Lupe Fiasco

Released: January 1, 2006

Songwriter: Lupe Fiasco

Producer: J Dilla

[Verse 1]
I gave you honesty on my first joint
And y'all all came out
I showed you what change 'bout
Unroll your blunts, pour your champagne out
Dullers of the pain, so you can plainly see
The black man pain I campaign 'bout
God willing 'fore I wane, I take a champion route
Before I throw a bout: I'll walk out the game
While my fans in the stands is chanting my name out, Lupe
Uh, and it's going to be PPV, won't be back for free
Gone need scratch to see me rematch with me
My greatest enemy, is my inner me
So I take this urge and give you Revenge of the Nerd: Fahrenheit 1-15, uh
Yeah, and you know I fight the feeling
Box so I can shop, sometime it doesn't register
So I return to the ring, like Return of the King
With the habit of a hobbit it makes it hard to drop it
I'm a klepto stealing
And it gets the best
Just when I guess that I left those leanings
I be back on post in a trench coat scheming

[Chorus]
Much is more what we got in store
Just believe me, (than they can ever see)
Much more than they can see
Is how it'll always be, believe me

[Verse 2]
Uh, yeah, uh
So I get back into my stance, revert to my dance
With a shirt full of pants
And my accomplice got a purse full of pants
A pocket full of purses, with no intent to purchase in the plans
And we rehearsed it 'til it's perfect
Just to dodge the searchers of the man
Just to surface outside, then return of all the merch to stay
In the service of the perfect understand, uh, yeah
And I boost myself
So from the coal car to the caboose I'm felt
From the rear to the engineer
From the L to the Underground Railroad
From the redline to the TGV
A champion fighter for whom the bell tolls, L-U-P
Little engine from the hood, the hustler in me
Known to hit the track like John Henry
Just give me my glasses
My eight ounce Everlastes' and a Michael Buffer entry
Shoplifter, tag switcher
That's me, nigga I'm back with ya, uh

[Interlude]
Championship is here, yeah
F&F is here
1st & 15 is here
Madison street, we back in here
Chi-town is here
Lupe Fiasco
Fahrenheit 1/15
Revenge of the Nerds
Part II
Can we bring the hook back
Bring my girl Yummy back
Know what I'm saying, let 'em know that we still rolling
Know what I'm talking 'bout

[Chorus]

The Chicago born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco first tasted success when he featured on Kanye West’s hit “Touch the Sky”, a track that shortly preceded his real breakout, his 2006 debut album Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor, and he never looked back. He has established himself as one of the greatest urban wordsmiths of all time, with Genius even dubbing him the ‘Proust of Rap’.

While he’s now regarded of one of the 21st Century’s Hip-Hop greats, he wasn’t always a fan of the genre, initially disliking it due to the prominence of vulgarity and misogyny within it. In his late teens, he aspired to make it as a lyricist. In his early twenty’s, he met Jay-Z, who helped him sign with Atlantic Records in 2005. The following year, he released his debut album (Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor), which was met with acclaim from fans and critics alike, as did his sophomore effort, Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool.

The following eight years of his career saw far less output than many would’ve anticipated. This can be partly attributed to his struggles with Atlantic Records. The executives wanted him to sign a 360 deal; however, as he refused to do so they instead shelved his already completed 3rd album, Lasers, and wouldn’t promote him as they had previously. The overseers at the label also interfered with his music (as they had tried to do with his fan-favorite track “Dumb it Down”); subsequently effecting the quality and sound of his third and fourth albums.

more tracks from the album

It Was Written...

From the albums

Fahrenheit 1/15 Part II: Revenge of the Nerds (2006)
It Was Written... (2006)

Lupe Fiasco popular songs

Much MoreLupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco

It Was Written...