Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known as his rap alter-ego Lupe Fiasco, has been hard at work on his fifth album since early 2013. After what seemed to be multiple reworks and singles that didn’t make the album – including his song “Old School Love” with Ed Sheeran - Tetsuo & Youth is finally here. And the hard work paid off. The level of artistry and thought put into this project is very apparent through its sixteen tracks.
Tetsuo & Youth is split into four "seasons." The first track is titled "Summer." It is an instrumental with the sounds of children running around, laughing, and jumping into a pool. It's a beautiful opener that stimulates emotion. The second track, "Mural," is close to nine minutes of straight rapping. There is no hook on…show more content… This song is one of the weaker points of the album. The next track is the last in the "summer" portion of the album. "Dots and Lines" opens with a banjo playing and then a new beat quickly starts along with the song's chorus. Lupe sings a catchy melody, backed by an uncredited woman's vocals. The song seems to be about Lupe wanting to be free from his label Atlantic Records. It’s an amazing track, complete with smart verses and a catchy hook.
The next track marks the beginning of the next part of the album, "Fall." This instrumental is backed by the sounds of someone raking leaves, with children running around not too far away. This leads into "Prisoner 1 & 2." It opens with an operator speaking followed by a man talking. Then the beat and rapping hit very suddenly. The beat becomes more subtle during the mesmerizing hook that features Ayesha Jaco. Halfway through the song, the hook is followed by the operator talking once again and the sound of a metal gate rising along with chanting and singing in the background. The beat changes to something brand new and the song now sounds like a completely different track. The two parts combine to create one solid track that makes for one of the strongest of the…show more content… The haunting vocals of the hook are sung by L.A. singer Troi. Lupe raps his verses, sometimes interrupted by a woman's voice creepily saying "I've always loved you" and asking "am I beautiful?" Lupe has some great bars on this track, one of my favorite's being "Oedipus Rex / motherf***er this better than sex" - a reference to the famous “Oedipus the King” play by Sophocles. The song ends with more sounds of fireworks, a saxophone, and strings. Next is "Little Death," where Lupe's lyrics shine once again and lead into a soothing hook by Nikki Jean. She appears again on the next song "No Scratches." Lupe assists her on the hook, the two singing simultaneously, which works well. They sing lines relatable to those who have experienced how damaged one can become after heartbreak "So before we hit a wall / heartbreak / and it crashes / just walk away / no