Mission

* Single
* Remix

"**Mission**" is a song by Lupe Fiasco, released as a single on May 19, 2014, for Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), of which he was the celebrity ambassador for. The song features Chef Tone with additional vocals from Greg Porn and Charlie Wilson. Paris "PJ" Jones has uncredited vocals on it.

A remix version was released, featuring fellow Chicago natives Jennifer Hudson and Common, titled "Remission." Hudson sang the chorus, while Common added a verse about his own father, who battled cancer. The trio performed it live for SU2C's televised special that year, before being aired and digitally released on September 5, 2014.

## Background

Fiasco's own grandmother passed away from cancer, where he described it as "very sudden" rather than slow progress. He also had very close friends to him who were affected by the disease, including Professor Ronald "Kwesi" Harris from Chicago State University, who also inspired the track. Back in 2013, Harris and the Black Star Project collaborated for the "Mass Black Male Graduation and Transition to Manhood," where he brought in Fiasco as the keynote speaker. Harris would eventually pass away in 2016 from the disease, where Fiasco paid his respects. Fiasco told MTV News, "His reaction to it was he was gonna fight it, and fight it in a very bold, aggressive, vigorous kind of manner. And it was the first time I had ever seen a close friend of mine battling with cancer." Fiasco also played the record for patients at Chicago's Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center to gauge their reaction. He added, "I didn't want it to come across as a sad, make-you-cry song. I wanted it to be like an uplifting, powerful and almost ratchet."

In a press statement, he said, "'Mission' is a song near to my heart from both personal experience and of those close to me. We are on a mission and hope others will join in our efforts." The track includes narratives from a women with breast cancer, a young child with lymphoma, and a man who discovers his diagnosis in its late stage. It was thought to be the lead single from his upcoming album, *Tetsuo & Youth*, though was a standalone single instead.

On *Sway in the Morning*, he revealed that producer Chef Tone did not want to sing the hook, wanting to bring in someone like Beyoncé, though they were not able to afford it, so they asked Chef to remain on the track. Charlie Wilson came into the studio to do another record, though resonated with "Mission," and jumped on it.

## Cover art

The cover artwork was designed by Hebru Brantley, depicting a young man disappearing "into the air". Brantley also had close ones to him who battled with cancer, including his mother. In the press release, it said, "The art is inspired by people's will to fight cancer head on, with the color black representing the disintegrating disease and blue and yellow representing hope."

## Lyrics

* Single
* Remix

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

"What's up, this is Charlie Wilson a.k.a. Uncle Charlie

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, still fighting it

I'm a winner, not a loser, I'm gon' win the battle

That's right, I'm cancer free"

"What's up, this is Greg Porn and I beat kidney cancer, true story"

"Hello, my name's Michael, I'm a cancer survivor four years in remission"

"My name's Bernadette and I beat stage 1 triple negative breast cancer"

"I'm Angela, I'm 50 years old

And I've been through 9 surgeries in 3 years

Fuck you cancer, you may have taken my breasts and uterus

But you can never take my heart"

"My name's Ann Marie, and I'm living with stage 4 lung cancer"

"My name's Kourtney and I beat thyroid cancer"

"Hi, this is Kathy Phillips and I beat the living shit out of breast cancer

Cancer definitely picked the wrong bitch to mess with

Fuck you cancer! Woo-hoo! I'm a survivor baby! Yeah!"

"Hey my name is Charles Porter, I had stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma

I went through a year of strenuous chemo then I had a bone marrow transplant

Where they gave me salvage chemo, and five days twice a day

Full body radiation to basically bring my immune system down to nothing

And uh, so literally died to stay alive, umm

Come April, I'll be in my third year of remission

And it was a team effort, all the friends and family I had came together

And uhh, I had to keep that mental strong

But umm, we got through it

Uhh, some fallen soldiers went as I fought

Uhh, but they'll always be heroes, peace!"

[Hook: Chef Tone]

If I had a dollar for every time they counted me out

And my back was up against the wall

I could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

Yeah, uh

With a breast full of lumps, man she ain't no punk

Say she gonna ride on it like a chopper in a trunk

Pink ribbon woman, she gon' live forever

Even though the doctor say she only get a month

Said it's my life and you only get it once

These flowers smell too damn good to be living in the funk

So I finna get it in and I finna get it crunk

And I finna get the living, ah-ah-ah

Eyes on remission from the jump

Breast cancer can't hold me back

That's the answer when they told me that

It can knock me down but I'm gonna be back

Strong, down for whatever

Exceptional and I don't know how to quit

And I never said never you can have that hair

Cause real talk bitch, I think I look better

Let's do it (do it), fighter, with everything inside her

Reportin' live from Death Row, drop the charges, be a lifer

Cell phones and your lighters, need you to put them up higher

So many candles on her birthday cake, might set that thing on fire, hey

[Hook: Chef Tone]

If I had a dollar for every time they counted me out

And my back was up against the wall

I could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

Yeah, seven years old with stage four

This what champions were made for

Only so much fundraisers paid for

So I guess the rest is just all on me

That will to live against what's out here

Killin kids, well kiss my ass

It ain't killin' me, got things to paint

I got places to go, I got things to see

Wanna see my momma grow up, hold up, hold up

Wanna see my daddy grow up, hold up, hold up

I'm baldheaded and bravehearted, I'm small

But I'm a hundred feet tall, try to stop me, biopsy after biopsy

Chemo, but I'm a king though

I shake everything off me, lymphoma can't hold me back

It can knock me down but I'm gon' be back

Throw some SpongeBob in my Hot Wheels track

I'm a made man, made wishes

I ain't scared, I ain't flinching

Sorry momma but I gotta say it

But where I'm from they don't make bitches

Let's do it

[Hook: Chef Tone]

