House, R&B, Soul & Rap > West Coast Rap House, R&B, Soul & Rap > Rap > East Coast Rap > 2006 onwards > Atlantic > up to 5 GBP

Advantages: A couple of good tracks
Disadvantages: No big single. Lots of poor tracks

"Lupe' Fiasco's The Cool" is the Chicago rapper's second album, released late last year, and it follows on from the momentum which he created by making an appearance Kanye West's "Touch The Sky" single, and coming out with a refreshing new Hipster Rap style with the track "Kick Push", which showed a new variation in rap which had taken influence from skater lifestyles and Hip hop culture. I only like Lupe Fiasco for his music, because he never seems ...
...seen to be arrogant in everything he does (taking after Kanye), but his style is so fresh that you have to take notice. Kanye and Lupe were part of diving a new Hipster Rap sub-genre to Hip hop which has acts such as The Knux, Kidz In The Hall and The Cool Kids, but neither of them are directly linked to this, it was more them showing that you can do something slightly different to most Hip Hoppers and still be successful and these new acts have ... Read review

Advantages: New Twista material
Disadvantages: Not the best album he has done.

Another Twista album, very different to his other albums, I think there is more thought to what he raps about and the sound is very catchy after time, where you have the tracks in your head all day. Charged is my favorite song in this album. This is not the best album he has done, as the day, after was outstanding but if you love his work anyway then its a must in your twista collection. 10 of the songs are growing on me, where you listen to them ...
...Other tracks out of this album are a little average but Charge is an amazing record to have in your ipod. Its not a major let down on this album as you do start to like it after a few weeks of listening to it. If you have time then listen to the album. then I would recommend buying it. If your looking for another excellent album like the day,after then this is not the album to be honest. ... Read review

Advantages: truly wonderful album style, lyrics, and flow
Disadvantages: apart from a couple of the tracks nothing

Missy Elliott has always demanded, and received respect, from the moment she released her first tune. Fat female with a dress sense as big as her personality she took on the hip hop world and demanded it accepted her. This album reminds me that even though she's been through it all 'the entourage tales, funny clothing lines' she might not be the best at everything but the one thing you can't take away from her is that when it comes down to laying ... Read review

Advantages: A few bangers
Disadvantages: No change from earlier albums

...the first week. 1. King Back This is an amazing start to the album, and the perfect way to begin an album for T.I.. Although "Urban Legend" began in a similar way, you feel as though T.I. is more qualified to identify himself as the 'King of the South', and this great production behind him, you don't want to argue this claim by him. Just Blaze's beat opens it up in a relavent way to suit his status in the South with applause and horns before he ...
...**Five Stars** 2. Front Back (feat. UGK) This is one of my favourites tracks by T.I. due to all of the elements which make it work. The foundations of it are that it samples a Dirty South classic jam by UGK called "Front, Back, Side To Side", and features the original artists as they gained mainstream fame with re-written verses. It is such a big collaboration for the artists, and acts as the biggest one which he as done to date, as previous relaes ... Read review

Advantages: Thought provoking lyrics, messages in the songs
Disadvantages: No filler

Food and Liquor is Lupe Fiasco's debut album and was released in 2006 through Atlantic records on the back of Lupe being featured on Kanye West's "Touch The Sky". 1.Intro This is a women reciting a poem/rap about stereotypes, and just introducing Lupe and the album. It's one of the more relevant intros put on a CD. 2.Real Lupe talks about the increasingly common materialistic rap that has dominated mainstream hip-hop for a number of years, and ...
...substance. The beat is up tempo, the hook catchy and the lyrics clever, but I think this had a little more potential than was delivered. It's still very enjoyable though. 4/5 3.Just Might Be OK This shows off Lupe's lyricism once more. He uses clever metaphors while rhyming over another high tempo beat, this time with some trumpet sounds mixed in. The track is about over coming obstacles that get in the way, and in the end just being OK. As with ... Read review