Pitchfork

On last year's excellent Food & Liquor, Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco stood in opposition to the current rap climate; his adroit flow and storytelling ability gave him solid footing. Fiasco holds his ground on "Dumb It Down", a loping, synth-warmed advance track from follow-up The Cool. His rhymes are still artful, touching on Leon Spinks, Dave Chappelle, UGK (sort of), and Greek mythology as he argues with guest vocalists who encourage him to, well, dumb that shit down. Their advice is amusing enough to lighten the preachiness: "Make it rain for the chicks/ Pour champagne on the bitch," they helpfully suggest, later complaining, "They're getting self-esteem... they're starting to think smart is cool." It'd be great if the track had a knockout hook (like Spinks?), but if the idea is to get us looking forward to the forthcoming album, we're already there, Lupe.

Stream:> Lupe Fiasco: "Dumb It Down
[from The Cool; due 11/20/07 on 1st & 15th/Atlantic]