Lupe Fiasco Goes Deluxe With Samurai DX
(AT) Lupe Fiasco releases Samurai DX, the deluxe edition of his critically acclaimed 2024 album Samurai. The new expansion features two songs from the Samurai sessions, the self-produced recent single "SOS" and the Soundtrakk-helmed "High Note," plus remixes of original album highlights "Samurai," "Palaces," and "Bigfoot." Featuring vocals by Troy Taylor, the new remixes add a different perspective to Lupe's rhymes, changing up the style without sacrificing the soul. The record's second half, and the vinyl version's Side B, includes instrumental versions of the DX's five vocal tracks.
Samurai DX continues Lupe's exploration of the boundaries of hip-hop as an artform, as the legendary Chicago rapper knows a rap album can be as exquisitely crafted and delicately designed as fine art. Expanding the story of what Lupe Fiasco calls one of his "most personal projects to date," Samurai DX is available in digital and physical formats via 1st & 15th / Thirty Tigers.
Produced in full by longtime collaborator Soundtrakk, 2024's Samurai earned widespread critical acclaim, with praise from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and more for its cerebral lyricism and warm sonic palette. Lupe's ninth studio album, Samurai was the second full album collaboration between Lupe and Soundtrakk, following 2022's DRILL MUSIC IN ZION. The 8-track Samurai is home to singles such as the title track, "Samurai," praised by Rolling Stone, Complex, Billboard, HYPEBEAST, Clash, The Needle Drop, and more, plus a masterclass in difficulty, "Cake," with dense bars and shifting cadences that requires elite skill, and Lupe demolishes it with champion-grade performance. Other highlights include the orchestral, street freestyle-esque "No. 1 Headband" and the experimental "Mumble Rap." Check out the album here
Recently, Lupe Fiasco has kept busy with performances, including last Fall's "Samurai Tour," and a special performance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he is a visiting professor teaching "Rap Theory and Practice," in May. His MIT concert formed part of "GHOTIING MIT: Public Art," an innovative project by the List Visual Arts Center that turns campus installations into live sonic experiences. On-site at nine distinct artworks, Lupe recorded new songs, capturing ambient field sounds and composing lyrics that respond in real time to each piece. Earlier this year, he further cemented his academic credentials by joining the faculty of the prestigious Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
Lupe Fiasco is currently on tour with the legendary Cypress Hill and underground heroes Atmosphere on their "Dank Daze of Summer Tour." Also featuring support from The Pharcyde
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