Lupe Fiasco's the Cool (A review by someone who doesn't listen to rap music)

The hoopla has died down, Christmas has come and gone, I am sitting in my living room with a Christmas Tree that is holding on to dear life and a cat who you would think has post-holiday depression if you didnt know he does this 23 hours a day. I have, what I can only assume is, a common cold and that would make me angry if I had enough strength to feel anger. I am listening to Lupe Fiasco's the Cool for about the 5th time and I have yet to absorb all of the greatness of this record.
He is a smart cat, Lupe. Too smart to be compared to his peers. He is in a category of his own. He is a rapper, but not in the way that dipshits like Kanye or 50 Cent do their thing. He tells a good story. So much is going on so quickly that I feel like I miss something each time I listen and at the same time I hear something new. My attention span isn't always the greatest and I tend to drift off in between verses. So I have to listen to the songs a few times to get it all. There are standout tracks throughout the album. Go, Go Gadget Flow might be my favorite, but thats just at first listen because Paris, Tokyo is great and so is Hip Hop Saved My Life and Intruder Alert and Put You On Game. I suppose when determining whether a rap album is good or not you have to take a few things into account. The beat, the production, the versuses. Like I have mentioned before a chorus in a rap song has always felt like filler to me, but on this record I actually enjoy some of them. The use of keys in this record is great...I love it. When comparing this album with his last you notice that more emphasis has been put on production. Electric guitars and piano...guest appearances. With all the additions made none of it takes away from his great lyrics.
As I continue to listen I forgot how much I love Little Weapon. A topic that stretches across races and socioeconomic standing and across oceans to other worlds. And then there is Fighters. The second to last song on the album. A eulogy.. and then he picks it up with Go Baby and everybody goes home happy.
I do not listen to a lot of rap. In fact, I listen to very little. This record is great. You should buy it!