Review: Lupe Fiasco @ The Fillmore in NYC [2nd Night]

Photo courtesy of Ernest Estimé

Janine is a writer for attorneyst.com and she wrote this awesome review of Lupe's concert @ The Fillmore in NYC [04/11/10]. Check it out below!

New York City, being the cultural epicenter that it is, serves as home base to some of the most eclectic groups of young people in the world.

On April 11, 2010 it seemed as if all of those young people were lined up in front of, down the block from and around the corner of The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza for Lupe Fiasco’s Steppin’ Laser tour.

The Lasers were in fact steppin’ out in the freshest kicks, flyest gear and with open minds, hearts and ears impatiently waiting to get into the venue. Around 7pm, as dusk descended upon the city, the Fillmore’s doors opened....

The crowd was pleasantly surprised by the first act, a young rapper from Philadelphia named Dosage. He warmed up the spot with lyrically reflective tracks like “Read The Contract.”

By the time ATLien B.o.B. hit the stage, the venue was vibrating with positive energy. The Steppin’ Laser show is not your average hardcore, screw faced, crack sling singsong production. B.o.B. exceeded expectations with a wonderfully polished set.

Equipped with a guitar, which he deemed his “war-hawk”, he sang, rapped and even took off his shoes and danced across the stage in his socks, on the Hip-Hop Risky Business tip.

After the band members took their place and the Dj got behind the wheels of steel the house lights were dimmed. Lupe Fiasco bounced onstage bobbing his head to the instrumentals of “Shining Down.”

Without having to open his mouth Fiasco’s clothes spoke in metaphors with symbols that reflected the reoccurring themes in his music. His collared shirt was stitched in the fashion of the American flag. Only this replica of the flag was different, it brandished radical messages that clashes with the traditional image of the so-called fore fathers.

One of those messages stood out to me the most; “Only Anarchists Are Pretty”, my homegirls and I looked at each and chuckled. All I could think was “Mmmmm, I hope he thinks cropped haired gurls from Harlem are as pretty as Anarchists.”

The traditional Army fatigue pants he adorned made him appear to be a leader in an underground, rebel, people’s army. His uniform was punctuated with black high-top, butter soft leather Chuck Taylor All-Stars with patent leather detail. It was a youthful American ensemble with a subversive touch. Classic.

His cues were perfect, weaving through the set list with high energy, crisp pronunciation and great breath control. The transitions were smooth between the tracks from “The Cool” to “Enemy Of The State” gems then on to Japanese Cartoon songs and back in time to fan favorites from “Food and Liquor.”

He danced as if alone in his room, with eyes closed at times, as if looking deep within to the source from which those very lyrics first sprung.

I am sure all of the Lady Lasers noticed how beautifully he moved. Even his pelvic thrusts were expressively intelligent, strokes moving as fluid as a ballpoint pen does across white sheets of paper. Rhythmic.

When the show came to an end, the finest of New York City’s millennial generation filed out into the streets in the directions toward Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, SoHo, Uptown, The Heights and on.

With my 14 point L.A.S.E.R.S. Manifesto in hand I couldn’t help but think if this was how young Black Panthers, student activists, artists and scholars felt like when they were riding on the winds of a revolution that was only just beginning to sweep through the nation.