Unforgivable Youth

"Unforgivable Youth" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco featuring American musician and record producer Jason Evigan. It was released as the 15th and penultimate track from his fourth studio album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (2012). The first two verses discuss America's history of settler colonialism and slavery. The third verse details archaeologists in the future, who ironically believe that it was an egalitarian, peaceful society because of its advanced technology, infrastructure, and emphasis on wealth.
== Analysis ==
"Unforgivable Youth" looks at how ignorance leads to adopting values that are believed to be for the greater good, when in fact being harmful. The first two verses touch upon colonialism, which includes the pilgrims, who are celebrated during Thanksgiving Day. Rather than being a day of celebration, it is a day of mourning for Native Americans. European settlers brought along the smallpox, which wiped out many native populations who did not have immunity to the diseases they carried. In addition, they stole land from and tried to convert Native Americans to Christianity. There is reference to the "500 year war," with the attempted genocide of Indigenous peoples, resulting in loss of family, land, and culture. Settlers believed this to be "good" for their country, in the name of expansionism.
Concerning slave labor, this refers to America exploiting minorities to do unpaid work for them, resulting in a racial hierarchy and discriminatory practices. Consider immigrants who enter the country with the idea of the "American dream" and work hard to provide for their families back home. Historically, an instance is shipping Africans across the Atlantic for slave trade. The phrase "manifest destiny" was used as justification for settlers to conquer more land, the perspective that it was virtuous and a mission sent from God. This resulted in the forced relocation and massacring of Native Americans. People who were non-white could not possess any land, which lent itself to a white supremacist doctrine. Fiasco continues to ask, "How can land be owned by another man?" where in Native American culture, the land is sacred and to be shared, where no one owns it. There was a language barrier between the Native Americans and settlers, where the latter party created treaties for dispossession of Native American land. This was seen as "fair" under America's terms, because it was legally obtained, despite use of manipulation.
The third verse takes a glimpse into the future, where archaeologists dug in the east. They assumed that America was "advanced," "organized," "well-behaved," and "civil" based on resources, dental, and constitutional values. This, of course, is posed as irony; the "sheer amount of paper" has contributed to deforestation and natural ecosystem degradation, governmental bodies were not very honest, and the White House was not a religious temple.
== Critical reception ==
Shawn Setaro of Huffpost wrote, "ambitious tune melds past and future critiques of imperialism." He named the third verse to be the "most chilling," where "Lupe creatively gives the future scientists understandable misconceptions that serve as prompts for the listener to think about our society and how we stack up to our ideals."Setaro, Shawn (September 25, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco's "Food & Liquor II": The Great American Rap Album Reviewed". Huffpost. Billboard remarked less favorably, "introduces a hero-making piano line carried by a marching drum and limp guitar.""Lupe Fiasco, 'Food & Liquor II': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. September 25, 2012. The Harvard Crimson critiqued the chorus lyrics, where they are "unusually cringe-inducing this time around."Holub-Moorman, Will (September 29, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco Dumbs Down Beats, Mails in Lyrics on Tepid Latest". The Harvard Crimson. HipHopDXs Justin Hunte positively said, "represents like Lu's "Conflict Diamonds Remix": simultaneously intriguing and educational."Hunte, Justin (September 24, 2012). "Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1". HipHopDX.
== Personnel ==
* Brian Gardner – masterer
* Charles "Chilly" Patton – executive producer
* Darrale Jones – producer
* Jamal "Mally Mall" Rashid – co-producer
* Jason "MDMA" Boyd – co-producer
* Jason Evigan – featured artist, vocals
* Joe Peluso – recording engineer
* King David – producer
* Trevor Astey – guitar
* Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – executive producer, vocals, writer
== Lyrics ==
== References ==
Category:2012 songs
Category:Collaboration songs
Category:Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1
Category:Lupe Fiasco songs
Category:Songs