Lupe Fiasco is returning hip-hop to its best tradition: actually saying something. With his new track, “Words I Never Said,” the rapper confronts such diverse topics as the war on terror and the foreclosure crisis, with rhymes such as “Gaza strip was getting bombed, Obama didn’t say shit | Thats why I aint vote for him, next one either | I’ma part of the problem, my problem is I’m peaceful.”
[Skylar Grey]
It’s so loud Inside my head
With words that I should have said!
As I drown in my regrets
I can’t take back the words I never said
I can’t take back the words I never said
[Lupe Fiasco]
I really think the war on terror is a bunch of bullshit
Just a poor excuse for you to use up all your bullets
How much money does it take to really make a full clip
9/11 building 7 did they really pull it
Uhh, And a bunch of other cover ups
Your childs future was the first to go with budget cuts
If you think that hurts then, wait here comes the uppercut
The school was garbage in the first place, thats on the up and up
Keep you at the bottom but tease you with the uppercrust
You get it then they move you so you never keeping up enough
If you turn on TV all you see’s a bunch of “what the f-cks”
Dude is dating so and so blabbering bout such and such
And that aint Jersey Shore, homie thats the news
And these the same people that supposed to be telling us the truth
Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist
Gaza strip was getting bombed, Obama didn’t say shit
Thats why I aint vote for him, next one either
I’ma part of the problem, my problem is I’m peaceful
And I believe in the people.
[Skylar Grey - Chorus]
It’s so loud inside my head
With words that I should have said!
As I drown in my regrets
I can’t take back the words I never said
I can’t take back the words I never said
[Lupe Fiasco - Verse 2]
Now you can say it aint our fault if we never heard it
But if we know better than we probably deserve it
Jihad is not a holy war, wheres that in the worship?
Murdering is not Islam!
And you are not observant
And you are not a muslim
Israel don’t take my side cause look how far you’ve pushed them
Walk with me into the ghetto, this where all the Kush went
Complain about the liquor store but what you drinking liquor for?
Complain about the gloom but when’d you pick a broom up?
Just listening to Pac aint gone make it stop
A rebel in your thoughts, aint gon make it halt
If you don’t become an actor you’ll never be a factor
Pills with million side effects
Take em when the pains felt
Wash them down with Diet soda!
Killin off your brain cells
Crooked banks around the World
Would gladly give a loan today
So if you ever miss payment
They can take your home away!
[Skylar Grey - Chorus]
It’s so loud inside my head
With words that I should have said!
As I drown in my regrets
I can’t take back the words I never said, never said
I can’t take back the words I never said
[Lupe Fiasco - Verse 3]
I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence
Fear is such a weak emotion thats why I despise it
We scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth
So scared of what you think of me, I’m scared of even telling you
Sometimes I’m like the only person I feel safe to tell it to
I’m locked inside a cell in me, I know that there’s a jail in you
Consider this your bailing out, so take a breath, inhale a few
My screams is finally getting free, my thoughts is finally yelling through
[Skylar Grey - Chorus]
It’s so loud Inside my head
With words that I should have said!
As I drown in my regrets
I can’t take back the words I never said
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@The Joke’s On You: yeah, man, you got it right. Also
the 1999 Seattle riots against the WTO. Hip-hop, pirate
radio, local community…it has a huge influence and
impact…the doom and gloom mainstream line is that any
active resistance is futile…they young know [or, I
guess, don’t know otherwise!] that this is not the case
at all. You’re so right.
By mason, April 1, 2011 at 12:02 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
@ all
Public Enemy, Sole, Sciencz of life, Jedi Mind Tricks, Virtuoso, Sage Francis, Immortal Technique, Synesthesia… The list is almost endless. Hip hop has been saying something for over well ten years. Lupe Fiasco could never get me out in the streets. Immortal technique on the other hand…
By The Joke's On You, March 31, 2011 at 9:17 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Tim Kelly: “Today the left pins its hopes on “rap” and facebook. Old fart rant or not, young people today can’t be bothered to put down their iPods and actually make a difference.”
Man, did you miss the Wisconsin protests? It was our students that led the charge, that tirelessly kept spirits up in subzero weather, and just generally injected a renewed sense of purpose for hundreds of thousands of people to take to the streets!
btw, the lyrics to this rap song are incredibly powerful. Glad to know our young people see through the bullshit.
