He continued, “Because there’s kids in Harlem who right now would never ever listen to Midnight Marauders, I don’t give a fuck what you do, they’ll never listen to Q-Tip…” He continued,” Those hip hop elitists who think [Tribe] hold the crown and the copyright to hip hop,” he says. “I listen to 8Ball & MJG and I think they’re better than you [Tribe].” These statements, the fact that Q-Tip never personally asked Lupe to perform (despite the fact that Lupe said he did), and the rumors that he doesn’t even skateboard has led to what bloggers everywhere are calling the “Fiascogate” (essentially implying that there is some sort of deception going on here). One blogger wrote, “Lupe, I fucks with you my dude, but you were wrong here,” he continued, “I think you should take a close look at how this whole situation played out and what went wrong and use it as a learning experience. To me, it’s unacceptable that any professional rapper could have never heard Midnight Marauders. Particularly one whose work is so Tribe-esque.”
While the deck does seem stacked against the Chicago backpack rapper, Lupe did make an attempt to set the record straight in a radio interview with DJ Kay Slay. Lupe was asked if he feels that there is any similarities between his style and that of A Tribe Called Quest and if he did in fact ever listen to Midnight Marauders. He replied,” No. I haven’t listened to the album in its entirety. I haven’t listened to a lot of albums in their entirety…but at the same time, people took “Kick Push” and made me be what they wanted me to be without looking at three mixtapes…” Lupe was referring to three mixtapes that he did before even recording “Kick Push” in 2006 that eventually led to his mainstream debut(namely Fahrenheit 1/15 Part 1: The Truth Among Us, Fahrenheit 1/15 Part 2: Revenge of the Nerds, and Fahrenheit 1/15 Part 3: A Rhyming Ape).
He continued, “When I got signed initially to Epic Records, I was rapping like Fabulous. I was representing gangster imagery. What happened with me was… I felt like man, I can’t keep putting all this negativity into the world because it’s going to come back and get you. I don’t want to die on no shelf. I don’t want to go platinum because I’m dead… When I had my first record deal, I was walking around strapped up everyday. So don’t get it confused and don’t let it fool you. Just because I was riding skateboards and the whole situation, all of my friends are gangbangers, hustlers, convicts, killers, the whole situation. I just don’t want to put that face out there into the world because it’s not necessary… So I’m going to stand up for that 16 year old kid who makes a bunch of bang bang shoot wm’ records because he thinks that’s the only way that he’ll get radio play. I’m going to show him that he can be successful rapping about skateboarding and robots.”
When asked whether or not he really felt MC Hammer was more relevant than A Tribe Called Quest, he replied, “First I just want to let everybody know that I will be suing Vibe for defamation of character…” Apparently, his quote was taken from an interview last month (weeks before the actual award show) that was not supposed to be released until next month. The article was supposed to be about elitism in hip hop and Lupe feels that his statements were taken out of context. He continued,”…I didn’t say that MC Hammer was more relevant, I said that he was more popular. MC Hammer had a cartoon. I ain’t got no cartoon. Ain’t no other rapper in the game got a cartoon…I grew up on the west side of Chicago…with the hustling, the shootin, the killin, and the gangbangin. The soundtrack to that was not Outkast. It wasn’t backpack rappers. No. It was 8Ball and MJG and UGK and Scarface… I don’t know certain lyrics to some songs on Midnight Marauders, but I’ll turn around and ask someone, ‘Do you know the first verse to “Lay it Down” from 8 Ball & MJG’s “Comin Out Hard” and they’ll be like, ‘Na’… I’m a country bamma… so its like, do I attack you because you don’t know that?”
Though he is wrong about Outkast (they do in fact have a cartoon), Lupe’s standpoint is understandable..
COMMENTS
lupe droppin some knowledge on this. Liked some of his comments but others...I didnt
Also, some of his comments made me wonder if he really knows the hiphop history...I mean, if u want to go somewhere, u gotta know where u r coming from first. He cannot expet to be a successful MC if he dont know the history behind it. Especially the comment he made about Outkast...But he is still a good MC tho. He need to do more research into the history of hiphop
LUPE MADE A MISTAKE GET OVER IT.......THESE MEDIA FUCKERS REALLY DO LIFT YOU UP TO PUSH YOU DOWN....DAMN!!!!!.
