Finding Fiasco: How My Encounters with Lupe Fiasco Molded My Work Ethic ollvndr Follow Mar 1, 2016 · Unlisted

Lupe Fiasco arrives at a book signing event in Detroit, MI for his album Food & Liquor II

In 2010, I had the opportunity to perform some of my poetry writings with a collective of spoken word artists and musicians This would spark a domino effect of events to follow I could’ve never predicted.

I shifted away from writing poetry, and started making music. More specifically, Hip Hop. Through a mutual friend I was introduced to Jay, a producer and engineer with a love for hip-hop that a studio couldn’t contain. Jay and I formed a friendship and soon began making records together. I made six songs, and put out my first project later that year. Boom! But now what? Does Kanye West show up at my house with a record deal? What happens from here? I had no idea what to do.

I shifted my focus from making music to finding musicians to give my music to. The first person I went out to find was rapper, Lupe Fiasco. Lupe was coming to perform at the University of Dayton at 7pm later that week. I dove towards my laptop and checked Lupe’s twitter. I had to find him somehow and give him a demo.

After some research, I found out he was in Philly the night before. The gears started turning. He’ll have to fly from philly I thought to myself. There were two flights arriving from Philly that day. One at 10am, and one at 1pm. I gambled on the 10am flight, and headed to the airport that morning.

With a demo in hand, and a pacing heart rate, I arrived at the airport. I had no idea if he would be on the plane. He could’ve taken a tour bus for all I knew. After ten minutes, a small figure in a peacoat walked slowly out of the arrival gate — I think it’s him….I mean it looks like him, you idiot…it is him! Go talk to him, he’s getting away!

I approached him nervously, and spit a verse for him I had written earlier that month. I gave him my demo, and he humbly accepted my request for a picture. I was ecstatic. I couldn’t believe this actually worked.

After the concert ended, I found Lupe again. He took down my contact info, and promised to listen to my album. I was on top of the world. Lupe will listen to my music, love it and then sign me. But those weeks turned into months, and still no call from Lupe. I kept these tactics up for the next couple years and I soon found out I was pretty damn good at finding people to hand them demos.

The following year I met Kid Cudi, J. Cole, Hopsin and Chad Ochocinco (yes, the football player). Some accepted my music, some didn’t, but I was certain this was the way to get my break in the industry.

Watching Bad Teacher with Chad Ochocinco in Cincinnati, OH

A year later, Lupe was doing another show, this time in Cincinnati, OH. I mapped out my coordinates, and began detailing a way to give him another demo. Waiting at the airport didn’t work this time. I actually spent 4 hours at the airport with my brother, Zack, waiting. I shifted gears, and went to find Lupe after his show ended in Cincinnati later that day. After sneaking backstage, and jumping through some hoops, I found myself face to face with Lupe once more.

Zack (left) and Me (right) talking to Lupe outside Nippert Stadium after his show in Cincinnati, OH.

I gave him my demo, we talked a little bit and he took off in a blacked out SUV to his next show. I waited again. Surely, this time will be different. But that call never came. I didn’t think it would ever come, but I was determined to hear back from him one way or another.

Almost another year later, Lupe was doing a signing for his latest album, Food and Liquor II, at a music store in Detroit, MI. You paid some money, got to meet Lupe for 10 seconds, and you were on your way.

I took Zack out of school, and we headed on a three hour ride to Detroit to a slightly run down CD store. We waited in line for Lupe to arrive. After many hours, he finally arrived wearing a red hoodie surrounded by body guards sporting bullet proof vests.

Lupe Fiasco arriving at the book signing surrounded by body guards

I gave Lupe my note asking if he had listened to the demos I had given him over the span of the last couple years. He said he would read the note when he could. I nodded in agreement and we left. I drove three hours back to Dayton, and the journey was over. Days turned into months, and I still hadn’t heard back from Lupe. Why would he not email me? I was pissed at this point. I felt like he should’ve at least reached out to me in some way. I started re-thinking my strategy. I was clearly doing something wrong, and I needed to fix it.

These encounters with Lupe taught me various things. It didn’t matter who I put myself in front of. I needed to work hard first, and then all this other shit would come later. It was only after I found Lupe 4x did I realize this, and it ultimately led me to stop chasing artists trying to give them demos. Lupe didn’t need to give me a handout. He wasn’t entitled to put me on, but he was kind with every encounter. Had he killed my dreams, and told me to fuck off I would’ve been discouraged and maybe stopped pursing music.

The truth was and still remains this, no one was coming to save me from my misery. The only way to become a touring act was to actually put time and effort into this art. I gave up entirely on giving artists my demos that year and shifted my priorities. I was working at T-Mobile, going to school and working on music occasionally. I hated everything about my situation, but I knew I needed to climb out of it somehow.

The following years I would work on music twice a week. Mostly on weekends, and when it was convenient for me. I would write some lyrics down for a couple hours a day, and chill with my friends the rest of the time. Ah, so this is what it means to work hard, fuck yeah dude, you’re on your way. This was the bullshit I was feeding myself daily, and the pity party was in full effect shortly after.

It wasn’t until earlier this year the concept clicked. I was forced to get a 9–5 after graduation, and it was killing my soul slowly. Everyday I got off at 6:30pm and came home exhausted. I would attempt to write, but it would be extremely terrible. One day, I received a call from Zack, who had now moved to Chicago to follow his own dream of becoming an actor at Columbia College Chicago. That phone call changed everything. He told me to stop feeling sorry for myself, and for some reason, I felt different after that.

I began getting off work at 630pm and coming straight to Starbucks to write until 10pm. I didn’t have a goal for how much I would write, I just wrote. November had finished, and I had 18 songs completed. Woah. I was shocked. I had never written this much. I started going to the studio more and more. I was addicted. I also took up singing lessons from my vocal coach, Jacob. Six years later I had finally figured it all out.

This is what artist always talk about in their interviews about working hard. I was finally doing it after six years of being mediocre. I was missing out on activities with friends, text messages, phone calls and relationships, but I felt happy. I knew I was on a mission.

You want to sing? Act? Do stand-up? No one is going to extend a hand that molds you into a star. This whole idea of “being discovered” is a myth thats no more believable than the boogeyman is. There isn’t a secret formula. There isn’t a school that will make you into an rockstar. There is only one way to get to where you want to go, and that’s through you. You have to take initiative. No, you don’t need to move to a bigger city. You don’t need to drop out of school. You need to work your ass off, and you need to start now.

People don’t give two shits about how hard you’re working. They care about your end result. They need to feel it. How will they feel it if you never take that leap? Everyone is talented. Think about all the people in the world who are good singers. We literally have millions of talented people and the only thing separating the great ones is work ethic.

There’s no guarantee your hard work will pay off. I’m in the process of releasing an album that might suck. Putting yourself out there & being vulnerable is a tough thing. But it’s a risk I have to take. I’ve been having dreams lately, and each dream consists of me playing my music for Drake, Kid Cudi or Big Sean. Could it just be my subconscious? Possibly. I like to think it’s God’s way of telling me to keep going.

That’s the risk you’ll have to take. You have to ask yourself if you’re willing to do what most people won’t to do. Will you sacrifice who you love for what you love? There are a lot of tough decisions to be made, but the first step in progression is starting. Make a schedule and stick to it. Don’t lie to yourself like how I did my first years of my pursuit. You’re on a quest now, and if you do your part then maybe the angels will meet you halfway.