Lupe Fiasco burst onto the scene in 2006, with “Kick, Push,” a single that sounded like nothing else in mainstream hip-hop and heralding the arrival of a unique voice. Following up his debut album, Food & Liquor, with his sophomore release, The Cool, in 2007, Lupe Fiasco earned his reputation as a rap philosopher, a sharp, dynamic lyricist, and an MC who could shock you, make you think, make you dance, and make you laugh, all without resorting to vulgarity or tired hip-hop alliterations. After a four-year wait, Lupe released his third album, Lasers, this past March.