CONCERT REVIEW: Lupe shines at Siegal for Homecoming concert

Lupe Fiasco, aka “the Coolest,”
defiantly headlined VCU’s homecoming
concert Friday night.

The Stuart C. Siegel Center filled
quickly at 6 p.m. as students waited
patiently for “The Last of the ’80s
Babies” homecoming show to start.

Opening act Keith King’s BMX Bike
Show barely sparked the crowd’s interest.
While King and company pedaled
their hearts out, people continued
conversations and found their seats.

Opening acts Roots of Creation
and Optimus gave impressive performances
with sounds that crossed
genres. Roots of Creation kept the
crowd groovin’ as the band members
performed with live instruments while
blending reggae and dub. Optimus
grinded his hips, having had no
problem controlling the crowd as he
traversed rap, rock and reggae in songs
such as “I Need Money.”

Announced at 10 p.m., Fiasco
lethargically walked on stage to the
sound of hundreds of screaming
students. Fiasco sported a green,
leather, hooded sweatshirt and wore
shades.

Fiasco jumped right into the verse
of Kanye West’s “Touch the Sky.”
Crowd applause was minimal until
the rapper performed “I Gotcha” with
much-needed energy that spread to
the dancing audience.

Highly regarded for his lyrical
talent, not his stage presence, Fiasco
started to lose the crowd on certain
songs from his album “Food and
Liquor” as they lacked the energy
needed to keep the crowd involved.
Students who see Fiasco as a role
model most certainly welcomed his
presence.

“Lupe’s lyrics are usually inspira-
tional and he always has some back into it. Tonight I expect nothing
but greatness,” said Shane Vaughan, a VCU student.

After feeding the crowd 2006’s “Food and Liquor,” Fiasco kept
the hype high with the second part of a two-sided set, introducing
the crowd to 2007’s “The Cool.”

Fiasco’s stage presence improved as the performance continued.
He rapped enthusiastically and even did a little two-step on stage.

Putting his hood on, Fiasco delivered a much grittier “Pressure”
without Jay-Z. The crowd didn’t seem to mind as they nodded their
heads and waved their hands.

Fiasco performed his hit “Kick Push” and turned the wistful
“Daydream” into a neo-soul nightmare. His energy had become more
like that of a rock star as he and hype-man Marc Santos, filling in
for Jill Scott on the chorus, jumped around on stage.

Fiasco and Santos remarkably performed the song “Streets on
Fire,” which inherited the mood of George Orwell’s “1984.” Fiasco’s
flow was quick, complicated and flawless as he rhymed about an
apocalyptic virus.

Such topics are anything but synonymous with hip-hop, and
Fiasco fully acknowledged that as he switched gears and delivered a
satirical performance; he repeated “rims and tims” as an introduction
to “Dumb It Down.”

Fiasco and company rocked the 90-minute long set to a close
with a wild performance of “Superstar.” He thanked the crowd for
making his second studio album, “The Cool,” the No. 1 hip-hop
album in the country.

After taking a bow, he bid everyone “peace” and left the stage.