Lupe Fiasco

‘The Chi’: Here’s The Music You Heard In Season 6, Episode 6

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'The Chi' 605 Dre
STARZ

(WARNING: Spoilers for this week’s The Chi episode will be found below.)

The sixth episode in The Chi season six was supposed to be a joyful one. The kids of Chicago’s south side have reached the end of their high school careers and they’re preparing for graduation. With this, come big life decisions for everyone. Kevin is leaning toward a video gaming gig in Los Angeles, which means he must inform not only his mom but also his girlfriend Maisha about it. Bakari reconnects with his sister and Papa finds happiness with a new surprise in his relationship with Kenya. As with everything in The Chi, things aren’t always peachy and rosy in Chicago.

Keisha discovered the bag of money that Douda and Nuk forced Emmett to hide at his home and that turned out to be a breaking point for him as he tried to force his way out of his deal with Douda. That didn’t work out too well for him, and the same could be said about Bakari in the aftermath of his arrest for driving with a stolen car. Victor is being investigated for Q’s murder and he has to decide whether or not to confess to his involvement in the crime. Additionally, Marcus and Jemma’s disagreements continue, but none of the above makes for the worst thing that happened in this episode.

Papa’s father is seemingly dead after he was killed by someone we can assume is an associate of Douda.

The events mentioned above in the sixth episode of Showtime’s The Chi season six, titled “Boys II Men,” are soundtracked by songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene. You can find a list of them below and details about the scenes the records played behind.

The following records were provided thanks to the Showtime Entertainment Public Relations team. Some records are unreleased and will not be on streaming until a later date. Check back for updates on a release.

Preston — “Pressure”

We hear this record around the 6:20 mark as Kevin, Maisha, Jake, Jemma, Lynae, and Papa prepare to take pictures for graduation. They’re all a bit antsy as they wait in line for the photos. Lynae talks about still being on punishment and wanting to move out, Kevin says to be careful what you wish for, Papa is stressing about his photos, and Maisha shows them how it’s done.

Crown — “Wild Bill”

This song plays around the 8:05 mark as Douda punches Bakari in the face for losing the stolen Lamborghini that he allowed him to drive for prom. Douda also consults with Nuk about figuring out a way to wash their money. He learns that Pastor Jackson is the one making things difficult for them.

J Doe — “Need Some Prayer”

Around the 15:15 mark, this record plays as Jamal pulls up in a truck to see Bakari at the door of Nina’s house where Lynae is staying. Bakari apologized to Nina for putting her in harm’s way and he later explained to Jamal how he got a black eye. Jamal then offers Bakari a ride home.

Stix — “Prayer”

This record can be heard around the 23:21 mark as Jamal and Bakari continue their drive. Jamal warns Bakari about his street life and how being in jail will affect him if he continues down this path. Jamal also suggests that Bakari take some time apart from Lynae after the stolen car incident.

Kieran The Light — “No Pressure”

We hear this record around the 28:15 mark as Jamal and Bakari arrive at Papa’s house where the latter has been staying. It’s there that they see Bakari’s sister sitting on the steps. Bakari and his sister Britney were split up into separate foster homes and lost touch with each other over the years.

Rukus — “Spin The Block”

This song plays around the 29:00 mark as Bakari and Britney catch up with each other. Britney reveals that she’s no longer hustling in the streets and is instead, focusing on her music career to accomplish her dreams. She asks if she can stay with Bakari, but he says that the decision isn’t up to him as it’s not his house. They exchange contacts to stay in touch.

EMAN8 — “Inspired”

EMAN8’s record plays around the 48:58 mark as Kevin, Maisha, Jake, Jemma, Lynae, and Papa take their seats in an auditorium to begin graduation. Before things kick off, Douda comes in to have Bakari come with him but Victor and Pastor Jackson tell Douda that Bakari isn’t going anywhere.

