Before Lupe Fiasco released his seminal 2006 album Food & Liquor, cementing himself as a centerpiece of mid-aughts hip-hop, Lupe recorded the song above. "Hey Lupe" is built over a '70s funk groove, and finds Lupe rapping with signature precision. The song, which premieres on The FADER today, now appears as the third single in the "Chill’s Spotlight” playlist, curated by 1st & 15th co-founder Charles “Chill” Patton.
"I vividly remember the day Lupe recorded this song," Chill told The FADER over email. "I got the beat from the producer and played it twice for Lu while we were riding in a white Suburban, 20 minutes later we made it to the studio and he immediately went in and knocked out the whole song — verses, hook, adlibs, etc. It was natural for him, but not so natural for me to see this, and I had been around some of the greats. This is when I knew he was a Monster!! It’s been in the vaults for many years, and now we are excited to share it with his fans."
