Lupe Fiasco sat down with Sway on ‘Sway in the Morning’ and took center stage to discuss his personal journey and the profound influence of martial arts on his artistry. From exclusive stories about his upbringing and his father’s unique martial arts teachings in the Chicago projects, to his thoughts on hip-hop’s competitive spirit.
He also shared the history of Child Rebel Soldier (his group with Kanye West and Pharrell). They released only a few songs in the late 2000s. Lupe broke down what happened with the group’s 2007 debut single “Us Placers,” all the way up to his recent effort to take back the name this past summer.
When asked about Child Rebel Soldier, Lupe said he’s still on good terms with Ye and Pharrell, but said that “the fans feel betrayed” that the group didn’t put out any material beyond two singles and an appearance on N.E.R.D.’s “Everybody Nose” remix.
He joked, “the two richest n-ggas in the group” were the reason it never continued. “P‘s eating caviar golden sandwiches, Ye is stitching up two different Rick Owens coats to wear in the shower. I’m trying to corral these two,” he laughed.
“There was a lot of fan momentum around it as a movement” following the release of “Us Placers,” he remembered. “We always talked about the group, but it kind of fell to the wayside… And then again, n-ggas get rich and crazy and shit goes left.”
But it turned out the crew’s small output of songs made an outsized impact on a new generation of creators.
“That whole time, it’s incubating with people like Tyler, the Creator,” he continued.
CHAPTERS:
01:55 – Lupe Fiasco’s Father: The Blackest of the Black
08:16 – Yasuke: The Only Recognized Black Samurai
17:57 – Overcoming Writer’s Block
19:55 – Removing Excuses for Success
23:24 – Child Rebel Soldier: Hip-Hop Collective
28:05 – Lupe Fiasco and Google’s Text Effects Engine
31:18 – Lupe Fiasco’s “Text Fx” Explained
33:38 – Publishing Rights for “Glass of Water”
37:11 – Upcoming Tour Dates
39:36 – Elizabeth from Texas: Listener Call
42:03 – Dre from Chicago: Fan Interaction
46:03 – C Brown from Little Rock: Audience Engagement
48:50 – Freestyle Performance
49:40 – Outro and Closing Thoughts
