It should come as no shock to anyone who has followed his music that Chicagoan Lupe Fiasco is not all that fond of President Obama or his foreign policy. So for him to be performing anywhere near Washington this weekend is both surprising, and a gross oversight by some poor promoter.
Yet, that’s exactly where the loquacious emcee found himself last night.
Never one to shy away from controversy, Lupe performed his song, “Words I Never Said”, an anthem which is critical of the President for turning the other cheek on the bombings of the Gaza Strip, for allegedly 30 minutes, before some goons dressed in black removed him from the stage.
According to The Washington Post, the party was to celebrate internet start-ups and that StartUp RockOn, the party organizer, had Lupe escorted off because his dull performance began to dissatisfy the audience. They maintain Lu’s politically-charged, anti-Obama rant had nothing to do with it.
Either way, you have to give it to Lupe for holding true to his peaceful beliefs. But this incident, coupled with the recent shutdown of his twitter account and cancellation of his upcoming album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Part 2, is troubling to say the least.
Being a rebel with a cause is one thing, but at what point does one’s antics begin to take away from their message? Lupe’s brash political commentary has always been a breath of fresh air in hip-hop, but at this rate, could he be endangering his own platform for social reform?