By Geoph, March 31, 2011 at 7:37 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
At least Bob Dylan (and Woody Guthrie, since you missed that
reference) could get people into the streets.
Tim,
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but our nation has had many massive protests
recently over labor issues, in late 2001-03 many of us were out there protesting
the wars. Just because there’s not a lot of media coverage for those of us who
don’t tape tea bags to our forehead doesn’t mean us young’uns aren’t out there.
Also, if it wasn’t for the draft your generation would have been just as complacent.
By charles lacy, March 31, 2011 at 2:14 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
@Tom Kelly
Obviously you dislike rap, although I think that it’s probably more difficult to do successfully than you think. Even if you dislike the music as an art shouldn’t blind you to any redeeming qualities. Here we saw a young man with more guts to call out hyprocrisy and general wrongdoing then many of the mainstream pundits and talking heads out there. So the reference to dogsh*t sounds closed minded to me, but to each his own. And as far as getting people into the streets, it’s less a reflection on the few thoughtful artists in music as a whole, as it is a condemnation of young people and societal ignorance in general.
By Tim Kelly, March 30, 2011 at 5:22 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
At least Bob Dylan (and Woody Guthrie, since you missed that reference) could get people into the streets. Today the left pins its hopes on “rap” and facebook. Old fart rant or not, young people today can’t be bothered to put down their iPods and actually make a difference. If it weren’t for the old farts reminding people that it wasn’t always like this, you young snots would think you were God’s gift to humankind, just like we did when we were young.
My mind is wide open. As for “rap,” let’s not chrome dogsh*t and call it a trophy. When the fellow can play a musical instrument I’ll consider it music.
By charles, March 30, 2011 at 12:42 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
@Tim Kelly
That is a very closeminded view. I’ve listened to all of his albums, and whatever you think of his grammar pales compared to the unfiltered truth he dares say about the black community, and hypocrisy in general. He really is the anti-mainstream, anti “record deal” rapper, and is very thoughtful and intelligent. Try do broaden your horizons a little.
By Mark Colville, March 30, 2011 at 10:40 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Hey Tim, give us a break, will ya? Last time I checked, Bob Dylan (the standard to
whom you apparently want to hold any musician with a conscience) hasn’t said
anything relevant to the struggles we fight for, oh, about 30 years. Invoking Bob
Dylan to discredit a young rapper who actually gives a shit is kind of an old fart
rant, wouldn’t you agree?
By Geoph, March 30, 2011 at 1:58 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Thanks so much for introducing me to Lupe Fiasco. I’ve been losing my faith in hip
hop as a relevant art form (especially after Will.i.am’s love song/propaganda work
for Obama’s campaign) in our current society but just bought the Lupe Fiasco
album and have some hope again.
Many of my young political/social ideas were influenced by the music of the early
90’s and I hope more artists will find the courage to speak out on important issues
of our turbulent times so that upcoming generations will have their minds opened
to issues outside their own personal lives. We already have enough love and party
songs, we need more important music.
By Pookiedog, March 29, 2011 at 9:23 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Yeah, I didn’t vote for OB either and you would think I joined the KKK the way people reacted when I told them…Finally, a rap that might awaken a social conscious in today’s youth.
Yo Lupe! I saw you on Tavis Smiley and I was very impressed by what you had to say…rest assured I will buy your CD and not illegally download it!
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By DieDaily, April 1, 2011 at 2:06 am Link to this comment
@The Joke’s On You: yeah, man, you got it right. Also
Report thisthe 1999 Seattle riots against the WTO. Hip-hop, pirate
radio, local community…it has a huge influence and
impact…the doom and gloom mainstream line is that any
active resistance is futile…they young know [or, I
guess, don’t know otherwise!] that this is not the case
at all. You’re so right.
By mason, April 1, 2011 at 12:02 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
@ all
Report thisPublic Enemy, Sole, Sciencz of life, Jedi Mind Tricks, Virtuoso, Sage Francis, Immortal Technique, Synesthesia… The list is almost endless. Hip hop has been saying something for over well ten years. Lupe Fiasco could never get me out in the streets. Immortal technique on the other hand…
By The Joke's On You, March 31, 2011 at 9:17 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Tim Kelly: “Today the left pins its hopes on “rap” and facebook. Old fart rant or not, young people today can’t be bothered to put down their iPods and actually make a difference.”