I MYSELF DIG LUPE AND GREW UP ON HIP HOP SINCE I WAS BORN (1983) SO YOU KNOW THAT I LOVED A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (M.M. IS MY FAV ATCQ ALBUM) BUT I DON'T LOOK AT PEOPLE FUNNY IF THEY DON'T DIG TRIBE.
LIKE HE SAID HE GREW UP ON MJG, TOO SHORT AND DEM....SO DOES THAT MAKE HIM LESS HIP HOP.....HELL NAH!!!!!. THE PROBLEM IS THAT ATCQ FAN'S LIKE LUPE AND THOUGHT HE LOVED ATCQ TOO......IF IT WAS SAIGON, UNCLE MURDER OR 50 THAT SAID THAT PEOPLE WOULD'NT BE SHOCKED.
You can hear Lupe's entire album on Imeem.com, as well as enter a skatboard design contest run by legendary skateboard company Element Skateboards. He's also taking over the whole site, choosing all the featured artists and you can hear him narrating a playlist of his own songs.
damn i didnt kno this was so serious? i heard joe buddens say sumn about the fiascogate on mood muzik 3, i was like wuts that, now i kno, but yo lil wayne said i would kill ur new born, like damn i would think nuggaz and the media and ncaap and all them groups would be going at his head for that but i guess wayne is teflon. peace
Lupe Regained some of my respect, but Im still a little iffy
damn Vibe tryna make some controversy to sell more mags, but anyway I see where he really comin' from, so what he aint heard the whole Midnight Marauders, LUPE IS THE TRUTH even if he never heard hip hop
Not a tribe fan but I've atleast heard their work, also not a lupe fan but I've heard his work. I'm a hip hop fan and if you even a little relevant to hip hop eventually I will hear a little of your music. The problem is most of these rappers aren't fans of hip hop.
Outkast backpackerz????
hasn't he EVER heard Playerz Ball? wtf? thats a g'd up song
and all he did was name the hottest southern rappers durin that era..
ask any of the rapperz he named, bet they ALL listened to 'Kast!
lupe still out'a line talkin bout, "i listened to gangsta rap..
well, outkast was gangsta my nigga. man, i can't stand this lil "thug" nerd. he needs to hop on that skate board 'n roll out lil one.
ya he doesnt know what the fuck he is talkin about on that one when speakin on kast. i like lupe but he is lost here.
I speak for everyone when i say, who cares!!!!
speak for yourself
and if you were real DuDe you would speack for your damn self....!
lupe is next.
Ey I've been down with Lupe for some time now, and this shit right here... Is nothing serious, come on man, he maybe forgot the lyrics and he dont dig A tribe called quest, so what? Everyone has their own opinion on what's cool and what's not cool?
So what. Midnight Maruders is a classic and all but. Truth is alot of people dont know shit about rap except 50 beefs alot and 2pac and biggie got kilt.
Im young and i just love the music but u would be surprised how many people round me say a tribe called what. U mean dude that made a vibrant thing that... shit sucked. Not like Im justifyin my dude forgetten the lyrics but givem a break. He does good music himself and aint worried bout that lil shit.
www.myspace.com/cbassfloodbros
its 2007 man da tribe called quest is not even relevant to hip hop anymore they had their era and it passed, now we in a new space of hip hop, im not sayin its the best place hip hop has ever been but none the less it is where it is. u cant knok a nigga for not listenin to a particular group, how many kids you kno even know the tribe called quest exist? not many so y da fuk does it matter
Now if you are a true hip hop head and know your history then all cats who paved the way should be relevant. Its like me saying the Civil Rights movement is not relevant to today. If you don't know where your craft came from then you don't know where your craft is going. I know that is a bit extreme, but I truly think that is something that has to be acknowledged. Hip Hop is a culture and guess what, A Tribe Called Quest has it foot prints etched in it's history so they will always be relevant. Just my opinion. Peace to all.
yo dude thats really...but when your up and comin you want to create your own path....give props to those that came before you but....thats where it ends....dont get me wrong i think Lupe was wrong in saying their not relevent, but its like...he sliped on a few words what artist dont...
