Intro (Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor)

## Song by Lupe Fiasco featuring Ayesha Jaco

"**Intro**" is the opening track to American rapper Lupe Fiasco's debut studio album, *Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor* (2006). The first verse is recited by his sister Ayesha Jaco, who discusses the city of Chicago. She references to the 1959 poem "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks ('Sing sin. We Thin gin.') It is followed by Fiasco's verse, who quotes from the Qur'an ("I seek protection from Allah against the Devil; In the name of Allah, most merciful, most kind.") He gives acknowledgement to his grandmother, then introduces his album to the audience with the concept of duality, food representing the "good" and liquor representing the "bad."

The two performed it live at the Red Bull Music Festival in Chicago in 2019.

## Background

In an interview with *AllHipHop*, Ayesha stated that her brother approached her to write a poem. She continued, "I knew what the album was capturing—the duality of what a food and liquor store meant in our community. It's a place where you go for nourishment on the food side of things, but then there's unhealthy food there. There's also the liquor component. So you go for nourishment, but at the same time, there are the realities, and some cases temptations, of things that have to potential to be bad like liquor, cigarettes, etc." She continued, "I wanted to give an accurate depiction to someone that had never been to Chicago, never been to our block or community, what it felt like, what it smelled like, the background vocals of the kids on the block."

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Verse 1: Ayesha Jaco]

Food and liquor stores rest on every corner

From 45th and State to the last standing Henry Horner

J&J's, Harold's Chicken, good finger lickin'

While they sin, gin, sin sin at Rothschild's and Kenwood Liquors

The winos crooked stagger meets the high stride of the youth

Searchin' for the truth

They rebel and raise hell across alleyways and in classroom settings

They get, high off that trunk bass and 20/20 rims

They rock braids, Air Force Ones, and Timbs

They drink Hennessy, Hypnotiq, and 40's

They call they women hoes, bust downs, and shorties

They keep funeral homes in business and gunshot wards of hospitals full

Prisons packed, bubblin' over in brown sugar

They keep empty, Westside lots crowded, hype's powdered

The well is running dry

The days of Malcolm and Martin have ended

Our hope has descended and off to the side

Waiting for the reinstalment of the revolution

Because we are dying at the cost of our own pollution

But God has another solution, that has evolved from the hood

I present one who turns, the Fiasco to good

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

A'uzu billahi min ash shaitani r rajimi

Bismi 'llahi 'r-rahmani 'r-rahim

Dedicated, to my grandmother

Peace! And much love to you

Yeah! And it start

1st and 15, proudly present

You know what it is

See.. I got this philosophy right

I think the world and everything in it

Is made up of a mix, of two things

You got your good, y'know, and your bad

You got your food, and your liquor

That's right... Chilly Chill!

You already know, it's a long time comin'

I give you my... I give you my heart

My soul, my mind my thoughts, my feelings

My experience, nothin' more, and nothin' less

Yes, F&F, uh-huh! So

With no further ado...

Lupe Fiasco's, "Food & Liquor"

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kyles, Yohance (December 27, 2019). "A Conversation with Ayesha Jaco on Providing the Poem for Lupe Fiasco's 'Food & Liquor' & Their Childhood in Chicago". *AllHipHop*.