The rumors were true, Lupe Fiasco dropped a new 22 minute mixtape on Thanksgiving Day, a teaser in anticipation of his upcoming 2010 release. He’s also set to drop another one entitled “Friend of the People” on Christmas Day (how cute). I think the mixtape is such a beautiful form, a way to get rough ideas out there, to show people how you would have done their songs better, and (in most cases) to give the fans something for free, to “do this for the blogosphere”, to quote the man himself. The adventure begins with Lupe rapping over Radiohead, “I don’t feel I’m best, I just feel I’m better than”, and I’m starting to think he might be right. Don’t get me wrong the tracks are rough, but some of his rhymes are out of control, and he spits them effortlessly, as if to say, “even my leftovers are better than anything you could make”. “Rest in peace to rap, no rest in peace to wackness”. I for one, am excited for bigger and better things to come.

Lupe Fiasco – Yoga Flame
Lupe Fiasco – Popular Demand