Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, or better known as Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper born in Chicago. Fiasco first gained recognition when he released his debut album in 2006 titled Food & Liquor. Shortly after its release, the album made its way to the Top 10 Billboard albums chart. “Critics hailed the rapper as the savior of the genre thanks to the strength of his tracks…” (Rolling Stone) and gave him excellent reviews for his sensitive subject matter and captivating storytelling. This album earned the rapper three Grammy Award nominations, including Best Rap Album. Gaining recognition through Food & Liquor, Fiasco's popularity increased significantly. This was largely due to his approach to rapping. While rapping about traditional themes such as sex, money and drugs, Fiasco also shares his concerns about the American government, politics, foreign affairs and racism in our culture, capturing the attention of a more mature audience. Through his music, Lupe Fiasco represents the voice of modern America by informing his listeners about modern corrupt practices in the United States and asserting his opinions about them through his music. In his song "Bitch Bad", Fiasco describes how the vulgar word "bitch" is used throughout American society carelessly and in a way that should not be due to its degrading denotation. His song “Strange Fruition” reiterates the message of Billie Holiday’s wildly popular song “Strange Fruit” and incorporates the modern view of racism in the United States. The messages in these two songs describe the depravity of current American culture. In addition to rapping about his strong opinions about a corrupt America, Fiasco also talks about it in various interviews. A particular interview on CBS's "What's Trending" caught the attention of many when he called......in the middle of the news...the public to create a better society. In "Bitch Bad", Fiasco broadcasts a message about the use of the vulgar word "slut" and in "Strange Fruition", he broadcasts a message about the practice of modern racism in our country. These are just two of many songs in which Fiasco uses his lyrics to convey a message. With the strong messages he sends to his audience, Fiasco adequately represents the voice of modern America. Works Cited Greene, Jayson. "Lupe Fiasco: Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1." Pitchfork. Np, September 27, 2012. Web. May 23, 2014. “Lupe Fiasco Biography.” Rolling stone. Np, and Web. May 23, 2014.Ramirez, Erika. "Lupe Fiasco on Calling Obama a Terrorist: 'I Have Nothing to Clarify'" Billboard. Np, June 9, 2011. Web. May 23, 2014.Raz, Guy. “Lupe Fiasco: two sides of everything. " NPR. NPR, March 11, 2011. Web. May 23 2014.