"Superstar" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos | ||||
from the album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool | ||||
Released | September 25, 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:49 (album version) 3:59 (radio version) | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Soundtrakk | |||
Lupe Fiasco singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Superstar" on YouTube |
"Superstar" is a song performed by rapper Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos. It is the first single off his 2007 album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool . iTunes released "Superstar" on September 25, 2007 along with a radio version of "Dumb It Down."
On November 5, 2007 the official video was released and it was directed by Hype Williams. It premiered on BET's 106 & Park on November 23 and on February 19 it moved up to the number one spot on the countdown. As of December 31, it appeared at number 84 on BET's Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2007 countdown. The song is featured on the soundtracks of NFL Tour and NHL 2K10. [3] Star baseball player Hanley Ramírez used the song as his walk-up music at Florida Marlins home games. "Superstar" peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, "Superstar" peaked within the top ten of the charts in the Republic of Ireland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
In the song, Lupe yells "FREE CHILLY" which is a reference to another song on his album. The song "Free Chilly" is about Lupe's business partner "Chilly" who was sentenced to 44 years in jail during the recording of "The Cool".
Most critics were positive towards the single. Complex ranked it at 95 on their 100 best songs of the 2000s. Bill Lamb, representing the music website About.com, awarded the song four-and-a-half stars, and gave primary praise to "Lupe Fiasco's dense lyrical meditation on life in the spotlight", "Matthew Santos' haunting vocals", and the "immediate setup of the melodic hook"; [4] however, he did emphasize Santos' vocal delivery to be similar to that of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin — of which both Fiasco and Santos are reportedly fans — citing it as both a positive and negative characteristic of the song. [5] Pitchfork, in an otherwise positive outlook, expressed a similar sentiment: "The hooky first single [is] "Superstar", with Fiasco protégé Matthew Santos (who has probably heard a few Coldplay albums) playing Adam Levine to Fiasco's Kanye West", [6] thus comparing the song's style to that of "Heard 'Em Say", a Kanye West song released in 2005. However, music editor Nick Levine argues that "the hazy, gospel-inflected chorus, sung by Chicago folkie Matthew Santos, is just as memorable, suggesting everyone but Kanye should be quaking in his diamond-studded Reeboks." [7] Blues&Soul felt that the song "blended Lupe's characteristic easy vocal flow with a pleasantly lumbering piano-led beat, a soulful hook, and the odd sample and sound effect." [8] In a review for Yahoo Music, Jaime Gill wrote: "'Superstar' is a melancholy look at celebrity, with Fiasco delivering a languid rap about the insecurities that linger behind fame's brittle armour. Its set to a low-key piano part and a piercing, haunting chorus sung by one Matthew Santos. In one brilliant line, Lupe describes the luxuries of celebrity while skewering its loneliness: "chauffeur, chauffeur, come and take me away." It may be too subtle, slow and sad to be a hit in today's hip hop climate, which would be deeply depressing." [9]
"Superstar" peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Pop Charts, and number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lupe Fiasco's first top ten song on the chart. [10] It also surpassed the success of his first single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at number 19, and was his first song to appear on the Rhythmic Top 40, peaking at number eight.
In the United Kingdom, "Superstar" was moved to BBC Radio 1's A-List after being made Record of the Week by both Sara Cox and Jo Whiley on December 27, 2007. As a result, the song debuted at number seven on the UK Singles Chart solely on downloads on January 13, 2008 – for the week ending date January 19, 2008 – before climbing to its peak of number four on the chart following its physical CD release the following week. It became Lupe Fiasco's highest-charting song in Britain to date, outperforming both of his previous biggest hits, "Kick, Push" and "Daydreamin'", both of which peaked within the top 30 of the UK Singles Chart.
The song was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the Grammy Awards of 2009. It was also nominated for 2008 Teen Choice Music: Rap/Hip-Hop Song award. Additionally, "Superstar" was the theme song of Fox8's Football Superstar.
