Lupe Fiasco's The Cool

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (shortened as The Cool or LFTC) is the second studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco. It was released on December 18, 2007, by 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. It features guest appearances from Ayesha Jaco, Sarah Green, GemStones, Matthew Santos, Snoop Dogg, Poo Bear, Nikki Jean, Bishop G, Graham Burris, and Unkle. Being a loose concept album, it is based on a character derived from Fiasco's song, "The Cool," who is a hustler that comes back to life.
Fiasco said to Billboard, "The one thing that I was for sure trying to do that had nothing to do with Food & Liquor was trying to dodge the sophomore jinx. That was a real thing." This refers to the occurrence where the sequel does not live up to its predecessor.Lamarre, Carl (June 16, 2022). "Black Music Month: Lupe Fiasco Talks Dodging the Sophomore Jinx with 'The Cool'". Billboard. The Cool debuted at number 15 on the US Billboard 200, and within its first week, sold 143,407 copies."Danity Kane 'Welcomes' a Timely Gold - Leona, Lupe, Angels Earn First Brass". RIAA. May 30, 2008. Archived from the original on June 4, 2008. It was nominated at the 2009 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album.Corrine, Amber (September 5, 2022). "Lupe Fiasco's 'The Cool' Reaches Platinum Status". Vibe. In October 2022, it became certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), his first album to do so.
== Description ==
Developing in tandem with his Chi-Town mentor Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco's sophomore effort is a far grander than his debut. "The Coolest," "Little Weapon," "Hello Goodbye," and "The Die" are chock full of sound and syllable, buoyed by the same enormous, inflatable synths as Kanye's Graduation. However, some of the best moments on The Cool hearken back to the nimble mischief of A Tribe Called Quest; "Paris, Tokyo" is Lupe's holler-back to Tribe's classic "Award Tour," while "Gold Watch," with its tricky beat and trickier rhymes, might be the album's best song. As his music grows beyond the simple nostalgia of his 2006 hit "Kick, Push," Lupe weaves what are easily mainstream rap's most ambitious verses. "Dumb It Down" is a portfolio of exploratory rhyme styles: "I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear / Here you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this / Clearly cause my blindness / The windshield is min-strel / The whole grill is roadkill / So trill and so sincere / Yeah, I'm both them there." While songs like "Put You On Game" become too grandiloquent for their own good, there are dozens of verses on The Cool that are as complex and challenging as anything a Grammy-nominated rapper has ventured. – Apple Music
== Background ==
During the recording of his second album, Fiasco underwent a dark period of his life, which included the loss of his father Gregory Jaco in February 2007, who died of type II diabetes. His friend and business partner Charles "Chilly" Patton was convicted on several drug charges in early June 2007, and his friend Rayquon "Stack Bundles" Elliot was murdered outside his New York City-apartment block on June 11, 2007.Sawjani, Archna (December 17, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco: Thought Process". XXL. He explained to MTV News, "So you lose those people, but you lose them on your way to a show. So you got this weird home that's crumbling, but then right there you have 50,000 people calling your name. You get caught. I still haven't really had time to get into it. It's like jet lag [in a way]. That's what's crazy. The reaction doesn't even fit into my schedule."Rodriguez, Jayson (September 26, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco's Cool World: Tragedy Meets 'Mad Poppy Beats'". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 25, 2017.
He told XXL that he thought of the business aspect for its creation: "Even The Cool itself, making it visual, was a business decision. I think when people finally see the album artwork and see how everything is going to roll out and you see the characters—like the actual 'Cool,' the actual zombie 'Hustler' in real life—it will push it that extra mile so people get it and it's less cryptic. Because, you know, it is a very cryptic album. It's built up from songs that are on other albums and mixtapes and then there are little concepts sprinkled throughout." He admitted that it may be his second-last project, explaining that he loved music, performing, and the fans, but disliked recorded music, record labels, and the industry. He continued, "At a certain point, you're going to have to kind of concede to the darker side of doing business to really succeed or you're going to have to make that song you really don't feel that you should be making to achieve a certain level of success. It's like growing up and really looking at the purpose of life and meaning of life and realizing that this is really minuscule in comparison to everything else. Recorded music is the worst, the absolute worst next to probably slavery. In a lot of respects, it can amount to just that."
