Event Recap: Lupe Fiasco @ New Orleans Hip-Hop for Hope 2007!

Working long hard hours for atlantics records pays in full... Lupe Fiasco is on my list of top 5 lyricists of all times. Believe me, that is not some easy accomplishment, that list is sacred. When I first got offered the job to work for Atlantic I was excited, but I was not entirely sure who was on their label and I wanted to do my homework. One artist immediately stuck out to me- Lupe. While I love the other artists I promote, Lupe was far and away the one that sold me on it. I wanted the business executives to know that Lupe's style of music does sell, that it's popular with a variety of people, and that it is the future of the hip-hop industry. The following is a report I submitted as a recap of the promotional event I held for Lupe Fiasco at Hip-Hop for Hope 2007.

November 1st, 2007:

The stage was set for a great event- over 100 people crowded into the Ashe Cultural Arts Center, amidst the West African sculptures and paintings on the wall, waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of the "Superstar" they came to see. From 6:30 to 8:30 pm, the crowd listened to 9 different panelists speak their opinions on a number of different Hip-Hop themed topics: HIV/AIDS, Education, economics, violence, and other issues related to the lifestyle often associated with Hip-Hop. Other local hip-hop artists were in attendance, including Truth Universal, KJ Mac, Chris and Qmembers of the band Floopy Head.







[Photo: Chris, lead singer of New Orleans hip-hop band "Floopy Head".]



The crowd was heated- towards the end of the panel, people got a chance to speak their minds, vocalizing powerful and passionate opinions about the subject matter. This was what Hip-Hop for Hope was all about- establishing dialogue and fostering interaction and community participation. All of this served to set the tone for the M.C. we all know and love, Lupe Fiasco.








[Photo: Panelists at Hip-Hop for Hope Community Forum]





Just when it seemed as if the dialogue had come to a climax and was about to fade out, we ended the panel and introduced our distinguished guest. Lupe entered the room as camera's snapped and people with camcorders shuffled quietly closer to get a better angle. People applauded Lupe as he entered the room full of onlookers, waiting patiently to hear his 2-cents on the issues. Just as promised, we started off Lupe's Q and A session with questions we had asked the panelists just an hour earlier. "In what way do you see Hip-Hop as a means of promoting education- does Hip-Hop belong in the class room and if so, how should it be used?" Lupe was cool, calm and collected, rubbing his chin in quiet reflection for a moment, before responding with a careful, thought provoking analysis, displaying a wisdom well beyond an average 24 year old. Lupe responded with something like this: "I think Hip-Hop certainly has its place in the classroom as a tool to help reach students, in certain circumstances, but I think its important to remember that education doesn't only take place in a classroom or a school... I never did very well in school, and yet hip-hop was one means to help me learn the tools I needed. Also, hip-hop shouldnt be the only tool, it is just a form of a music, not a be-all end-all solution to the problems we face...etc". We knew after the first response that Lupe was not just some big name or gimmick to boost attendance at the forum- he was the real deal- his thoughts would be a crucial contribution to the overall dialogue.
















We continued on with more questions, trying to maintain some focus on his new up and coming album "the Cool". I asked him if there were any specific issues that he was concentrating on conveying with this new album. I added that I knew his work was more artiststic than prescriptive or academic, that his message was heavily layered with imagery and every day life experiences- but what community issues could we expect to find him addressing with his latest work? He responded very coolly, describing some of the processes he typically uses in creating a song and an album. He talked about how his message gets interwoven into his songs through certain experiences and subject matter, and how he often tries to convey a different perspective of things, often exploring aspects of the typical issues which one might have not considered before. One example he used was that, instead of describing a rape, or the act of rape, and saying that it was a bad thing, etc., he would be more interested in exploring the victim's perspective months or years after- conveying the psychological impact. This made perfect sense to me in retrospect, thinking about his other works- his subtle nuances and narratives convey a profound perspective on so many intertwined issues. In many ways, his music becomes more powerful because he focuses less on a specific issue, but rather on experience and the inherent complexity in any given circumstance. Lupe talked about how he refuses to cover a subject more than once, and how it both limits him but also allows him to continue to be original and think about new ideas. He said some of his new songs would address problems such as immigration and other less talked about issues in the hip-hop world.

















