He earned three Grammy nominations for his debut, Food & Liquor. Skateboarders and hipsters worship his style. But what do we really know about Lupe Fiasco? The reticent rapper opens up about the death of his dad, his devotion to Islam and why he’s a hypocrite.
Lupe Fiasco is probing his swanky suite at Manhattan’s Flatotel in search of the solution to every starving artist’s plight. He walks over to a dimly lit corner and scans a small wooden table covered with notes and paper napkins. It’s not there. He stalks over to the room’s kitchenette, only to stop midway, retracing his steps as his mind wanders back a few seconds. There it is, on the floor, near the leg of the wooden table: a bag of utensils.
It is the 15th day of Ramadan, the month-long Islamic religious observance during which followers of the faith are required to fast from sunrise to sunset. Fiasco honored the oath today, and now that the sun has gone down, he’s chosen chicken and broccoli from the New York eatery Philippe to sate his ravenous appetite. “One second,” begs the man born Wasalu Muhammad jaco before savoring the first bite.
Muslims must be self-accountable during Ramadan, which makes it a good time to chat with an artist who, despite his relative obscurity, has a habit of being deliberately abstract in his music. For Fiasco, music is a conduit for self-reflection, and he prefers to use nuggets of experience to address broader social issues. Perhaps because braggadocio-laden tales have no place in his work, Fiasco remains an elusive figure–even to his most rabid fans.
