Label: Atlantic Records

Grade: B+

Dopeness Percentage: 56%

Highlight: American Terrorist

Also Download: Just Might Be Ok, I Gotcha, Hurt Me Soul

Overview: It’s nice to hear an album that has intellectual commentary, but is also enjoyable to listen to. That’s exactly what Lupe provides on Food and Liquor. He runs the spectrum of good vs. evil, talking about everything from love and skateboarding to politics and war. He is gifted with the word play, skillfully crafting metaphors and punchlines. His story-telling is on point and each song is distinctly different from the next. Much of the material evokes the feel of mid-90’s hip hop at its finest. Some hip hop aficionados are ready to call this album a classic. While I’m not ready to go that far, this is a very bright debut from an emcee that should be around for a long time. Think along the lines of Talib Kweli, Common or Q-Tip from his ATCQ days. If all you know from the album is “Kick Push,” you will either be surprised or disappointed. This is no party record, but it’s also far from your stereotypical hip hop joint. This is a nice balance of lyrics, personality and production, something that has become rare these days.

Dopeness Percentage - Takes into account how many dope songs there are compared to tracks on the album. For example, if an album had 14 tracks and 5 of them were dope, you have a Dopeness of 36%.

Posted by J-Hize on Tuesday, November 21st, 2006 and is filed under SICKWIDIT, REVIEWS, CD.