The video depicts a Mercedes-Benz S-Class stopping at the red carpet. Two girls leave the car. Director Hype Williams[ citation needed ] manages to slip in two characters from Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. The Cool with his characterizing skeleton hand and The Streets with her dollar signs in her eyes. The Cool apparently sold his soul to The Game for fame and fortune. In return, The Game's wife The Streets made him The Coolest and gave him the Mercedes as well as his bling and the gold key he has around his neck. Santos also appears in the video in a dark smoke room with shades on. The Video itself has been nominated for a MTV's VMA for Best Hip Hop Video.
There is an official remix to the song, featuring Matthew Santos, Young Jeezy & T.I. A recent performance on MTV was made, with Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy performing the vocals of the end of the song. [11] [12]
A third version of the song was performed by Fiasco and Santos on BBC Radio in the United Kingdom, and featured an entirely acoustic instrumental without any percussion accompaniment. It was unofficially released on the internet [13] and later officially released (20 October 2008) on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge – Volume 3 .
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [34] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [35] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Lasers is the third studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on March 7, 2011 by Atlantic Records. Production for the album took place between 2008 and 2010. Lasers features production by The Audibles, The Neptunes, Needlz, Alex da Kid, Syience, and long-time collaborator Soundtrakk, among others. Trey Songz, John Legend, Skylar Grey, Sway, Matt Mahaffey, MDMA, Eric Turner and Sarah Green contribute vocals to the album.
Matthew Santos is an American rock and folk singer-songwriter, musician and painter. His music was used in a series of two radio ads for American Family Insurance. He became well known for his collaboration with Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco on the single "Superstar". He was signed to Lupe Fiasco's 1st & 15th Entertainment record label, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records.
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. He also performs as the frontman of rock band Japanese Cartoon under his real name. As an entrepreneur, Fiasco was the chief executive officer of 1st and 15th Entertainment.
"Touch the Sky" is a song recorded by American hip hop artist Kanye West for his second studio album, Late Registration (2005). The song features Lupe Fiasco on his career debut. It was produced by Just Blaze, standing as the album's only track to not include production from West. The song was released in the United Kingdom as a digital EP through Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam on January 1, 2006. On February 14, the aforementioned labels serviced the song to US mainstream radio stations as the album's fourth single. The next month, it was released in various countries for digital download by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam and as a CD single through Universal Music, respectively.
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool is the second studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco. It was released on December 18, 2007, by 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Recording sessions took place during 2006 to 2007, with Lupe Fiasco himself, alongside Charles Patton (Chilly) serving as the records executive producers. A concept album, The Cool was based upon the song and a title character from his debut album, Food & Liquor (2006). The album features guest appearances from Gemini, Snoop Dogg and Matthew Santos, while the production was provided by Patrick Stump, Soundtrakk and Unkle, among others.
American rapper Lupe Fiasco has released eight studio albums, six mixtapes, seven soundtrack albums, 38 singles, and 37 music videos.
"Us Placers" is the debut song by American supergroup Child Rebel Soldier, a musical collaboration consisting of American hip-hop artists Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams. It was released as the third song on the track-listing of West's 2007 mixtape Can't Tell Me Nothing. The song was produced by Fiasco and samples the 2006 song "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke. On "Us Placers," the trio speak on the entrapments of fame. Having been released on a free mixtape, the song did not enter charts but became an online hit and received strong reviews from music critics.
"Shining Down" is a song by Lupe Fiasco. It was intended to be the first single of Everywhere, the first of three CDs of Lupe Fiasco's triple album, Lupe Fiasco's LupE.N.D., but because of its release being withheld, there was speculation circulating that it may be the first single of his third album, Lasers. The song, however, was only included in the iTunes deluxe version of the album and was considered a promotional single. The song is produced by Soundtrakk and features Matthew Santos, in the same collaborative manner in which the lead single "Superstar" was composed for Lupe's critically acclaimed second album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool.
