Lupe Fiasco Adoration of the Magi video Square
Lupe Fiasco appears to be still riding high off of his Tetsuo & Youth LP release, a record which many took to be a mighty strong return to form for the conscious Chicago rapper. Now, Lupe has dropped a new (and we must admit fairly lewd) video for album cut "Adoration of the Magi" (featuring the talents of Crystal Torres), which takes viewers on a trip inside a dazzlingly-lit strip club and features lingering shots of exposed women at work on stage. It's something of a surprise move from Fiasco, who has championed conscious lyrics and progressive themes throughout his entire career, but a closer look reveals a message beyond it all. We see a preacher, construction worker, businessman, soldier, bride, grandma and more all lined up waiting to get into the club in broad daylight. Is Lupe Fiasco insinuating that we all, in some way, sully ourselves in some out-of-sight way?
Musically, "Adoration of the Magi" is classic Fiasco--its instrumental production and mid-tempo beat give the MC plenty of space to open up and ruminate on what it means to be young and full of potential but then go risk it all. In a tweet, Lupe noted that the track is his favorite off of Tetsuo & Youth, and we must say we're fans of both its fluid production and poignant lyrical movies. There's just one thing--did they have to shoot the video in square mode? We at Okayplayer have a strict "landscape-only" aspect ratio policy. Still, go ahead and watch "Adoration of the Magi" below, and careful, you could certainly call this one NSFW.
