Lupe Fiasco released his ninth studio album, Samurai, last month via 1st & 15th and Thirty Tigers. It follows 2022’s Drill Music in Zion and it’s a concept album about the late Amy Winehouse. Speaking to BET, he said, “What would it be like if she was a battle rapper? She kind of mentioned it–I don’t know the full context of what was going on in her life at the time, and it’s just watching the documentary and the way they kind of placed that as she would leave voicemails for her producer. That particular one just had to be related to rap. And initially it just started out as one song, ‘Samurai,’ and then it went into, ‘Well, what if she was in a battle? What would those raps sound like?’”

“If I didn’t say that the album was inspired by Amy Winehouse, it could be inspired by anybody; it could relate or have some type of reference points from any artist in any field,” Lupe continued to BET. “You go through some of the same trials and tribulations, some of the same thought processes, some of the same kind of creative inspirational pieces.” You can stream Samurai below.

Lupe has also announced the Samurai tour, which kicks off at NYC’s Terminal 5 on October 3 and runs through the fall, wrapping up at Los Angeles’ The Novo on November 24. Tickets to all shows go on sale Friday, July 26 at 10 AM local, with various presales starting Wednesday, July 24 at 10 AM local, and you can see all dates below.

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LUPE FIASCO: 2024 TOUR DATES
10/3 – New York, NY (Terminal 5)
10/4 – Hartford, CT (The Webster)
10/5 – Philadelphia, PA (Union Transfer)
10/6 – Boston, MA (Royale)
10/10 – Columbus, OH (Columbus Athenaeum)
10/11 – Cleveland, OH (TempleLive Cleveland Masonic)
10/18 – Fort Collins, CO (Washington’s FoCo)
10/19 – Denver, CO (Summit)
10/24 – Solana Beach, CA (Belly Up)
10/25 – Ventura, CA (Ventura Music Hall)
10/26 – Pomona, CA (Fox Theater Pomona)
11/9 – St. Louis, MO (The Factory at The District)
11/10 – Chicago, IL (Salt Shed)
11/14 – Atlanta, GA (Variety Playhouse)
11/15 – Norfolk, VA (The NorVa)
11/16 – Washington, D.C. (The Howard Theatre)
11/21 – San Francisco, CA (The Warfield)
11/22 – Santa Cruz, CA (The Catalyst)
11/24 – Los Angeles, CA (The Novo)