paine (March 19, 2008. Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 3/16/08. Accessed April 4, 2008.
  21. ^ Aliya Ewing (April 2, 2008). Billboard Album Charts - Top 200 Albums - Music Retail Sales Billboard.
  22. ^ RIAA - Gold & Platinum - May 18, 2008
  23. ^ Aliya Ewing (April 23, 2008). Hip Hop Album Sales: Week Ending 4/20/08. Accessed April 23, 2008.
  24. ^ Lupe Fiasco: The Cool (2007): Reviews MetaCritic. Accessed December 18, 2007.
  25. ^ Chris Willman (December 14, 2007). Lupe Fiasco's The Cool – Review. Entertainment Weekly. Accessed December 18, 2007.
  26. ^ Nate Chinen (December 17, 2007). Lupe Fiasco's The Cool – Review. The New York Times. Accessed December 18, 2007.
  27. ^ Andy Callman. allmusic ((( The Cool > Review ))). Accessed December 18, 2007.
  28. ^ ((( The Cool > Credits ))). All Music Guide. Accessed December 15, 2007.
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