I posted Lupe Fiasco’s Enemy of the State mixcassette the other day, but it looks like the links have since been deleted. I won’t replenish the links because I don’t know why they were deleted, so if you want the tape, a Google search will do you a world of good. I did, however, want to share one specific track from Enemy.

On the smartest track on the project, Lupe Fiasco wraps himself in a hot as fire Radiohead sample. Sampling Radiohead in hip hop isn’t anything new, per se, but it’s always a tricky endeavor, and more often than not, a double-edged sword.

Lupe Fiasco takes on Radiohead’s Kid A classic, “The National Anthem”, easily Radiohead’s most hip-hop friendly track. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard a prolific rapper over “The National Anthem”, however. If you recall, the Jaydiohead project mashed together Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” and Radiohead’s “The National Anthem” and the result was glorious.

Lupe Fiasco’s take on “The National Anthem” was made in the same style as his recent, rather aimless “diss” tracks. Things do pick up, though, when Radiohead’s jazz ensemble comes in in the last 50 seconds of the track. Props to another artist who can wear “The National Anthem” with ease and skill. Continue reading →