Lupe Fiasco is an American rapper, producer, businessman, and philanthropist from Chicago.
Lupe became famous in 2006 when he released a successful album entitled “Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor.”
Personal Life
Lupe Fiasco was born on February 16, 1982, with the full name Wasalu Muhammad Jaco. Lupe is of West-African descent, and he was raised as a Muslim.
Lupe is one of nine children. His parents are Gregory, an engineer, and Shirley, a gourmet chef. Lupe’s parents divorced when he was 5 and Lupe lived with his mother while his father still remained to be an active part of his life.
When he was in the sixth grade, Lupe moved in with his father. His father happened to live in a neigborhood that housed a crack house. Because of this, Lupe’s father taught Lupe to use guns at a young age for self-defense.
Lupe started out with rapper names like “Little Lu” and “Lu tha Underdog.” “Lu” came from the last part of his first name, “Wasalu.”
He then created “Lupe” as an extension of his nickname – a name he borrowed from a high school friend. He got the “Fiasco” part from the song “Firm Fiasco.” He has gone by the stage name “Lupe Fiasco” ever since.
Career
Lupe’s claim to fame was in 2005 when he was featured on Kanye West’s single, “Touch the Sky.” The song was a commercial hit and launched him as a rapper. The following year, he released his debut album, which got nominated for 3 Grammy Awards.
Lupe is known for his creative metaphorical rap verses and complex narratives. But he is also known to be a rapper who is open to doing other genres like pop.
Lupe has two clothing lines, Trilly & Trully and Righteous Kung-Fu. He also collaborated with Reebok and designed shoes for the brand.
Lupe is also known to be active in charitable work. He is also known to be vocal about his anti-establishment opinions.
As of 2020, Lupe Fiasco has an estimated net worth of about $14 million.
Highlights
- GQ’s Men of the Year (2006)
- Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance (2008)
- USA’s Character Approved Award for Musician (2009)
Favorite Quotes
“When I started making my own music, I was more about recreating what I was hearing. I noticed that I had some control over what I was saying, and the effects that it’s going to have on people. I wanted to focus more on the positive side of things, which are more in tune with my morals and ethics.” – Lupe Fiasco
“I never want to be an artistic bully, and put myself above anyone else… or be more prestigious than anyone else. You like what you like, and you have to take that as you want it.” – Lupe Fiasco
“When you start creating opinion, and you start creating a difference of opinion, you’re doing something. People are actually sitting down and critiquing. A lot of the stuff people hate, they really don’t. They only look at the outer shell. They don’t really get into it.” – Lupe Fiasco
“If they burn a book, have no worries. The book will feel NO pain so neither should you! True destruction of the Qur’an cannot be done with fire; it is destroyed when we fail to remember & practice its lessons in our daily lives. If this occurs, then it is ANOTHER fire that you should truly be concerned about!” – Lupe Fiasco
Lessons from Lupe Fiasco
After learning about Lupe Fiasco net worth and his personal life, here are some of his career lessons:
Keep an open mind
Lupe was born and raised to be a Muslim as a child. However, his father also influenced him to keep an open mind by exposing him to different Eastern and Western philosophies. This kind of exposure has made him very open-minded and respectful towards the religion of others.
Speak up
Lupe is known for being opinionated when it comes to politics. He is never scared to speak what is on his mind.
This is what makes him stand out from most rappers. Lupe has shown a different range of intellect not only in his interviews but also in his deep and complex verses.
In life, do not be afraid to speak up, no matter how people view you. Your opinions matter and can make a difference.
Be pro-active
Lupe has advocated for citizens being educated and informed about how the government works. He believes that once the people are educated about where their tax money goes, there will be more involved in the political process. Just like in life, you need to be pro-active to see actual results.
Summary
Lupe Fiasco is one of the most famous rappers in the industry today who has worked with other big-name rappers like Jay-Z and Kanye West.
As of 2020, Lupe Fiasco has an estimated net worth of about $14 million.