FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Listen to Lupe Fiasco’s Tribute to Colin Kaepernick, “Kneelin’ on Needles”

His first track since 'DROGAS Light' also gives a shout out to Chance the Rapper.

Two months on from the release of his sixth studio album DROGAS Light (and four months after "retiring" in the wake of a row over antisemitism in his lyrics), Lupe Fiasco returned Saturday afternoon with a new track, "Kneelin' on Needles." It's built around a tribute to former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kapernick, whose decision to protest police brutality by kneeling peacefully during the national anthem has led to NFL owners "hating" him, and our clown-ass clown's ass of a president boasting about his unemployment.

Advertisement

"Kaepernick, waddup. I knew they was gonna do that to you," Lupe says as the track opens. "It's all good though. We gotta stand up for something." As The Fader points out, the song seems to have been recorded in the past couple days, with Lupe referring back to "Humble," the newest Kendrick Lamar track: "K Dot wants stretch marks? / I want to own everything that's west of the best parts." He also shouts out Chance the Rapper, who has donated millions of dollars to Chicago public schools in the past month.

There are some less delicate lines, too. Suggesting that Kaepernick remains unemployed because people think he "took a shat on the Statue of Liberty" makes sense, but it's not all that subtle. Still, "Kneelin' on Needles" mostly holds up. Listen to it in full below.

Follow Noisey on Twitter.