Is Lupe Fiasco a Better Lyricist Than Kendrick Lamar? | DEHH 

This shouldn't even be a question. We all love Kendrick, but anyone who has heard tracks like Mural, Adoration of A Magi, Hurt Me Soul, Blur My Hands, and Mural Jr know that Lupe is an elite level lyricist.

People won't appreciate how good Lupe is until he's done with music.

This topic is a prime example of how the line between popularity and talent are extremely blurred today.

Man. The similes. Metaphors. References. Analogies. Double rhymes. Double time. Triple time. Consonance. Assonance. Extended metaphors. Story telling. Story telling across three albums and three mixtapes. Telling a story backwards. Rapping from a inanimate object’s point of view. Rapping for nine minutes. Making you debate (15 years later) if kick push was about selling drugs or skateboarding and if Michael Young Never lost his dad, would he have met “The Cool” and have to dig himself up out of his grave with a watch. The cartoon references. Double entendres. Triple entendres. Whatever heck, Septennial entendres. Has anybody ever heard of Lupe’s song called “Hurt Me Soul”. Omg......dude spit all of the world ills. Dude was massively rhyming talking about trump and Oboma way way back and social issues and making it FRESH. Man. .....just listen to food and liquor. The original leaked version. Dude had a song with Jay z on that album. Lupe killed it. Jay z went and RE DID HIS VERSE ONCE THE SONG CAME OUT. Lupe Smoked him. That’s how Great Lupe is. Whatever you want, LUPE GOT IT. Oh yeah “Coulda Been” is his first recorded song and is one of the best songs ever.

I will argue for Kendrick against most, but Lupe is a Jedi Master Council Member who taught Yoda bro

Kendrick is sonically more pleasing to listen to....but Lupe's wordplay is on another level.

The real question is, " Is Lupe the best lyricist ever?" Have you heard "Mural"?

Yes, no questions asked. Lupe is undoubtedly one of the greatest lyricists of all time

I love Kendrick to DEATH, but if we're talking STRICTLY lyrics, the only correct answer to me is Lupe. His double, triple, quadruple entrendres are crazy, the way he metaphorically connects every bar in a verse together on certain songs, it's so dense. Yeah...give it to that man.

Y'all are forgetting that Lupe was Black balled by the industry. It took Anonymous to force Atlantic to let him release music. And at that point Lupe was just trying to make songs to complete his album obligation so he could get off his contract. He even said "I wasn't going to give them anything I put my soul in". That's why Lupe's mainstream career tanked.

Who on God's green earth thinks Kendrick is anywhere near Lupe lyrically? Seems like Lupe was just trolling for fun.

Honestly DROGAS WAVE has the best rapping I’ve ever heard on an album it’s absolutely insane how good he is, I listened to it while reading the Genius annotations and it’s mind blowing.

Man if a Kendrick and Lupe track comes from this...

Lupe for the mind Kendrick for the soul. It all depends on what makes you feel more. Me personally it’s Kendrick by a hair but I’m not mad at anyone saying Lupe.

At this point in his career Lupe is on his Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue" approach to his creative process. The average Hip Hop fan won't get his approach until 30-40 years later....

They forgot how many different flows Lupe has displayed over the years. He has switched flows on a single song. Both Kendrick and Lupe are good at flow versatility.

We need that KendrickxLupe track. GET TOP ON THE PHONE!

Kendrick and Lupe on a song : winner would be Hip Hop

"We're all chemicals/vitamins and minerals/Vicodin in inner tubes wraped around the armmmm"

The Cool was massively underrated, excluding a few songs his concepts and storytelling are second to none. And when given the scope to flex away from record label bullshit he’s on another level hence tetsuo and youth which is a masterpiece

The Cool definitely had a radio sound to it. “Paris, Tokyo” “Superstar” “Hi-Definition” “Hip-Hop Saved My Life” “Fighters” all were radio “friendly” sounding

I missed these DEHH conversations.

As Lupe said, "gota go to Harvard to be a Lupe Stan."

Lupe > Kendrick as a lyricist DAS IT

I’m a K.dot STAN but even I know that Lupe is a better lyricist. Even if it’s only slightly. And if Lupe isn’t a better lyricist than Kendrick, there’s nothing wrong with saying that you are better someone. That’s rap. That’s what happens in hip-hop and always has.

I just imagine Kendrick calling Top and saying “bring Lupe to the studio”

As a k-Dot Stan ,I have to say Lupe has said everything that Kendrick has said but in a more dynamic and complex manner which requires a lot of time to analyse the Lyricism.Thats one of the reasons Lupe hasn't gotten big on a mainstream level coz he's too complicated .

Anyone questioning Lupes talent and lyricism needs to listen to songs like WAV files, King Nas and Sun God Sam from his last album. As a matter of fact just listen to the whole Drogas Wave album.

Lupe has worked with Ab-Soul several times. He loves the whole TDE camp. People know the truth about Lupe vs. Kendrick Lamar. Y’all (as in the people) need to stop trying to make this a beef. That’s it. Lupe got it. That’s respect. Kendrick is dope too but y’all get albums and rapping confused.