In 2015, Fiasco announced of the sequel album, The Cool 2, to be released in Winter 2017. Accompanied by this was an updated image of the character symbols, revealing three new ones."Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. December 18, 2015. On May 13, 2020, he uploaded the livestream video, "The Cool Wiki," to his YouTube channel. He gave an in-depth overview of The Cool multi-universe, where five pieces, gifted by demons, gave power to the user who obtained them. They could only be given to "true demons," meaning the most corrupt. Fiasco introduced several other characters, where some have a piece in the form of a body part: skull (The Game), left arm (Wild Man/Woman), right arm (The Cool), right leg (The Monk), and left leg (The Hacker/Business Magnate). The individual who collected all five pieces had the power to call upon "Big Death," given the choice to turn the world into hell or heaven. The Winemaker wanted to help one of them create a heaven, or a better alternative; however, the individual who chooses Heaven will die as a result, sacrificing themself for the greater good. He found and mentored The Cool, who is suggested to have a redemption arc.
The album became certified gold in April 2008 and certified platinum in October 2022, to which Fiasco named the latter moment a milestone. He told HipHopDX, "As superficial as it may be, it means a lot, especially in this era. To be in a streaming era and still putting up 192,000 records—it's sitting at 1.1 million—and a lot of that came from streaming, at least to push us over and push us over so hard, it speaks to something that we're still relevant to move units in this era. It gives you some inspiration to keep going, it pays the bills, stuff like that. So I like it. I'm definitely hanging it up." Because of this, he placed The Cool as his number-one record out of his entire discography, based on sales."Lupe Fiasco Proclaims 'The Cool' His Best Album: 'I'm Not Bullshittin'". HipHopDX. October 1, 2022.
== Concept and themes ==
There are three prominent characters featured on the album, referred to as "three evil angels" by Fiasco to Pitchfork. Their story ties in thematically across several tracks. He added that it was not a full concept album, this idea only running "really abstractly" through five songs. The Cool, formally known as Michael Young History (My Cool Young History), is a boy who is raised by the two supernatural entities The Streets ("a female embodiment of an urban area's corrupt allure") and The Game ("a male personification of a hustler's damaging influences"). Gradually The Cool grows up corrupt by the hands of his lover, The Streets, and starts drug dealing. At the end, he gets shot, but is resurrected as a zombie.Solarski, Matthew (November 30, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco Talks The Cool, Cheeseburgers, Retirement". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 13, 2007.
Fiasco explained this concept to Billboard:
It's about a hustler who dies and comes back to life, only to get robbed by two little kids with the same gun that killed him. I expanded that story by connecting different songs and characters in those songs. "The Pills" introduces the characters The Streets and The Game, at a funeral for The Cool, whom several other songs are related to. Each character has defining attributes: The Game has dice for eyes and blunts for arms. The Streets is a temptress with dollar signs for eyes and tattoos of ex-boyfriends like Al Capone and Alexander the Great. […] ["The Cool"] is actually the little boy from "He Say She Say" who grew up without a father. And the people that step in to raise him are the Streets and the Game, like how people also say, 'The streets raised me.' It's an answer to that.
