AFrom the city that brought you Kanye West comes the confident voice of 24-year old Chicago native Lupe Fiasco, claiming, "Hip hop, we've come to resurrect you." On his recently released Food & Liquor, Fiasco balances the "good" and the "bad," your "food" and your "liquor": Heavily socially conscious songs like "American Terrorist" intermingle with catchy singles like his fun, self-promotional "I Gotcha."

While similar to Talib Kweli and Mos Def in content and lyrical skill, Fiasco separates himself from the major party scene associated with hip-hop culture by choosing not to drink or smoke. As a practicing Muslim, he presents a clean image unique even among underground artists. Although he broke into mainstream hip hop on Kanye West's "Touch the Sky" and this summer with the skateboard love story, "Kick, Push," Fiasco's reputation has spread in the underground scene and flourished with a loyal Chicago fan base.

In the reflective "Hurts Me Soul," he says, "Now I ain't try'na be the greatest / I used to hate hip hop / Yep, because the women degraded," referring to the gangsta rap popular during his childhood. Fiasco cites Too Short, 2Pac and Nas' It Was Written, in particular, as major influences in his change of heart. With lyrics like "In the mix with my realities and feelin's / Livin' conditions, religion, ignorant wisdom / And artistic vision I began to jot," he explains the inspiration behind his socially conscious themes that so drastically contrast with most of the rap popular today.

Food & Liquor includes collaborations with Gemini, Sarah Green, Matthew Santo and Jonah Matranga on the eclectic "Instrumental," which recalls a Jay-Z-Linkin Park collaboration off Collision Course, Jill Scott on a throwback to trip hop in "Daydreamin'" and Jay-Z in the heavily alliterate and assonate "Pressure." Jay-Z offered to sign Fiasco to Def Jam records a few years ago, but the rapper declined in order to organize his own label 1st and 15th.

But with that solid connection, Lupe ended up working with Jay-Z on The Black Album and Beyonc's Dangerously in Love, collaborating with the Linkin Park side project Fort Minor and eventually enlisting Jay-Z as Food & Liquor's executive producer.

It's hard to imagine any song off Food & Liquor becoming a club hit. While Fiasco offers a great variety of beats, his brand of hip-hop emphasizes lyrical creativity and content, as opposed to party anthems and grinds. Fiasco's message, style, and talent are so undeniably strong that he doesn't seem too concerned with the success of the album.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, he said, "No matter what happens, I'll still be the future. Nobody said if it would be good or bad . I've been on world tours, I was flooded in ice at 19. Now I'm good. I'm just hopping fences and playing with skateboards." While his social concerns are serious, Fiasco also makes hip hop real (and fun) once more.

-Kate Willard