Lupe and Ab-Soul’s collab was fire

I'm glad Lupe is getting recognition.

I subscribed as soon as i heard praise for Tetsuo and Youth, his most underrated album

How many times have we had this convo😂😭😭

Interesting convo. No real controversy here once everyone reads Lupe's full comments on it, but this was a dope conversation to get out of it all.

Love this channel man. Everytime I hear your conversations I feel like I can fit right in to being a part of it. Not just because of the respect and appreciation I have towards hip-hop like you guys all do but the natural and unforced chemistry you guys create.

Been a fan of lupe since (Food & liquor) album. The song (real) is still one of my favorite song till this day. My niggas thought he was trash and never understood why i listen to him everyday. Man is a genius💯

Tetsuo and Youth Lyrically and Sonically is crazy man . Like Lyrically Kendrick can’t touch that . Far as TPAB that type of consciousness is also deep as fuck ... I still gotta give it to Lupe though

Love the DEHH Conversations, and to me they demonstrate your biggest strength as a channel. 'Reaction' style videos have their place on RU-vid, but you stand out by offering something I don't see from other Hip-Hop focused channels - insightful and entertaining discussions by people who love the artform.

I'm coming back to this after Lupe merked Royce da 5'9 and then started putting out lyrical practice.

I’m with Rod on delivery always being part of lyricism. How a bar is delivered does have a part in determining how good the bar is.

I think with the whole "delivery being a part of lyricism" debate that Rod brought up, I think that delivery should be taken into account when judging the overall MC, but not something as specific as lyricism that has to do specifically with words. That's why I think Lupe is a better lyricist, but Kendrick is a better overall MC.

Even though I agree that kendrick makes more accessible music, I have to give lupe his props. Cause a lot of hip hop fans keep "dumb it down" relevant to this day

I'm a Lupe Stan but most of Lupe's songs and albums go over my head. Lupe is one of those rappers you literally have to listen to multiple times AND go to rap genius to get his genius. It's crazy and how ahead of his time he is. Lupe all day man there's no question.

It's worth noting that Lupe stopped making accessible pop songs when he got off the label.

Finally someone who puts some respecK on Lupe’s name

Plot twist: Lupe is the one holding the camera the whole time

Lupe is one of the most truthful. He was on point with his comments.

I don’t know too much about lupes discography so I guess I can’t give my opinion. I’m just glad to see people in the comments are just giving props and speaking their opinion rather than arguing.

kendrick is a better artist, lupe is a better lyricist. literally everyone agrees with this

As an artist, these are the types of discussions that I really appreciate from the DEHH community (i.e. the hosts & those of us who are subscribers/viewers). Even though I’m not the one being reviewed; I’m always learning from channels like DEHH’s - which helps me hone my craft, even more, refining my skill set. I also appreciate that you’re not strictly basing one’s level of ‘success’ off of records sold, alone. Dope conversation, Fellas!

Lupe is literally better lyricist than every rapper in history of hip hop

Kendrick's advantage is he's got a great team and label support (TDE/Aftermath/Interscope). He's got Punch and Top guiding his releases. Lupe spent about half of his career beefing with Atlantic, and his manager locked up after FnL.

Lupe Fiasco would Renegade Kendrick Lamar on a track.

I think something important to point out on the accessible songs tip. When Lupe was making accessible songs, he did it in his nitch. Were his accessible songs crazy lyrical? No, not really. But they were crazy CONCEPTUALLY. And that's really Lupe's bag. Superstar was part of a concept album talking about going to heaven and with a video where the streets were personified as a hustler with an arm that turned to bones when the lights flashed on them... That was a SINGLE! Lol and not just for the vid, it tied into the actual lyrics and album which was heavily promoted. Kendrick's bag is that he raps weird, lyrically and really well. Before he blew up, that was his bag as well. When he makes accessible songs, that's still his thing. So there's a difference in even how they approach "accessible" songs. Lupe has said that being crazy at rapping, isn't necessarily what separates him from the pack. It's his concepts that he puts the most pride in.

Dude you guys are having the best conversation I’ve heard on this topic. Thank you so much for this! Everything you guys have brought up has to be the most accurate depiction of what it really is.

There are a few things that none of them mentioned pertaining to Lupe. First of all, Lupe's mixtapes like 'Farenheit' and 'Enemy of the State' have some of the hottest tracks of all time. His one off, 'unreleased' singles/freestyles are crazy as well. "Free Chilly Freestyle", "You, Me, Him, Her", "Ignorant". These are a few of the best lyrical freestyles ever released. To only make mention of his albums is to do him a great diservice. Also, just his sheer ability to hit you with a triple entendre that recalls a line from earlier in the song, while tying into an overarching theme is just unprecedented. I've listened to Lupe for 15 years and still find refrences and additional layers of an Entendre that astound me. To truly understand his songs you have to study history, film, cartoons, fashion, literature; the list goes on. He will pronounce a word such that it will sound like two different words, where both of them work in context but have totally different meanings. It's superhuman. Lupe is, hands down, the greatest lyricist of all time. I don't think it is even close.

