Samurai (album)

Samurai is the ninth studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released by 1st & 15th Entertainment and Thirty Tigers on June 28, 2024. The album is entirely produced by Soundtrakk and is inspired by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, who transforms into a battle rapper.Diaz, Angel (May 17, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Announces New Album, Debuts New Video for 'Samurai'". Billboard. Containing eight tracks, it is Fiasco's shortest studio album to date and the first without any guest features.
With his manager Chilly also released from prison, the two worked together in person for the first time in 20 years in the studio. Fiasco noted, "Even though we were still going through old work, him being able to make decisions and direct things and take over the reins in terms from the album work, the sequencing, mixing, different stuff that I normally would have to take a foot in–I didn't have to do that."Williams, Jaelani (June 28, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Honors Amy Winehouse on Evocative New Album, 'Samurai'". BET.
== Dedication ==
Thank you to everyone involved in the creation of this project. Peace & Much Love To Ya - Lupe
== Descriptions ==
Across his varied, genre-pushing discography, Chicago spitter Lupe Fiasco has kept one thing consistent: He remains one of the best bar-for-bar rappers in the game. His ninth album is a milestone in many ways, although it continues his trend as one of hip-hop's strongest lyricists: The entire project was produced by Soundtrakk, making it their second full-album collaboration, following 2022's DRILL MUSIC IN ZION, and it's the first album that Lupe and Soundtrakk worked on with their longtime manager Charley "Chill" Patton since 2007's The Cool.
Considering it's a family reunion of sorts, Lupe and his go-to producer wanted to make the album as personal as possible, weaving narratives with anecdotes unique to the Windy City wonder. On the throwback “Mumble Rap,” Fiasco tells the story of a woman entranced by a mysterious sound before realizing its danger, which Lupe highlights by mumbling his way through the chorus. It's conceptually daring commentary on the industry Lupe has made his name in, while still reflecting his singular POV. In that way, too, Samurai is more of the thrilling same from rap's poet laureate. – Apple Music
On his new album, Samurai, Lupe Fiasco retreats inward to give fans one of his most personal albums in his deep catalog. The narrative follows a battle rapper through various moments in his career, starting with how they honed their battle rap skills, following their career through different moments. Musically, the new album finds Lupe delighting in the simple pleasures of assembling assonant syllables into playful and poignant narratives. The 8-track album is smooth, yet cerebral, brimming with ideas, but always radiating Lupe's pure love for the art of emceeing and committing himself as a servant of the rap game. The album was produced in full by longtime collaborator and friend, Soundtrakk ('Superstar,' 'Kick, Push,' 'HipHop Saved My Life'), their second time linking up on a full album after 2022's Drill Music in Zion. It's the first time they'd worked together in the studio since Lupe's seminal album, The Cool in 2007. – Thirty Tigers
== Background ==
Fiasco first revealed that the project was based on Amy Winehouse transforming into a battle rapper, citing her as one of his favorite artists. He had previously mentioned in 2007 that Winehouse came to his mind on certain parts of his single, "Superstar," that details struggles in the music industry.Anitai, Tamar (November 12, 2007). "Exclusive: Who's Lupe Fiasco's 'Superstar' Muse? Amy Winehouse". MTV News. In April 2019, he discussed the concept with fellow rapper Nas the day after attending City Harvest, offering a verse. Later on, he reached out for a collaborative EP project, though Nas never responded back.Mahadevan, Tara (July 26, 2020). "Lupe Fiasco Wants to Do an EP with Nas". Complex. Nas and Winehouse were good friends, sharing the same birthday and Winehouse creating the track "Me & Mr. Jones," based on their relationship.
The album's inspiration stemmed from a voice message Winehouse left for producer Salaam Remi. She said for her next album, "I keep coming out with battle raps and they're just pouring out of me. Like Wu-Tang stuff, but really neat, very beautifully alliterated little battle raps. So next time you wanna come for me and have a battle rap-off, I'm gonna kill you. Because I'm a samurai." He wondered what those raps would sound like, the singular portrait unexpectedly turning into an album. Speaking to BET, he expressed his comfort with the album never being released, simply wanting to execute the idea and bring it to life. He worked on Samurai during the Coronavirus pandemic in the safety of his own home, combing through older beats Soundtrakk sent him.Ekpo, Ime (June 29, 2024). "How Lupe Fiasco's New Album, 'Samurai,' Archives His Artistic Evolution". Forbes. A majority was recorded on GarageBand in his living room."Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. July 1, 2024. Rather than treating it like his other albums, he approached each song by evaluating whether to continue and determining its overall vibe to continue the narration.
