Lupe Fiasco’s Self-Portrait of Amy Winehouse: “Samurai” Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Didn't expect to go here, but glad I made it. @LupeFiasco @amywinehousevideo @salaamremi
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Petition for the 100th time for Professor Skye to review Tetsuo and Youth or DROGAS Wave lol.
That’s gonna be a 5 hour video for Tetsuo
AVAA Drogas Wave. One of the greatest works of art in hiphop.
@@bulletdancestorm554 Week long series for Drogas Wave. Tetsuo is like an art show. Drogas is a whole Museum.
I sign
Yesssss
The harvard joke comes from Lupe rapping. "It's hard being a Lupe fan. Need to go to Harvard to be a Lupe Stan." AVAA
didn't he also teach rapping at Harvard or something
MIT but close@@eyahyo
MIT and Yale. He works with Dee-1 sometimes who teaches at Harvard @eyahyo
SLR 2
"It's hard being a lupe fan, go to Harvard to be a Lupe stan"
Lupe also relates to Andre Dawson. Atlantic Records treated Lupe like a slave. One of the concepts on his Drogas Wave album talks about The Long Chains, which is a story about slaves jumping from slave ships for a chance to be free or, not die, but become spirits of the ocean who sink other slave ships to free their enslaved brothers and sisters. Lupe used slaves jumping ship into the Atlantic ocean as a metaphor for him jumping ship at Atlantic records, which lead to Lupe getting blacklisted from the music industry. Lupe walked the sea floor back to land and is currently free to make the art he truly believes in. AVAA
Btw, the concept and story in the first side of Drogas Waves is based on African American mythology that was spawned by/inspired by historical events like Igbo Landing. The Long Chains is still of Lupe's own creation and is designed with specific functions in mind but clearly took elements from those myths.
There's an anime that combines hip hop and edo Japan with a soundtrack made by Nujabes called Samurai Champloo, highly recommend
one million percent
He needs to watch this
Nujabes, Fat Jon, Force of Nature, etc. Excellent music, excellent anime, perfect reference
I was looking for this comment and yes he needs to watch this one too after Afro
I think those albums undoubtedly influenced the beats of this album, especially the 1st song.
“Professionally accept, what ethically I hate” - Ms Mural
Honestly one of my favorite bars EVER. Period.
@@Philosopher1118people say jayz has a bar for everything but I think of Lupe bars like this so often
AVAA - continued petition to review Drogas Wave and Tetsuo & Youth. The people need it Professor Skye
I second this hard.
Cowboy Bebop is definitely the anime to watch to get into anime. The entire series is based off fusing Westerns and Jazz music and features incredible music.
Then you can watch the series by the same producer/ director samurai champloo. This series concept is combining samurais and hip hop music which works better than you would imagine
but people like you are mad about the Yasuke thing but Japan has been copying Black American culture for over 40 years now.
@@Regalman I have no idea what you're talking about to be honest
It's harder to be a Lupe fan... go to Harvard to be a Lupe Stan. He's not saying that he's harder, it's just harder when it's in Lupe's hands...
AVAA definitely check out SLR2
Exceptional rappers like Lupe are called aliens - otherworldly ability.
Extraterrestrial 🐐
Cough-cough-Eminem-cough-cough
Thank you for this video. I have always been a fan of Amy's. She was the queen of the 00s British indie music wave and one of the only female performers of the time who showed a complicated and honest portrayal of the feminine experience. She was a real person, flaws and all, not a character or an alter-ego. Amy was hip-hop. The most prominent hip-hop artists at the time were in love with her, and they truly considered her a friend. She's probably most publicly known for her friendship with Nas and fun fact, they share a birthday. We don't talk about Amy enough. It's beautiful to see Lupe (and you!) honor her in this way. AVAA.
She was also towards black people...
AVAA Outside interpretation:
Lupe has been very very vocal about how he wants to keep rap shit rap shit, since he lives in Chicago and everyone is dying based on bullshit rhymes. The first verse takes place after the battle, where everybody is in the postglow except for the loser, who demands to go outside and fight. Second verse is the loser has gone outside, and Lupe is talking to people like "would it be better if my rhymes were shitty so that he didn't take it a certain way? If I let him win would he just have given me advice on being better after the battle?" Third verse, is the loser coming back and stating that they really do want to fight despite having some time to cool off. ON FAUX NEM off Zion and his explanation for dissing Royce are the decoder.
Man I didn’t get that at all lol, I gotta check it out again
I love that this video is twice as long as the record 😂
rap is lossless data compression
the iphone alarm wakes her up. song 2 was a dream. she went to sleep at the end of track one.
