Lupe Fiasco Gets Deep And Stuff “I Don’t Want To Be Jay-Z And Be Worth 400 Million…”

Posted on March 1st, 2010 - By Bossip Staff

Categories: ChitChatter, For Discussion, Jay-Z, News

Fresh off his climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise attention to drinking water shortages, Lupe Fiasco recently got real deep and stuff, saying not only has the journey showed him he’s on the right path musically, he’s also convinced it’s his calling to help his fans find “self esteem” instead of Bentleys and chains. Pop the hood for his exact words.

Lupe says his journey up Mt. Kilimanjaro proved to be an illuminating one career-wise:

”You get to a certain point in your career and you wonder if you’re being arrogant or you are on the right path. This showed me I am on the right path with what I talk about. And now I have more to talk about.”

As he prepares to release his third album Lasers Lupe discussed the challenge of having to satisfy himself as well as his label:

”It’s less about me being a celebrity, because I guess I’m not really a celebrity,” he says. ”The most difficult part of the music business is the label. What I want to do and what they want me to do – creatively – is in conflict. It doesn’t keep me up at night. I look at it as a challenge. It’s not meant to be easy.”

”There’s a misunderstanding with my fanbase,” he says. ”People [at Warner] feel they know my fans more than I do. They want me to step out of my comfort zone and step into theirs. I don’t have necessarily the celebrity success they want me to have but it’s more social success and being able to speak at a college about world affairs. That’s a success, to me.

”I don’t want to be Jay-Z and be worth $400 million and perform on every awards show. It’s getting in touch with somebody who needs to improve their self-esteem. As opposed to driving a Bentley and putting some chains on.”

Despite the challenge he described in working with the label, Lupe says all parties are satisfied with his upcoming album Lasers, although it is currently lacking a release date.

”It’s an album we both feel comfortable putting out,” he says. ”I’m somebody saying the things that maybe 98 per cent of the music industry is not.”

In addition to his music career and film projects, Lupe is also working on a documentary he produced for the History Channel and his clothing line.

Wow, like Lupe is like, really deep, and stuff. From where we’re sitting, every rapper stays at odds with what their label wants them to do and we’re pretty sure Lupe isn’t the only rapper who is satisfied not being Jay-Z and not driving a Bentley or flossing with big chains — so to say he’s saying things 98% of the music industry is not seems a lil off.

Do you agree or do you think Lupe is just so deep and smart and cool and rebellious not to bow to Illuminati Hov and the capitalistic music industry structure???

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COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ARTICLE:

126

anon09 3/1/10, 05:31:PM

first…..yes I agree with Lupe
limpsyrussel 3/1/10, 05:36:PM

Lupe is nice, I respect him and his music. His new single is dope!
www.GREENBACKGANG.net 3/1/10, 05:37:PM

Lupe do you homie….conscious hip hop is very much alive!!!!
www.GREENBACKGANG.net 3/1/10, 05:38:PM

Lupe do you homie….conscious hip hop is very much alive!!!! Keep putting out that fire! H-Town, Tx
Gimmeabreak78 3/1/10, 05:41:PM

Lupe is one of the unsung heroes in hip-hop. He will never be a commercial success on the same level as Wayne or Jay-Z because hip-hop record execs feel the music must be about the money/cars/jewelry/women to be relevant and commercially viable.
HOT CHOCOLATE 3/1/10, 05:41:PM

Real talk! I commend him for taking a stand and doing the opposite.
Chi-Town Diva (Wild 100's) 3/1/10, 05:42:PM

Whats up Lupe Fiasco West side !!!!! CHI-TOWN STAND THE F$CK UP!!!!!!!
MsConsciousOne 3/1/10, 05:45:PM

Lupe, I am one of your biggest fans because of your substance and conscious. You are the only rapper I can listen to, since the old skool guys are gone. Please keep doing your thing, you have a ton of us spiritual people out here supporting you! I pray that the lyrics you spew impress the soul of these young folks. You are a gift from the Universe.
lupe should be named dumbo 3/1/10, 05:47:PM

So he wishes for his fans to be satisfied with grits and gravy while he eats caviar off of his record sales.

