If you have any taste for whatever good hip hop there still is in mainstream, then the name “Child Rebel Soldier” (CRS) should already ring a bell. CRS is a hip hop supergroup consisting of Lupe Fiasco (the Child), Kanye West (the Rebel), and Pharrell Williams (the Soldier), and given the level of these artists’ independent success, I don’t have to point out how much of a big deal this is. The only song that they have out so far is “US Placers” which was released on Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” mixtape last year, and was performed by Lupe Fiasco at last year’s Lollapalooza.
According to interviews with Fiasco, they’re planning to release an album by September of this year… all they have to do is to find some time to start working on it (read: expect delays). And, of course, there’s also the issue of Lupe Fiasco announcing his retirement after his third album “LupEND”. If he’s serious about that, this probably means that Child Rebel Soldier is just going to be a one album project… which is sad, but there’s no point crying about it until we see what this supergroup can accomplish on their first album. But if it’s anything like “US Placers” in its originality, which samples from Thom Yorke’s “Eraser,” then it’s sure to be exceptional.
Although the song US Placers doesn’t have an official music video yet, it’s getting a lot of attention on YouTube. Especially this one particular video that’s so well done, it could have even been the official video. It was directed by graduated film student Vashtie Kola, who is a close personal friend of Mr. Williams and is the stylist of the Skateboard P’s clothing lines Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream (find out more about this Downtown Sweetheart here). The video was filmed on an absolutely zero budget. The actors did it for free and the props were either all hers or borrowed from friends. The concept for the video is just as original as the song itself, portraying kid versions of the artists rapping over the song. Now without much further ado, here’s the unofficial video for CRS’s “US Placers” by VA$HTIE.
Child Rebel Soldier - “US Placers”
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Also, Lupe isn’t going to stop rapping after LupEND. He said that he would still rap on his label-mates projects, like Matt Santos. So hopefully that includes doing some work with CRS in the future?!
Comment by Sal on 20-04-08Leave a comment
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The three of them are touring together for a few months this Summer which is when they plan to get the album together.
It will be epic.
Comment by Sal on 25-02-08