The record is noted to be darker in comparison to his previous album,Rodriguez, Jayson (October 11, 2007). "Mixtape Monday: Are Diddy and Jay-Z Dissing on 50's Remix?; Lupe Fiasco Continues 'Cool' Concept". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. where topics include rape, substance use disorder, and child soldiers. Julian Rubalcaba of The Rap Up analyzed of its core concept, "It is the amalgamation of these more up-tempo songs with catchy hooks and interesting themes underneath, and these hardcore hip-hop tracks about success and gang life and falling victim to your own misplaced ambition."Rubalcaba, Julian (January 10, 2021). "Classic Album Review: The Cool". The Rap Up. HuffPosts Timothy Cooper asserted how the creation of Michael Young History became a game-changer in hip hop, as "many who listen to rap are accustomed to the gruesome stories of brutality in the music without an explanation, Lupe has laid out the call for every artist who relays violence on wax to be responsible for giving all the aspects of a gangster's life; because in real life, committing murder doesn't just constitute as good material for a dope hook."Cooper, Timothy (January 8, 2009). "Michael Young History Reinvents Gangsta Rap". HuffPost. In addition, Fiasco breaks away from the glorification of hustling that's frequently narrated in rap, where MYH presents a dark reality with themes like loss of humanity, senseless violence, and death.
== Release and promotion ==
The Cool premiered in its entirety exclusively on MTV's The Leak website, from December 12-18.Anitai, Tamar (December 12, 2007). "Album Preview: Lupe Fiasco, 'The Cool'". MTV News. In celebration of the LP's release, Fiasco collaborated with Maharishi and Darren "Dr" Romanelli to create two limited jackets."Lupe Fiasco x Dr. Romanelli x Nathan Cabrera x Maharishi". Hypebeast. October 12, 2007."Birth of Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool"…". December 18, 2007. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. In December 2007, he held a fan contest in partnership with music social networking website imeem.com, Element Skateboards, and Vapors magazine. Each entry would design a skateboard deck based on the concept album, which was won by Lawrence "Sluglife" Ervin.Burgess, Omar (December 18, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco Hosts Skateboard Deck Design Contest". HipHopDX. In promotion, a flash game was created to play on Fiasco's website, where the player has to survive through a cemetery full of zombies."The Cool Wiki". YouTube. May 13, 2020. He held an album release party at Irving Plaza in New York on December 18, followed by a hometown concert on December 20 at The Bassment in Chicago, and headlined the event MySpace Presents The Release, held on December 27th at Pipeline Café in Honolulu, Hawaii.Zisook, Brian (December 14, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco Announces the Birth of "The Cool"". DJBooth.
In 2008, he embarked on a promotional concert tour, The Cool Tour, which coincided with Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour and Fiasco's own six-date Coca-Cola Refresh Your Flow Tour, and visited across the continents North America and Europe.
In 2022, he went on a North American tour in celebration of the album's fifteenth anniversary. Tyler, the Creator was at the New York show and tweeted out, "Seen lupe do THE COOL in full last night. Amazing performer. gold watch the coolest but paris tokyo with the shoutout to me was….mannnnnnnnnn my heart jetted outta my body. loved."Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (September 8, 2022). "Tyler, The Creator Gives Lupe Fiasco His Flowers After NY Concert: 'My Heart Jetted Outta My Body'". HipHopDX. Fiasco also performed The Cool in its entirety at the festivals Riot Fest (2021) and Hyde Park Summer Fest (2022).
The record was planned to expand into a franchise, with a horror-themed radio program and a comic book. It was also announced by Los Angeles Times of him working with Nathan Cabrera to develop collectible toys based on the characters from The Cool, and his website had detailed descriptions of each character.Nelson, Steffie (December 23, 2007). "Double Dose of Cool". Los Angeles Times. For the launch of LFT on February 10, 2021, the designs were created by Nicolas Lesaffre and inspired by The Cool, where user avatars were set in this era. The record was intended to "live in as many different mediums as possible," like "a small live action on MTV.""Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. March 11, 2022.
== Singles ==
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool consisted of four singles, all produced by Soundtrakk and accompanied by a music video. The album's lead single, "Superstar" featuring Matthew Santos, was released on September 25, 2007. One of his most commercially successful hits, it peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It has been popularly used by athletes as their entrance song, including by Hanley Ramírez, Sean O'Malley, and Ryan Garcia. The music video was directed by Hype Williams, and features The Cool characters, who also exist in the music business.