If he was intelligent he’d know that confidence comes from ACCOMPLISHMENTS, NOT being satisfied with sleeping on the floor.

HE STUPID.
QUEEN 3/1/10, 05:48:PM

I’M PROUD OF LUPE…HE IS YOUNG SMART AND INTELLIGENT…HE IS GOING TO SHOW KIDS ABOUT LIFE WITH OUT ALL THE EXTRA HYPE OF GROUPIES DRUGS, SEX, GANGBANGING, TOO MUCH ICE AND NOT PAYING BILLS…I THINK HE IS RIGHT FOR THE RAP GAME. REMIND ME OF MOS DEF, TALIB KWELI & COMMON ETC…
diane 3/1/10, 05:49:PM

@msconsciousone
When he gives his CD to the public for FREE i’ll believe his lyrcis, but he WANTS all the PAPER he can get.
MsConsciousOne 3/1/10, 05:51:PM

True confidence is knowing who you are within; not defining yourself by the world. Lupe is brilliant.
Money is Power 3/1/10, 05:53:PM

Money is POWER to lift you and OTHER’s out of poverty.

Nothing good comes from poverty. 99% of the people in jail are there because they were VICTIMS of their POVERTY, and had to steal for food, shelter, drugs or clothes.

this lupe should be forced to give his CD sales to the poor.
MsConsciousOne 3/1/10, 05:53:PM

@Diane, so because he stands for something he should give away his music? Come on now! His music feeds the soul.
NELLZJUS2BAD 3/1/10, 05:54:PM

DATS 2 LONG 2 READ BUT HE NOE HE WANT 400M IN DA BANK..HELL I WOULDNT WANNA B JIGGA EITHER BUT DAT 400M SOUND GOOD
diane 3/1/10, 06:00:PM

I SAY AGAIN, CONFIDENCE ONLY COMES THROUGH ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

IF YOU CAN’T PAY YOUR RENT, BUY FOOD, HELP SOMEONE IN NEED, AND HAVE A LITTLE FUN MONEY LEFT OVER, YOUR SELF ESTEEM WILL BE ZERO. I GUARANTEE IT.

HOWEVER, I WILL SAY THAT THE GOAL OF BEING RICH IS NOT DESIRABLE. REASON BEING, IS THAT EXPERTS HAVE PROVEN THAT, AFTER YOUR BASIC NEEDS OF FOOD, SHELTER, CLOTHING, ENTERTAINMENT ARE MET, EVERY DOLLAR YOU EARN AFTER THOSE NEEDS ARE MET, DOESN’T IMPROVE YOUR HAPPINESS QUOTIENT A GREAT DEAL.

IT IS LIKE RAY CHARLES SAID, “I CAN ONLY EAT ONE STEAK AT A TIME, AND I CAN ONLY WEAR ONE PAIR OF PANTS AT A TIME.”

HOWEVER IF BLACK PEOPLE ARE TO CONTROL THEIR DESTINY AND STOP BEING DEPENDENT UPON WHITE MEGA MONEY, WE NEED TO HAVE BLACK BILLIONAIRES WHO CREATE JOBS, GIVE LOANS, AND PROVIDE EDUCATIION FOR OUR OWN COMMUNITY. SO WE NEED THESE BILLIONAIRES.

BILL GATES CONTROL THE LIVES OF ABOUT 200,000 SOFTWARE WORKERS AT HIS MICROSOFT. WE NEED BLACK BILL GATES WHO CREATE JOBS FROM THEIR WEALTH INSTEAD OF PARYTYING AND LIVING HIGH ON THE HOGG.
just....why? 3/1/10, 06:05:PM

Lupe’s music has always been real. Every song has a message and for that I respect him. I wish there were more artist that thought about the messages they are perpetuating instead of just grabbing the money and running! How can one truly call themselves a success when they’ve led a great portion of a generation towards self destruction in their own pursuit of wealth?
Dari 3/1/10, 06:05:PM

