Drogas Light

Very few artists, let alone Hip-Hop artists, make it through three major label switches to six albums, but that is precisely what Lupe had done by 2017. For his sixth album, Lupe released on Thirty Tigers and again announced a trilogy of records beginning with a “prequel” Drogas Light. By his own admission, this album is largely built on songs from his archive and, for him, a refinement of “Lasers”. At this stage, Lupe almost exclusively has communicated through social media via Twitter mostly. On February 10th, he offered up his own review and critique of himself creatively, as well as the impetus behind the record.

Over my commercial career, there naturally started to develop two Lupes, a very conceptually and lyrical dense Lupe and a “light” Lupe. Champagne versus Moonshine is probably the best analogy. And they each had a rather good output of material, albeit for two very different audiences. And when I say audience, I literally mean the audiences at live concerts, which has always been the main focus.

Straight up Moonshine Lupe live performances are decent at best. At worst, they become too heady and unentertaining. However, Champagne Lupe performances are super lit!

So, it’s finding a balance between the two, but sometimes it’s not about trying to balance at all, but letting one just take over completely. And since I don’t have the label or personal pressures to “please everyone repeatedly” on my back, I felt it’s best to distill the best works from each side separately, as opposed to trying to clumsily blend them

You can almost feel this push/pull of the two Lupes since Lasers, in both style and his approach to the content. Now, for the first time in almost six years Lupe feels the freedom fully to create. Even with “Champagne” Lupe appearing on Drogas, the core of his concerns topically remain. Songs like "Tranquillo" bring introspection and "Made in the U.S.A". a scathing critique of the many vices, and injustices that are found throughout American culture (gun lust, violence, racism etc.), all done with booming trap back drops and, in the case of "Tranquillo" a guest appearance from Rick Ross to add even more authenticity to that Champagne feel.

“City Of The Year’ might be one of the best encapsulations of the “two Lupes” in one record. The song itself was commercially used by ESPN and serves as a loose ode to his upbringing.

Ayy, born in the middle of the West

Lil’ nigga, livin’ in the middle of death

Raised ‘round killers, that’s why little impress

And I’m sorry, my niggas, but I think you the best

You don’t need no Khaled, ‘cause that’s on me, valid

Let me push my brother, we don’t need no malice

Niggas raised in the projects, now they gon’ need a palace

Niggas want JJ’s, don’t eat salads

Fourteen with a AK, and he’ll let a nigga have it (raaah raaah)

Fireworks in K-Town, man it’s so tragic

Fireworks on the lakefront, shit look like Magic

The song continues into the second verse with some biographical accounts with references to his mother’s neighborhood and his long time friend and mentor, Chilly Patton.

My city look pretty in the summer 6th grade, moved out to the hundreds Prolly wouldn’t have made it hangin’ ‘round my mama’s Harvey World where I made my comeup

Bishop was a BD, Dope claimed Lord Cliqued all up, put it all on CD Neutron don, but I prolly been a GD God knows best, so he put me where he need me

Puttin’ truth in all these rhymes State tried to shut a nigga down, gave my nigga Chilly all that time People think it came out of nowhere, it’s all by design They took away the chiefs and the streets lost their minds

In the song Lupe highlights as well the plight and circumstances of Chicago, discussing the gang life and its structures within the song. Even when he looks to entertain and has an eye to the live audience, he brings a degree of social commentary to the song.

Ultimately, Drogas Light gives us a pure Lupe, an artist informed by the streets, by his own analysis of injustice, and his constant battle with his own contradictions and dichotomies. He’s the social justice book nerd, with hustlers for friends, raised on the southside of Chicago. As comfortable on an academic panel as he is hanging on the block in his hood with the pushers and the killers. His literal release from Atlantic had given him that license to be.