Lupe Fiasco has announced his new album Samurai and shared the first single from the project.
On Friday (May 17), the Chicago rapper revealed his ninth studio album will be released on June 28. Samurai will include eight tracks and is produced entirely by longtime collaborator Soundtrakk.
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The producer is best known for being behind some of Lupe’s biggest tracks, including “Kick, Push,” “Superstar” and “Hip Hop Saved My Life.”
To go with the announcement, Lupe Fiasco dropped the title track “Samurai” alongside a music video, which finds Lupe rapping around his hometown.
— “SAMURAI” Now Playing (@LupeFiasco) May 17, 2024
Shedding light on his latest offering, Lupe Fiasco described Samurai as one of the most personal albums of his career so far.
“I sometimes get tagged by my fans as not doing personal records,” he said, per Season of Mist. “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.
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“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.”
Lupe Fiasco also spoke about making Samurai with Soundtrakk and his manager Charles “Chilly” Patton, who was released from prison last year after spending 16 years behind bars, while explaining the meaning behind the title.
“It felt great to be back in the studio again as a family,” he said. “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.”
He added: “The overall themes of the album speak to the constant fight and the battle one goes through being in the entertainment industry. Some of the things we need to defend.”
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Samurai serves as the follow-up to 2022’s Drill Music in Zion, which was also produced Soundtrakk along with Lupe himself.
Check out the tracklist below.
1. Samurai
2. Mumble Rap
3. Cake
4. Palaces
5. Headbanger
6. Big Foot
7. Outside
8. Til Eternity
