Lupe Fiasco is proclaimed as one of the most highly rated new artists and by far one of the most popular. The 24 year old born Wasalu Jaco, is a self-proclaimed “nerd” and he hails from the West side of Chicago.

With all the hype surrounding his upcoming album Food & liquor release, his connections and collaborations with artists like Jill Scott, Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park, and Jay-Z, Lupe is anything but a regular guy. He grew up in the hood and managed to stay away from all of its negative influences until he landed a record deal in high school. He watched television for hours as a child and hardly ever left the house. He was the Muslim kid in the neighborhood whose father was a devoted teacher of the martial arts and told him constantly that young Lupe should “never want to go to the dark side.”