KAYTRANADA has revealed the inspiration behind his latest album’s opening track, and it traces all the way back to 2006.
On Saturday (June 8), soon after his fourth studio album Timeless went live, a fan tweeted: “i’m not the only who hears revenge of the nerds x [Lupe Fiasco] soon as those horns start on the new @KAYTRANADA album right?”
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In response, the Haitian-Canadian beatmaker wrote: “Pressure is a tribute from the same titled song on Lupe’s Food & Liquor. One of my favourite songs.”
The Chicago MC, who released his Food & Liquor mixtape to critical acclaim during the peak of Hip Hop’s blog era, came across his peer’s post and subsequently quote-tweeted it with a tornado and prayer-hand emoji.
Pressure is a tribute from the same titled song on Lupe’s Food & Liquor. One of my favourite songs. https://t.co/nHHicFos5W
— kaytra-NADA (@KAYTRANADA) June 8, 2024
— “SAMURAI” Now Playing (@LupeFiasco) June 8, 2024
The track in question features JAY-Z and is considered by many to be among the Food & Liquor‘s countless highlights.
Listen to both versions of “Pressure” below:
Just last month, the rapper-turned-professor announced that his new album Samurai is set to drop on June 28 and will comprise eight tracks produced entirely by longtime collaborator Soundtrakk.
In conjunction with the big news, Lupe dropped a single titled “Samurai” along with a music video that features him rapping around his hometown.
“I sometimes get tagged by my fans as not doing personal records,” he told Season of Mist about his new material. “But I always tell people there’s me in there if you listen closely enough. This album is one of my more personal records to date.
“It’s not a full biography, but my personal experiences are tied up in all of my music. A lot of the records are me. Some are from the POV of a character and some are me. The album weaves things from my life as an artist, touching on things other artists go through.”
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He also elaborated on making the song with Soundtrakk and his manager Charles “Chilly” Patton, who was released from prison last year after spending 16 years behind bars.
“It felt great to be back in the studio again as a family,” he continued. “The word ‘samurai’ means to serve. My relationship to that word has always meant that you need to be at the service of other people, either in the overall community, or in this instance, the rap community at large that I’ve been a part of for years.
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“You have some duty, some purpose to serve. The title alone is very important to me. Before rap even, martial arts was my whole life, and it still plays a huge role in my life. The album is me, but also inspired by a quote I heard from one of my favorite artists.”
