Lupe Fiasco - Samurai REACTION/REVIEW

My first listen and reaction to Lupe Fiasco’s “Samurai”.
Release date: June 28, 2024
0:00 Intro
0:47 Samurai
5:10 Mumble Rap
8:15 Cake
12:09 Palaces
18:22 No. 1 Headband
22:08 Bigfoot
24:33 Outside
28:52 Til Eternity

[@BSideRapReviews]

Boldy James & Conductor reaction on the way next 🔥

[@taylormatthews20]

need that expeditiously

[@kentekuzan]

you knew we'd ask 😂

[@Kenpachi4207]

🔥🔥🔥

[@BandsMaysTVCEO]

That’s the one🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@BandsMaysTVCEO]

Good to see you back brother!

[@vincentball-lahood1885]

Yo thank you for creating a reaction channel that spends a lot of time on rhyme schemes 🙏 most people just skim over this stuff

[@itsaiden2cool862]

Ever since I started watching this man I been paying attention to rhyme schemes more for better or worse. No reason I should be listening to Blxst or Bruno Mars and tryna dissect how many syllables they ended they lines off with. 😂

[@BSideRapReviews]

Bro I’m just surprised it’s so many people rocking with it! I thought I was fasho too analytical and rap-nerdish for it to catch on lol so I appreciate the support ✊🏾

[@BSideRapReviews]

@@itsaiden2cool862lmaooo my work is complete now 😂

[@locotaco8682]

@@BSideRapReviewsthat’s why you the best?

[@bull1s]

Lupe Fiasco is from another planet! What a extremely intelligent and fantastic rapper

[@Summonergeek]

I feel like the story goes: Amy ran into a guy who possessed her. Then she would change from a singer to a battle rapper. She died before fulfilling her destiny. She then either possessed Lupe or gave him Devine inspiration. Thus the album Samurai. You can sense that sometimes its Amy talking, sometimes it's Lupe and sometimes it's both. Every song is fucking fire. One of the best albums of any genre of music that I have ever heard. Put on that No. 1 headband Wasalu. You earned it.

[@sammoe1292]

No… It’s Lupe’s “Faust” by Goethe. The guy from behind the bar in the first track is the same guy that vanished in the park after bestowing Amy Winehouse the gift of rap. She reaches the top of rap battle charts with Cake and then the end of the second verse on Palaces we see Lupe has a change of heart and wants to “go back home” - hence the word Palace (sacred) rather than castle or mansion. He’s the number one headband best rapper in the world, though nobody will challenge him because he is unseen like Bigfoot. He has gone home to where he feels more comfortable, making the art he prefers for himself. Lupe, rightly so, feels unseen in rap despite knowing that one day it will be seen that he left the biggest footprint. Bigfoot is only a legend. But the last two tracks on the album ensure the literary quality is being similar to Goethe’s masterpiece, in theme. The first verse on “Outside” is Amy Winehouse’s manager (the same protean guy as from behind the bar and in the park?) tells Lupe to “mull his decision over.” But Carrera Lu is a samurai and is inherently and viscerally at odds with this proposal of his manager who wants Lupe to become his cash cow. Lupe turns the deal down and on the final track Til Eternity, Amy Winehouse’s journey comes to an end. All she’s been through, receiving the gift, reaching the top, having her spiritual awakening, finally being offered the proposal, after turning it down, she gets in a car wreck (verse one on Til Eternity)…but the person that stumbles from the wrecked vehicle, in kind of a psychological thriller moment…is not Amy Winehouse…it’s Lupe Fiasco…he is a wounded Samurai trundling down the dimly lit road all lone, rap never acknowledging him for being the best, him being torn between his desire to be recognized and his desire for privacy and gratitude for the spot he has. The walking down the road alone is also a very Akira Kurosawa-esque image to end on, and is also traditionally symbolic of the Samurai. The end of the second verse on Palaces is the end of Lupe’s time under Atlantic Records. And anyone with half a brain knows that, despite our loving F&L1 and especially The Cool… he didn’t begin his prime until Tetsuo & Youth, the best rap album of all-time (if not Drogas Wave). Yes, I have been a Lupe nerd for twenty years, but never really write or speak on it. This is Lupe’s Faust.

[@Summonergeek]

@@sammoe1292 Thanks for the input. I`m new and totally engrossed.

[@MINO]

The 🐐 is back 🔥

[@bowbingley]

dawg u my favorite youtuber by far

[@BSideRapReviews]

Ay bro I appreciate that fr 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 the support keeps the channel going! How you feeling bout the album??