If I had a dollar for every time they counted me out

And my back was up against the wall

I could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]

Yeah, feel it

Went undiagnosed then untreated

When they finally found it, told him

Too far along and he couldn't beat it

But he couldn't see it, miss me with that dead talk

Miss me, my legs walk

And my heart beats and my wife witness

So fuck cancer, my life with me

And if I died, it die with me

Let's do it, fighter, with everything inside ya

Reportin' live from Death Row, drop the charges, be a lifer

Cellphones and your lighters, need you to put them up higher

So many candles on that birthday cake, we might set the thing on fire, yeah

[Bridge: Charlie Wilson, *PJ*, **Both**]

We might set that thing on fire, yeah

*Yeah we might set that thing on fire, yeah*

**Yeah, we might set that thing on fire**

**Set that thing on fire, set that thing on fire, yeah**

[Outro: Chef Tone, *PJ*, **Charlie Wilson**]

If I had a dollar (*if I, if I*) (**Oh yeah**)

And my back was up against the wall

*Back was up against the wall* (**My back was up against the wall**)

*Come out fighting, yeah* (**Come out fighting**)

I could have died but I came out fighting (**Oh yeah**)

Could have died but I came out fighting

Could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

**Lyrics**
[Hook: Jennifer Hudson]

If I had a dollar, for every time they counted me out

And my back was up against the wall

I could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

Fighting

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

With a breast full of lumps, man she ain't no punk

Said he gonna ride on it like a chopper in a trunk

Pink ribbon woman, she gone live forever

Even though the doctor said she only get a month

Said "It's my life, and you onle get in once"

These flowers smell too damn good to be living in the funk

So I finna get it in, and I finna get it crunk

And I finna get to living, ey-ey-ey-eyes on remission from the junk

Breast cancer can't hold me back

That's the answer when they told me that

It can knock me down, but I'm gon' be back, strong

Down for whatever, exceptional and I don't know how to quit

And I never said never, you can have that hair cause real talk bitch

I think I look better, let's do it

[Bridge 1: Lupe Fiasco]

Fighter, with everything inside her

Reporting live from Death Row, drop the charges see you life uh

Cellphones and your lighters, need you to put 'em up higher

So many candles on her birthday cake, might set the thing on fire

[Hook: Jennifer Hudson]

If I had a dollar, for every time they counted me out

And my back was up against the wall

I could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

Fighting

[Verse 2: Common]

My daddy say he got it in his prostate

When I went to see him, he had lost weight

Trying to find the words in a lost state, of mind

Pictures on the wall that remind

Me of the times that we once had

Had to take my daughter to see granddad

Pop, pop, nothing's impossible, you never been logical

I know what doctor's do, I know what God can do

Abdominal pain, hard to explain

For you to get better, it starts in your brain

Life ain't a game, the fight it remains, dance in the rain

When it first came, I was like damn

Then I start thinkin', then I start praying

Spirits went up, count went down

You gon' live forever, how you living now

[Bridge 2: Common]

Fighter, definition of a rider

Got all that ishh about you, with what you got inside ya

Cellphones and your lighters, put them things up higher

Even when you tired, you keep me inspired

[Hook: Jennifer Hudson]

If I had a dollar, for every time they counted me out

And my back was up against the wall

I could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

Oh

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]

Went undiagnosed and untreated

When they finally found it, told me too far along and he couldn't beat it

But he couldn't see it, miss me with that dead talk

Miss me, my legs walk and my hearts beats and my wife witness

So fuck cancer, my life with me, and if I die, it die with me

[Bridge 1: Lupe Fiasco]

Fighter, with everything inside her

Reporting live from Death Row, drop the charges see you life uh

Cellphones and your lighters, need you to put 'em up higher

So many candles on her birthday cake, might set the thing on fire

[Hook: Jennifer Hudson]

If I had a dollar, for every time they counted me out

And my back was up against the wall

I could have died but I came out fighting, fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

I could have died but I came out fighting

Fighting

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Lupe Fiasco: "I Did Not Perform At the Inauguration" & Depression "That Never Goes Away"". *YouTube*. June 5, 2014.
2. ↑ Leight, Elias (August 29, 2014). "Lupe Fiasco Releases “Remission” Remix with Common & Jennifer Hudson". *Billboard*.
3. ↑ Leight, Elias (August 29, 2014). "Lupe Fiasco Releases "Remission" Remix With Common & Jennifer Hudson". *Billboard*.
4. ↑ "CSU's Kwesi Harris Fights Cancer, Inspires Lupe Fiasco Single". *CSU*.
5. ↑ Watson, Andrea (June 26, 2016). "Family, Friends Remember Chicago State's 'Kwesi' Harris". *DNA*.
6. ↑ Fleischer, Adam (May 28, 2014). "Lupe Fiasco Wrote Anti-Cancer Anthem 'Mission' For His Grandmother". *MTV*.
7. ↑ Fleischer, Adam (June 4, 2014). "Lupe Fiasco Wanted 'Mission' To Be 'Uplifting'... But Still a Little 'Ratchet'". *MTV*.
8. ↑ Johnson, Billy (May 22, 2014). "Lupe Fiasco Creates Booming Anti-Cancer Anthem, 'Mission'". *Rolling Stone*.
9. ↑ Loring, Michael (June 5, 2014). "The Sitdown: Artist Hebru Brantley". *Chicago Sun Times*.
10. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco Releases New Song, "Mission," to Honor Those Touched by Cancer". May 19, 2014.