Lupe Fiasco has been known for his incredible abilities on the mic as well as being an outspoken figure in the hip hop community. When he addresses certain issues, it often comes with polarizing responses from the public. However, that doesn't affect the fact that Lupe is open about his opinion about things, especially when they're about politics and society.
He dropped the album DROGAS Light earlier in the year to which he claimed that the album was kind of a compilation of old songs that he put together to fulfill contractual agreements with Atlantic. The album still goes hard and has some incredible cuts. One of the songs that really stood out was "Made In The USA" and today, he delivers the visual treatment for the single.
Shot in black & white, Lupe Fiasco's video for "Made In The USA" has some pretty heavy imagery to get his point across. While the songs makes literal references to things that are made in the USA, he draws the thread between the economy, immigration, gun manufacturing, hip hop and more. The visuals align with the words that he speaks.
Directed by YASHXANA, the video opens up with a infant crying while they watch the television. While Lupe raps "My Glock came from Smyrna, Georgia/My AR-15 from California/ My cocaine come from Arizona/ My Detroit whip run quick like Forrest, but it's made in the USA" the child watching the TV has reflections of these images flashing in his eyes. It's an interesting way of encompassing many issues that American's and applying it into a visual, especially with a topic so broad.
Lupe continues to deliver some great music and thought-provoking visuals to come with it. "Made in the USA" is a very well-written song that shows the dichotomy of life in America and the visuals do an even better job at representing it.