"I Coulda Died But I Came Out Fighting"

"So many candles on that birthday cake, might set that thang on fiya"

Despite the fact that Lupe Fiasco has ruffled a lot of feathers over the years through his antagonistic and politically motivated rhymes, there's no question that he has the heart of an activist. So many people of influence talk about doing good things and find a way to donate to a list of hand picked charities that eminently afford them nice tax breaks, but Lupe is about action. He's shed a ton of light on the violence in Chicago recently, which has helped evolve the public discussion about the issues surrounding the rampant violence. With a new album on the horizon, he's shifted his focus to a new fight...cancer.

The week he debuted his lead single, Mission, off his upcoming Tetsuo & Youth album. He explained it best by saying...

‘Mission’ is a track to empower those facing cancer, revere cancer survivors and remember those who have passed to due to cancer related illnesses. With an inspiring introduction from various cancer survivors telling their story, anchored by legendary singer/songwriter and cancer survivor Charlie Wilson, ‘Mission’ has Lupe Fiasco expressing stories of the emotional burden of cancer, while also working to uplift those in an effort to help fight the disease. In support of ‘Mission,’ Lupe has joined Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a grassroots movement to raise funds to accelerate the pace of cancer research, as a celebrity ambassador. Together, Lupe and Stand Up To Cancer are planning various collaborations tied to the track that will be unveiled later this year. http://www.standup2cancer.org'

Below is the track that starts after a 1:30 sec intro...
You'd be hard pressed not to be impressed by Mission. The song has limitless potential to serve as an inspirational anthem for so many people affected by cancer. It's clear that Lupe went out of his way to shout out as many types of cancer in an attempt to give strength to those who truly need it. It's exciting to hear about the Lupe and Stand Up to Cancer collaboration and I really hope it puts a huge dent in this seemingly endless fight. This is what music has the power to do and I hope more artists take note and use their influence for good...#Mission

"If You Fall on the Concrete, That's Yo Asphalt"

A surprisingly upbeat track from 'Ye from around the way...today. Coming by way of his newly revamped blog, Kanye University, we get another glimpse of what his upcoming album Dark Twisted Fantasy (formerly Good Ass Job) is going to sound like. I can see his first single fitting into a dark and twisted fantasy, but this one has more of a celebratory, welcome back sounding vibe to it. Gotta love the obligatory Free Weezy shout out too...

For all of you that missed Kanye's crazy moving picture video for Power, give it a look below. There's no doubt the track has an epic sound to it, from the chanting to big beat to the unapologetic verses...the video does all that high intensity plenty of dramatic justice. Check it...

I like Beyonce on this track to be honest, she is most of the reason it sounds so uplifting. Shouts out to No I.D. and Lex Luger on the beat too, they did their thing setting the tone for an upbeat track. Despite the positivity oozing from See Me Now, it's hard not to appreciate the track for its lighthearted tone. It should serve to balance out all the other heavy, dramatic material that will eminently fill up Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Give it a listen...

Kanye West – See Me Now f. Beyonce & Charlie Wilson (prod. Kanye West x No I.D. x Lex Luger)
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