The year 2006 may feel like a lifetime ago. Much of the southeast was still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Ben Rothlisberger had just won his first Super Bowl title and a U.S. Senator from Illinois was preparing to make history. Amid these changing times, a young artist out of Chicago by the name of Lupe Fiasco was preparing to turn in his first LP entitled Food & Liquor. Unfortunately, what many believe to be the original project was leaked online. While fans were gifted with a timeless album months later, a few tracks were missing from the LP that was commercially released in September 2006.
One of the many songs that was prematurely shared online was “Hustlaz.” Complete with a warm, thoughtful sample of Gwen McRae’s “Love Without Sex,” the four-minute track showcased the imaginative wordplay that would set Lupe Fiasco’s catalog aside from the rest for years to come. Mixed within the wordplay and nostalgic sample sits Lupe Fiasco, a young man out of Chicago that learned a lifetime’s worth of lessons by simply watching, observing and trying to get by.
“This a hustler’s due/And you ain’t did it ’til a hustler’s do/And you didn’t know it ’til a hustler knew/And you ain’t done ’til a hustler’s through/I’m a customer too, it’s what hustler’s do/And you ain’t seen it ’til you seen it from a hustler’s view,” he raps.
Months after Food & Liquor‘s 15th anniversary, Lupe Fiasco has brought “Hustlaz” to streaming platforms worldwide. The track sets the stage for Chill’s Spotlight 2 EP and Lupe Fiasco’s upcoming LP, Drill Music In Zion. To top it all off, “Hustlaz” is the first domino to fall as the Chicago legend rolls out his “LFT” program. Beginning February 10, fans can check out his social media channels to earn badges and claim NFTs during raffle airdrops hosted on Lupe’s Discord. From there, fans can use the NFTs to participate in the “meta-narrative” surrounding Lupe’s upcoming album.