@ LUPE SHOULD BE NAMED DUMBO — I think the point he’s making is that he is not living the caviar lifestyle. And he wants fans to feel good about themselves – not about what they have. If YOU were intelligent, you would know that the lower your self esteem, the more things you buy and the higher your self esteem, the less you need material things to make you feel good about yourself. If you can feel good about yourself when you’re “sleeping on the floor”, then no one can take that feeling away from you if you miss a few car payments or fall behind on your mortgage because it isn’t tied to anything financial/material. Why do you think people commit suicide when they lose all their money? Because they don’t see themselves separate from what they have, they think they ARE their money and without it they’re nothing. — Please try to get through at least one book that doesn’t have pictures before going after someone’s intelligence. Thanks!
MsConsciousOne 3/1/10, 06:11:PM

@Diane…I shall agree to disagree with ya. The truth is peace of mind comes from a loving relationship/connecton with God, not from wordly accomplishments. Your soul account is what matters most, not your bank account. With peace comes confidence, love, humility, grateful attitude, giving spirit, kindness, money to give to others, etc.

Maybe if we focused on loving ourselves more in the community, we could love others. Just a thought. The truth is, only hurt people want to hurt people. The more love you give, the more love you shall receive. When you are on your death bed you will realize accomplishments won’t matter, but how much love surrounds you will.
MsConsciousOne 3/1/10, 06:13:PM

@Dari…very well said^5
Dari 3/1/10, 06:16:PM

@MsConsciousOne – same to you!
Tam Tam 3/1/10, 06:20:PM

I AGREE, BE YOURSELF!!!!!
nywoman23...killuminati 3/1/10, 06:26:PM

Dari

3/1/10, 18:05:pm

@ LUPE SHOULD BE NAMED DUMBO — I think the point he’s making is that he is not living the caviar lifestyle. And he wants fans to feel good about themselves – not about what they have. If YOU were intelligent, you would know that the lower your self esteem, the more things you buy and the higher your self esteem, the less you need material things to make you feel good about yourself. If you can feel good about yourself when you’re “sleeping on the floor”, then no one can take that feeling away from you if you miss a few car payments or fall behind on your mortgage because it isn’t tied to anything financial/material. Why do you think people commit suicide when they lose all their money? Because they don’t see themselves separate from what they have, they think they ARE their money and without it they’re nothing. — Please try to get through at least one book that doesn’t have pictures before going after someone’s intelligence. Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

whew . i felt the hairs on my back stand up. that was brilliant. very well said.
nywoman23...killuminati 3/1/10, 06:27:PM

Please try to get through at least one book that doesn’t have pictures before going after someone’s intelligence. Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

bwahahaha
Txhustla15 3/1/10, 06:30:PM

“Wow, like Lupe is like, really deep, and stuff”. – Wow thats the best critique you can write in response to a interview , must have a team GED allstars on the payroll lmao… Giving away his music for free lmao he already does that but he has to earn a living as well haha smdh…
DaJournalist 3/1/10, 06:38:PM

I like what Lupe stands for. These labels are trying to feed us bullsh1t. Anyone that fights to do something in opposition of THAT, I’m down with. Yay Lupe. Don’t dumb down. We ain’t stupid. They are.
Sarah 3/1/10, 06:38:PM

JAY Z IS TOO UGLY!! NOBODY WOULD WANT TO BE LIKE HIM NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY HE HAS!!
J 3/1/10, 06:39:PM

Love Him!!!

For the people who want a free CD, you have to keep in mind the man has to eat too. Just sayin.

Obviously, he enjoys his job, alot of people can’t say that.
J 3/1/10, 06:41:PM

I love Dari too! )
WHAT THE HELL IS A JAY-Z? 3/1/10, 06:44:PM

GO AHEAD LUPE. DO THE RIGHT THING AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED. JAY-Z IS FOR MINDLESS FOLLOWERS. LUPE LIKE ROBERT FROST FOLLOWS THE PATH OF THE “ROAD NOT TAKEN” CREATE YOUR OWN PATH INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING THE HERD.
Jo 3/1/10, 06:47:PM