[@bowbingley]

@@BSideRapReviews its alright lupe’s flow/voice can be corny to me sometimes. i dont think lupe’s for me tbh

[@Summonergeek]

Lupe didn't make up the hook "...I got these, really neat, beautifully alliterated little battle raps for you...". That is a direct quote from a voicemail Amy left on a friends voicemail late a night.

[@SunsetWavy]

I remember that voicemail and never connected this 😂

[@YazHB]

I was just listening to this for the first time yesterday. No. 1 Headband is my fav on this album, I love the saxophone usage on it.

[@BSideRapReviews]

That wasn’t one of my favs but I think that beat is dope. Soundtrack is def at his best when he’s doing more jazzy production. The sax on this and samurai were dope af

[@thetruest7497]

Fire reaction. I always talk about Lu's ability to describe the song IN the song. And I never hear anyone else bring it up. He also did it on AUTOBOTO. I tried to sub and realized I was already subbed 😂 Lu says he still has more left in the clip.

[@jbfanclub1]

Yeah I was thinking about that earlier, he’s gotta be the greatest lyricist of all time

[@user-wg4rk5de8r]

Palaces my favorite song. Dope reaction bro🔥💯

[@HEADBND]

yea man apparently in the amy documentary she was going to start rapping next before she passed away. she was friends with saleem remi & all that. great review as always bruh 🫡

[@denzelchinho7628]

I don't know how you do it but i appreciate the way you pick up things , listened to this album all i got was the vibe but i don't understand anything he be saying😂😂😂 listening to music is also a skill💀

[@BSideRapReviews]

Hahah Preciate that! Yeah I can’t rap to save my life but I been a huge fan of it and I’m pretty analytical in general…but now ive been blessed to have folks support who support so thank you! 🙏🏾

[@dashkenshin9748]

If listening to music has a video definition in the future like a KZbin dictionary. This will be in the catalog.

[@SL.ink316]

Loved the reaction and breakdown. One thing to note is the album is an abstract portrait of Amy, while also reflecting Lupe's own experience/relationship with rap and his struggles with record labels/the industry. Mumble Rap purposefully has a difficult to hear chorus but in the ad-libs Lupe says "what the song say?" as he goes on to mumble he wants the old way. It's a commentary on how rap has changed and he wants it to go back to it's roots.

[@nortonantho]

Palaces be healing.

[@ThatLee4]

This is one of the best solid reviews f the album I've heard. Thank yoi

[@dosemulero3963]

THIS ALBUM IS A CLASSIC

[@marcusbibbs5326]

Glad your back. I missed your reactions!

[@KMLTrades]

Welcome back! Great breakdown 💯🫡

[@BSideRapReviews]

Preciate you brodie!! Thanks for tappin in 💪🏾

[@machineboi9810]

Thanks for the breakdown other reviews just skim through the album

[@SunsetWavy]

This the first album in decades I was halfway through listening and immediately bought the vinyl

[@bulletdancestorm554]

This is a great review. I like how well you broke things down sonically and rhyme. Palaces is my favorite from the whole album. The chopsticks thing is that you never rest your chopsticks vertically. It resembles incense sticks which are burned for the dead. So it’s a taboo and considered unlucky.

[@htx_screwww3959]

Dope reaction brotha !! One of the best in the game. Need that Boldy reaction 🤞🏽

[@seanjjpaul]

Yessssss been waiting on this bro thank you!! Album of the year for sure

[@BSideRapReviews]

Preciate you tapping in!! Man off first listen, I still got a couple rap albums above it. My AOTY so far is Richaxxhatian by Mach Hommy. Then I got super shredder by Mickey Diamond as my number 2. Then it’s a cluster between this album, the schoolboy album, and the roc Marciano album but I do think this album was very dope. You think this joint better than drill music in Zion last year?

[@seanjjpaul]

@@BSideRapReviews Eh can’t be mad at any of those choice they are all in my top 5!! It’s been a great year and I also got that Nxworries album in there but not necessarily hip hop. I think Drill Music in Zion is better. The concept is more fleshed out and detailed. Lupe catalogue is low key strong if you take out lasers lol

[@sdotagain312]

This was the best breakdown I've seen for this album. Great insights. Subbed.

[@BSideRapReviews]

Preciate that!! Welcome gang! 💪🏾

[@plafayette]

Excellent analysis brother! Keep it up! 🔥

[@godsgrace2808]

Excellent review! Appreciate your critical assessment and oblivious love of hip hop music. Salute, to Lupe from Chicago and can hear his influence on Chicago indie artists, such as NFO Cyphers Purple Box artists Much love ❤️

[@Doctor_Beats]

My guy, welcome back! Stoked to hear your thoughts.

