Review Summary: The realities, both good and harsh, of current Chicago and dreams of future Chicago in one album.
In all of my time listening to the genre of hip-hop/rap, I've never been more intrigued and captivated by a rapper than I have been by Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco. His always-interesting and fiery lyricism that ranges from a variety of topics, whether it be politics, crime, or the state of the rap industry have been nothing short of excellent and creative in the nearly decade career he has put together. His attempt at shining in the mainstream rap scene never materialized, with that disaster of an album in Lasers and thank God it didn't. Lupe no longer cares about that anymore, only staying true to himself in his music and that has done him dividends. His last outing, his 2012 sequel Food & Liquor II, was mostly politically-motivated with his stances on the state of America and such. Lupe's latest release in 2015, Tetsuo & Youth, expands subject-wise from the political aspects of which his last outing was fitting itself on. Add to it his strong lyricism and terrific production, and Lupe delivers undoubtedly one of the best hip-hop albums this genre has seen in a long time.
This album cuts itself into four sections, twelve tracks in total with the four interludes in Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring. These instrumentals are orchestra-driven for the most part, serving itself as the appetizer before the main course if you will with what is to come. These four interludes aren't inserted just for the hell of it, they truly have meaning for what is on Tetsuo & Youth. Listening to these four interludes, it is essentially from how I've interpreted the album originally, overall the cycle of life with Summer being cheerful and happy with the kids playing in the background, then at the end with Spring you have yourself 'life's rebirth' with the same backdrop occurring. This has ties to Lupe's hometown of Chicago, because of the crime-ridden, poverty state in which has been lingering for what feels like an eternity. It is reminiscent of what rappers like Big L and Nas spoke of in the '90s when NYC experienced a very similar rapture. The beginning interlude and the ending is Lupe's vision in which he envisions for what he wants to see Chicago become, a city of peace and free of the terrors and atrocities in which occur there on a daily basis. No more of the eternal hell that withers inside the city, no more crime, and no more suffering for the residents of the Midwest metropolis. A city of peace and serenity.
These sections also offer up the atmosphere and feeling of what will be arriving on these twelve tracks. Summer brings Lupe's newest release out of the gate, with a masterpiece of a track both lyrically and instrumentally in "Mural" and with a R&B/classical-influenced piece in "Dots & Lines" with its soulful strings and fitting banjo that gives it a bit of a country element to it. When you get to Fall, the tone starts going from positive and uplifting, to slowly becoming dire with its sad violins leading the charge. Its quite evident with songs like the Troi & Terrance Martin-featured "Body Of Work" with the darker vocals from Troi along with the sadistic saxophone solo that goes with the premise of what Fall is conveying. Things are starting to turn bad for the worst, but it isn't quite there just yet.
Winter turns this part of Tetsuo & Youth into a horror-filled nightmare, with its tense and frightening violins conjured with the cold, harsh breeze of the wind in which during that time of year Chicago does have with the cold Northern breeze. It is essentially the atrocities of crime and the suffering of residents in the Midwestern metropolis brought to light in one five-track section, the tone setting with full-borne terror and the feeling of being unsafe. It is prevalent with such tracks like the nine and a half minute track "Chopper", with its spacey, dark synths and deep bass combined with the insane amount of rappers who join Lupe on the track. It definitely feels politically-oriented with the killer hook Lupe delivers on the track, which may not really fit in with the atmosphere of Winter but the bangin' beat and terrific lyricism make it less significant than usually would be. "Deliver" and "Madonna (And Other Mothers In The Hood)" definitely fit in with the tone of the third section, touching on the state of the skyrocketing crime and lifestyle in which those in Chicago in the poverty-stricken parts of the city experience or are stuck in. The lyricism from Lupe is nothing short of incredible, firing one jab after another with some of the more creative and true lyrics put out on a hip-hop album today.
Spring ends the album the same way that it began, with a cheerful and happy tone but it also is one with hopefulness and optimism. One that Lupe envisions will be the case in his hometown in the future. It can also be seen as the residents being able to survive the night in the city, being able to breathe easier and be happy because no bad can be committed. It doesn't end without tragedy however, with one kid in the background asking a couple times "Where is she?". It could mean anything, but likely because of the premise of the album it probably meant whoever she was died from whatever occurred in the night. These interludes can be interpreted in a couple ways, with the ladder being the cycle of the day in the city. Summer being the afternoon, Fall being the late afternoon, Winter as the night, and Spring as the morning. Either way they do connect with the current state of Chicago, with the problems it endures and with the hopes and dreams of what will be in store for the city. The same can be said with just life and death itself.
Tetsuo & Youth is a musical journey that opens up to the listener the positives in life and also the harsh realities of it, with Lupe guiding us along the way with his terrific flow, lyricism and instrumentals. This is undoubtedly the best album of Fiasco's career, and one that helps cement his place as one of the best in the rap game today. You can only wish that an album in this always-controversial genre can take it to this sort of level more often, but that's alright. As long as Lupe keeps it up and the few who follow, who really cares at all?