The second single, "Hip-Hop Saved My Life," was loosely based on Slim Thug and dedicated to his friend Bun B. Detailing the struggles of an aspiring rapper, the protagonist rises above the street life and tries to better the life of people around him. The accompanying Dr. Teeth-directed music video was released on March 18, 2008, and features DJ B-Do as the main character.
The third single, "Paris, Tokyo," was written for his girlfriend at the time. It was first presented at Lollapalooza 2007 in Chicago. The single was serviced to radio stations on April 3, 2008, followed by its digital release days later on April 12. The music video, directed by Erik White, was released on April 13.
The fourth single, "Dumb It Down," features guest vocals from GemStones and Graham Burris. It was initially called "Space Traveling" and had Soundtrakk on the demo version's hook. The A&R disliked the hook and thought the song was too complex for anyone to understand, so being asked to "dumb it down," Fiasco accepted it as the chorus. The music video was directed by Gil Green, which has Fiasco facing off his critics.
Title	Date 	Note 	Image
 	"Superstar" 	September 25, 2007	Single
 	"Hip-Hop Saved My Life"	March 18, 2008 	Single
 	"Paris, Tokyo" 	April 21, 2008 	Single
 	"Dumb It Down" 	June 5, 2008 	Single
== Title and artwork ==
File:LFTC 1.jpg
File:LFTC 2.jpg|The grave of Michael Young History
File:LFTC 3.jpg|The Cool
File:LFTC 4.jpg|Tracks 1-13 credits
File:LFTC 5.jpg
File:LFTC 6.jpg|The Streets
File:LFTC 7.jpg|Tracks 14-19 credits
File:LFTC 8.jpg
File:LFTC 9.jpg
File:LFTC (CD).png
Following his debut album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, Fiasco went with a similar naming scheme, this time with The Cool. The idea of the record stemmed from a talk he heard Cornel West give at an event several years ago, where "[West] was like if you really want to effect social change in the world you have to make those things which are cool, uncool. You have to make it hip to be square in essence. You kinda have to reverse those rules and make those cool things to do and you'll see some progression."Cowie, Del (January 21, 2008). "Lupe Fiasco Is Not Cool". Exclaim! The title also refers to the fictitious character, who symbolizes the hustler lifestyle.
The album artwork was directed and designed entirely by Nathan Cabrera, who compared it to a Led Zeppelin IV for its iconography. In the very center is Fiasco's name in Thuluth script, a style of Arabic calligraphy, in honor of the rapper's Islamic faith."Nathan Cabrera (@cabreezy)". Instagram. December 19, 2014. For The Cools 15th anniversary, he uploaded some of the concept drawings."Nathan Cabrera (@cabreezy)". Instagram. December 18, 2022. Photography was principally done by Andrew Paynter, where the booklet includes inserts of the three characters, modeled by Kadeem Hardison as Michael "The Cool" Young History, Hillary Barbour as The Streets, and Marc Anthony Coddette as The Game. Interestingly, the gravestone of MYH reads 'Micheal," rather than its variant, more common spelling of 'Michael.'
Fiasco explained to Pitchfork that the three symbols shown at each point of the triangle represent the three characters: "[T]hey've got supernatural characteristics. Like The Cool, his right hand is rotted away. The only thing that rotted away was his right hand. It represents the rotting away of his righteousness, of his good. And The Streets and The Cool kind of have a love affair going on. So she's represented by this locket. And the locket has a key and it's on fire. And as a gift to The Cool on his rise to fame, she gave him the key. And the key represents the key to The Streets. So she wears a locket around her neck at all times. And the way the story goes, she has given that key to tons of people throughout time. Al Capone, Alexander the Great, whatever. She's giving them the key to The Streets. Fame and fortune—but also the prices. The Game, he's represented by a stripped-down skull, a skull with dice in his eyes and smoke coming out of his mouth. The billowing smoke is actually crack smoke."