[@BSideRapReviews]

Preciate you bro!! How you feeling bout this one? I gotta hear your thoughts on a couple other ones too - I’m just catching up on these recent releases

[@Doctor_Beats]

​@@BSideRapReviews ​ I'm pretty confident you listened to Rapsody's and Vince's albums; I'm still listening to both consistently. I thought this was a solid album. The beats did what they had to do, but we're in like a producer golden-era, so I guess the standard is very high. I'm glad it was a shorter album from Lupe, with such a specific concept, I feel like it might have gotten redundant if it was in the 45min - 1hr range (although if anyone could pull it off, it's Lupe). I feel like he's trying to sing some, if not all, of the hooks on here in his best Amy impression. I saw a clip about the hook on the first track: it's a reference to a voicemail Amy Winehouse left Salaam Remi about not being able to stop 'neat battle raps' from floating out of her. Hearing you mention Mean and Vicious sent me back to finding all those Lupe tapes and the insane verses on there: Yoga Flame, Penz and Needlz, Switch, Failure, etc.

[@RskimB]

That was a fire breakdown. I'm going to subscribe

[@JabariNuruddin]

Quality stuff appreciate the detailed review

[@andrewfeller9277]

Great breakdown, enjoyed your take on the album

[@umang6771]

Happy to see you back bro, and with a Lupe breakdown nonetheless 👊 I'ma get some popcorn for this 🍿

[@BSideRapReviews]

My guy! Preciate you tapping in 💪🏾

[@FreeFlem]

🐐

[@BSideRapReviews]

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@kontradiction8132]

"7 equals of what?" And then she gets possessed and all of a sudden she turn into Rum Nitty" "Let me find out the possession had some side effects, she got battle rap skills AND.....👀" I've seen enough, subscribed 😂😂😂

[@alonargus]

I’ve said this many times but I love your channel bro!!! Happy to see you back in action. Great breakdown as always. This is personally one of my favorite drops this year so far 🔥🔥🔥

[@0Shadows]

crazy.... dope vid.

[@kable1982]

Best review for this project! To me is almost a perfect album love it!

[@Halfstunthalfman]

Outside is my fav track on here

[@roaahajar]

Cake is my favorite ❤

[@RaheemNelson]

You had a great reaction video for Skyzoo’s TMOAS and I was looking forward to your take on Samurai too. This is great.

[@BlessedPen]

Slight correction. Alliteration is repeating consonant sounds Assonance is repeating vowel sounds If I’m not mistaken

[@matthewbonvillion8724]

Your editing and commentary are next level. Youre killing it G. Keep going. Also if you've never heard Amy im jealous. You have a whole journey in front of you.

[@nestdneb]

Cool how you caught on to him mumbling the chorus in "Mumble Rap".

[@SunsetWavy]

Lupe the 👽

[@albionmerrick]

i think another aspect of mumble rap is that interviewers would often comment on the way amy mumbled in interviews

[@Revdellic]

There’s stuff from samurai shamploo and Afro samurai too for no 1 headband and the pin grace like Ken shamrock was from old Skool ufc mma when shamrock got beat by hoyce Gracie

[@Megamush94]

Had to subscribe for the insight

[@Matthew-xl5bc]

Fire review as always. This album was amazing and Lupe continues to show why he is the GOAT lyricist conversation with Black Thought and Nas. I have this as the third best album of the year just behind #RICHAXXHAITIAN and Super Shredder. This year has had a lot of quality music this year.

[@BSideRapReviews]

Preciate you bro!! Crazy you mentioned black thought and Nas cus I was just thinking bout them 2, Lupe, and a few more rappers are making some of the best music of their careers even tho they a couple decades into their career. I think it’s a combination of their love for their craft, plus I think the fact that record labels are having less input plus the ease of putting out music (due to technology) really allowing lyricists to thrive. But back to that goat lyricist convo - that’s big ole facts. I think either of those got a great argument just depending on what era you really focused on

[@tobiasknibbeler1905]

Great video, really good breakdown! When youre talking about alliteration, you actually mean assonance. Alliteration is consonant rhyme on the beginning of words. Assonance is vowel rhyme and similar sounds within words

[@brvalentine1]

Question…was it already established that this was an Amy Winehouse theme? I didn’t even know that but after one listen knowing that will help me decipher on the next listen(s). That’s why I come to you for the emcee cliff notes. 🤣👍🏾✊🏾

[@UmbraNupe]

It’s also about him!!!