I miss the DEHH conversations it’s always feel good way to talk on some rap music.

I personally wouldn't ever include delivery, flow, cadence, or anything like that when talking about lyricism. All you need is a lyric sheet to judge lyricism in my opinion.

Really enjoy this type of content! Would love to see more videos in this style personally

Damn man, this channel is great! I wish I have a group of friends to have those kind of discussions!

DEHH right on time with a video when I was looking for something to watch! Salute kings!

When they said feefo wasn't with us i started sweating nervously as hell

Thank you guys for wearing markings !

Great conversation. Thank you

I honestly love these dudes. I wish I could subscribe to their patreon and support em, but cash is a little hard for me right now, especially since I live in a different country and currency means that I have to pay a lil bit more. Keep pushing out content Dead End Hiphop, I'll support every other way I can. It's rare to find somebody who has the exact same music tastes as you and Mike C Town is litteraly that guy for me🤣😂 Honestly I appreciate yall content man, I love hiphop! All of it! And I love that channels like this exist🐧🐧

Let’s gooo miss that soundbite of Ken saying “Dead End Hip Hop conversations”

lupe's switch is an example of how different he can be

First time on the channel and this was a great conversation to listen to. 🤘🏼

the thing is, its difficult to have this conversation with people who aren't familiar with lupe's early mixtape series. That was the era where he had crazy wordplay but was still rapping about accessible subject matter. and yes, i think lupe is the better lyricist.

A lot of Kendrick’s non-radio tracks are some of my favorite. hood politics and good kid are two that immediately come to mind

Yes Thank you for coming to my TED talk

I think both are equally talented. Both aren’t afraid to handle the deep stuff that is thought provoking and relatable. These are each artist has the ability to make you pause and think. I believe they respect each. IMO

For almost any mood I'm in, sad, happy indifferent, whatever. I can throw on "the show goes on" and vibe.

Yes. Kendrick can probably make a better body of work and will more than likely end his career with a better discography. But he can not out rap Lupe. I’m saying that as a fan of both.

This is a GREAT conversation piece! It 12 AM here and I had to hit my boys IMMEDIATELY to have our out discussion...

Haven't had a chance to watch in a while. Happy to find this.

Love them or hate them, but these guys have really nice face masks.

Short answer: listen to “Failure”

I agree with Lupe's answers. The two of them would be incredible to hear on the same track / project. Would LOVE to hear them do something like what Em & Royce did with Bad Meets Evil. Great discussion guys 👏

This was great guys!! Really enjoy these convos you guys have, hope to see more of these!! I'm gonna go watch the Kanye video now! Much love to u guys!!

I believe the delivery portion has always played a part. Part of the reason Biggie or Jay were considered great lyricist was their delivery and flow.

I love the guy with the braids..Lyricism is about LYRICS and words.. delivery is not a metric to lyricism but more so to the overall artistry.. delivery, cadence, lyricism are separate components to a whole.

glad to see this in person

Loved Secion 80 (hii power & ADHD) and Good kid maad city. Loved Food and liquor (Hurt me soul), The cool (gold watch), Tetsuo & Youth, Drogas Wave (Listen to Alan Forever). Both artists are amazing. It's about time they colab.

It amazes me how they still don’t have a million subscribers 🤦🏾‍♂️ Dehh is the truth.

The Cool Food and Liquor The Fahrenheit trilogy Pharaoh Height Tetsuo & Youth Drogas Wave The answer is so obvious. . .

Be Humble speaks to the point at 9:05. Not the most lyrically thought provoking record, yet very catchy as far as mainstream criteriors go. Adding that it also was a subliminal diss record (insert any similar competing artist at the time: Drake, Big Sean, Kanye) and you have a recipe for success. Similar to Ether and Takeover. Takeover was not a radio friendly record lyrically and production-wise, however Ether, the more simplistic of the two was the more catchy record hence deciding the determining factor of the outcome....

Why aren’t we at a million subs yet? Literally the best authentic podcast on the Tube✊🏽

Lupe is a better lyricist but Kendrick makes better albums

its honestly a good match up. i enjoy kendrick as an artist more, there's just something about they way he conveys his abstract emotions and thoughts into his music that comes off more impactful than lupe, but bar for bar and intricate rhyme schemes with solid cohesiveness to his projects, yeah lupe probably.

This was a good conversation. Both are amazing artist.

Awesome vid, miss the convo videoes tbh, make room for these type of videoes again not just album reviews

Lupe > lyrically. Kendrick > sonically

Lupe has god tier depth, Kdot has god tier flow. Both have godly lyrics

A Collab Will Come Out Of This I Cant Wait

Lupe's mixtapes have delivered the dopest lines I have ever heard. Theme music to a drive by is when I realized that andre 3000 had competition.

only reason y’all keep saying mainstream is because kendrick is so big. his music not even watered down.

Damn Lupe and Kendrick would be epic. I'm still waiting on a Nas and Lupe track.

They both in my Top 5. I enjoy conversations like these

DeadEnd Conversations 🔥