Lupe Fiasco walks a line between indie-rap and mainstream hip-hop that serves him well on nights such as this. While this listener has always favoured the more explosive recorded output of chart-friendly rap, live hip-hop experiences have taught him that underground rappers do have a greater commitment to delivering value for money in the concert setting. Lupe’s affiliations with Kanye West certainly accord him a good deal of contact with the pop mainstream, but he probably appeals more to admirers of West’s work with Common than his Jay-Z collaborations.
The Chicago rapper has certainly inherited indie-rap’s more committed approach to live performance, though he also avoids the proggy, self-indulgent musicianship that can sometimes belabour underground hip-hop shows. His live set-up is simple: the MC’s sole accompaniment comes from a DJ/co-MC knocking out beats and adding occasional vocal interjections. Lupe does periodically indulge in a misguided fondness for a capella freestyling – showy, self-indulgent raps have always sounded useless without a decent musical backdrop, and serve no purpose other than to inflate the MC’s ego – but in the main, the set is comprised of tight, straight-ahead takes on his recorded output.
Lupe is certainly dedicated to providing value for money, then, but this is not to say that the set is a particularly long one. The evening wraps up early enough, but attendees would no doubt concur that the experience was fat-free and fairly uniformly enjoyable.
Fiasco is famed for being a teetotal, clean-living follower of the Islamic faith, though there is never a preaching tone to his performance; perhaps the lyrical content can veer that way on occasion, but his demeanour is that of a man aiming to provide good vibes and cheer, rather than any pious or didactic message.
Of course, well-loved pop moments like ‘Kick Push’ and ‘Daydreamin’’ provide the evening’s highlights, but there is a consistent solidity to the performance that makes it difficult to single out individual moments of brilliance. And while reliable efficiency usually comes a distant second to wild inspiration, tonight it proves to be just the ticket.