#DrillMusicInZion
Spanning 10 tracks, DRILL MUSIC IN ZION puts Lupe’s supreme lyrical ability on display as he tackles a wide range of themes and slides effortlessly over classic production, solely sourced from longtime collaborator and beatsmith Soundtrakk (prod. “Kick, Push,” “Superstar,” “Paris, Tokyo”).
“Soundtrakk is the swordmaker, I’m the samurai, he’s the mechanic, and I’m the driver,” he told me about their relationship. When setting out to put this thing together, Lupe locked himself in the crib with a folder of Soundtrakk beats with the intention of recording the entire album in 24 hours.
While it took closer to 72 hours, outside of taking breaks to sleep, Lupe knocked the whole record out in one long studio session, which to me can be heard in how cohesive and consistent the record is from start to finish.
Longevity can be a scarce commodity in the rap game, but Lupe – along with his dedication to speaking truth to power – has endured, while styles have changed and trends have come and gone, and even as the distribution of music itself has radically shifted.
At this point in his nearly two-decade-spanning rap career, Lupe is still experiencing growth: “Your whole life you’re physically growing, and as an artist, I feel like I’m taller now,” he told me about the new album. “Not that I’m at a higher place of morality, it’s that my vantage point and perspective is higher. I can see further.”
DRILL MUSIC IN ZION speaks to Lupe’s internal growth, and paints him as a sort of defiant warrior who has achieved longevity and is still inspired creatively in an industry that so often spits up and chews out talent.
He stands at an interesting intersection in his career, by being a Grammy Award-winning artist that’s influenced so many with seminal 00’s rap records like Food & Liquor or The Cool (which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year), but still searching for that next spark of musical inspiration to keep him moving forward.