Just for inside Amy Winehouse information to enhance the album for you maybe ..Amy Winehouse died in her sleep in bed from alcohol poisoning in real life, but was believed to be sleep by her bodyguard that checked on her..but she was really dead. So, that line about her going to sleep at the end of the Samurai song was very intentional by Lupe. Then resurrected and given ability to rap in Mumble Rap..Lupe pure genius 🔥
@@evg0708yo that’s crazy 💯
@@evg0708 that means the alarm clock didn’t wake her up. She either snoozed it or canceled or never woke up 😢
@@X4Y7Z0 exactly. And the way Lupe tells his stories through his lyrics, you can look at it either way…both ways are valid..depending on how you hear and perceive the lyrics/song.
@@evg0708bro that’s deep af!!
“Dad was the black Mas Oyama
Karate stance, put hands on the brahma, do not cook
I remember the boiling pot from which the rock took.”
The first time I heard this scheme, I stopped what I was doing, sat down and had to ask myself who I’m kicking off my Rap Mt. Rushmore to make room for Lupe. That Oyama bar is crazy, but the whole “brahma” to “the rock took” scheme is a crazy double/triple entendre because Dwayne Johnson’s wrestling name is The Rock, his other nickname was “The Brahma Bull” and his catchphrase is “Do you smell what The Rock is cooking?”
Lupe is a genius.
When I learned of one of the entendres, this became one of my favorite bars on the album. Lupe is talking about his father which he calls the black "Mas Oyama". When Lupe was a kid and was training in his fathers school for Karate, his father stopped the class and had the kids gather round for a demonstration. In this demonstration, Lupe's father grabbed a rock from a pot of boiling water with his bare hands. I dont know if it is an embellished story or if it really is possible and actually happened but yeah, that is what Lupe is talking about.
AVAA.
So are we just going to ignore the upside down DMIZ album making an “A” following by the tape with the word “my,” the bottle of wine and the house?
Love this man!
Whoa
we can deduce from this that Prof. Skye understands the Tetsuo & Youth tracklist inversion theory 👀
Tape? What tape?
Wow this is truly incredible, I am working on a breakdown of one of the tracks right now and had no idea that Amy Winehouse wanted to go into rap!
Neon Genesis Evangelion. The anime equivalent of Lupe Fiasco in terms of things to dissect.
AVAA Lupe is my favorite artist and I always appreciate his art more when you talk about him. I hope you cover his earlier works someday
AVAA Thank you for digging into this. A special note as a Black American, you're hitting on the triumvate of our consumption as a culture: anime, martial arts,and Westerns. Freed civil war vets were the original cowboys so we've always been drawn to it. Afro samurai is a Black revisionist take on anime and westerns.
Edit:this is why we call Lupe a ronin, hiphop has tossed him aside for glorification of gang life, which is a big reason Lupe feels a type of way about Kendrick.
Let's be real, it wasn't the glorification of "Gangsta Life" that threw him aside. It was Atlantic and that awful Lasers album.
Kendrick doesn't glorify gang life either, he's just way more accessible than Lupe
@@gabehereThats because the culture called lupe weird and they saw no return on investment. And yes kenny does, he has not grown up in his lyrics at all, he's continuing the cycle of, oh well, this is life, just live it. Lupe's F&L2 is literally the exact opposite of that mentality, peaking in ITAL Roses.
but really, the more I go back and listen, I think Lupe just sees him as a rip off, listen to Just Might Be Okay and then Alright, or Tetsuo and TPaB song for song.
@@theAttris You know i thought i was the only one who felt who likes kennys content but feel like I keep being drug into the same cycle. He doesn't bring you anywhere or teach just cycles these thoughts that are already had. Its like he's using homonyms and synonyms to keep regurgitating the same thing. And when tpab and T&Y lupe said they mirrored each other.
@@theAttris that's a very strange takeaway from Kendricks music. his albums are consistently about interrogating the environment and culture he was born/raised in, reconciling the positives and negatives that come from it. Mr Moral is literally about escaping negative cycles so claiming kendrick in any way perpetuates cycles isn't a valid reading. I'd argue that Lupe is much more of a misanthrope as his music rarely offers tools for improving the current state of the world or culture that it discusses.
@@KJango804you don’t have down play Kendrick to justify your allegiance to Lupe
Hey Prof, AVAA as always. Thank you for never shying away from discussing the output from artists that won't get as many clicks or views. Also, as an Aesop Rock fan you should check out Lupe's discussion on why and how people should listen to Aesop Rock. It's about 40 minutes long, and it's awesome.