Man, did you miss the Wisconsin protests? It was our students that led the charge, that tirelessly kept spirits up in subzero weather, and just generally injected a renewed sense of purpose for hundreds of thousands of people to take to the streets!
btw, the lyrics to this rap song are incredibly powerful. Glad to know our young people see through the bullshit.
Report thisBy Geoph, March 31, 2011 at 7:37 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Tim,
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but our nation has had many massive protests
recently over labor issues, in late 2001-03 many of us were out there protesting
the wars. Just because there’s not a lot of media coverage for those of us who
don’t tape tea bags to our forehead doesn’t mean us young’uns aren’t out there.
Also, if it wasn’t for the draft your generation would have been just as complacent.
Report thisBy charles lacy, March 31, 2011 at 2:14 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
@Tom Kelly
Report thisObviously you dislike rap, although I think that it’s probably more difficult to do successfully than you think. Even if you dislike the music as an art shouldn’t blind you to any redeeming qualities. Here we saw a young man with more guts to call out hyprocrisy and general wrongdoing then many of the mainstream pundits and talking heads out there. So the reference to dogsh*t sounds closed minded to me, but to each his own. And as far as getting people into the streets, it’s less a reflection on the few thoughtful artists in music as a whole, as it is a condemnation of young people and societal ignorance in general.
By Tim Kelly, March 30, 2011 at 5:22 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
At least Bob Dylan (and Woody Guthrie, since you missed that reference) could get people into the streets. Today the left pins its hopes on “rap” and facebook. Old fart rant or not, young people today can’t be bothered to put down their iPods and actually make a difference. If it weren’t for the old farts reminding people that it wasn’t always like this, you young snots would think you were God’s gift to humankind, just like we did when we were young.
My mind is wide open. As for “rap,” let’s not chrome dogsh*t and call it a trophy. When the fellow can play a musical instrument I’ll consider it music.
Report thisBy charles, March 30, 2011 at 12:42 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
@Tim Kelly
Report thisThat is a very closeminded view. I’ve listened to all of his albums, and whatever you think of his grammar pales compared to the unfiltered truth he dares say about the black community, and hypocrisy in general. He really is the anti-mainstream, anti “record deal” rapper, and is very thoughtful and intelligent. Try do broaden your horizons a little.
By Mark Colville, March 30, 2011 at 10:40 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Hey Tim, give us a break, will ya? Last time I checked, Bob Dylan (the standard to
Report thiswhom you apparently want to hold any musician with a conscience) hasn’t said
anything relevant to the struggles we fight for, oh, about 30 years. Invoking Bob
Dylan to discredit a young rapper who actually gives a shit is kind of an old fart
rant, wouldn’t you agree?
By Geoph, March 30, 2011 at 1:58 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Thanks so much for introducing me to Lupe Fiasco. I’ve been losing my faith in hip
hop as a relevant art form (especially after Will.i.am’s love song/propaganda work
for Obama’s campaign) in our current society but just bought the Lupe Fiasco
album and have some hope again.
Many of my young political/social ideas were influenced by the music of the early
Report this90’s and I hope more artists will find the courage to speak out on important issues
of our turbulent times so that upcoming generations will have their minds opened
to issues outside their own personal lives. We already have enough love and party
songs, we need more important music.
By Tim Kelly, March 29, 2011 at 9:46 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Sorry, but Bob Dylan he ain’t
His English makes teachers faint
He makes a good case for education
Instead of school Lupe took a vacation
Just because it’s black and rap
Doesn’t mean it don’t sound like crap
Pressing buttons on a synth machine
Don’t make it on the protest scene
Fellow needs to pick up a guitar
Report thisBe like Woody traveling here and far
Learn to make some music for real
Look beyond getting a record deal
By Laws456, March 29, 2011 at 6:19 pm Link to this comment
Lupe from the beginning has always been aware of the bullshit that surrounds and thrives in our culture.
Report thisBy Pookiedog, March 29, 2011 at 9:23 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Yeah, I didn’t vote for OB either and you would think I joined the KKK the way people reacted when I told them…Finally, a rap that might awaken a social conscious in today’s youth.
Yo Lupe! I saw you on Tavis Smiley and I was very impressed by what you had to say…rest assured I will buy your CD and not illegally download it!
Report thisBy redteddy, March 29, 2011 at 3:26 am Link to this comment
I like the lyrics, we need more of that in our culture. I wonder how much actual
Report this‘air play’ it will get considering its politicized nature.
By G. Schroder, March 28, 2011 at 6:11 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Who posted this, a record rep?
Report this