On April 21, 2020, Fiasco announced that he had been working on the project for around a year."Lupe Fiasco Reveals He's Working on a Project Based on Amy Winehouse". HipHop-N-More. April 22, 2020. It was said to be around twenty minutes, where he would want to complete it by the end of the summer. During an Instagram livestream on May 13, 2020, he previewed Samurai beats and played a snippet of one of the tracks, followed by a YouTube livestream on May 21st which had him find the beat for "Outside.""Searching 4 Beats". YouTube. May 21, 2020. In another livestream on June 6, 2021, he elaborated on the concept, describing Winehouse as possessing magical powers with each scene accompanied by its own song. Following her victory in a rap battle, she celebrates in a track titled "Cake." He temporarily put the project aside as he started working on Drill Music in Zion. In a Q&A session on Soundtrakk's Instagram stories, where he listed his top five favorite beats he produced for Fiasco, he mentioned, "There's a beat on Samurai and a lot on Skulls…""Soundtrakk (@soundtrakk)". Instagram. July 2, 2022. In July 2023, Chilly was released from prison and helped with the post-production for Samurai, including sequencing and label decisions. Fiasco wanted to include the Winehouse recording where she mentioned battle raps, though they were unable to get it cleared."Lupe Fiasco (@YoBossWillHearOfThis)". Reddit. July 9, 2024.
== Concept and themes ==
From a fan's viewpoint, conceptually, Fiasco dreams of Winehouse gaining battle-rap powers from an enigmatic stranger in the park. Upon awakening, he discovers that her samurai spirit has been passed on to him. Now driven by a higher purpose, Fiasco battles the music industry and overcomes various obstacles along the way.
However, he revealed the album was actually non-linear, which captures vignettes of Winehouse as a battle rapper or a jazz singer. "Bigfoot" envisions her prior to gaining the mystical powers, and "Outside" was intended to follow "Mumble Rap," where the battle was over and she exits the club. Rather than being an autobiography, he focuses on the battle rapper aspect. His own story is woven in, where "It's fragmented and broken up in Easter eggs throughout the piece. But at the same time, too, the artist's struggle is the artist's struggle." He added of its intentional vagueness, where it can be applicable to any artist.Gee, Andre (July 5, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Walks Us Through His Amy Winehouse-Inspired Battle-Rap Album 'Samurai'". Rolling Stone. As part of his press statement, he shared, "The overall themes of the album speak to the constant fight and the battle one goes through being in the entertainment industry. Some of the things we need to defend."
== Release and promotion ==
During his Coachella performance on April 14, 2024, Fiasco announced that his new album would drop that summer.Horvath, Zachary (April 17, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Drops Coachella-Inspired Single "Indio" Ahead of Upcoming Album". HotNewHipHop. Fans previously speculated this on Reddit, where a user noticed seven new songs registered on the music licensing organization, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)."7 New Songs Registered on BMI, Samurai OTW?". Reddit. April 8, 2024. On May 7, 2024, he gave subtle hints with the tornado (🌪️) and karate uniform (🥋) emojis when interacting with Chance the Rapper. This led to some fans wondering if Chance would be a featured artist on Samurai, though the track listing shows no guest appearances."Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. May 7, 2024."Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. May 7, 2024. The tornado emoji can also give nod to The Tornado School of Martial Arts, a dojo founded by his father.