Durand The Rapper — “Forever Kings”

Around the 52:10 mark, this song plays as Kevin concludes his graduation speech to his classmates. He revealed his plans to go to Los Angeles to chase his video game dreams and he encouraged his classmates to pursue their own goals, no matter how big or small they are.

Lupe Fiasco — “Kick Push”

This record can be heard around the 54:34 mark at a party that Kevin, Maisha, Jake, Jemma, Lynae, Bakari, Britney, and Papa attend after graduation. It’s here that Lynae meets Britney for the first time and that Britney learns that Bakari has a girlfriend.

Amari Noelle aka Britney — “At It Again (“Kick Push” Freestyle)

We hear this record around the 55:35 mark as Britney, played by real-life artist Amari Noelle, takes over the mic to freestyle over “Kick Push.” Everyone is blown away, though Maisha seems to be a bit jealous as it’s been a while since her raps have brought her the applause that Britney received.

Alonda Rich — “Hypebeast”

This song plays around the 56:30 mark after Britney’s freestyle. Jemma approaches her about managing her, but Britney says her main concern at the moment is finding a place to crash. Jemma says she isn’t able to help there but tells Britney to find her when she’s ready to have someone manage her.

Travon Potts — “Dry My Tears”

Travon Potts’ record can be heard around the 57:26 mark as Pastor Jackson prays for guidance from God and asks for his son to be protected. Just as he concludes this prayer, a man comes up behind him with a rope and seemingly chokes him to death as we’re left to watch him lay on the ground unresponsive.

New episodes of ‘The Chi’ are available through the Paramount Plus With Showtime plan on Fridays at 3am EST/ 12 pm PST. Weekly episodes also air Sundays on Showtime at 9pm EST/PST.

Lupe Fiasco And Google Encourage Rappers To Incorporate AI Into Their Music With TextFX, A New Tool

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In addition to being a rapper and producer, Lupe Fiasco is also a teacher. Last year, he taught a rap course at MIT and broke down lyrics by iconic hip-hop artists. Now, he’s joined the discussion about how AI will play a role in the genre.

The “Superstar” performer has teamed up with Google for an AI tool called TextFX that aids “the writing process of creating raps.” In a Google Lab Sessions video, Fiasco explains, “Rap is born out of technology. Rap wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for these technological advancements.” He lists examples, such as a DJ’s turntable, microphones, recording studios, Auto-Tune, and more. “What’s next?” he says. “Artificial Intelligence, large language models — rap’s optimal for it.”

A Creative Technologist at Google named Aaron Wade steps in and explains the tool, which actually is a large language model. “Initially, we thought that maybe Lupe would want an AI system to write lyrics for him, verses, and raps,” he said. “But it turns out that he didn’t want that at all. What he wanted was a tool that helped him explore the universe of possibilities that can arise from any given word, or phrase, or concept.”

Watch Fiasco’s full Google Lab Session above and check out TextFX here.

Run DMC, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and More to Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Birthday with ‘Hip-Hop 50 Live’ at Yankee Stadium

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On the momentous occasion of Hip Hop’s 50th birthday, the genre’s birthplace, The Bronx, will host an unforgettable and celebratory concert. Hip Hop 50 Live, taking place at Yankee Stadium on Friday, August 11, promises to be a can’t-miss event that will bring together the biggest names in the industry.

The highlight of the evening will be the much-anticipated Bottom of the Ninth…The Walk-Off performance by the legendary Run DMC. Joining them on the stage will be an impressive lineup of artists, including Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and many more yet to be announced. Additionally, a special Queens of Hip Hop set will showcase the talent of Eve, Lil Kim, Remy Ma, Trina, and other prominent female artists in the genre.

