10.13.2023

Lupe Fiasco’s 1st & 15th

Shares Chill’s Spotlight 6: Underground, Featuring “Out There,” an Unreleased Song by Lupe Himself

Curated by 1st & 15th Founders Lupe Fiasco and His Business Partner Charles “Chilly” Patton, Chill’s Spotlight 6 Highlights Underground Lyricists and Provides Clear-Eyed Commentary on Modern Life

The Compilation + Remix:

Before he became one of the best rappers of his generation, Lupe Fiasco and his close friend Charles “Chilly” Patton founded the independent label 1st & 15th. Throughout his long career, Lupe has released music under the 1st & 15th banner, as Chill helped manage the label from behind bars. This summer, after nearly 16 years, Charles Patton earned his freedom from prison, starting a new chapter in label’s storied history. Today, Lupe and Chill share Chill’s Spotlight 6: Underground, a celebratory compilaton release that spotlights lesser-known artists with impressive pen games, as well as a remastered, previously-unreleased Lupe Fiasco song from the vault.

Most notable among the tracks on Chill’s Spotlight 6 is Lupe Fiasco’s “Out There,” a newly-revealed song from 1st & 15th’s vault. A vintage, propulsive soul-sampler, “Out There” points a critical eye towards the ways that the rap game interacts with the unsavory aspects of capitalism, ranging from the greed of big business to unsavory elements like the drug trade. During the song’s second verse, Lupe compares the game to a sprawling human body, with various elements making up his anatomy: “With a baking soda soul, he cough up pleasure/Clothes made out of dollar bills that he sewed together.” Lupe ends the song by sending a word of support to any individual fighting hard to stand up to the oppressive system that works diligently to grind us down.

Beyond “Out There,” the 5-song Chill’s Spotlight Vol. 6 showcases some under-heralded talent, blessed with the Lupe & Chill seal of approval. Pennsylvania rapper OT The Real attempts to spin straw into “Gold” on his soulful turn, while longtime Lupe mentee Billy Blue teaches the art of the hustle in “Forever Trappin.“ Rapper Un Kasa injects some urgency into the proceedings with “4 Ya Life,” while Gemini masters the cerebral flex on “Run.” Together, the songs paint a soulful and lyrical portrait of the current moment, providing inspriation for those struggling in these difficult times. Chill’s Spotlight 6 follows in the wake of two single-artist spotlights: Chill’s Spotlight 4 featured music from Chicago house legend Vince Lawrence, including a house remix of Lupe’s “Wild Child,” and Chill’s Spotlight 5 featured contributions from Shayla G.

Last year, Lupe Fiasco re-emerged with DRILL MUSIC IN ZION, his first new studio album since 2017. Released on June 24th, 2022, DRILL MUSIC IN ZION earned critical acclaim from NPR, Complex, The FADER, and many others, including Vinyl Me Please, who wrote “At their best, Lupe’s bars are as visually and phonetically pleasing as popped bubble wrap.” The product of a burst of thoughtful spontaneity, Lupe created DRILL MUSIC IN ZION over a short period, diving into a folder of beats sent by Soundtrakk and emerging with a fully-realized album in just three days (“Sometimes deadlines are lifelines,” says Lupe). DRILL MUSIC IN ZION earned “Best Of 2022” honors from the likes of Complex, Okayplayer, RIFF Magazine, and The Needle Drop.

Beyond DRILL MUSIC IN ZION, 2022 was a massive year for the iconic Chicago rapper. He celebrated the 15th anniversary of Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool, certified Platinum by the RIAA, and launched “LFT,” an NFT program that allows fans to get closer than ever to Lupe. He blessed his fans with archival releases and loose singles, including the self-produced “100 Chicagos” and “Galveston,” an Apple Music exclusive created in observation of Juneteenth. In the fall, Lupe started his position as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he teaches “Rap Theory and Practice.” The rapper is currently teaching his second semester of the course, with plans to continue in the future. 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.

DRILL MUSIC IN ZION and Chill’s Spotlight 6 are available everywhere via 1st & 15th/Thirty Tigers.

Stay tuned for more music and announcements from Lupe Fiasco, Charles “Chilly” Patton, and 1st & 15th as the label begins a new chapter.

Stream Chill’s Spotlight 6: https://orcd.co/chillsspotlight6

Buy/Stream DRILL MUSIC IN ZION: https://orcd.co/dmiz

Chill’s Spotlight 6 tracklist:
1. Lupe Fiasco – Out There
2. Billy Blue – Forever Trappin
3. OT The Real – Gold
4. Un Kasa – 4 Ya Life
5. Gemini – Run

Credit: Jessica Hatter Weaver

Please contact Michelle or Kevin for more info.

The 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 more than four acclaimed studio albums; his latest being Drogas Wave released fall 2018. 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.