Shirley Jaco

Shirley Jaco (born December 13, 1954) is the mother of Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco. Working as a gourmet chef, she and Gregory Jaco raised Fiasco in Chicago, Illinois. They split when Fiasco was five years old, where he lived with her and continued a strong relationship with his father. He told Entertainment Weekly, "I got nine brothers and sisters. Three of us have the same mother and father, everyone else is half brothers and sisters."Watson, Margeaux (January 17, 2008). "The successes of rapper Lupe Fiasco". Entertainment Weekly.
== Background ==
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco was born on February 16, 1982, at Bethany in Chicago, Illinois, to Shirley and Gregory Jaco.Biography Today He grew up in the areas of Washington, Albany, and Madison."Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. May 8, 2013. Shirley described Fiasco as "Smart, a bit complex; he kind of was a loner; he didn't hang with a lot of people. But I had all these books-on medicine, anatomy, philosophy, religion. And he would just pick them up and read. He would be thumbing through a National Geographic or listening to music. He loved Tchaikovsky." She added, "He always had the glasses, always had a book bag over his shoulder and some type of a writing tablet. He loved to skateboard, too. You could hear those little raggedy wheels... ka-kunk-ka-kunk-ka-kunk, all night long."Smith, Bryan (July 17, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco, Word Star". Chicago Magazine.
Fiasco told magazine Bon Appétit in 2012, "My mom was a chef, but my father was a straight fast food guy. So you knew, if we were with my father, we were eating out. But my mom's a good cook, and wouldn't splurge. She'd be real basic: lentils, rice, eggs and rice, or she would make these White Castle-style little sliders. Every so often, she would dip off to gourmet land, challenging us with some tofu or a machination she learned in school."Dean, Sam (November 16, 2012). "What Rapper Lupe Fiasco Eats for Breakfast". Bon Appétit.
Fiasco noted in a birthday post for his mother in 2014, "Born in a small town in Northern Mississippi. Picked cotton as a child then moved up to the Windy City. Westside momma raised us in that drama. Made us into soldiers full of dignity and honor. A teacher, healer and provider with so much more to discover...""Lupe Fiasco (@lupefiasco)". Instagram. December 12, 2014.
The track "More Than My Heart" from his 2017 album, Drogas Light, was released. Dedicated to his mother, lyrics include, 'Gotta honor my mama, so that's what I'm tryna do / Ayy, better love my mama.'
== Gallery ==
File:Shirley Jaco.jpg|Fiasco and his mother at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards
== References ==
Category:Family
Category:People