The lineup continues to impress with additional performers such as T.I., Fat Joe, Common, A$AP Ferg, EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Lupe Fiasco, and Slick Rick. Another captivating segment of the concert, titled Pillars of Hip-Hop, will pay homage to the influential figures who helped shape the genre. This set will feature Kool Herc & Cindy Campbell, Grandmaster Caz, Kurtis Blow, Melle Mel, Roxanne Shante, Scorpio, and the Sugar Hill Gang. Furthermore, a “Legendary DJ” set will showcase the incredible skills of Clark Kent, Marley Marl, Mannie Fresh, and Battlecat.

Tickets for Hip Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium will go on sale starting Thursday, June 8 at 10 a.m. EST, with presale opportunities available until 10 p.m. EST. The general on-sale will commence on Friday, June 9 at 10 a.m. EST. Ticket prices will begin as low as $50, ensuring a wide range of accessibility for fans. As a token of appreciation to the community, early bird ticket access will be granted to various organizations, including Renaissance Youth Center, New Settlement, SCAN-Harbor, and several Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA branches.

Co-produced by Mass Appeal, Live Nation, and the New York Yankees, Hip Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium is an unforgettable experience. While additional acts are yet to be revealed, the concert is already set to make history. The lineup is subject to change, with more exciting announcements expected in the coming weeks.

The creative team behind the event is nothing short of exceptional. EMMY Award-winner and CEO of BASSic Black Entertainment, Adam Blackstone, known for his role as the musical director of the electrifying halftime show at Super Bowl LVI, will serve as the managing creative music director. Joining him is partner and producer/keyboardist Omar Edwards, who has previously worked as the musical director for JAY-Z.

Hip Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of Hip Hop’s monumental milestone, paying tribute to its rich history while embracing the genre’s vibrant future.

“I am honored to hit the stage in the Bronx, the birthplace of Hip Hop and celebrate all of my heroes,” said RUN. 

“Aug 11th is Hip Hop’s 50th birthday! So…’Up in the Bronx’ where it all started we will be celebrating this historic moment in history! I am honored to pay tribute to the culture that allowed this little shy kid from Queens to grow up and become The Mighty King of Rock! Thank you Hip Hop!!!” said DMC. 

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The post Run DMC, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and More to Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Birthday with ‘Hip-Hop 50 Live’ at Yankee Stadium appeared first on The Source.

Flavor Flav Brings His Hip-Hop Knowledge To Harvard University As Guest Lecturer + Gifts Iconic Clock

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Flavor Flav Harvard

Flavor Flav was recently a guest lecturer at Harvard University. During his guest tenure at the Ivy League, Flav lectured on hip-hop culture and history. Before stepping off campus, he donated one of his famous clocks to the university. Flavor Flav was a guest lecturer at Harvard University on April 4. He also visited the […]

The post Flavor Flav Brings His Hip-Hop Knowledge To Harvard University As Guest Lecturer + Gifts Iconic Clock appeared first on SOHH.com.

Lupe Fiasco Named Fellow At Yale University

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Lupe Fiasco is no stranger to academic honors. Last May, he was honored as an MLK Visiting Professor at MIT. Today, Lu was named a Saybrook Fellow at Yale University. This marks yet another position of prestige at one of the top schools in the world. The announcement of his new position came straight from the Saybrook Dean’s Twitter. “Prof. @LupeFiasco welcome to the Saybrook family!” he tweeted. Lu responded directly to the tweet to say how honored he was by the announcement. What this new position will entail in the day-to-day for the professor and rapper is unknown. Still, the announcement alone speaks volumes about Lu’s intellectual acumen.

Lupe Fiasco is a Chicago-born rapper, songwriter, and record producer. His debut album, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor featured his socially conscious lyrics and creative production technique. It propelled him to fame in the mid-2000s. Frequently, Lu’s music explores political issues, social justice, and personal conflict. He is known by many for his razor-sharp lyricism and complicated rhyme schemes. Throughout his career, he has continued to release critically acclaimed albums. He also makes a habit of collaborating with a wide range of artists from different genres. He has had a long and storied tenure. His academic positions serve as further proof of his mastery of rap as an art form.

