7.19.2024
Lupe Fiasco Announces Nationwide “Samurai Tour,” Kicking Off This Fall
Tickets Available on Friday, July 26th at 10am Local Time
Across 19 Dates, the Masterful Chicago Rapper Will Perform Songs From His Acclaimed New Album Samurai, and Highlights From His Decades-Long Career
Critical Praise for Samurai:
“Samurai is expected to be one of Fiasco’s most intrinsic works, as he is known for his conceptualized approach in his albums.” – Forbes
“Lupe Fiasco reunites with producer Soundtrakk for a jazzy, subdued album that weighs the challenges and indignities of sustaining a career in the arts.” – Pitchfork
“Lupe paints a sincere masterpiece with Samurai, reminding those that his pen is unparalleled even in a conceptual mood.” – BET
“The Chicago legend’s ninth album is inspired by battle rap and Japanese culture…” – CLASH Magazine
“With meditative focus and sharp craftsmanship, Lupe Fiasco’s Samurai album lives up to its name.” – Okayplayer
The Announcement:
20 years into his esteemed career, Lupe Fiasco can still turn heads with his unparalleled pen game. After earning rapturous acclaim for Samurai, his ninth studio album, the Chicago emcee prepares to take the new music on the road, with the “Samurai Tour,” starting this Fall. Kicking off in NYC (Terminal 5) on October 3rd, the “Samurai Tour” crosses the nation for 19 dates, stopping in cities like Atlanta (Variety Playhouse) on November 14th, and his hometown of Chicago (Salt Shed) on November 10th, before concluding in Los Angeles (Novo) on November 24th.
Tickets for “Samurai Tour” are available on Friday, July 26th at 10am local time HERE.
“Samurai Tour” Dates:
10/3 New York, NY (Terminal 5)
10/4 Hartford, CT (The Webster)
10/5 Philadelphia, PA (Union Transfer)
10/6 Boston, MA (Royale)
10/10 Columbus, OH (Columbus Athenaeum)
10/11 Cleveland, OH (TempleLive Cleveland Masonic)
10/18 Fort Collins, CO (Washington’s FoCo)
10/19 Denver, CO (Summit)
10/24 Solana Beach, CA (Belly Up)
10/25 Ventura, CA (Ventura Music Hall)
10/26 Pomona, CA (Fox Theater Pomona)
11/9 St. Louis, MO (The Factory at The District)
11/10 Chicago, IL (Salt Shed)
11/14 Atlanta, GA (Variety Playhouse)
11/15 Norfolk, VA (The NorVa)
11/16 Washington, D.C. (The Howard Theatre)
11/21 San Francisco, CA (The Warfield)
11/22 Santa Cruz, CA (The Catalyst)
11/24 Los Angeles, CA (The Novo)
Smooth, yet cerebral, Samurai is produced in full by Lupe’s longtime collaborator Soundtrakk–the second and second-straight full-length collab between producer and artist after 2022’s DRILL MUSIC IN ZION–and the first album that Lupe and Soundtrakk worked on with their longtime manager, and 1st & 15th co-CEO Charles “Chill” Patton, since 2007’s The Cool. Executive-produced by Patton, the album is home to singles like the acclaimed “Samurai,” the lyrical showcase “Cake,” and the warm “No. 1 Headband.”
Though the album is loosely inspired by the artistry of Amy Winehouse, conceptualized by Lupe as a battle rapper plying her trade in competitions, Lupe has called the album one of his “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.”
Released in late June, the album earned praise from Pitchfork (7.4), Clash Magazine, BET, Okayplayer, HotNewHipHop, The Needle Drop (8/10), and many other outlets. Lupe and Soundtrakk also sat down with Rolling Stone to give a revealing track-by-track breakdown of the 8-song effort. Samurai is available on all platforms, and at your local record store, via Lupe’s label 1st & 15th.
Stay tuned for more from Lupe and 1st & 15th as the year moves along.
Stream Samurai: https://orcd.co/lupe-samurai
Samurai tracklist:
- Samurai
- Mumble Rap
- Cake
- Palaces
- No. 1 Headband
- Bigfoot
- Outside
- Til Eternity
Credit: Karl Ray
Please contact Michelle or Kevin for more info.
Background:
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is a Chicago-born, Grammy award-winning American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and community advocate. Rising to fame in 2006, following the success of his debut album, Food & Liquor, Lupe has released nine acclaimed studio albums; his latest being Samurai, released in the summer of 2024. His efforts to propagate conscious material helped solidify him as GQ’s Man of the Year in 2006, and garnered recognition as a Henry Crown Fellow. While musical genius and ingenuity are at the forefront of Lupe’s achievements, the artist extends his innovation to projects that aim to foster creative discourse and opportunities in underprivileged and impoverished communities. Last year, the iconic Chicago native settled into his position as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he teaches “Rap Theory and Practice.” Beyond music, Lupe continues to focus on the community organizations he founded, including We Are M.U.R.A.L, The Neighborhood Start-Up Fund, Society of Spoken Art, and his cross-cultural content venture, Studio SV.
Links:
official site | store | instagram | twitter | facebook | spotify | youtube | apple
Buy tickets for the “Samurai Tour”: https://www.lupefiasco.com/shows
Samurai: https://orcd.co/lupe-samurai
“No. 1 Headband”: https://youtu.be/-qpInC2hSSw
“Cake”: https://orcd.co/lupe-cake
“Samurai”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcoRc2ieFzE
DRILL MUSIC IN ZION: https://orcd.co/dmiz