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Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, which received three Grammy nominations & one Grammy award for the single "Daydreamin". He also performs as the frontman of rock band Japanese Cartoon under his real name. As an entrepreneur, Wasalu is the chief executive officer of 1st & 15th Entertainment, which houses 1st & 15th/Atlantic Records, FNF Films, FNF Studios, FNF Music Publishing, FNF Touring/William Morris Agency, Righteous Kung Fu Design, and Trilly & Truly Clothing. He is also Founder and President of WOLFStudio Gallery & Visual Arts Studio. Raised in Chicago, Wasalu developed an interest in hip-hop after initially disliking the genre for its use of vulgarity. He adopted the stage name Lupe Fiasco and began recording songs in his father's basement. He signed a recording deal with Epic Records soon after graduating high school and another with Arista Records a few years later. Fiasco met rapper Jay-Z who helped him sign a label deal with Atlantic Records. He released his debut album on the label in September 2006, and his second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, in December 2007. The lead single "Superstar" peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. After a two-year delay, Lasers was released in March 2011, with lead single "The Show Goes On" peaking at number 9 on the chart. Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 was released in September 2012. All of which were nominated for Grammy Awards. Wasalu is also Chairman of the Lupe Fiasco Foundation, which focuses on youth empowerment, capacity building and artistic expression. Wasalu is a 2014 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
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