Early on, a few retailer websites suggested a June 28, 2024, release date for Samurai. However, these listings for vinyl were later removed, suggesting a premature announcement. Additionally, the Lupe Fiasco Wiki received a DMCA Takedown for the Samurai image file, officiated on May 7th, unaware of it being privy. Fiasco confirmed the official release date with the drop of his lead single and title track, "Samurai," on May 17, 2024. The album's second single, "Cake," was released on June 7th. Both singles were accompanied by a music video, directed by Chris & Blaq. Fiasco appeared in both videos wearing Nishigawa Iaido Club apparel, aligning thematically with martial arts. On June 23rd, he tweeted, building anticipation for the album: "A loving & living portrait to and of one of my favorite artists, Amy Winehouse. I've done many portraits of people I admire over the years. Some public and some private. This one took on a life of its own and became an album. Looking forward to sharing it.""Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. June 23, 2024. On June 25, Soundtrakk shared an image on Instagram of a whiteboard with descriptors for each track, such as "90's vibe," "tribe bop," and "21 DKE piano," as seen beside their respective titles."Soundtrakk (@soundtrakk)". Instagram. June 25, 2024.
On June 27, 2024, the LFT Discord server hosted an album listening party starting at 2:00 , beginning with Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor and concluding with Samurai. Trivia questions were available during the event, where winners could receive their choice of Lupe merch. Only his albums, EPs, "SentRock," and #APTMC series singles were played. During the streaming of Samurai, the bot mistakenly played the 2023 "Outside" song, causing the moderator to skip to "Til Eternity" before playing the correct 2024 one. On the day of the album release, Fiasco dropped the music video for "No. 1 Headband," with cameos from the background vocalists, Luvstruck. While the vinyl edition was available to pre-order, CDs were scheduled for release on July 5th.
On July 23rd, Fiasco unveiled the first round of Samurai Tour dates around the United States.Williams, Aaron (July 23, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Will Become a Wandering 'Samurai' on the Upcoming Tour for His New Album". Uproxx. The following day over Twitter Spaces, he said there would potentially be shows added."Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. July 24, 2024. Merch would also be exclusively sold at shows.
== Singles ==
The album's first single, "Samurai," debuted on May 17, 2024. It incorporates the Winehouse voicemail by quoting the "really neat, very beautifully alliterated little battle rap," and details her English upbringing through landscape and slang. The accompanying music video was shot at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chicago, known for its Chinese-style architecture.Mier, Tomás (May 17, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Announces Ninth Album 'Samurai,' His 'Most Personal Album to Date'". Rolling Stone. While samurai were part of the Japanese warrior caste, it is guessed that Fiasco looked for a familiar location to best fulfil his vision. Furthermore, the location can give a throwback to Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, as he believes the cover art was photographed in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood."Ten Yurrs Layda". SoundCloud. September 18, 2016.
The second single, "Cake," was released on June 7, 2024. It acts as Winehouse's victory song following her first battle rap win. Fiasco adopts an upbeat flow and delivers dexterous bars that highlight his lyrical prowess, as a sort of "triumphant" record.Epko, Ime (June 7, 2024). "How Lupe Fiasco Flexed His Lyrical Prowess in 'Cake'". Forbes. The music video was filmed at Ace Universal Group, where he stood on the soundstage as the production crew worked around him to set the scene.Allah, Sha Be (June 7, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Releases Single 'Cake' from Upcoming 'Samurai' Album". The Source.
Title	Title 	Date 	Note
 	"Samurai"	May 17, 2024	Single
 	"Cake" 	June 7, 2024	Single
== Title and artwork ==
File:Samurai 1.jpg|Artwork drawing
File:Samurai 2.jpg|Credits
File:Samurai 3.jpg|Back cover on physical copies
The cover artwork for Samurai was illustrated by Chilly's son, Dakari Patton, who also created the album covers for the Chill's Spotlight series (excluding the first volume). The artwork depicts Fiasco as a samurai, donning a blue shitagi (an under armor shirt) with a Japanese naginata (blade traditionally used by feudal Japanese samurai) strapped to his back. The gust of wind gives the impression of him preparing a battle move. In the bottom right-hand corner, 'Samurai' is written in stylized shodo (Japanese calligraphy) with kanji above it. On the back cover of physical releases, Fiasco is depicted holding the blade against the backdrop of a pagoda.
Fiasco said of the title:
The word 'samurai' means to serve. My relationship to that word has always meant that you need to be at the service of other people, either in the overall community, or in this instance, the rap community at large that I've been a part of for years. You have some duty, some purpose to serve. The title alone is very important to me.
Before rap even, martial arts was my whole life, and it still plays a huge role in my life. The album is me, but also inspired by a quote I heard from one of my favorite artists.
