Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is a Chicago rapper that first turned heads with his knockout guest feature on Kanye West’s 4th hit single “Touch the Sky” from his sophomore album “Late Registration”. After this Fiasco would go on to release his smashing first single “Kick, Push” from his debut album “Food & Liquor”

The song “Kick, Push” embodies the spirit of Lupe Fiasco. Through the use of clever wordplay and vivid imagery, Fiasco is able to tell a captivating story to the funky Soundtrakk produced instrumental.

“Kick, Push” follows the tale of two young lovers who both happen to be skateboarding misfits.

The first verse begins the story by describing the unnamed male character’s first time receiving a skateboard along with him continually trying and failing until he finally mastered the art of skateboarding.

The second verse continues by describing the first meeting between the young male skateboarder and his soon to be unnamed girlfriend. Initially the meeting is tongue n’ cheek but eventually, she takes the young man to a place he had never skated before.

The third verse concludes by describing the crew that the young skateboarding couple eventually finds. Through this group, they find solace because they are able to truly be themselves among like-minded individuals.

All of the verses end with a variation of the young man and whoever he happens to be with getting kicked out of wherever they are skating. This then transitions into the hook which mimics the act of skating through the repetition of the phrase, “Kick, push, kick, push; coast.”

Along with this repetition, Lupe Fiasco frequently describes the skaters as “rebels” either with no place to go or no cause to fight for. This effectively emphasizes the youthful nature of the activity and plays off the stereotype of skaters being rebels or misfits.

The instrumental produced by Soundtrakk creates a cruise-like vibe due to the use of well-placed horns and a smooth bass line and drum pattern, allowing Fiasco to execute his signature “backpack flow”.

Ultimately, the song works so well because it sets the perfect tone for both Fiasco’s album and who he is as a rapper and person. The theme of youthful rebelliousness not only appears throughout the album “Food & Liquor” but also in subsequent albums, effectively working in conjunction with his socially conscious message.

In terms of the Source’s rating, I give the track five out of five mics. The track earns this rating for its coasting beat, slick delivery, storytelling prowess and for its historic place in Fiasco’s career.