Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage nameLupe Fiasco, is an American rapper, record producer, and music educator. He became well known in 2006 after releasing his first album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. His song "The Show Goes On" reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He is also the lead singer of a rock band called Japanese Cartoon, where he uses his real name.
Fiasco was the CEO of record label 1st and 15th Entertainment and co-founded the nonprofit charity organization M.U.R.A.L. Many people see him as an important part of the conscious hip-hop movement. He has sold 22 million RIAA-certified units in the United States.
Life and career
1982–99: Early life
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco was born on February 16, 1982, in Chicago, Illinois. His mother, Shirley Jaco, was a cook. His father, Gregory Jaco, who has died, was a martial arts teacher. He has an older sister named Ayesha Jaco, who appears on some of his albums. Fiasco is Muslim and trained in martial arts. His parents divorced when he was three years old, and he lived with his mother.
When he was in sixth grade, he went to live with his father in Harvey, Illinois. His father lived next to people who sold cocaine, and he taught Fiasco how to use guns to protect himself from drug dealers.
2000–05: Career beginnings
In 2000, Fiasco was part of a rap group called Da Pak. The group signed with Epic Records and released one promotional song called "Armpits" before breaking up. Fiasco did not agree with the group’s image and lyrics, which he felt were disrespectful to women and focused too much on drugs and money.
In 2001, Fiasco and his manager Charles "Chilly" Patton started a record label called 1st & 15th Entertainment. The label included both rappers and music producers. This helped them make music without needing other companies' production teams. Fiasco was offered a deal with Jay-Z's company, Roc-A-Fella Records, though turned it down. He signed as a solo artist to Arista Records, where he worked on music but only appeared on songs by other artists, such as "Kiss Me" and "Didn't You Know" by Tha' Rayne.
In 2004, he began working on his first album, Food & Liquor. Arista's A&R L.A. Reid was let go, causing many artists to move to different labels, and some albums were never released. Fiasco, with guidance from Chilly, Mark Pitts, and Jay-Z, signed with Atlantic Records. Jay-Z was going to become the president of the label, but he chose to work at Def Jam Recordings instead, where he was offered ownership of his music.
2006–08: Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor and The Cool
Fiasco performing at Bumbershoot in 2007.
Fiasco's first album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, was released on September 19, 2006. The album received positive reviews from music critics and reached number eight on the Billboard 200 in the United States. It was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Jay-Z was the executive producer and appeared on the song "Pressure". The album also had production from Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, The Neptunes, Prolyfic, and more.
In 2007, Fiasco released his second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. The album was more abstract and included a story about a zombie drug dealer who comes back to life, told across several songs. Fiasco said the album was inspired by a speech by Cornel West, who talked about making the "uncool, cool." While working on the album, Fiasco experienced personal loss. His father died from type 2 diabetes, his manager Chilly went to jail, and his friend Stack Bundles was killed. The album was praised by critics, appeared on many "best albums of the year" lists, and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards.
Fiasco performing in Melbourne, Australia on January 26, 2009.
Since 2009, Fiasco spoke openly about his problems with his record label, Atlantic Records. He felt his creativity was being stifled, and even had thoughts of suicide. His album Lasers was delayed many times, and he was told to make pop songs. In response, Fiasco's fans started an online petition asking Atlantic to release the album. They also held a protest called Fiasco Friday, where fans went to Atlantic's office in New York City.
Lasers was finally released on March 7, 2011, and it reached number one on the Billboard 200. This was Fiasco's first album to do so. Even though it sold well, many fans and music critics had mixed feelings about it. Some thought the album was not his best and that it tried too hard to follow pop music trends.
Later in 2011, Fiasco supported the Occupy Wall Street movement. He gave tents to protesters, shared a poem called "Moneyman", and talked about the protest during his concerts. He also released a free mixtape called Friend of the People: I Fight Evil on Thanksgiving Day.
2012–13: Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album
Fiasco's fourth album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, was released on September 25, 2012. It was first planned as a two-disc album, but his record label did not agree with the idea. Because of this, Fiasco decided to release it in parts instead. The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Grammy Awards. On January 17, 2013, Fiasco said that the second part of the album would not be released.
2013–15: Tetsuo & Youth
In October 2013, Fiasco announced the Tetsuo & Youth Preview Tour, which took place between November 2 to December 15, 2013. His fifth album, Tetsuo & Youth, was planned to come out in early 2014, but it was delayed until 2015. The album was finally released by Atlantic Records on January 20, 2015. Later that year, on August 29, 2015, Fiasco released the surprise mixtape Pharaoh Height.
2016–18: Drogas Light and Wave
In April 2016, Fiasco said he planned to release three final albums called Drogas, Skulls, and Roy. Later, the titles were changed to Drogas, Drogas Light, and Skulls. The first of these, Drogas Light, was released on February 10, 2017. It was his first album not released under Atlantic Records. The album mostly had trap-style songs, but it received mixed to negative reviews from critics and fans. Many people found the change in style confusing.
He released Drogas Wave on September 21, 2018. It was his longest album, with 24 songs. The album talks about the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, water, and the African diaspora. Fiasco has said he wants to turn the story of the album into a screenplay called Wave.
2019–present: Drill Music in Zion and Samurai
Fiasco's next album, Drill Music in Zion, was released on June 24, 2022, through 1st & 15th Too and Thirty Tigers. He recorded the whole album in just three days, using GarageBand and a USB microphone in his living room.
Fiasco released his ninth album, Samurai, on June 28, 2024. It is a concept album inspired by Amy Winehouse. In the album, he tells a story about Amy becoming a battle rapper.
This is a comprehensive list of awards and nominations won by Lupe Fiasco. His work as earned him 12 Grammy Award nominations, 13 Bet Hip Hop Awards, and four NAACP Image Awards. He has also won the USA's 2009 Character Approved Award. In total, he has been nominated for thirty-three awards.
