Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor

It takes a bit of time for Food & Liquor to get started but once the mission statement Kick, Push begins things are in full flow. He is a talented rapper and the production is plush, expansive and radio ready in an enjoyable way. The album’s momentum peaks in the middle but then drops off a cliff with the overlong credits / thank you track. I wish I could pretend this track didn’t exist as the album is already a tad long without it and for me it brings the whole project’s score down. The biggest indulgence of the CD era?

Even after many attempts, I still can't get into hip-hop. It's not music. 1/5

This is #day562 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… somehow, during my teenage years, this name never crossed my radar, so this is a first for me. Very much a product of the early '00s. It was fun to hear Mike Shinoda's signature on "The Instrumental." Honestly, I think Fort Minor would've been a more appropriate inclusion. Also, that 12-minute outro... Kind of a fiasco. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day563.

I guess don't judge a book by it's cover cause this is pretty solid, enjoyable so far, I can see 3 stars easily here

It’s a 5. Hell, it might be higher.

Putting aside the 12 minutes of practically bonus track filler that is “Outro”, that is a tight, TIGHT 60 minutes that never once misses a beat. Fantastic production across the board from everyone involved; a cavalcade of producers, really. Out of all the beats here, “Kick, Push” is probably the most ‘classic’, just by virtue of the song’s popularity, but I think the best beat is on “I Gotcha”. Something about the Neptunes’ production just clicked for me there. It’s a little overproduced, maybe, but something about the bombast of each track feels like a hallmark of this era of conscious rap, trying to blend the sophistication of the lyrics with appropriately ‘sophisticated’ production. It’s something that a lot of artists have maintained into the modern day, though with more electronica thrown into the mix. It’s a shame some of the lyricists haven’t quite kept up, but some of them are trying out here.

Obviously, beats are only half the album, and the other half belongs to Lupe’s lyrics & flow. I’ve only known Lupe Fiasco from his biggest hits, and those big hits undermine just how fucking good he is as a writer, my goodness. These are all cleverly written with some wordplay in spades, but they never stray too far into the realm of complexity to not get the core of the track & what he’s trying to say. The only time he gets a little too cute with it is on “Pressure”, but when you’re on a track with JAY-Z, you kinda have to match the energy. When he’s absolutely flowing, and the lyrics can match just how catchy that flow feels to listen to, it’s easy to enter a zen state where following along feels extremely simple. I think “Hurt Me Soul” might be my favorite one in terms of the lyrics, but every track here has at least one killer line that sums up the whole track nicely. I do think “The Instrumental” might be a little repetitive, but that’s part of the Linkin Park-esque charm of it all, somehow.

Ultimately, it’s such a densely composed album that I think it’d be tough to go through track by track & really dig into why this is as good as it is. It’s literally just an album you need to listen to understand, and even on a first pass, it feels like a hip-hop classic that my brain missed for whatever reason, even with “Kick, Push” being in my orbit for at least a decade. I’m kicking myself for not having listened to it (or any full Lupe album) until now, & I certainly need to go listen to “The Cool” at the very, very least. I think it’s an easy 5, if not a bit higher; honestly, if “Outro” wasn’t here, it could legitimately be a 10. It is THAT good. A dazzling debut record, a modern classic, and something you definitely should listen to before you die. I really, REALLY liked it.

Yesterday I was assigned Dizzee Rascal's Boy in the Corner to listen to and its invention and originality make this a hard listen.

The production on this is of the "More is more" variety. No kitchen sink could have been safe within a 5km radius of the studio, so many were thrown in. At times it sounds like a MOR sixties album there's so many strings and choirs happening. It's the Bert Kaempfert of rap.

And then the lyrics. Sincere, but awkward, hearing them is like finding a sensitive16 year old's secret diary under his mattress and when you read it it's full of serious thoughts about the world and all if it expressed in a self-important naivity that lands with a thud.

Lust, sometimes can override trust

So death might not let me live.

You're the starry skies above me
Won't you please come down and hug me

Are examples of the sort of thing.

Put it on while you're ironing your shirt and it'll be a fair background.

Listen to it as I think it was intended - as an important statement about the world - and its just ... not...

This was not for me.

Heard so many good things about this, first time listen did not disappoint. Loved the production and the bars on here, don't think there's a single song on here I didn't get some level of enjoyment from

Høydepunktet på plata er «Daydreamin’». Ellers er det meste nesten-bra. Helt ålreit. Det høres litt ut som Fiasco har arvet samples Kanye West har hatt i boden

Very listenable for 2000's hip-hop. Lyric/vocal-centric which is nice in an era that often feels more about the producers. That being said the production is decent too, nothing flashy, but solid. This could be something that grows on me with more listens, but for now feels a little middle of the road.

Pretty fun album. Kick push is great.

I guess the production is solid, raps are nice, so let's give it a 3, so I don't need to listen to more rap

ok - this is not for me. I can't get on with rap tbh.

This could be very good rap, but I couldn't say. I tried, but this just leaves me cold.

Skip

If you’re reading this before you listen, SKIP THE OUTRO! It’s literally him thanking people for 12 minutes. It’s very nice of him to do that but it is not a song I want to listen to.

Now, onto the rest of the album. I remember when this came out and i wasn’t into it. That remains the same in 2025. It’s kind of cheesy, and too preachy. Lupe has some great rhymes but the songs on here are just okay.

First listen to a decent album.

Some great songs on here. Took me by surprise because I hadn't heard about Lupe really.

And I didn't mind the 12 minute outro. It gives you a perspective of how many people can be involved in helping a musician becoming successful!

I just adore this album. The beats are lush, Lupe’s verses are distinctive and well written, and the features expand the songs. Now did he have to read album credits on the Outro? Probably not, but I just love this album.

4 Push. Kick. Coast.

Ugh

I was going to give this a 3 because I did genuinely enjoy a few songs. There were some throwbacks here that I'd not heard in years! But there was also a load of shite that should have been left off the album

The reason I'm knocking an extra star off is because I hated the outro that much. It really got on my tits to be honest and I couldn't believe it was STILL going

Maybe there's a reason I hadn't heard these songs in years

2 ⭐️

Conscious, badass, thoughtful and musically driving