== Critical reception ==
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool received generally favorable reviews from contemporary critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 30 reviews."The Cool by Lupe Fiasco | Metacritic" For The Cools seventh anniversary, DJBooth reflected, "a fearless, risk-taking album that paid off handsomely in the long run. […] There's no denying The Cools place in hip-hop history and it's overall influence on modern hip-hop music. From ideas such as garnering popular success with a concept album or being able to rise to popularity while still presenting conscious lyricism and having a dedicated fan base throughout everything, Lupe established the idea that an artist can generally stay true to himself and reach new heights of success in popular and mainstream circles. It helped continue the acceptance of experimenting with genre blending and crossover sounds."Dreams, Mike (December 19, 2014). "The Legacy of Lupe Fiasco's Classic Album "The Cool" 7 Years Later". DJBooth. In another retrospective review, Thomas Hobbs of Noisey believed it to "always be years ahead of its time" and praised, "the fact someone in the mainstream was even attempting something like this felt kind of revolutionary."Hobbs, Thomas (December 18, 2017). "Lupe Fiasco's 'The Cool' Will Always Be Years Ahead of Its Time". Noisey.
RapReviews gave a perfect score of 100, remarking, "Fiasco is the modern day Bob Dylan of hip-hop."Juon, Steve (December 18, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco The Cool". RapReviews. Similarly, Andy Kellman of AllMusic wrote, "as far as telling stories with rhymes goes, he's way up there."Kellman, Andy (December 18, 2007). "The Cool Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic. Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly gave positive assessment, penning, "It turns out randomness makes for a surprisingly unifying concept."Willman, Chris (December 14, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco's The Cool". Entertainment Weekly. The Guardian stated how The Cools concept didn't make any sense upon listening, and concluded, "You're left with an album that succeeds despite itself, but succeeds nonetheless."Petridis, Alexis (January 18, 2008). "Lupe Fiasco, The Cool". The Guardian. NME said of its subject matter, "keeps high-concept gibberish to a minimum, packing his second album with rhymes about robots and skateboards that nonetheless roll with the sort of swagger which leaves other brainbox rappers red-faced and grasping for their inhalers."Pattison, Louis (January 28, 2008). "Lupe Fiasco The Cool". NME. Spins Kyle Anderson posited that Fiasco's concept was "needless, eye-rollingly hokey mythology" and the record itself "will likely alienate casual rap fans," though conceded, "But that's a shame, because Lupe's vision—like Herzog's—is a uniquely challenging one."Anderson, Kyle (January 18, 2008). "Lupe Fiasco, 'Lupe Fiasco's The Cool' (Atlantic/1st & 15th)". Spin. In similar sentiments, Sputnikmusic called the concept "surprisingly awkward" and confusing.Sylvia, Dave (December 19, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco The Cool". Sputnikmusic. Ahead of its official release date, Ben Westhoff, writing for Vulture, described the concept as "complex" and "lackluster." He added, "Lupe's vocal gymnastic and platitudes get old fast, and for once we've got a rap album that could actually benefit from more guests."Westhoff, Ben (December 12, 2008). "Leaked: Lupe Fiasco's 'The Cool' Leaves Us Cold". Vulture. PopMatters remarked how it could've been "flawless" with editing it down to a shorter album; the track "Go Baby" seemed like an "unnecessary afterthought" following the vulnerability on "Fighters." They continued, "concept albums are often constricting by definition; thus, is it really a shock that many of The Cools finest moments arrive when Fiasco abandons the album's themes." They added in positive note of Fiasco being "most versatile" with his subject matter and "diverse production."Schonfeld, Zach (January 7, 2008). "Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco's the Cool". PopMatters.
