Lupe Fiasco – Samurai + Palaces

It has been almost exactly one year since Lupe Fiasco released his eight-track project, Samurai. The song was inspired by a voicemail Amy Winehouse had left for her producer, Salaam Remi, which was recorded in her 2015 documentary, Amy. In that voice message, she mentioned a specific time frame when she continuously released “battle raps” during her studio recordings.

Battle raps are constantly flowing out of me, and I keep producing a variety of them, including impressive Wu-Tang-inspired lyrics with clever alliteration. Next time you plan on coming after me and starting a battle rap, I’ll annihilate you because I’m a samurai.”

Lupe Fiasco seized on that idea and made the most of it, delivering some of his most impressive rapping performances possibly ever. The Chicago wordsmith has decided to release a deluxe version of it, revisiting the anniversary milestone. He’s beginning the process today with remixes of the opening title track and “Palaces.”

The most noticeable changes are Troy Tyler’s inclusion as a singer and songwriter on both. The remake, “Samurai”, has a darker and moodier sound compared to the original. Additionally, it includes a new verse by Lupe, increasing the track’s duration by more than a minute.

The ‘Palaces’ section has been left largely unchanged.

Lupe’s deluxe edition of Samurai is scheduled for release in both digital and physical formats on August 22. In total, three remixes and two brand-new recordings will be made. The physical copies will also feature instrumental versions of all five of those tracks.