Lupe Fiasco, born Wasalu Muhammed Jaco in the West Side of Chicago, has released two albums to date, and this track Hip Hop Saved My Life, is off of his latest album The Cool.

He is considered by many as a breathe of fresh air in the Hip Hop genre, less focused on material goods and generic word play, as did many of the big name Hip Hop artists of the mid and late 90′s. He was rumored to be influenced by Nas’ 1996 album It Was Written

Lupe’s father is an engineer, a prolific African-style drummer, a Karate teacher, and an owner of multiple army supply stores and Karate schools. Lupe’s mom is a professional chef. So, if you ever meet his parents, don’t piss them off, and expect a superior home-cooked meal. If you have any Tom Toms and Bongos floating around, you may want to bring those too.

Similar sounding song: Rhymefest – Bullet Rhymefest is another MC from the Chicago area.