Chicago, IL – When it comes to competitive Street Fighter, it’s hard to think of anyone more influential than Lupe Fiasco. But a few years ago, the superstar Ken player stepped away from the world of competitive fighting games to instead fight his way to the top of the music world.
Back in 2016, Lupe Fiasco was at the height of his Street Fighter career. He earned a name for himself with his aggressive play style and ability to kick, push, and throw his opponents into the corner. At the time, a decisive win over Daigo “The Beast” Umehara cemented his status as one of the best players in the world. This is why many were confused when he vanished from the scene not long after his dominant victory over one of the best players the series has ever known.
What a lot of fans at the time didn’t know is that Lupe is very passionate about music, just like he is with fighting games. In fact, he’s been rapping and recording music since he was a teenager, and even released five albums in the time when he was coming up in the Street Fighter scene. Since stepping away from the fighting game community, he’s added two more albums to his impressive body of work.
These days you can still find Lupe on the big stage around the world in Paris, Tokyo, and many other cities. But this time, instead of a hype Street Fighter top 8, it’s to perform his critically acclaimed music.
While the Street Fighter scene may never be be the same without Lupe Fiasco competing, his absence gives room for the next generation of champions to rise up. Many still hope that someday Lupe will return to the world of competitive fighters to once again show the world his fierce technical game play. Whether or not we ever see his return is unknown. But one thing is certain for the fighting game community: the show goes on.
