Lupe Fiasco (born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco on February 17, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American rapper. He came to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, which received three Grammy nominations. Prominent hip hop mogul Jay-Z describes him as a "breath of fresh air" in a new hip-hop world characterized by mainstream pop and glamor, a sharp contrast with the widespread lyricism-focused rap of the 1990s. Raised on the westside of Chicago, Wasalu Jaco is the fifth child of nine brothers and sisters. His father (died February 27, 2007) was an engineer, a prolific African drummer, karate teacher and owner of karate schools and army surplus stores. His mother was a gourmet chef. Jaco went to high school at Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Illinois. Jaco started rapping when he was in the eighth grade, but was initially put off by the vulgarity and violent imagery of his father's Public Enemy and N.W.A. records. It wasn't until Jaco...This information was automatically generated from Freebase article Lupe Fiasco. You should replace/update it...