Learning With Lu

Last year, Lu took to Twitter to announce his MIT course. Anyone who has followed his career should not be surprised by his intellectual endeavors. Still, teaching a course at MIT is nothing to scoff at. About the announcement, Lu tweeted, “I been holding this for a while. I’ll put together something more sophisticated later that really captures the nuance and gravity but for now I’ll just say it straight and raw: I’m going to teach Rap at MIT.”

Last December, Professor Lu did just that. The rapper taught his first course at MIT, entitled “Rap, Theory, & Practice: An Introduction”. The class is an investigation of the basic purposes, structures, and principles of rap. Surprisingly, and to the delight of many up-and-coming artists, the class was made available to everyone via Youtube. This allows those who would not otherwise have access to his teachings a way to learn from the master himself. It is yet another philanthropic move from Lu that proves he is for the people, no matter how many prestigious titles he is given.

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Steph Curry Reveals His Favorite Hip-Hop Album

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Steph Curry is easily one of the best players in the history of basketball. Overall, he is responsible for four NBA titles and a dynasty that has lasted over half a decade. Although Curry has struggled with injuries throughout this season, he hopes to carry his Golden State Warriors to the NBA Finals. They are the defending champions, and he would love to repeat, despite the odds. However, it is not going to be easy at all when you consider how the West is completely stacked this season.

Throughout his career, Curry has been eager to share his love of hip-hop. He has a deep appreciation for the genre, and he is always listening to new albums. Recently, Steph was Mistah F.A.B’s The Unc And Fab Show where he got to talk music. As you can see in the clip down below, Steph was asked about his music preferences. Specifically, they wanted to know what his all-time favorite album is. This subsequently led to Curry professing his love of Lupe Fiasco.

Steph Curry Praises Lupe

“It’s Lupe Fiasco The Cool,” Curry explained. “[I’m a] huge Lupe fan. I think that album — I don’t know how many Top 10 lists that album would come up on, but that for me, the time and place too. And he’s an amazing artist.” The Cool is an album that came out all the way back in 2007. Fifteen years later, this is still a significant album in Lupe’s career. In fact, the album recently went platinum, which is a huge designation for any artist. Regardless, it is clear that Steph Curry has pretty great taste in music.

Moving forward, Curry will likely have to find just a bit of motivation in music if he wants to get the Warriors where they want to be. This year could very well spell the end of the Warriors’ reign of terror. However, the West is for the taking, and if Curry somehow pulls off the impossible, he will be seen as a hero. Needless to say, there is a lot at stake for him and his team. Let us know what you think of his album selection, in the comments down below.

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Lupe Fiasco Calls Ja Rule His Favorite Rapper: “This Is All I Need Right Here”

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It isn’t always that we get to meet artists that were the soundtracks to our youths, but Lupe Fiasco received an opportunity. The rapper has amassed a wealth of success of his own, but when he came face to face with Ja Rule, he couldn’t contain his excitement. It looks as if the two hitmakers were able to link backstage at a concert, and the encounter was shared on Instagram.

In the clip, Lupe was like a kid meeting his idol. “This all I need right here,” he told Ja. The Murder Inc rapper was all smiles. Then, Lupe addressed the camera directly. “Listen, I grew up on Ja Rule, you feel me? I don’t give a f*ck what no motherf*cka say. Ask me who’s my favorite rapper, who I was listening to when I was coming up. Even now!

Lupe Fiasco Praises Ja Rule’s Catalog
Lupe Fiasco at ONE Musicfest held at Central Park on October 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Chynna Keys/VIBE via Getty Images)

“Give me Venni, Vetti, Vecci, n*gga,” Lupe continued. “Give me motherf*ckin’ Pain Is Love over anything, n*gga. I don’t give a f*ck. Give me 3:36 over anything. F*ck these n*ggas, feel me? I’m bumpin’ Ja! N*gga, f*ck you!” Lupe followed up his praise by sharing stories of his youth, listening to Ja “on repeat.” He said the New York star’s music would be “hyping me up, charging me up.”

