Lupe Fiasco
Biography
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco (/ˈluːpeɪ/ LOO-pay), is an American rapper, singer, record producer and music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his guest appearance on Kanye West's 2006 single "Touch the Sky," which peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. He also formed the rock band Japanese Cartoon in 2008, for which he serves as lead vocalist. Fiasco developed an interest in hip-hop in his teens, after initially disliking the genre for its use of vulgarity and misogyny. 19-year-old Fiasco adopted his current stage name, began recording songs in his father's basement, and joined a short-lived hip-hop group called Da Pak. During his tenures at two major labels, Fiasco met American rapper Jay-Z, who led him to sign with Atlantic Records. The label released Fiasco's debut studio album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006), which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and was nominated for four Grammy Awards. Its first single, "Kick, Push," marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist, while its third, "Daydreamin'" (featuring Jill Scott), won Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. His second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007), was met with continued acclaim and preceded by his first Billboard Hot 100-top 40 hit, "Superstar" (featuring Matthew Santos). After a two-year delay, his third album, Lasers (2011), yielded his furthest commercial success—becoming his first to debut atop the Billboard 200—although critical reception was mixed. Its lead single, "The Show Goes On," peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song. His fourth album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (2012), debuted within the top five of the Billboard 200, while his fifth, Tetsuo & Youth (2015), saw a critical rebound, and served as his final release with Atlantic. He then founded the record label 1st & 15th Entertainment to independently release his subsequent albums: Drogas Light (2017), Drogas Wave (2018), Drill Music in Zion (2022) and Samurai (2024). In addition to music, Fiasco has pursued other business ventures, including fashion. He runs two clothing lines—Righteous Kung-Fu and Trilly & Truly—and has designed footwear for Reebok. He has been involved with charitable endeavors, including the Summit on the Summit expedition, and in 2010, he recorded a benefit single for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In 2025, he joined Johns Hopkins University as a Distinguished Visiting Professor for the school's Bachelor of Music degree program. Fiasco is also noted for his anti-establishment views, which he has expressed in both interviews and his music. Description above from the Wikipedia article Lupe Fiasco, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For & Full Filmography12 Titles
Drama Series - 2014, 16 episodes • as Self
After Jay Leno's second retirement from the program, Jimmy Fallon stepped in as his permanent replacement. After 42 years in Los Angeles the program was brought back to New York.
Drama Series - 2015, 16 episodes • as Self -Musical Guest
Stephen Colbert brings his signature satire and comedy to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the #1 show in late night, where he talks with an eclectic mix of guests about what is new and relevant in the worlds of politics, entertainment, business, music, technology, and more. Featuring bandleader Jon Batiste with his band Stay Human, the Emmy Award-nominated show is broadcast from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater.
Drama Series - 2003, 16 episodes • as Lupe Fiasco
In Tree Hill, North Carolina two half brothers share a last name and nothing else. Brooding, blue-collar Lucas is a talented street-side basketball player, but his skills are appreciated only by his friends at the river court. Popular, affluent Nathan basks in the hero-worship of the town, as the star of his high school team. And both boys are the son of former college ball player Dan Scott whose long ago choice to abandon Lucas and his mother Karen, will haunt him long into his life with wife Deb and their son Nathan.
Drama Series - 2005, 16 episodes • Main Cast Role
The Colbert Report is an American satirical late night television program. It stars political humorist Stephen Colbert, a former correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Colbert Report is a spin-off from and counterpart to The Daily Show that comments on politics and the media in a similar way. The show focuses on a fictional anchorman character named Stephen Colbert, played by his real-life namesake. The character, described by Colbert as a "well-intentioned, poorly informed, high-status idiot", is a caricature of televised political pundits.
Drama Series - 2003, 16 episodes • as Self - Musical Guest
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.
Drama Series - 1992, 16 episodes • Main Cast Role
Jay Leno hosts some of the biggest celebrities in the world.
Drama Series - 2015, 16 episodes • as Lupe Fiasco
A powerful family drama about the head of a music empire whose three sons and ex-wife all battle for his throne.
Drama Series - 2003, 16 episodes • as Self - Musical Guest
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to just Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres.
Drama Series - 1984, 16 episodes • as Self
An annual award ceremony presented by MTV to honor the best in the music video medium.
Drama Series - 2012, 16 episodes • as Self
A comedic talk show from an alternate reality featuring unstable hosts, a variety of celebrities—both real and fake—and unusual studio action.
Movie - 2009, 2h 15m • as Self
A look at America's struggles with war, class, race and women's rights. based on Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States."
Movie - 2021, 2h 15m • Main Cast Role
A dystopian world filled with polar opposites seeks to find harmony through common threads.