Great video! Glad this popped up on my recommendations. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Lupe’s album and didn’t end attempt to understand there was a concept behind it. Easiest subscribe of my life. Currently at the “Rest in peace to art” segment of this video and perhaps this is a dumb question since I have yet to explore your channel, but have you heard art is dead by Bo Burnham? Bo seems right up your alley so I’m sure you’re well versed, who knows tho. First one but I am confident commenting AVAA!
Hay Doc, look at the album as a comic book, 1 story. 1. Samurai - lupe (samurai) chooses student Amy (student). 2. Mumble - Amy gets magical rap skills. 3.Amy shows off new skills. 4. Samurai refines students skills.( 3rd verse is a combination of bars and knowledge)5. Amy shows off new skills. 6. Amy scopes out a battle. 7. Amy challenges a rapper to meet him outside 8. Amy/samurai combine and spit 🔥.
Listen like that once and the songs will fill in the blanks...
🤔🤔
Screenshotting this! This is interesting
Incredible analysis. This may be the most well thought out rap album of all time? Perhaps one of the best works of art ever?!
Been a fan of Lupe since Food and Liquor dropped. So fun to listen to your analysis and appreciation of one of the most under listened to, undervalued rappers of our generation. Found my way here through the Kendrick beef, staying for content like this. AVAA
It’s been like a day since the album dropped and somone already made an hour long video essay 😅
This is an amazing review, thanks for doing it! Was so hyped to hear you watched some anime for it! We appreciate you very much professor!
Highly suggest Samurai Champloo. Also hiphop inspired samurai, but the story telling is probably more your vibe. I watch a lot of anime, but i dont think there are so many beautifully told biblical stories in any other anime. You would have a field day
I’m so happy I just watched this… the album makes so much more sense. Lupe is the greatest.
This was incredible! Instant sub!
I’ve never heard of you, randomly stumbled on your video and your passion for art is infectious. Ava
Had no idea Salaam Remi's career went far that back, make sure you check out his collab with Black Thought if you haven't (streams of thought 2)
AVAA. It's nice to see a reactor put the work in to really appreciate the art. You are one of the few, and your voice is appreciated.
Anime wise to follow-up Afro Samurai I recommend Ninja Scroll, Samurai Champloo, and Cowboy Beebop.
Sincerely, a fellow over educated nerd.
If you need help with anime recommendations, I'm your huckleberry.
Thank you for this breakdown bro. Been bumping the album since it came out. Loving it. But I knew I was missing the message Lupe was conveying and I was putting myself on the story. Now. It’s even more amazing because I love Amy’s music as well. It’s a new album all over again✌🏽
The long videos are fire, ima download this for my bus ride tomorrow because I don’t have service
This hands down the single best Lupe Fiasco album review I have ever seen or heard. The fact that this guy took the time to engage with Black anime culture to understand the phrase "No. 1 Headband" puts it over the top. My respects to you, Sir.
AVAA the passion with which you breakdown these works of art, inspires me to write more frequently as a rapper. Thank you!
Can you do a video on the new NxWorries album?
I know you're not a fan of anime but consider checking out Attack on Titan. I could imagine you liking the depth of that show.
Not an anime but are you aware of/ have you seen Samurai Jack and Avatar the Last Airbender? I can't really describe why, but they are both relevant to your understanding similar to afro samurai imo
AVAA 36:57 To jump onto the topic of using a single word with multiple purposes in the line, although maybe slightly adjecent (idk I'm not that much of a lingual nerd), on the last track of DROGAS WAVE Lupe does something that I think is one of the greatest sequenses of lyricism ever done. Don't wanna spoil it though...just tease a bit
Not only does he do use a it as a double, or a triple purpose, but a quadruple purpose. Part of it is using this spot to transition between two end-of-line rhyme schemes which sound nothing alike.
Hopefully this assists in getting a DW review through annoyance of not knowing. And it is already legally bindingly documented through the top comment that Skye is aware of how many people want it. And a professor surely wouldn't cheat and skip to the final track...
PS, listened to review live yesterday, wrote the comment then re-listened again to find the timestamp to add...and holy shit does the universe overlap in insane ways sometimes (still no spoilerinos)...revisit that timestamp after listening to Mural JR...
Tardis is from Doctor Who - also about time travel.
- Nerds
AVAA Hilarious that a 30 minute album made you get into Amy Winehouse and anime just to understand it better
Lupe’s dual identities are him and Amy.