"Nothin' on You" is the debut single of both American rapper B.o.B and featured American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It is the lead single from the former's debut studio album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray (2010). It was first released on December 15, 2009, via digital download by Atlantic Records. The track was written by B.o.B, Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine, with the latter three producing it as the Smeezingtons. "Nothin' on You" was initially written for Lupe Fiasco, but Atlantic Records' chairman, Craig Kallman, gave it to B.o.B after being displeased with Fiasco's version. The song took several months to finish and was born from a hummed melody by Mars and Lawrence.
"Erase Me" is a song by American musician Kid Cudi, released August 17, 2010, as the lead single from his second studio album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010). It features a guest appearance by his mentor, fellow American rapper Kanye West, and was produced by Jim Jonsin. The song proved to be another hit single for Cudi, with the song reaching the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"The Show Goes On" is a song by American recording artist Lupe Fiasco, released on October 26, 2010, as the lead single from his third studio album Lasers. The song was produced by Kane Beatz, and the melody of the song was based on the 2004 song "Float On" by Modest Mouse. The song features backing vocals from JR Get Money. It was released to iTunes on November 9, 2010, and debuted at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually reaching a peak of No. 9. It was released in the UK on February 20, 2011. The song was a major point of contention for the artist and a reason for the lengthy delay of the album, making the title fitting; as Lupe was told unequivocally by record producers: "If you don't do 'The Show Goes On', your album's not coming out." However, XXL named it 14th Best Song of 2011. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 54th Grammy Awards.
American rapper Big Sean has released five studio albums, four mixtapes, thirty-one singles, eight promotional singles, and thirty-nine music videos. In 2008, Big Sean was discovered by American rapper and record producer Kanye West, who signed Sean to his record label GOOD Music—distributed through Def Jam Recordings. Since 2008, after signing a record deal to West's label G.O.O.D. Music, Sean's breakthrough career continued through his mixtapes such as Finally Famous Vol. 2: UKnowBigSean (2009) and Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG (2010). While he was releasing these mixtapes, he collaborated on various tracks and/or singles from West, Royce da 5'9" and Chris Brown.
The discography of American rapper Pusha T consists of four studio albums, one extended play (EP), two mixtapes, 53 singles, two promotional singles and 33 music videos.
"Battle Scars" is a song performed by Australian recording artist Guy Sebastian featuring American rapper Lupe Fiasco. It was released digitally in Australia and New Zealand on 10 August 2012 by Sony Music Entertainment. The song lyrics and music were written by Sebastian and David Ryan Harris, with the rap written by Fiasco. It was the third single lifted from Sebastian's seventh album Armageddon. Fiasco added "Battle Scars" to his fourth album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 in countries other than Australia. It was released as the fourth single on 28 August 2012, credited as a duet.
Tetsuo & Youth is the fifth studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco. The album was released on January 20, 2015, by 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records.
"Old School Love" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Lupe Fiasco. The song was released on October 14, 2013, in promotion of his fifth studio album Tetsuo & Youth. English singer Ed Sheeran contributed vocals to the song's hook. The song peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 18 on the New Zealand Singles Chart.
The discography of American singer Ty Dolla Sign consists of three studio albums, two extended plays (EP), seven mixtapes and forty-four singles.
"Panda" is the debut single by American rapper Desiigner. The song premiered in December 2015 and was released for digital download on the iTunes Store as a single, before being re-released on February 26, 2016. The song was written by Desiigner and the track's producer was Menace. "Panda" was heavily sampled by GOOD Music labelmate and founder Kanye West for "Pt. 2", a song on West's seventh studio album The Life of Pablo, and inspired a number of remixes. The single received a nomination for Best Rap Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. A music video was released on May 10, 2016. It was nominated for Best Hip Hop Video at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
"That Part" is a hip hop song by American hip hop recording artist Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West. It was released on May 13, 2016 by Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope Records, as the lead single from Schoolboy Q's fourth album Blank Face LP, and was produced by Cardo, Yung Exclusive, Cubeatz and Sounwave. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. HipHopDX named it the ninth best hip-hop song of 2016.
"Mama" is a song by American rapper 6ix9ine featuring Trinidadian-born rapper Nicki Minaj and fellow American rapper Kanye West from the former's debut studio album, Dummy Boy (2018).