Vintage sounds can emerge and produce new material that sounds refreshing and upbeat. Case in point, is Lupe Fiasco‘s latest visual behind the track “Hey Lupe” which was recorded prior to Lupe Fiasco’s major label release Food and Liquor. Fans of hip hop, specifically Lupe Fiasco savants, can bask in the latest musical offering that is being presented and curated by 1st and 15th co-founder, Charles “Chill” Patton. According to a press release, “…’Hey Lupe’ — it’s the third single in the ‘Chill’s Spotlight’ playlist. Curated by 1st & 15th co-founder Charles ‘Chill’ Patton, ‘Chill’s Spotlight’ is a playlist of some of the label’s previously unreleased tracks that are finally being released to the world.”
The instrumental for ‘Hey Lupe’ matches the sentiment of its title: it is very posh, bright, and uplifting with its grandiose cinematic intro. The visual begins with title credits to introduce the song, slowly building up to its main protagonist, a young boy waking up to a daily routine. The exterior of the home eventually gives way to the interior leading to stairs in the living room, to a hallway that leads to the main character’s room (one can assume is a portrayal of a young Lupe Fiasco). The young man is shown reading a magazine on his bed then quickly transitions to him turning on the radio, dancing on his bed, brushing his teeth and going down stairs to watch street dance choreography on television. The young man amiably watches and then drifts to sleep dreaming he’s in fresh gear walking down the street. He postures a cool, flashing finger point to a girl on a bike who is rendered to the ground by this cool move. Our young hero also manages to give a high five to an older woman, who also notices the young man’s cool demeanor. The video concludes with the young man meeting up with the same street dance choreographers and showcasing his moves to an impressed crowd.
The press release concludes with Patton fondly remembering when Fiasco recorded the previously unreleased track. “Hey Lupe” was a song that was recorded right before the release of the seminal debut album from Lupe Fiasco, Food and Liquor. The track “…was recorded just before the release of Lupe’s seminal Food & Liquor album. ‘I vividly remember the day Lupe recorded this song,’ Chill says. ‘I got the beat from the producer and played it twice for Lu while we were riding in a white Suburban, 20 minutes later we made it to the studio and he immediately went in and knocked out the whole song — verses, hook, adlibs, etc. It was natural for him, but not so natural for me to see this, and I had been around some of the greats. This is when I knew he was a Monster!! It’s been in the vaults for many years, and now we are excited to share it with his fans.'”
The forthcoming playlist Chill’s Spotlight will be released via 1st and 15th Entertainment/ Thirty Tigers. To listen to “Hey Lupe” stream below, via YouTube.
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