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Lupe Fiasco wants his new album to be an act of service. On Friday, the esteemed rapper announced that he’ll release his ninth studio album, Samurai, on June 28 and also dropped the project’s title track. The LP will hear Fiasco dive into more personal storytelling while embracing the idea that you “need to be at the service of other people.”
“I sometimes get tagged by my fans as not doing personal records,” Lupe said in a statement, “but I always tell people there’s me in there if you listen closely enough. This album is one of my 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,” he added. “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.”
Fiasco tapped Soundtrakk to produce the album after working with him on 2022’s Drill Music in Zion. The album, executive-produced by Charles “Chill” Patton, will feature eight songs, including tracks such as “Bigfoot,” “Cake,” and “Palaces.”
“The word ‘samurai’ means to serve,”Lupesays of the album’s title.“My relationship to that word has always meant that you need to be at the service of other people, either in the overall community, or in this instance, the rap community at large that I’ve been a part of for years.”
Samurai follows 2022’s Drill Music in Zion, though he released several singles in 2023, including “Roc-A-Fella Y’all,” “Channel No. 3,” and “Outside.”
Samurai Track List
1. “Samurai”
2. “Mumble Rap”
3. “Cake”
4. “Palaces”
5. “No. 1 Headband”
6. “Bigfoot”
7. “Outside”
8. “Til Eternity”
