A Career Retrospective: Lupe Fiasco

Don't miss Lupe Fiasco tonight on 106!

Lupe Fiasco, "End of the World" - Ride out the apolcalypse with your fist in the air via this 2011 mixtape cut dedicated to Occupy Wall Street. (Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

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Lupe Fiasco Is on 106 & Park Tonight at 6P/5C! - Some may say that Lupe Fiasco is a little eccentric, but we think that he has a truly beautiful mind. This forward thinking emcee is coming through 106 tonight to celebrate his fourth studio album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1! Don't miss a minute at 6P/5C!  (Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor - Lupe’s debut leaked in April of 2006 and Lupe took that disaster as a chance to polish the debut up a bit. By the time the album was released in September, it was a critical success and one that paved the way for Lupe in the next decade.(Photo: 1st & 15th Entertainment / Atlantic Records)

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2006: Food & Liquor - In 2006, the world was introduced to a cool kid from Chicago named Lupe Fiasco. His debut single, "Kick, Push," had a truly innovative sound that we weren't really hearing in hip hop at that point. Also, lyrically, Lupe was to be respected without a doubt since that song actually referenced drug dealing and not skateboarding like most thought. (Photo: Atlantic Records)

Spaced Out: Rappers and Aliens - Some of hip hop's finest have a history of having out of this world experiences. From musical inspiration to personal testimonies, many hip hop artists have created and learned from extraterrestials. Recently, Lupe Fiasco revealed he had an encounter with aliens in his youth. Add that to the experiences of the following celebs, and hip hop continues to be inspired by the rest of the universe.

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Hip Hop Intellectual - As a child Lupe wrote a lot of poetry and plays, so needless to say the kid was onto something bigger. Because of his views he's often times been grouped into the hip hop intellectuals category with artists like Common, Talib Kweli, and Mos Def.  (Photo: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Lupe Fiasco @LupeFiasco - Tweet: "Ramadan Mubarak from Philly!!! #CheeseSteakIftar Inshallah!!! #Ramadan2012"The Muslim rapper celebrates Ramadan, which began on July 20, in Philadelphia. (Photo: Devone Byrd, PacificCoastNews.com)

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Lupe's Religion - Lupe Fiasco was raised in the Islamic faith and is a Muslim. It's not a secret and it's something that Lupe declares with pride. (Photo: Devone Byrd, PacificCoastNews.com)

2007: Lupe Fiasco's The Cool - One year after releasing Food & Liquor, Lupe release his sophomore album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool.  This album was close to Lupe's heart as he had experienced the tragic loss of his father to type II diabetes and his friend Stacks Bundles. Standout tracks on this album were "Paris, Tokyo" and "Hip Hop Saved My Life."(Photo: Atlantic Records)

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2007: Lupe Fiasco's The Cool - One year after releasing Food & Liquor, Lupe release his sophomore album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool.  This album was close to Lupe's heart as he had experienced the tragic loss of his father to type II diabetes and his friend Stacks Bundles. Standout tracks on this album were "Paris, Tokyo" and "Hip Hop Saved My Life."(Photo: Atlantic Records)

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Presidential Controversy - Last year, in an extremely candid and outspoken moment, Lupe spoke out against President Obama and the U.S. government. He received a lot of flack for his comments, but we're glad that he isn't one to hold his tongue.  (Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)

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Presidential Controversy - Last year, in an extremely candid and outspoken moment, Lupe spoke out against President Obama and the U.S. government. He received a lot of flack for his comments, but we're glad that he isn't one to hold his tongue.  (Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)

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Lupe and Erykah - In a poignant moment during last year's BET Hip Hop Awards, Lupe Fiasco performed "Words I Never Said" with a vocalist wearing a traditional hijab. It was revealed during the performance that the vocalist accompanying Lupe was the one and only Erykah Badu. Talk about making a statement! (Photo: Jeff Daly/PictureGroup)

Lasers, Lupe Fiasco - Lupe claimed this pop-rap album was the result of an overbearing, commercially-minded record label, but with its No. 1 debut on Billboard, maybe his A&R really was onto something. Lupe didn't let the electro-leaning production or big, melodious hooks blunt his usual darts, making each track his, no matter how radio-friendly. (Photo: Courtesy Atlantic Records)

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2011: Lasers - Some four years after the release of his sophomore album, Lupe Fiasco released Lasers. Ironically, Lasers is an album that had virtually been shelved by his label, yet through Lupe's determination and the hunger of his fans, who signed a petition for the album's release, Lasers came out and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts. (Photo: Atlantic Records)

Lupe Fiasco, On 9/11 and The Collapse of 7 World Trade Center    - "There was never really a real, proper investigation. It's just something that always stood out as a sort of elephant in the room for me."(Photo: Frank Micelotta/MTV/PictureGroup)

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Philanthropy Is the Name of the Game - Never taking fame for granted, Lupe always gives back. He has worked to make a difference for the victims of the 2010 earthquake that rocked Haiti and he's also worked to raise awareness about the world's need for more clean and healthy drinking water.  (Photo: Frank Micelotta/MTV/PictureGroup)

2012: Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 - Don't miss Lupe on 106 & Park tonight in celebration of his fourth studio album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1. He'll be performing and letting his fans know what to expect from his new album.  Don't miss a minute at 6P/5C!   (Photo: Atlantic Records)

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2012: Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 - Don't miss Lupe on 106 & Park tonight in celebration of his fourth studio album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1. He'll be performing and letting his fans know what to expect from his new album. Don't miss a minute at 6P/5C! (Photo: Atlantic Records)