To all of the attention, Ja Rule was in disbelief. “You know what? It’s so ill to hear…that,” he said, seemingly at a loss for words. “From a lyricist lyricist.” The mutual respect was applauded by fans who were happy to see two rappers come together with compliments and not criticism. Hip Hop has made sure that artists are receiving their flowers these days, from Verzuz appearances to Drink Champs praise.

Ja Rule Made His Mark on the Industry

Meanwhile, Ja Rule has been a busy man. He has multiple businesses that he attends to while also hitting the road. The rapper has continued to tour since his inception into the mainstream, and he doesn’t have plans to slow down anytime soon. Although he often makes headlines due to his long-standing beef with 50 Cent, Ja’s career is much more than Rap beef. His time with Murder Inc helped define an era, so fans understand why Lupe Fiasco was excited to meet him. Check out the interaction above.

Lupe Fiasco Broke Down Eminem & Kendrick Lamar Lyrics During His MIT Rap Course

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Lupe Fiasco announced in May that he was “going to teach rap at MIT.” More specifically, the multiplatinum-certified rapper is teaching at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT) for the 2022-23 academic year as the recipient of an MLK Visiting Professorship, as explained in the YouTube description of his “Rap Theory & Practice: An Introduction” lecture.

“Let your conscience be free. You’re now rolling with the thugs from the MIT,” Lupe said at the beginning of the session, playing off of Jay-Z’s “Get Your Mind Right Mami” verse. “Not thugs, but you know, rappers.”

He showed the class photos of him performing during his high school talent show and performing at MIT’s 2015 SpringFest to illustrate that “rap has always been a scholastic pursuit for me.” Over 90 minutes, Lupe dove into the educational root of rap and dissected the structures of Eminem’s “Stan,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Sing About Me,” and his own “Jonylah Forever.”

According to Lupe, “Stan” is “hands-down probably Eminem’s greatest record.” He laid out how Eminem brilliantly coined the term in fan culture, which was effective because he managed to pour universal, relatable macros into the song instead of trying to force “a bunch of details.” Lupe explained why he felt compelled to write “Jonylah Forever,” inspired by the tragic true story of a six-month-old girl named Jonylah Watkins who was shot dead in Chicago in 2013. Her father was the intended target.

“Destroyed the city. I was like, I need to make that a song right now,” Lupe told the class. “And the song was about Jonylah growing up, going to school, being really smart, going to med school, becoming a doctor. … She goes to open up a free clinic in the neighborhood in which she grew up in, and then one day, she’s in the office. She hears some gunshots outside, and then she runs outside to this van and gets this little girl. Triages her, stabilizes her till the paramedics can come, and eventually, she’s saved. She doesn’t realize that she just saved herself. Repetition, repetition, repetition, power. The twist, the power of that. The surprise.”

Lupe used Lamar’s “Sing About Me” as an example of when the surprise doesn’t fix everything — contrasting how he and Eminem blatantly said their plot twists where Lamar leaned more on evocative symbolism. Lupe promised to teach his students how to use “this particular frame” to learn about “a very specific type of surprise and how to utilize it and execute it” by studying stories from the simplicity of “The Three Little Pigs” all the way to Lamar’s intricate discography.

“You can talk about whatever you want,” Lupe said. “Just has to rhyme. That’s the only thing I ask. And it has to be to a beat.”

The course, per Lupe’s slideshow, will cover “fundamental rap primes” such as surprise, rhyme, metaphor, tone, and more. The full name of the class is “CMS.S60 Special Subject: Rap Theory & Practice.” Registration has begun for the 2023 spring semester.

Watch the full 90-minute introductory video above and learn more from Lupe’s tweets below.