Wow. I’m trippin of the article writer’s deep sarcasm in the last line. I see where your loyalty is. I’m in favor of anyone who’s about something more meaningful that the physical, material world. Thanks for posting this article, even though you tried to play us…
2Sweet 3/1/10, 06:47:PM

We need more of him in the game, for real. More Lupe’s, less Wocka Flocka’s.
STUTTERBOX 3/1/10, 06:47:PM

MUCH LOVE FOR LUPE
just4u1 3/1/10, 06:49:PM

Who cares!!! My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He- is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at- A g e m i n g le @ c.o..m a nice and free place for Younger- Women and Older Men, or Older Women and Younger Men, to- interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out or- tell your friends.
muse 3/1/10, 06:57:PM

Are you kidding, Bossip? Lupe may not be the only rapper satisfied with not being Jay Z but you would not know it from watching videos and listening to the radio. When was the last time that you heard a mainstream rap song that lifted people up instead of talking about cars, women, alcohol, drugs, money, and going to the club? I mean really, you have featured mush of that crap on your site and now you are acting like Lupe’s point of view is pervasive in the industry? What a joke. Anyway, I hope he comes with something wonderful and successful.
white male 3/1/10, 07:06:PM

I liked what he was saying. People should spend money on good causes instead of chains that spin around and stuff.
T-MAC 3/1/10, 07:11:PM

That’s whats up Lupe. Regardless of what the record labels want, please by all means, keep churning out that real down to earth hip hop.
L 3/1/10, 07:19:PM

Although I respect Jay and his hustle, I am in full support of Lupe as well. We each have our own path to follow and our own purpose in life. A washing machine cannot operate as a dishwasher and neither should we attempt to operate outside of our purpose as it simply wont work for us. Tupac is a prime example of this. Although he succeeded and did well at gangster rap, it was his socially conscious songs that garnered him true acclaim and endeared him to his true fans. It wasnt until he began to operate outside of that to garner fame and fortune did he encounter misfortune. Stop chasing after others and shine in your own light!!!
gloria 3/1/10, 07:29:PM

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seek ing the rich singles, sex y beauties. …what’s the most important is that you don’t have to be a milli onaire, but you can me et one. …
Be Original 3/1/10, 07:30:PM

I agree w/what Lupe is saying and he’s what I consider to be a true artist. People amuse me on what they consider to be “deep”. What he said isn’t deep, it’s just logical.
Gimmeabreak78 3/1/10, 08:08:PM

@Dari

100% Cosign!!!!
peachyz 3/1/10, 08:10:PM

Everyone has a clothing line now a days,,but can’t sew a button on a shirt!
UrHeinessDaQueen 3/1/10, 08:11:PM

I like this guy. He’s positive,humble & stays true to himself.
Wish him much more success because his last album was good.
chep 3/1/10, 08:15:PM

the best thing to do when you CAN’T be jay-z is to pretend like you don’t want to. There have been a million lupes in hip hop history. But, no one else has reached jay-z’s level of success. It is a business after all. No matter what anyone says, Lupe is a capitalist; just like jz, just like Nas, just like Tupac was. I just think it’s disingenuous when Lupe insinuates that he could be jz if he wasn’t sacrificing for some higher plane of enlightenment.
UrHeinessDaQueen 3/1/10, 08:21:PM

Btw,Jay looks real nice in his suit! I’m so loving it.
PORTIOLS 3/1/10, 08:21:PM

i think he is just trying to be popular. if this is true why cant he just give us his cds for free. we all need mula to survive were do they do dat at i wonder maybe in Lupes fantasy world everythin will be for free.
Candid Canuck 3/1/10, 08:50:PM

@Bossip staff

he prolly means the mainstream conscious rappers ( re: 98% comment)… not MF Doom , dilated ppls an’em… lol
Rihanna's Sharp n Pointy Witchy Fingernails Took The Oath 3/1/10, 08:56:PM

To be rich and famous, one has to be in or out and he clearly is in. I do like his music, but he is playing a role.
MOTHERSHIP 3/1/10, 08:58:PM

Finally, somebody with a conscious and a brain!
always knew 3/1/10, 09:17:PM

I’ve always liked Lupe’…

If you are what you say you are…