Best reviews on RUclips
Avaa
I don't think it should be asked if you're into anime or not, there's literally something up anyones alley. I think youd like Attack on Titan, lot of foreshadowing, well written plot twists, allegories to real life, by the last episode it has become a modern masterpiece. Don't watch dragonball or naruto, naruto has some of the worst pacing, the highs are high the lows are low. My favorite song off this is Palaces so far but that might change. I think this beats the cool for me but sits with dmiz.
The one artist I thought of when listening to the album was Substantial
Noveliss another one. Both great.
Was almost as excited for your review of the album as I was for the album itself. Thank you for helping us understand and appreciate Lupe better.
After releasing DROGAS WAVE, Lupe does say that he feels like his newfound purpose and direction is centered around the concept of rebirth. From Tetsuo & Youth, DROGAS WAVE and now Samurai, I'm definitely starting to see the pattern.
As a guy that grew up homeless, homeless and unhoused means the same thing. No homeless person cares, they might be offended that you say unhoused. It's like upper to middle class folks who are extremely privileged feeling sorry for us. Great review tho. Lupe is fantastic
Professor Skye, i have recently discovered your channel and i find your overall perspective on art, specifically hip hop, to be extremely interesting. I would like to suggest that you do a live Q&A to engage with your audience, as your insights inspire many questions. Thank you for your open mindedness and dedication, cheers
AVAA if you're into afro samurai the boondocks and cowboy bebop are for you
AVAA this might be my favorite analysis you have ever done. phenomenal work 👏
AVAA, if you want another anime recommendation with the same vibe of Afro Samurai, be sure to check out Samurai Champloo
Samurai Champloo is the perfect mix of early Lofi rap sound, beautiful animation and crazy goofy action, and a good story... Lupe would recommend.
AVAA. Finding your channel is still one of my favourite things to come out of the Kendrick and Drake beef. It's awesome to have someone who appreciates and understands hip hop so well analyse a Lupe album. I hope you find the time to analyse Drogas Wave and Tetsu and Youth.
You should check out Nickelus F’s “The Specimen”
AVAA! Definitely scope out Samurai Champloo if ever interested in checking out another anime. Thanks for the great content you produce!
AAVA, you mentioned that the mixed with Christopher Wallace bar made it imaginary, which In my mind makes me think you have him confused with Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh, but I believe Lupe was saying mixed with Christopher Wallace as in Biggie Smalls, self destructive behaviour with some of the illest rhymes OAT, and no doubt one of the best hip hop artists ever who is also no longer with us, just my take tho
Also the apocalypse bar could’ve been a reference to 2pacalypse mixed with biggie
REWATCH AKIRA
AVAA . As stated in other comments, I also recommend Samurai Champloo. The music for the series was made by Nujabes, Fat Jon, Tsutchie and Force of nature.
AVAA, another incredible project from lupe, also, conductor and boldy james released a great album! Hope to see a review if you like the album
LISTENNNNNNNN LISSSSSTTEEEEENN! Afro samurai is great... but PLEASE just go watch SAMURAI CHAMPLOO! If you really wanna understand anime/japanses culture and hiphop fusion... go get into that fatjon nujabes ish!
Jussayin
Black thought solo album
Streams of thought vol2
Prod salaam remi
I stopped listening to rap a long time ago and when I first heard Lupe I knew that something different is going on there and I became interested in him as an artist and as a person. I don't listen to rap anymore. I just appreciate the art and the culture. Lupe is one of the most intelligent and interesting creatures from that culture and Amy for me was on that level. It was more about her art and her as an artist than just about songs because I was able to feel her depth from the start. She became just another sad story for the world, another person to make fun of because we live in such a world but she was beautiful soul. Lupe is too. As far as I remember he likes electronic music like Techno, he is very versatile. He is an Aquarius sign after all.
And by the way, people do listen to rap music in "freaking Serbia". It's strange how people see this region, I am amazed with the ignorance most of the time.
Good album. Just listened this morning.
He's talking to Kendrick on Outside
I thought so too
Professor Skye's Anime Review coming to a channel near you!
Great analysis! That aside, please watch more anime. And PLEASE rewatch Akira.
Anime... If you want insame story, conspiracy, mystery, dystopia, action, epic music, beautiful art, tears, plot twists on plot twists etc....
Watch Attack on Titan.
The Tardis refers to Doctor Who and ties to the "to ask your doctor, 'who's Wasalu" line at the end of the verse
AVAA!
im always fascinated by your abilities to evoke an emotional response in the viewer (or just me, maybe) with your narration, this video brought me to the verge of tears
now i gotta listen to this album!
