It only took four years, but Lupe Fiasco has finally returned. Fiasco, known for his pop-like rap style, inventive/activist lyricism, and unique collaborations, does Drill Music in Zion pretty much all on his own (with an exception or two). He’s not alone though. It’s his ‘day one’ fans that have kept his music on the airwaves in the hopes that younger fans may come to like about him what everyone else does. This is sure to be the case this time around too. The purposeful artist comes back to hip hop now, solidifying that he’s not going anywhere either way.
Fiasco has stepped away from what’s ‘popular’ in recent years, opting to try a more unconventional approach to making music. This probably contributes to his lack of growth in terms of a following, but regardless, it’s still better that he stays true to what garnered him attention in the first place. Drill Music in Zion is a continuation of his knack for experimentation, less so designed to play on the radio and more so intended to stimulate thought and promote discussion. Lupe Fiasco delivers an album in bitter sweet fashion, Drill Music in Zion likely to be a product that will not be truly fully appreciated until the years have passed and he is long gone from the recording studio.
It’s not a long listen, but he packs in a diverse set of tracks that won’t sound like anyone else on the market. As usual, the music production stands out in a multitude of ways. From track to track, it’s almost as though he sought to make every song dissimilar in sound. It’s almost as though consistency was not the goal, but actually, this does nothing to hurt the album. At times it sounds like pop, other moments it’s sort of jazzy, and all the while he doles out bars over any and all beats that he and his producers constructed irrespective of how it’s meant to come off. There’s a spiritual theme that overshadows the entire album, with several political references also finding a way in although, this is nothing new for Lupe Fiasco. Fiasco has never been afraid to speak his mind, piss people off, or ruffle any feathers and Drill Music in Zion does not deviate from his provocative nature. As usual Lupe Fiasco gives everyone something to talk about with this new release, but hopefully this will include some new fans.
Fiasco is an anomaly in rap music. He electively chooses not to be boxed into a specific genre and he refuses to play the game the industry has everyone else playing. For better or worse, he has done and will do what he’s always done. It’s a shame though. Because the word genius is thrown around the artistic world with too much ease, but objectively, that’s exactly what he is. It may take a while, and it may not even happen after this album; but eventually, the world will come to realize how important he is.