Los Angeles Times commended the rapper's lyricism: "remains loyal to his activist message, which is propelled by intricate wordplay and experimental, trip-hop-inspired beats;" however, they critiqued, "he can also be annoying the way an excessively, politically correct person in your social circle can be annoying.""Lupe Fiasco Isn't Impressed with the Idea of Cool". Los Angeles Times. December 18, 2007. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. The Boston Globe observed, "He's as interested in the negative themes in contemporary hardcore hip-hop as he is in the socioeconomic underpinnings that helped create them and turn them into saleable commodities of urban realism." They added of Fiasco's cerebral lyricism and introspection concerning "angles of the games being played out" for issues worldwide.Rodman, Sarah (December 18, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco Gets Even Cooler". The Boston Globe. Pitchfork applauded Fiasco's storytelling, from his skillful lyricism to the theatrical flair.Pytlik, Mark (January 8, 2008). "The Cool by Lupe Fiasco". Pitchfork. Rolling Stone wrote in comparison of its predecessor album, Food & Liquor, "softer, jazzier R&B hooks, yet the lyrics are even tougher in their street-level attack on hip-hop materialism."Sheffield, Rob (December 21, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco's The Cool". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. The Austin Chronicle also commented upon Fiasco's capabilities, with "narrative gifts and labyrinth flow carry weight." They added how the album would require a group to critically analyze the "encrypted metrical compositions."Ramirez, Ramon (December 28, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (Atlantic)". The Austin Chronicle. The New York Timess Jon Pareles described it as a "three-act allegory that's also one of the year's best hip-hop albums."Pareles, Jon (December 17, 2007). "New CDs". The New York Times.
American basketball player Stephen Curry named The Cool to be the one album he would choose to listen to for the rest of his life. He explained, "[I'm a] huge Lupe fan. I think that album—I don't know how many Top 10 lists that album would come up on, but that for me, the time and place too. And he's an amazing artist."Abraham, Mya (March 10, 2023). "Steph Curry Declares Lupe Fiasco's 'The Cool' His Favorite Album". Vibe.
== Accolades ==
=== Awards ===
Year	Award 	Category 	Result
2007	BET Hip Hop Awards	CD of the Year	
2008	BET Hip Hop Awards	CD of the Year	
2009	Grammy Awards 	Best Rap Album	
=== Listicles ===
Publication 	List 	Rank	
The A.V. Club	"Best Music of 2008" 	 	
HipHopDX 	"Top 25 Albums of 2007" 	 	
PopMatters 	"101 Hip-Hop Albums of 2007"	 	
=== Certifications ===
Country 	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)	Silver 	60,000*
United States (RIAA)	Platinum 	1,000,000‡
 	 	
== Track listing ==
Sample credits
* "Go Go Gadget Flow" interpolates a line from "Don't Get It Twisted" by Lupe Fiasco.
* "The Coolest" samples "Let the Drums Speak" by The Fatback Band.
* "Paris, Tokyo" samples "San Juan Sunset" by Eumir Deodato; interpolates a line from "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" by Snoop Dogg.
* "Gold Watch" samples "Do Whatever Turns You on Part. II" by The Prepositions and "You Ain't My Brother" by The Soul Shakers.
* "Streets on Fire" samples "Amen, Brother" by The Winstons and "Clubbed to Death" by Robert Dougan.
* "Little Weapon" samples "De Profundis" by Arvo Pärt; interpolates a line from "Heat Under the Baby Seat" by Lupe Fiasco.
* "Dumb It Down" interpolates "Ignorant Shit (Freestyle)" by Lupe Fiasco.
* "Hello/Goodbye (Uncool)" samples "Chemistry" by Unkle.
* "The Die" samples "The Cool" by Lupe Fiasco and "Damn Your Eyes," written by Stephen Bogard and Barbara Wyrick.
== Charts ==
=== Weekly charts ===
Chart (2007–08)	Peakposition
 	
 	
 	
 	
 	
 	
 	
 	
 	
 	
 	
=== Year-end charts ===
Chart (2008)	Position
 	
 	
== References ==
== External links ==
* "The Cool" on TV Tropes
* The Cool Wiki
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Category:Albums
Category:Lupe Fiasco albums
Category:Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
Category:Studio albums