Oh and alot of ppl that listen to hip-hop rite now dont even knw what Hip-Hop head means...
all im sayin is you cant knock dude foe his opinion....and you cant question his motives or skills he's no gimik rapper....how many rappers can make a record like DUMB It DOWN!?!?!
thats so dumb how just cuz your rapper you should of heard every rap album ever released since you were one, evne though ppl dotn get into music til they like 8-11
hmmm lupe is one of my faveroute artists im not gonna lie and some of the shit he said was relly quite relevent
like i doubt if 50 cent when the get rich or die tryin and massacre and when g unit was cool era if he new evry 'legendry' rapper lyrics
and when aftermath did the tupac cd thingy if emeinem nos every tupac lyric
although lupeb shouldnt have said shit how he said it
if that nigga ant listen to it...he aint listen to it...DAMN
people like different shit whether its classic or not
I think they are putting it on such a big pedestal because its on such a big stage.
Lupe is right and wrong in this aspect, You guys telin me that Young Jeezy knows all the Songs by EPMD? I mean damn fellas, you mess up sometimes. Lupe fucked up, thats what that is. If you guys think every Hip Hop Legend listened to everything that came before them, that is false. 100% false. That is why Hip Hop is where it is today. I think that everyone should just take 5 and move on. This Fiascogate bullshit is fucking lame and retarded.
exactly, and its not like he fumbled or anything he forgot 2 words.. this is being blown waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of proportion
i saw andre 3000 at the usc game yesterday.
his girlfriend had the biggest booty
lupe is wack..u go on stage to respect someone and u fuck up..damn
Ur poiunt of view is wack.
www. myspace.com/cbassfloodbros
Lupe is the truth frum the westside CHi. He aint follow no trend and hes a tru growing lyricist. Fallback b4 u embarass urself some more Qtip.
www.myspace.com/cbassfloodbros
why the fuccc did they have thaat fool rap the song if he muthafucckin couldn't do it. and come onnn Lupe your a real rapper, you should know that Tribe made good ass rap music with some muthafuckin soul in it it don't matter when it was made if your about rap music, if its wat you do, if you claim that you real, you should know real hiphop and ATCQ is real muthafuckin shit not some muthafuckin soulja boy that shits fruity like the macarena
i dnt no wat 2 make of this man he 1 of those take it back 2 real rap ass niggas but then he lightweight disses q-tip an the tribe i mean he cleared shyt up in the interview tho so idk dude mickey
This shit is sad...Period!
Yet, we wonder why everythin now a days is soo watered down...why we say hip hop is dead and no one understand where the fuck we got that statement from...
Yall dont understand why we could make a statement that bold because you muthafuckas never took the time to understand what hip hop was from the very beginning...
Just sad....actually it's fucking pathetic...
The very reason why I have a hard time buying new shit...
~Be Eazy!
CRY...although i have absolutely no idea what your even talking about....just cry...
Man Lupe rapped like fab....lol i wanna here lupe on some real hood metaphor shit lol.....but n e way....i'm runnin wit lupe on this one....niggaz jus want a reason to hate on one of the best lyricist since the golden age
THIS IS JUS GETTING RIDICULOUS....up until a week ago, i didnt know a goodie mob song, SHOOT ME....how many of you motherfuckers can say you ever listened to cool moe dee, or slick rick, or EVEN tribe.....like honestly....give it a fucking rest...jus because he is a rapper he HAS to like and listen to everything YOU consider to be real hip hop....he has a different opinion and a different idea of what is hip hop to him....half the fucking people on this site prolly bump rick ross and yung joc all day long anyway....fucking haters man....i'm sick of this shit, lupe drop the cool and shut up all these motherfuckers already...
one
Lupe's the best. He was just quoted and misunderstood, I got the same amount of respect for him. So ya'll can stop hatin. Learn it.
