[jwplatform d3UL5ELs]
With his music career supposedly finishing by year’s end, Lupe Fiasco took the stage at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill on his For The Fans tour, his latest trek since releasing his final Atlantic Records album Tetsuo & Youth in January 2015.
For an event targeting fans, including the nine-minute show opener “Mural,” the 33-year-old MC held court for the first half-hour clutching the middle of three microphones, barely moving in a white baggy sweater and hiding behind sunglasses. During the introductory stretch of the 75-minute set, the crowd, mostly white, enjoyed every song and knew every lyric.
Later in the show, Fiasco became a showman, an entertainer, clutching his mic with a sudden, dazzling persona. His catalog served as his support beams. Through a vine-swinging journey through his smash singles, he emphasized the breadth of his artistry. The audience lapped up truncated renditions of “Kick Push”, “Superstar”, “Daydreamin’”. “Paris, Tokyo” and “Next to It,” where he attempted to part the audience for call and response. Few reciprocated, until Ty Dolla $ign, who’s featured on the track, emerged to prop up the chorus, providing a brief glimpse of his hit “Blasé” before exiting into the wings. –raymond hagans
