It’s strange — though many older albums have probably surpassed the targeted goal of album-equivalent-units by now, they’re not always certified by the RIAA at an accurate rate. As such, newer artists tend to shine in the current system while classics are left playing catch-up.
Today, however, Lupe Fiasco has officially hit a major career milestone. His 2006 debut album Food & Liquor has officially been certified gold fifteen years after its release. Though you’d certainly think that over a million copies of the project have been sold by now, perhaps a platinum plaque will follow shortly thereafter.
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Journalist Andrew Barber took a moment to celebrate Lupe’s accomplishment, offering a few words about the certification on Twitter. “Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor album has just been certified GOLD after 15 long years. Congrats to all involved, long overdue.”
Showing his support was none other than ScHoolboy Q, who shared an anecdote about his own experience with Lupe’s classic debut. “I remember goin to @LupeFiasco sHow at tHe observatory in O.C & He brung out @gmalone & g brung out mystro,” writes Q. “I wasn’t even rapping at tHe time, my locs always called me weird for listening to lupe. Classic album.”
Lupe himself opted to commemorate the occasion with a heartfelt Instagram post. “Man listen shout to all the fans that stayed down like an elephant chest,” he captions. “And all my enemies that tried to harm the name and caught an L or an F, F&L is full of raps smothered in soul, and now we got another plaque all covered in GOLD!!!
Show some love to Lupe Fiasco, and while it may be surprising that it took fifteen years to be certified gold, remember that it was originally released during a different era altogether. And damned if “Kick, Push” wasn’t on steady rotation, be it on bootlegged CD, Sony Discmans, iPods, or car speakers. Did you own a physical copy of this album?