Music Commentary

60 Second Bio

Meet rapper Lupe Fiasco -- The artist shares his biggest influences, the origins of his name, and his big break

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By Margeaux Watson

60 second bio

Major Influences
Nas, Thelonious Monk, George Orwell, Friedrich Nietzsche, Benny Goodman

The Name Game
Lupe is an extension of his childhood nickname, Lu. Fiasco comes from a song called ''Firm Fiasco'' by rap supergroup the Firm.

By the Numbers
2 major-label releases; 4 Grammy nods; 553,713 MySpace friends; 554,000 total album units sold; 2,774,395 views of the official ''Superstar'' video on YouTube

Big Break
Jay-Z was so impressed by Fiasco's cameo on Kanye West's 2006 ''Touch the Sky'' that he agreed to executive-produce his debut CD, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor.

Posted Jan 11, 2008 | Published in issue #974 Jan 18, 2008 | Order Article Reprints