LUPE NEVER EVEN SAID THAT SHIT..fURTHERMORE hE SUEING THEM BITCHES FOR SLANDERING HIS NAME
another thing didnt Biggie say he wasnt influenced by no rappers..so if u couldve put him up on stage to do something classic how u know if he gonna know it or like it
How old is Lupe? he wasn't really old enough to decipher Tribes rhymes at the height of their careers. I forgive young dudes who may not know about Tribe or the JB's or De La Soul or That don't know Queen Latifah as an MC.
Lupe is 25...thats old enough to be able to listen to Tribe...its not out of his age range
Ain't nobody give a damn about a Tribe Called Quest. Lupe's trax is dope.
Dude, you're out of your fucking mind...Tribe was the face of the backpack movement period in the 90's, please don't try and rewrite history just because you were probably still drinking from your mom's tit at the time..that's almost about as dumb as saying NWA was irrelevant to gangsta rap. I was there nigga...
Lupe doesn't speak for the West Side of Chi, I was there and all kind of niggas was playing ATCQ back in the 90's, backpackers and thugs alike. Black folks aren't as one-dimensional as Fiasco makes them out to be. Some of the hardest niggas was wearing rayon shirts back then, but you wouldn't have the balls to call them soft!
I just have a quick questions, and I didn't watch the award show so mind the ignorance.
Did they just pick Lupe out of the Crowd and told him to rap? Because if thats the case then I definetly understand.
If they didn't pick him out of the crowd than its stupid because its just plain old preparation that needed to be done. I'm a big Tribe Fan, and I'm 21 so they're not just for old heads, but if your not.. I'm not knocking you for it.
But, if you know that you're going in front millions of people to perform a song to commemorate great artist that you aren't familiar with. Prepare.
Seriously though. Its not a big deal. He fucked up. My prediction.. He'll probably fuck up again. Its called being a human, lol.
Ey yo, Ghost1n spittin some real shit right here cuz. Coulden't co-sign mo' ^^
im from the chi and i fuck with the tribe but like lupe said the majority of the city be on that country shit like ugk.niggas dont wanna hear nothing like that on the streets of the chi.lupe is not really a skateboarder he just used it as a metaphor like erykah badu with bag lady and so on.lupe from the demonstration most of his guys are vice lords or breeds so dont get it twisted its just that his man chill told him to put out something positive and go left since everybody and thier mothers are gangster rappers.100
Is it really that big of a fuckin deal. I've seen people get up on stage and fuck up their own lyrics, and i mean it was only 2 words. I could see if he just scrambled all over the place or forgot like 2 bars but it was 2 words.
it seems like he confused. he needs to get his facts straight and his mind right before he talks it seems like he doesnt know how to say what he wants to say. but i still love him and his music he just doesnt need to cause so much controversy cause thats how you mess up your image
GHOST - what's good?
HEll NAw they didnt just pick him outta the crowd...he knew about that shit for a while... just so he wouldnt make a mistake... muthafuckas just didnt do their hip hop homework...and then got an attitude and start talking shit about Tribe...
No manners!
And again... Lupe's 25 going on 26 same fucking age as me... I know ALL of the Hip Hop shit from 86-now!
Fuck Outta here... stop making excuses for muthafuckas because you like their music.
~Be Eazy!
Yall arent understanding... it's not that he stumbled over a million words to the song... shit everybody fucks up...we're fucking human...
he's wrong for getting a fucking attitude about it and then talking shit like "Oh well.... who the fuck are they? "
That's why I'm pissed...
~Be Eazy!
cosign ppl fuk up but 2 come at the tribe like they aint shyt aint coo wen u claim they've done so much 4 your career i meen this the same cat in other interviews that says he looks up to tribe nas an shyt like dat but now in this interview its ugk scarface etc. i aint sayin dats a problem but get it 2getha brah
agreed. To try and throw Tribe under the bus because you couldn't carry your weight on stage like a true professional is wack. It's almost the equivalent of dry snitching.
