Lupe Fiasco Continues "Cool" Concept (from MTV.com)...

You can call Lupe Fiasco a lot of things, and nerd is probably one that comes to mind first. But the skateboarding Chicago MC has no problem wearing that tag. In fact, after rapping about more everyday topics on his debut album, Food & Liquor, he's going comic book geek on his next release, The Cool, due in November. The title track, he told us, is a nod to a track of the same name on his debut, which was produced by Kanye West and introduced a character in the song who was a hustler who gets killed and later comes back to life. He actually digs himself out of his own grave."[The song ends] with him making a statement to these two kids who put a gun to his head," Lupe explained. "And he said, 'Hustler for death, no heaven for a gangster.' And it kind of ends. No one really knows what happens."So what I decided to do was go back and expand on his story," Lupe continued. "And I actually went and created other characters around him. It left me the freedom to go outside the realm, I guess, of reality. So I went and got real creative with it. Another character is the Game [not the rapper by the same name], and it's the personification of the game. Whatever the game may be — the hustle game, the pimp game, the mack game. And there's another character by the name of the Streets [also not the British rapper], and she's the personification of the streets. Everything about street life that you fall in love with. So I built up this trio and put a story line to it. But I didn't do it too heavy, 'cause I didn't want to get caught up in chasing this story and sacrifice me doing real records, like a single. But the album is very dark. It kind of focuses on ... anyone who digs themselves out of their own grave."So far, Lupe said only about five of the album's tracks will carry on with the concept. He said he wanted to avoid a concept album so he wouldn't feel pressured to chase the story. But, he explained, the story line traces back to his mixtapes and throughout his first album."The little boy from 'He Say She Say' [a song from his debut] is actually the Cool," Lupe said. "The lack of a father, he grows up being brought up by the Game, who acts as his father figure, so he grows up to become the Cool."But outside of that, I just made it so it's also good music. It can be your interpretation of what you want it to be, however you want to enjoy it."He even said he might put out a guide so his fans can connect the dots. ...