Get the latest gossip

Lupe Fiasco Honors Amy Winehouse on Evocative New Album, 'Samurai'

In an exclusive interview, Lupe Fiasco reveals how 'Samurai,' his ninth album, pays homage to Amy Winehouse, blending battle raps and tributes inspired by her legacy.

One of hip-hop’s lyrical greats, Lupe Fiasco, honors a fallen jazz and R&B luminary on his most evocative concept albums yet, Samurai. The Soundtrakk-produced LP, Lupe’s ninth, which follows his 2022 album, Drill Music In Zion, reveres late English singer-songwriter, Amy Winehouse, particularly referencing a scene from her posthumous 2015 documentary “Amy.” The segment finds Winehouse in leaving a voicemail to her longtime producer, musician Salaam Remi, likening her freshly-written material to battle raps, à la Staten Island hip-hop crew Wu-Tang Clan. Samurai, which easily doubles as a character study of Winehouse, cuts against the grain between Lupe’s sword-sharpened lyricism and intricate, fresh-yet-throwback-esque production.

Get the Android app