[@juliantabron8300]

Great video breakdown. Just a quick suggestion edit in your description. The release date was June 28, 2024 not 2004*

[@AMRADIO_]

Have you reacted to Bulletproof Luh by Mach-Hommy? My favorite project of his imo his best

[@atanasatanasov2600]

yo bro do u have a griselda playlist that u could share bcs i really fw your music preferences

[@BSideRapReviews]

I actually don’t man - I rarely ever make playlists b/c I think the spotify algorithm does a good job of shuffling music. I might need to work on one tho

[@ashtontheperson7871]

yo bro you gonna do the jpeg album?

[@BSideRapReviews]

@@ashtontheperson7871 absolutely !! That’s prob my fav rapper right now

[@sneakyceup587]

@@BSideRapReviewsYESSSSS

[@kallelysen7281]

yo b side you gotta react to armand hammer - haram, or do u think it has been too long since its released?

[@matthewbonvillion8724]

"them execs at atlantic should have to testify in congress for what they did to lupes career" TRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[@thelastdinonugget0213]

Yo can you please review noise Kandy 5 in the future

[@InterstellarBountyHunter521]

I'm late but hard reaction as always

[@arturovia2662]

You should listen to the Gorilla Glue album by Fred the Godson, Joell Ortiz and The Heatmakerz🔥🔥

[@prod.brixbreak-iq9ut]

yo b side when u continuing the griselda series?

[@BSideRapReviews]

@@prod.brixbreak-iq9ut Tomorrow!!

[@prod.brixbreak-iq9ut]

@@BSideRapReviews lets goooo, whats next flygod 2?

[@BSideRapReviews]

@@prod.brixbreak-iq9ut WWCD 🔥🔥 it was actually supposed to be Hitler 7, but the list I have completely skip that and I didn’t notice til after I recorded - I so I’m doing that next. Flygod 2 ain’t far off but we got pray for Paris and a couple more before that.

[@prod.brixbreak-iq9ut]

@@BSideRapReviews thats gonna be dope cant wait for scotties

[@BSideRapReviews]

@@prod.brixbreak-iq9ut my bad brodie - I’m still editing smh but ima grind it out and post tomorrow 🤞🏾

[@RITASAMIISALIVE]

imo he needs to stop working with soundtrakk and try working with underground producers like blu is doing

[@BSideRapReviews]

I kinda agree with you…at the very least I want him to dial it back. I think soundtrakk was pretty good in the late 2000s but that’s era where the production didn’t age the best in general and I don’t think soundtrakk has evolved enough to keep up. I will say his jazz influenced beats sound pretty good - but even then…a part of me just thinks he could collab with kaelin Ellis again and it would be better. Shoot I think even Lupe’s a better producer at times. But all that said - I ain’t mad at the production here. I got some complaints with some of the beats, but this has better production than say drill music in Zion and even drogas wave.

[@AhmedMahmoud-or3zs]

Lupe said on twitter that at this stage in his life he only cares about lyrics he does not care about beats, music videos, awards, or sales.

[@RITASAMIISALIVE]

@@BSideRapReviewsI really just want him to rap over august Fanon beats honestly

[@Brie569]

No shade but you definitely need to take time to listen to Amy Winehouse’s discography…especially “Frank”…RIP Amy ❤

[@bowbingley]

half this video is bro admitting he dont know nothing about amy winehouse 😭😭 great video tho

[@BSideRapReviews]

Ay you ain’t lying tho 😂. Had to let y’all know just in case I was completely off base with everything lol. And Preciate that!!

[@alfdlgnaat]

this is not griselda!!! this album was a fucking 10 man almost as good as drogas WAV imo

[@andradeavila1383]

Aye brother if you need a video editor I got availability if your down would really want to see more reactions 🙏🏽🔥

[@jonesb02]

u probably should at least listen to back to black cuz it makes listening to a review harder

[@hueyhoopin]

It’s cool not something I’d want to keep listening too

[@BSideRapReviews]

I aint mad at that. I don’t think Lupe the most replayable artist ever - mostly because of his production choices but I can see myself coming back to this one. I thought this was one of his better produced albums even if it wasn’t nothing earth shattering. Overall I’m higher on this album than you but I get how you’d get to where you are

[@hueyhoopin]

@@BSideRapReviewsrespect

[@hueyhoopin]

You going do em album ?

[@JimenezPerez]

You have good insight. Thanks bro

[@SunsetWavy]

This the first album in decades I was halfway through listening and immediately bought the vinyl