== Critical reception ==
In an early review, Carla Feric from The Independent remarked that while not excessively avant-garde, the album's sound makes it accessible, still offering a pleasing listening experience.Feric, Carla (June 26, 2024). "Johnny Cash Fans Treated to Batch of Unreleased Songs in New Posthumous Album". The Independent. HotNewHipHop contributor Danilo Castro positively assessed, "The Chicago icon spends thirty minutes rattling off dense bars and intricate stories over jazzy production. Samurai is only eight songs, but there's nothing about this offering that feels rushed or incomplete. Lupe Fiasco is such a confident and measured storyteller, at this point, that he seemingly can't miss."Castro, Danilo (June 28, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Proves Lyrically Sharp as Ever on New Album "Samurai"". HotNewHipHop.
Clashs Jazmin Kylene declared it to be the rapper's "terrific return,"Kylene, Jazmin (June 28, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco – Samurai". Clash. while Sputnikmusic described it as "lean, jazzy, vulnerable," finding each track to effectively demonstrate his lyrical aptitude. The latter added, "A well thought-out and carefully handled concept is commendable in and of itself, but it is never enough to magically transform a subpar musical product into a worthwhile one, so thank God Samurai is Lupe Fiasco's best collection of work in nearly a decade, independent of its rhetorical aims.""Lupe Fiasco - Samurai Review". Sputnikmusic. June 28, 2024. Peter A. Berry of Okayplayer said, "With meditative focus and sharp craftsmanship, Lupe Fiasco's Samurai album lives up to its name." Berry likened the beats to those of Nujabes and named the tracks "No. 1 Headband" and "Palaces" to exemplify Lupe's style—thoughtful, quirky, and technically sharp.Berry, Peter A. (July 1, 2024). "Yeah. Go Ahead and Listen to That New Lupe Fiasco Album". Okayplayer. Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop stated, "If any man could pull off a concept album imagining Amy Winehouse honing her battle rap prowess, it would probably be Lupe Fiasco, and he did.""Lupe Fiasco - Samurai Album Review". YouTube. July 6, 2024. He added how at some points he wanted a clearer narrative, with "a bit more point A, point B," and it had potential to be more ambitious. He concluded, "I can't really ignore the fact that this album, it is a little scant, even if it does pretty much work in everything you need and nothing you don't weigh at the end of the day. There are way more bops and flops on this thing, even if I was left wanting just a little bit more."Fantano, Anthony (July 6, 2021). "Lupe Fiasco - Samurai Album Review". The Needle Drop.
Sheldon Pearce from NPR assessed, "is a reminder of just how captivating Lupe can be when he's really on," where each song embodies his best technical feats, yet presents them with a distinctive touch of theatricality.Pearce, Sheldon (July 3, 2024). "Unpacking Hip-Hop's Sprawl in 2024's Most Eclectic Release Date". NPR. Pitchfork editor Paul A. Thompson was generally favorable, describing it as "a jazzy, subdued album that weighs the challenges and indignities of sustaining a career in the arts."Thompson, Paul A. (July 8, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco: Samurai". Pitchfork.
On June 30, 2024, Schoolboy Q praised Samurai in a tweet, "Bro tone and pen is inspiring dawg. I love cHoppy raps & awkward sounds but Lupe got tHis super power wit words wHere He writes tHe perfect essay iono. Album dope." Fiasco responded, "tHanx for tHe love my g… 🙏🏾🌪️ ⛳️ 🏌🏾‍♂️."Jefferson, Devon (July 2, 2024). "ScHoolboy Q Praises Lupe Fiasco's New Album "Samurai"". AllHipHop.
== Track listing ==
Notes
* signifies a co-producer.
* signifies an additional producer.
* The album booklet erroneously credits Nicolas Isaiah as Nicolaus Isaiah.
* "No. 1 Headband" features background vocals from Luvstruck.
Sample credits
* "Samurai" samples "East River Drive" by Grover Washington Jr.
* "Mumble Rap" contains a sample of the iPhone Radar Alarm by Apple Inc.
== Charts ==
Chart (2024)	Peakposition
 	
== References ==
== External links ==
* orcd.co/lupe-samurai.com
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category:Albums
category:Lupe Fiasco albums
category:Samurai
category:Studio albums