Lupe Fiasco, the rising star MC from Chicago's west side, will be playing live on Thursday, May 25 at the Mezzanine in SOMA San Francisco. We here at Grooveeffect have a soft spot for anything Chicago (it's our hometown!) but I don't think that Lupe falls under our usual Chicago hype. He's got superstar appeal that's hard to deny. A clean flow style with a hint of mainstream hip-hop influence mixed in with skater and concious hip hop sensibilities? That's a sure recipe for success.

If you haven't heard of Lupe yet, first of all you're an idiot. Seriously, it's hard to have *not* heard of him by now. Second, you can check out his video "Kick Push" by clicking the 'play' icon below. It's a crazy good song - one of the best hip hop tracks I've heard in months, and the fact that it involves Chicago skate culture is just icing on the cake.

Mezzanine SF is located at 444 Jessie St., San Francisco, CA (click the link for directions) - it's a sexy venue that feels like a giant SF loft. Get presales at Ticketweb for only $15 a head - dirt cheap for a show of this caliber.

Not only is the 25th dope because Lupe is coming to town, but it's also my 25th birthday! If you run into me I'll more than likely be raging drunk (in a good way) so feel free to say hi or whatever.