We then opened it up for the audience to ask questions. Many die-hard Lupe fans were given the chance to finally ask some of the questions that had always wanted to ask him. One person was curious to know about the album artwork- what did the symbols mean? I thought he would just say "well it looked cool", but little did I know, this question would be one of the most pertinent for explaining the whole background behind his new album. He cooly removed his jacket with the triangular logo on the back and had one of his nearby crew hold it up as he explained the three personalities, the Streets, the Game, and the Cool. He spit a few fluid verses "blunts for fingers.... hollow points for teeth", incorporating them perfectly into his answer as he painted a picture of the concept and themes of "The Cool". My mom was there, a 50 year old white woman from the south, and later came up to me saying "you should tell Lupe that I am going to buy his CD after hearing his explanation!" Everyone was so impressed at his thoughtful responses, his poise and his approachable nature. The Q and A ended up being less formal than I had initially expected, but it worked to everyone's advantage. At times, it was as if Lupe and I were just having a one on one conversation in my living room, for everyone to see. At the same time, it felt almost as if we were two students giving a presentation to our class, thrown together at the last minute, but successful nonetheless. I tried to play my part, asking questions which could relate to the audience and tie in his appearance to the larger mission of the forum, while also giving him time to promote his album and explain what it was all about. Lupe was incredible at feeding off of what I was giving him, providing answers which were entirely refreshing, unpredictable, yet still %100 Lupe. It seemed as if there was an energy in the air- a realization on everyone's part that , wow, Lupe was actually there, he actually cared about what we were doing and he seemed genuinely interested.


Later on, fans asked him about his experiences coming to New Orleans after the storm. He said his first time back, when opening for the Roots at House of Blues, he just got off the plane and got back on. This time, he said, was different. Driving between Gulfport, MS and New Orleans, Lupe had a chance to see the destruction of the storm- it was and is, way beyond what any outsider could ever imagine. He said he was a changed person because of it- part of me wanted him to stay, because I can't imagine what his reaction would be if he had seen up close the damage the storm had left behind in the historic 9th Ward and other parts of the city. One day just can't do justice to what has taken place. Still, I could tell he had begun to understand our struggle- a struggle beyond any words to describe it. We ended the Q and A and let his fans come up and do a quick meet and greet, getting autographs and giving thanks to the superstar who had taken time to share his wisdom and his talents.


















Later on, Lupe did a few interviews with local student newspapers, city-wide media, and a local hip-hop film production company: 2 Cent Entertainment. The directors of Ashe Cultural Arts Center were very adamant about getting some of the pictures of Lupe's appearance to hang on their wall of fame (they were all huge fans of his and they were so pleased that he came down!). Overall, the event was a huge success, and we can't thank Lupe enough for being in the right place at the right time. Next year, we would love to have him come back and hopefully do a performance for our benefit concert. I slipped his manager my card and told him we would love to book him, and then shook Lupe's hand and thanked him again. I told him that he was one of the main reasons I had been working for Atlantic, that it was my plan from the start to try to get him to come down for our Hip-Hop for Hope event, and that it was truly a dream come true. This type of event makes me just want to work even harder as a College Rep to help unite artists with fans, promoting their music while working with them for a much greater cause- Hope.
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PRESS UPDATE: October 16th, 2007

The "Block Party" previously scheduled for November 3rd has been postponed to a later date (TBA) following the collection of all donations and proceeds from the Benefit Concert. The event will be rescheduled as a dedication ceremony upon final delivery of our donation to MLK Charter. Please check back for updates in the coming weeks...