Man up Fiasco, and let's hope 10 yrs from now some martian rapping nigga doesn't shit on your legacy like you tried to do Tribe's. Without Tribe, there is no you my nigga, they created your lane....pay homage and play by the rules
What da lupe. u wack cause u tryed to play a group dat u sound lik. ignete
neva heard, probably never will, don't really care about too many tribe tracks, BUT at the same time I recognize their legacy in the game and wouldn't disrespect them like that. Just because I don't really care for LL albums doesn't mean I don't recognize dude been putting it down for so long.
lupe talkin like he is the best to ever did it ....wtf even if you felt that you keep them comments to yourself ...cause you wouldnt want somebody diss your hard work and shit ....oh yeah i heard what you said bout the south the other day fuck you im glad i didnt buy your shit n e way you need to kick push your ass somewhere else no one even thinking bout ya..
I KEEPEED SAYIN IT AND SAYIN IT AND SAYIN IT BUT NOBODY WOULD LISTEN. LUPE FIASCO IS A JOKE. HE TALKIN ABOUT GANGSTA RAPPIN AND SHIT LIKE THAT WHEN THE FIRST TIME HE WAS ON A VIDEO HE WAS WITH KANYE WEARIN A FUCKIN BUTTERFLY COLLAR BOUNCIN AROUND THE STAGE LIKE LITTLE RICHIE AND THE SECOND TIME YOU SAW HIM HE WAS ON A FUCKIN SKATEBOARD WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF DWEEBS WITH DC SHOES AND ALL KIND OF SHIT. WHEN MISS JONES FIRED HIS ASS UP FOR MAKIN NO SENCE IN HIS RHYMES I TOLD YOU MUTHAFUCKAS. I KEEPDED TELLIN YALL MUTHA FUCKAS HE IS SOME SHIT. HIS WHOLE SWAG. HE'S A JOKE ASS EMCEE THAT ONLY IS KNOWN BECAUSE HE CAME OUT UNDER KANYE AND WAS BACKED BY JIGGA.
Kill yo self. That shit was long and dumb. STUPID! Lupe is da man. A tribe was gettin their honor. I fux wit they shit myself but..... He fluked. Never really heard they shit b4. Shoulda practiced?! Who gives a fuck.
www.myspace.com/cbassfloodbros
R U STUPID lol. He said sum shit that was stupid, we all know that. But its a sad day if a rapper with skill hasta be "gangsta" inorder to be real. Remba half the guys you listen to aren't gangsta's. Also u hafta take in lupe's flow first, then talk all the shit u want.
Jay don't mind me im just blowing my zone up
doin it about as fly as a maggot grown up
this ain't a pen, its a paintbrush
and i intead to re-arrange how they paint us
if thats nawt hot, u don't kno hip hop
CO TO THE MUTHAPHUCKIN SIGN BRO
lmao, its true man. Take in Dumb It Down from him, its crazy. Nawt just lupe, buh a lot of other young guys doin it, like Joell Ortiz. Hip Hop aint dead man, its just hiding under a rock, playin peeka boo with hip hop fans. <---- (thats my metaphor, used it in my rap song...copyright..lol)
I'm Late.
Maybe its just me, but was what Lupe said Really disrespectful?
He didn't say fuck them. Dude said he didn't listen to them.
They really DIDN'T have a blanket over the US. Everybody wasn't a fan of Tribe. I'm a hip hop artist, I've never listened to a Tribe album all the way thru. Their music doesn't really appeal to me, I'm just not a fan of early 90s "backpack rap". Does that make me less of an emcee? Fuck no. I'm still nice.
However I respect what they've done and love a few of their songs. Electric Relaxation is one of my favorite beats of all time.
Some niggas don't even know who Devin the Dude is. Dude is a legend in my eyes but I bet nobody on this site can recite the lyrics to all his CD's verbatim like I can. Which just goes 2 show that emcees have different ppl they may look up to for inspiration or whatnot. Damn isn't that what makes us "individuals"?
