News in Funk

Chicago is apparently the new hotbed for hip hop. Intelligent, lyrical hip hop, at that. First, there's Kidz in the Hall, comprised of Ivy grads Naledge and Double O. Their new album "School Was My Hustle" is solid all the way through. Check it.

Then, the other night on Letterman came my introduction to the Windy City's Lupe Fiasco, who is much more popular than Kidz in the Hall but was entirely new to me. He performed a song off his new album "Food & Liquor" featuring soulstress Jill Scott. Also accompanying was a band and -- awesomely -- a string section. In what could, I guess, be described as Chicago skater rap, Lupe's erudite mind (what other rapper references string theory?) comes to bear on tight production provided by the likes of the Neptunes and Kanye.

If Mr. Fiasco's Letterman performance doesn't knock your socks off, there's something wrong with your socks.


Check the second verse, where he brings straight violence to the rap establishment:

Now come on everybody, let's make cocaine cool
We need a few more half naked women up in the pool
And hold this MAC-10 that's all covered in jewels
And can you please put your titties closer to the 22s?
And where's the champagne? We need champagne
Now look as hard as you can with this blunt in your hand
And now hold up your chain slow motion through the flames
Now cue the smoke machines and the simulated rain ...

My only complaint is that this song has just two verses.