Hey Lupe

## Promotional single by Lupe Fiasco

"**Hey Lupe**" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, recorded in 2004 while he was signed to Arista Records. It was believed to be created for his major label album, *Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor* (2006). It samples the 1974 instrumental song "Getaway" by Barry White.

Fifteen years later, the official music video, directed by Tim Westover, was uploaded to YouTube on October 31, 2019. It was included as the second track from the compilation EP, *Chill's Spotlight* (2020), curated by Charles "Chilly" Patton.

## Background

In an email to *The Fader*, Chilly recalled, "I vividly remember the day Lupe recorded this song. I got the beat from the producer and played it twice for Lu while we were riding in a white Suburban, 20 minutes later we made it to the studio and he immediately went in and knocked out the whole song—verses, hook, adlibs, etc. It was natural for him, but not so natural for me to see this, and I had been around some of the greats. This is when I knew he was a Monster! It's been in the vaults for many years, and now we are excited to share it with his fans."

## Personnel

Song
* Barry White – writer
* Charles "Chilly" Patton – executive producer
* Ralph "Wildstyle" Leverston – vocals
* Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – lead vocals, writer
* Man Behind Bars – producer

* Elisabeth Durkin – producer
* Kiera Capitanio – AD
* Jonathan Nelson – cinematographer
* Kareem Woods – choreographer
* Nico Moreno – gaffer
* Rachel Saad & Jonathan Schaefer – grip
* Manny Rodriguez & Richard Martin – 1st AC
* Emily O'Leary – 2nd AC
* Angel Hanes & Shelley Van Gage – HMU
* Martine Bertoni, Hazel Bryan, Daniel Kincaid – PA's
* Sarah Nguyen, Shannon Yu, Kester "Flexx" Estephane, Christopher "Venxm" Brathwaite, Rhea "Wildkard" Nance, Deuana Robinson, Eugene "Bboy Loose Lee" Choe, Marc "StyleSki" Mack, Anthony "Laiden" John, Caitlin "BurnbabyMama" Byrne, Kareem Woods – dancers
* Wintress Patrice – woman on street
* Isa Wnek – girl on bicycle

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

Yeah

Yeah

Yeah

Uh

(Let's go!)

[Verse 1]

You know wassup now, I stroll through the Underworld in my uptowns

'Til I'm over the hill, I push touchdowns

It's over, I'm healed, I put my crutch down

My vision is clear

The central division is here

They should give him a flare, give him a float

Then give him the floor

Just gimme my ye, gimme a yard

I give you a year

Lean on the yacht cap lean on the yacht cat

Gimme ya oars

[Verse 2]

I'm rappin' the gift

And the remedy dog

It's what I shimmy down your chimneys for

Money drop

Your pennies from the penthouse

I'm fifty twenties from the twentieth floor

They waitin' on the downfall

Of a G, like ground floor

But Imma be like Philly blunt

Right here like right ear

Grindin' like ground beef 'til me and the ground meet

I get it crunk

[Hook]

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Over the hills and through the hoods we go

With the F to the I to the A-S-C-O

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Yeah, FI-IIIIIIII-ASCO, hey

*(Can I ride with you?)*

Where ya goin'?

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lupe

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

*(Going to?)*

[Verse 3]

They should break in the company and take him in custody

For takin' somthin' so basic and makin' it uppity

So publicly so what if he hold something so stubbornly

So grudgingly up in here for something that he does so lovingly

From waitin' in the basement so humbly so hungrily

Now it's finna get so ugly, so utterly unpretty

So witty and so cunningly is he and there's no budgin' me

It's like I'm next in line, there's no cuttin' me

And it's like I never next to nine

I never next in nine, well I never

Hold a rifle like motorcycle

You know, where bad chicks sit

Keep a nine around my waist, like ninja back seat

I mean I heat pack, like injured athlete

So sit on back, before she get on back and—

[Hook]

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Over the hills and through the hoods we go

With the F to the I to the A-S-C-O

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Yeah, FI-IIIIIIII-ASCO, hey

*(Can I ride with you?)*

Where ya goin'?

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lupe

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

*(Going to?)*

Nowhere—

[Verse 4]

So as long as I'm right here and as long as there's Nike Airs

We gon' get it on as long as light years

Or as long as light's here, right here

You will last as long as a nice pair of white Airs with slight care

In other words your career, as long as dyke hair

Keep it right here, y'all ball fades

I'm all braids with white hair

All man from a cold land like white bears

And I don't wanna go back to the bike chair

Then send 'em back when the back of that dyke's there

It's Lu, player, well let me back up like endos back of the bikes in the air

But this ain't new years, mac out the window

So when you see this player limpin'

With the passenger tucked, just follow procedure

Swallow your pride, and follow the leader

'Cause—

[Hook]

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Over the hills and through the hoods we go

With the F to the I to the A-S-C-O

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Yeah, FI-IIIIIIII-ASCO, hey

*(Can I ride with you?)*

Where ya goin'?

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lu, Lupe

*(Hey Lu, where are you going?)*

*(Going to?)*

## References

1. ↑ Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (October 31, 2019). "Listen to This Previously Unreleased Lupe Fiasco Song Recorded 15 Years Ago". *The Fader*.