Cosign...Fasho.
man although lupe fucked up the words, u cant just accuse him of all this shit. im from Baltimore, and ride in my whip listenin to Erykah Badu, The Roots, Camp Lo, and others...niggaz around here listen to Wayne, Three 6, and all that other straight killin and robbin shit. So i mean if a nigga asked me to sing a classic from like Project Pat or somebody id be lost as shit......... Whether you practiced the shit or not, its not gonna come out crystal clear like you been listenin to it for years!!!! You would be mad and say watever when niggaz crackin down on somethin so minor 2!!! And why even worry about his whole skateboard shit?? Even if he doesnt skateboard, are you going to stop listening to him because of that?? If so you do realize your going to stop listening to a rapper because he doesnt skateboard and not because of his lyrics.
Actually Lupe completely cleared up the "Fiascogate" when he spoke of the Vibe magazine incident. His comments were taken out of context and were made before the show. The only thing people were mad at in the beginning was that he seemed to respond to his mistake with a "fuck Tribe", but that's not the case b/c it was out of context. This whole situation is null and void. Let's keep it moving.
I understand what he saying...but i dontlike it.. LOL common courtesy is not to 4get lyrics of artists you are honoring... point blank period... then DONT make excuses.. jus admit you was wrong and then move on... "its not the soundtrack of where Im from" is an excuse... niggas can read and memorize anything and he jus shoulda took his job of doin that more seriously... but like NemZero said... lets keep it moving...
like im no Areosmith fan..but if i get asked to honor them...damn skippy ima learn they lyrics so i dont 1st embarace myself... and 2nd be disrespectful to niggas who paid dues 2 get honord
fraudulent.
first and foremost Lupe that dude whether people wanna hear em' or not an why they tryin' 2 defame him off a slip up of less that a bar shows u what type of world we live in those fuckin' faggots
suckernigga
first show me an interveiw where he said he looked up to a tribe called quest he said he look up to niggas like dem an second he aint got to be tha greatest yall still wanna buy his cds and bump his shyt and why yall trynna look at lupe like just because he sound like he thinks he is tha best u cant 4get weezy claims to be tha best rapper alive so shut tha fuck up
in the words of jay he make some thought provoking shit you question whether or not he fell off. versatility is whats makes him good. hes not rappin bout drugs bitches n money, even tho them r the things im/most people are interested in i still tip my hat to lupe for havin some amazing story tellin ability. listen to daydreamin off lupes food and liquor.
I personally saw Lupe in Sacramento @ the Sandbar and he ripped it with a bunch of Kanye and Twista songs ( before his album came out, i think ).
I'd have to say he's right about it. I'm a backpacker/b-boy at heart, but if it wasn't for a combo of 'The Waynes Bros. Show' ( on WB, Shawn & Marlon, had 'Electric Relaxation' as the theme ) and me catching 'Electric Relaxation' on BET months down the road.....I would have never been introduced to the Tribe back in '96.
Ya'all have to think for a second that not every radio station gives love to other cities. Here in the west, we NEVER got Wu-Tang/Tribe/De-La....etc etc back in '96 and it wasn't until '99 that Sacramento started getting east coast music.
since ..the name Fiasco has a meaning
Dude on his shit........
House Arrest T.I. Ft. Lupe Fiasco (would be a hit)
thanks my thoughts......
www.myspace.com/80sway
Is this nigga crazy???? QTip and NO OTHER RAPPER wasnt selling 10 million records at the time because hiphop was still growing to even allow some little thundercat like Lupe come in the game and rap about that skateboarding bullshit. I'm not one to down creativity, but The tribe was part of the foundation, and he needs to have respect for that. Especially since his style isnt to far off: the alternative topics, dress, etc. But what really kills me is that he's trying to defend his style of music with how he used to rap before niggas heard of him ,"representing gangster imagery"
How he thought, I should rap about skateboards and spaceships to show the youth they dont have to rap like the norm. Give me a fucking break. I wouldn't believe that man was gangsta if he came in my face with Gotti himself. I just don't understand what the disrespect is about. If you ain't feeling Tribe, why are you performing his songs, say no even if he did ask you. Especially if you feel that strongly about them not being that popular or influential to the game. I just wonder who taught him hip hop history, because whoever it was must've forgot where it started at and who were pioneers and innovators in the game.
your a dumbass he didnt say 10 million literally it was a figurative speech stupid
omg hes so crazy