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Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born on February 16, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois) known by the stage name Lupe Fiasco. (pronounced LOO-pay) is a Muslim African-American rapper. Growing up, Wasalu had the nickname of "Lu", the last part of his first name. The "Lupe" portion is an extension of this nickname, which he borrowed from Chris Jackson, the name of a Colombian friend from school. The "Fiasco" portion came from him simply looking at the song "Firm Fiasco" from the album by the rap group The Firm and liking the way the 'fiasco' looked on paper. Raised in the west end of Chicago as the youngest of 9 siblings, Lupe developed a taste for art and a sharp artistic sense, which he says he owes to both his parents. His father was an African drummer, and his mother a gourmet chef who travelled the world.

Career

Lupe has previously been on label Epic with his group,"Da Pak", and then signed a solo deal with Arista Records. In 2003 under Arista Records, Lupe dropped the single "Pop Pop" where he presented himself as a gangsta rapper with lyrics glorifying both gun use and jewels. During this time, he also had guest appearances on singles from Tha' Rayne (2002's "Kiss Me" and 2003's "Didn't You Know") and K Fox (2003's "This Life"), then Arista folded in 2004 and Lupe was signed to Atlantic Records. Jay-Z, emcee and current president of Def Jam Records, was so impressed with Lupe that he offered to sign him to Def Jam records (around the time of The Blueprint & The Black Album), but Lupe declined, having already started 1st and 15th. Jay-Z decided to assist him in the production of his album.

Endorsements

In January 2006, Lupe signed with major footwear and apparel corporation RBK, also known as Reebok. The relationship between the two began when representatives from the brand saw photos of Lupe wearing a cap from their skateboarding line, DGK, in the Chicago Tribune. When the two came into contact, Fiasco asked for some DGK products on the strength that he advertised for the brand. The company looked at the hype surrounding his name, his relationship with the director of Global Marketing for RbK International, and the fact that he was a sneaker enthusiast. Soon after, Lupe was invited to a few of the parties the company had thrown. The deal was a major accomplishment for the Chicago native, considering that apart from the other musicians on the Reebok roster, he was the only person to have not had an album released. Lupe was then tapped to be a part of the "O.G" marketing campaign, where Hip Hop artists such as Lil' Wayne and Mike Jones all designed their own personal colorway of the Reebok "O.G" model. He designed a white/grey model of the shoe, which is currently sold in footwear stores in malls across the world. Lupe and the rest of O.G. artists now grace magazine ads and billboards across the world.

Radio

In early 2006, Lupe and personal friend/hypeman Dusean Bishop G Dunbar started up FNF Radio, a college radio show broadcast online from WIIT, a college radio station located at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The show is reported to have, on average, close to 6,000 listeners a night. The music featured on the show is mostly hip-hop and many of the songs played are either his own, of the artists on his label "1st and 15th", personal favorites, or gag records. In between playing music, discussions are held on issues ranging from politics, music, sports, entertainment, etc. Also, 45 minutes into the show, a contest called the "freshen up package" is held where three questions are made up, and the first person to call in with the correct answers successfully, wins the prize(s). In the past prizes have ranged from clothing packages, skateboarding items, CDs, etc. FNF radio is scheduled to air every Monday at 11:00 pm EST. Currently, the show is on a hiatus.

Personal life

Lupe Fiasco is the youngest of four brothers. He has five sisters. His father was a prolific African drummer, and his mother was a gourmet chef. Lupe began to rap when he was in the 8th grade, but began to pursue it fully when he turned 17. He is highly influenced by Crucial Conflict and Nas among others. Lupe regards It Was Written as one of his favorite albums and cites it as his primary source inspiration. For instance, when asked of his influences in an interview with AllHipHop.com, Lupe stated the following: "You know I really tried to go back and recreate It Was Written, you know what I'm saying like that? It Was Written and then I would play my album, and it was like, `Do we got record, do we got that record?'"

In a following interview with Nobody Smiling:

• 1981 births
• African American musicians
• American rappers
• Chicago musicians
• People from Illinois
• American Muslims
• Muslim musicians
• Living people
• People from Chicago