Enemy of the State: A Love Story

Enemy of the State: A Love Story (EOtS) is a mixtape by American rapper Lupe Fiasco. It was self-released on November 26, 2009, coinciding with Thanksgiving in the United States. It was a gift to his fans, provided as a free download.Kreps, Daniel (November 30, 2009). "Lupe Fiasco Samples Radiohead, Jay-Z on 'Enemy of the State'". Rolling Stone.
== Background ==
In 2010, Fiasco shared to MTV News that he had several title ideas, including Brain, and made the record in just two days. He added, "But it was fitting, especially going into Lasers and what Lasers stands for, which is chaos, anarchy, rebelling against the system, doing you, individuality. When you do that, you become an enemy to the status quo, you become an enemy of the state. […] I feel like I'm the enemy of the state of hip-hop right now. Because what I'm finnin' to be is so against what's going on."Reid, Shaheem (January 29, 2010). "Lupe Fiasco's 'Enemy of the State' Inspired by MTV's 'Hottest MCs' List". MTV News.
During the time of completing his third studio album, what mainly drove Fiasco to create the mixtape was seeing MTV's 2009 Hottest MCs in the Game. His name was left off, due to not releasing any material, though appeared on the previous year's list. He explained, "I was like, 'Let me give my fans that. Let me let them know that I'm still capable of that. Let me show MTV I'm hot too.' Kept it short. I felt, if you're nice, you don't need an hour. You don't need one hour and 35 minutes. You don't need 100 freestyles every week. You need a nice demonstration of what you're capable of doing very effectively, and you step back. Leave you wanting more."
== Critical reception ==
John Kennedy from Vibe wrote, "the usual boasting of lyrical skills complete with me vs. them contrasts ("I am Patrick Swayze, you are Whoopi Goldberg"). Although it's not one of his best free efforts (check his earlier joints), Lupe's been AWOL for a while and returns with a download-worthy set of new verses."Kennedy, John (December 1, 2009). "Cross Section: Lupe Fiasco Enemy Of The State: A Love Story". Vibe. Pitchfork editor Ian Cohen noted, "Enemy keeps things short, vital, and mostly current […] Sure, there are still plenty of times when Lupe's charmingly overreaching with his punchlines, but I wouldn't trade it considering how revitalized Lupe sounds."Cohen, Ian (January 6, 2010). "Enemy of the State: A Love Story by Lupe Fiasco". Pitchfork.
Chris Yuscavage for XXL said, "Though his relentless take-no-prisoners approach sounds a bit winded near the end […] EOTS is still strong enough to stand among the best mixtape releases of the year."Yuscavage, Chris (December 1, 2009). "XXL Reviews Lupe Fiasco's "Enemy of the State: A Love Story"". XXL.
== Track listing ==
 	Title 	Length 	Audio
1. 	"Intro" 	 	
2. 	"National Anthem" 	 	
3. 	"Turnt Up" 	 	
4. 	"Yoga Flame" 	 	
5. 	"Lasers Manifesto (Interlude)"	 	
6. 	"Angels (Remix)" 	 	
7. 	"So Ghetto" 	 	
8. 	"Say Something" 	 	
9. 	"Thank You" 	 	
10. 	"The One" 	 	
11. 	"Popular Demand" 	 	
12. 	"HP Skit" 	 	
Total length:	Total length: 	Total length:	
Notes
* "Turnt Up" is alternatively titled "All The Way Turnt Up."
Sample credits
* "Intro" contains a sample of "Knock You Down," performed by Keri Hilson.
* "National Anthem" contains a sample of "The National Anthem," performed by Radiohead.
* "Turnt Up" remixes "All the Way Turnt Up," performed by Travis Porter and YT.
* "Yoga Flame" remixes "Fireman," performed by Lil Wayne.
* "Lasers Manifesto (Interlude)" contains a sample of "Doggone," performed by Love and "Shining Down" by Lupe Fiasco.
* "Angels (Remix)" remixes "Angels," performed by Diddy.
* "So Ghetto" contains a sample of "So Ghetto," performed by Jay-Z.
* "Thank You" contains a sample of "Thank You," performed by Jay-Z.
* "The One" contains a sample of "The One," performed by Slaughterhouse.
* "Popular Demand" remixes "Popular Demand (Popeyes)," performed by Clipse. Clipse themselves had previously remixed "Dumb It Down" from their mixtape Road to Till the Casket Drops (2008).
== References ==
Category:Enemy of the State: A Love Story
Category:Mixtapes