Lupe Fiasco Serves a Curveball With Jazzy, Brain-Bending "SOS" Ahead of Samurai DX

This Friday, July 25, the Chicago wordsmith Lupe Fiasco makes his way with the aptly named single "SOS," a self-produced cut that revels in lyrical excess and offers a taste of his upcoming EP, 'Samurai DX.' And if, as Lupe seemed to suggest, you thought he was done breaking those boundaries, here's a track that makes one thing plain: He's only getting started.

"SOS" glides in atop a bed of vibraphone, upright bass, and saxophone textures that seem more like a cocktail lounge than a corner cypher. Lupe cuts loose with a return to form, his wordplay as sharp as it's ever been atop this buttery instrumental.

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 He raps: "Recorded this out in Califo, but feel like Dallas to a palindrome, a salad on my palette, bro/Still eat a cannibal sandwich, bro, mix the poison with the antidote and terrorize the whole talent show."

It's clever, cryptic, and as clean as a whistle, in classic Lupe fashion. No filler, but only lines that make you pause, rewind, and wonder if you've truly caught the punch.

The song arrives in advance of Samurai DX, an expanded re-imagining of last year's critically acclaimed Samurai album. Where Samurai was minimal and inward-gazing, DX piles on the layers with "SOS" and another newcomer, "High Note," entering the fray. Liking Jay's vibe, I reached out to the often-obstructive producer. I got him to dust off the old reverb legends for some round-off-the-edges fun, tacking on revived versions of "Samurai," "Palaces," and even "Bigfoot," which now features a new hook by singer/songwriter Troy Tyler. The project will also feature vinyl head cuts from each of its five tracks.

What's especially wild? Lupe didn't just rhyme on "SOS"; he produced it, too. It's not so much a humblebrag as a confidence move. He maintains absolute control of his sound, top to bottom, and it shows.

Outside the booth, Lupe hasn't exactly been sitting still. He has remained active as a scholar, performing last month at MIT, where he serves as an instructor under a visiting professor title in a course on Rap Theory and Practice. That show was one in a series called GHOTIING MIT: Public Art, a collaboration that layers rap with site-specific installations. Lupe recorded nine songs on the campus as they wrote on the wall behind him.

As if that weren't enough, he's now teaching at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, underscoring his status as one of hip-hop's most unusual minds, who is both an emcee and an educator.

And yes, he's going back out on the road. In August, Lupe joins Cypress Hill, Atmosphere, and The Pharcyde on the Dank Daze of Summer Tour. Anticipate lyrical gymnastics, beats laced with jazz, and likely a few philosophy gems slotted in between hooks.

From Samurai DX due August 22 on 1st & 15th/Thirty Tigers, "SOS" is an ideal teaser: a left-of-center groove with heavy-hitter bars all swathed in Lupe's inimitable signature.