AVAA
I'd definitely recommend adding Vinland Saga to your anime watchlist (maybe even Jin Roh)
Aoty
58:13 i think Lupe’s reference to “scrape the ground” goes back to his love of skateboarding. A foot scrapes the ground to propel you. “Mike’s shoes” refers to Jordan’s. Then Nike made SB Dunks. A specific shoe modeled after AF-1’s and Jordan’s. And, the SB dunks were referenced in Kick/Push
Or at least an analysis of the “Mural” songs
avaa
I finally got thru the whole video a month later and it was time well spent. It was a heartfelt breakdown that gave me some great aha moments regarding some of the stuff I had picked up on that you showed another layer to. Like their personalization of each other related to anime copying Westerns copying old martial arts flicks. (It also brings the Wu-Tang story full circle to me.) And then Lupe's research. I remember years ago when there was footage circling of Nas in the studio with Lupe. I now wonder if Lu was getting Nas' feedback for "this project about Amy" far in advance, based on Nas' rapport with Amy. I did check out some of Amy's music between Samurai listens, and I was like, "Oh, I see now." As a writer, I can relate to what you said about rap having vastly different ranges of use than written poetry. Spoken word comes close sometimes. But the thing about poetry is, sometimes it's like telling jokes - the audience has to be clear on your journey from A to B to be in on it as a performance. At other times, poetry is like jazz, where it's heavily abstract and exists in its own place - everywhere and nowhere. AVAA, thanks. 😎
ive never watched one of your videos before, have been a huge lupe fan for years. this was a wonderful breakdown of the album. liked and subbed. thank you!
Oh nooooo. The way my heart hurt when you said Akira was meh. Oh! I don't think I can get over that one. But I forgive your teenage self. :) It's not just a classic but the animation and the way it was done alone. Oof. My heart. Akira informed all of the animation across the world after its release. There's a clear line in animation pre Akira and after. That's how influential it continues to be to this day. But I'm an animation nerd and we learn from each other? Yes?
You def made up for it right after when describing AfroSamurai tho. AVAA
ETA: If you like the western style anime's a good classic is Cowboy Bebop and by the same animator who did Samurai Champloo. And please, please ignore Netflix's terrible attempt at live action anime of Cowboy Bebop. Stay away from that one. Also adding that Yasuke is real. There was a black samurai historically.
AVAA
yes, watch Afro-Samurai and Hellsing Ultimate then put Anime away and do the reviews; I’ll pay for that!
AVAA - Amazing to see some love for Welcome to the Terrordome
The anime I'd recommend is Perfect Blue because it has layers and does what anime does best - be beautiful, strange, terrifying and layered AVAA
AVAA
I love your contributions, the effort, and the passion you put into these videos. I appreciate you as an educator, who undoubtedly inspires and evokes critical thought and passion in others. My sincerest of thank yous. I've been a fan of Lupe my entire life, and it brings me so much joy to see him recognized and appreciated by others. Much love Professor Skye.
But other than that, Lupe just dropped a classic love every song 😩🔥🔥🔥
AVAA
Thought you were talking about the Amy Winehouse movie that came out this year at first and was starting to get concerned. Barely any focus on her artistry while being more concerned with casting her father and (ex?)-husband in the most sympathetic light possible. I watched it with some friends and at first we all thought it was just mid, but the more we talked about it the more insulting and lazy it felt.
So yeah, I do not recommend. Sorry for the rant 😅.
Um your wife has bomb music taste 🔥 she have a playlist??
The amy winehouse in the video background 🤣
It’s been out a month with a couple singles that lead up to release, but this for me could easily be a top 3 Lupe album. Just purely based on listening pleasure, of course he has bodies of work that you could credit and dissect more and show his range of writing abilities than this but I just love how concise this album is and how focused on just rapping it feels, the production flows so seamlessly from track to track too, if I had to pick an album to try get someone who’s unaware of Lupe to try make them a fan, this would be my choice
AVAA.. What's the last A for? Awesome Videos Always 🤔
I thought it was a play on the fashion designer Vera Wang?????
Dinosaurs never existed that’s why the song is stupid he should’ve did more research.
Love this album, it is better than DMIZ (which I love) in my opinion and is S-tier Lupe
Not saying that it's harder, it's just harder when it's in Lupe hands
No.1 headband… Amy was also known for wearing headbands.
AVAA Cheese cake factory is gonna drop a diss track any moment.
Professor might meet his ancestors if he reviewed Drogas Waves the review would be that long
Avaa - Any chance of getting your courses online?
Martial arts originated in Egypt IE African
Where can I watch this Lupe Skye interview?
Peace bro do you do independent artists?