10.27.2023

Watch “4 Ya Life” by Un Kasa, a New Video From 1st & 15th Label Compilation Chill’s Spotlight 6: Underground

1st & 15th Founders Lupe Fiasco and Business Partner Charles “Chilly” Patton Curated Chill’s Spotlight 6 to Highlight Underground Lyricists, Including Harlem Rapper and Dipset Affiliate Un Kasa

The Compilation + Remix:

An evangelist for real hip-hop and one of the greatest lyricists in the genre’s history, Lupe Fiasco made it his mission to elevate lyricism with Chill’s Spotlight 6: Underground, the new compilation released by his label 1st & 15th. Today, the label co-founded by Lupe and his close friend Charles “Chilly” Patton shines a spotlight on Un Kasa, and his new music video for “4 Ya Life.” A well-respected battle rapper from Harlem, Un Kasa is known to NYC rap fans for his affiliation with The Diplomats, appearing on albums like Diplomatic Immunity and Purple Haze. An urgent warning to wack rappers worldwide, “4 Ya Life” is an incendiary throwback, challenging his opponents to back up their flex-heavy tough talk: “At the club, talkin’ bout your yacht and your wrist/That’s how you get shot in your ribs, and just get dropped off a bridge.” In the video, Un Kasa stalks New York City rooftops, moving from his home neighborhood of Harlem to Flatbush in Brooklyn as he spits his verses with a fervent passion.

Earlier this month, Lupe and Chill dropped Chill’s Spotlight 6: Underground spotlighting lesser-known artists with impressive pen games, as well as a remastered, previously-unreleased Lupe Fiasco song from the vault. A vintage, propulsive soul-sampler, Lupe’s “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. 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.“ 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.

Watch Un Kasa’s “4 Ya Life”: https://youtu.be/UJzgOWwJ30w

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.