| Kick, Push |
Remix |
I used to skateboard when I was younger. I was really into it. I never really knew that skateboarding was so deep as a culture. It's just as deep as Hip Hop. I'm not the greatest skateboarder, but I'm a damn good rapper, so I made a damn good skateboarding song.
Lupe Fiasco[1]
"Kick, Push" is the debut solo single by American rapper Lupe Fiasco from his first studio album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006). The song was released on April 18, 2006, by 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. It was produced by Soundtrakk and samples the 1980 song "Magtaksil Man Ikaw (Bolero Medley)," written by Felipe Maninang and performed by Celeste Legaspi.
The song narrates a simple love story, where a boy who loves skateboarding finds a girl who shares the same passion. They continue to "kick, push" through obstacles, including opposition from authorities who disallow skating. This also serves as a metaphor for persevering through whatever life throws at you. Before its clarification, some listeners believed the song was about drug dealing, childbirth, or even basketball.[2][3] The sequel, "Kick, Push II," appears on the same album and delves deeper into the characters' backgrounds.
In the 17th anniversary of Food & Liquor, Fiasco named "Kick, Push" to be the most impactful song for him personally, both for what it accomplished musically and in terms of his career. Originally, it wasn't supposed to be included on the album and was merely a promotional song on a DVD for Uprise. However, his manager, Chilly, believed it was a hit. Fiasco added that what made the track "dope" was how it could speak to and resonate with people who were going through things in their own lives.[4]
Background[]
The song was recorded in 2005 by Greg "G-Ball" Magers at 1st & 15th Studios and mixed by Craig Bauer at Hinge Studios. Fiasco explained that Ken from the Uprise Skateboard Shop was the inspiration behind the track.[5] He informed The A.V. Club, "That song is his life exaggerated with maybe a few stories of a few other people, and then some stuff I fabricated. I just added some of the stuff that I knew from being a skateboarder into it."[6] The original burned CD remains at the shop.[7]
In October 2005 and November 2006, Fiasco was invited by professional skateboarder Tony Hawk to perform at the Stand Up for Skateparks fundraiser in its second and third annual years, respectively.[8][9] He was also featured on the cover of Billboard's July 2006 issue, where he is shown on a skateboard. Fiasco grew up skateboarding as a hobby but stopped after a 2007 accident, during which he might have been killed if he hadn't been wearing his helmet.[10]
The song was not initially planned to be a single and received little support from the skateboarding community. In a 2014 interview with Skee TV, he explained, "There was some very insecure skaters, Tony Hawk not being one of them, fortunately, who just felt like I was trying to encroach on their territory when I really did the song as a tribute for a skate shop. […] It was for a skate shop called Uprise for a skate DVD and then it just took a life of its own. […] From there all the way up until now, I always try and make things that I'm personally attached to, that have a personal vibration with me that I feel are real and honest and wherever that takes me."[11]
During an Instagram livestream with Joe Budden, Fiasco revealed how his record label tried to prevent the promotion of "Kick, Push," even though it was playing on his hometown's urban contemporary radio station, WGCI. He recalled, "Once it got out, [Craig Kallman] got confronted with the shit—like, 'Yo, the PD at WGCI reached out to us and told us that he got a call from you that said to slow down or stop playing the song.' So, all the A&R staff was there asking Craig, 'Why the fuck would you do that?' And he said so he could give the label more time to catch up. You know why he did it? Because he didn't have nothing to do with 'Kick, Push.' He didn't have any publishing, he didn't have any royalty rights, he didn't bring the producer—he had nothing to do with it." He went on to explain that the label bought the sample song to gain partial control over his single, even traveling all the way to the Philippines to purchase the rights to "Magtaksil Man Ikaw (Bolero Medley)" by Celeste Legaspi. He concluded, "It's genius. It's cold-blooded… grow it, sell it, and own the pawn shop that n****s is stealing the TVs and selling the shit back to you so you can sell—genius."[12][13]
Critical reception and legacy[]
Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club wrote in his review, "With its cinematic horns and manic drums, 'Kick, Push' soars deliriously on a wave of teen romanticism seldom explored in hip-hop: It's like Rebel Without a Cause reconceived as a skateboarding anthem."[14] Rolling Stone's Evan Serpick added, "Fiasco tells the story of a kid learning to ride a skateboard as a metaphor for struggling to find one's way in life and love. It's a creative, well-told tale that Pharrell wishes he could have written, and it sets expectations high."[15] Pitchfork called it "joyful,"[16] and AllMusic's Andy Kellman highlighted its originality, "Like nothing else in the mainstream or underground, its subject matter—skater boy meets skater girl."[17]
Uproxx wrote in a retrospective article, "[T]here weren't many high-profile Black skateboarders. In fact, Black kids who skated—especially in the hood—were subject to ridicule and outsider status for engaging in an activity that was long held as the domain of beach-blond surf rats in Venice Beach. But Lupe was part of a vanguard of Black artists who changed that, providing representation for those outsiders and throwing open the doors of possibility for generations after."[18] Okayplayer's 2023 list "The 16 Best Lupe Fiasco Songs" placed "Kick, Push" at number 1, penning, "remains an absolute classic. While it displays the wit and lyrical inventiveness Lupe would later bolster to incredibly high heights, it remains straightforward in an endearing way."[19] HotNewHipHop's 2024 list that compiled the artist's "Essential Songs" also put "Kick, Push" at the top, saying, the impact was "immediate and far-reaching. It introduced Lupe as a fresh and thoughtful voice in hip-hop who could craft a narrative with depth and relatability." They added how its success helped bring attention to his debut album, and "remains a testament to Lupe's ability to blend personal stories with broader social themes."[20]
In 2007, "Kick, Push" was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song, though it lost to T.I.'s "What You Know" and Ludacris' "Money Maker," respectively. The song was also featured in the soundtracks for the video games NBA Live 07 (2006) and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam (2006). Drake created a remix, which was released from his first official mixtape, Room for Improvement (2006). Tokimonsta released a remix in 2008, Chamillionaire dropped a freestyle titled "The Greatest" from his project Mixtape Messiah 4 (2008), and Logic remixed the song as "Still Pushin" on his mixtape Inglorious Basterd (2023).[21] The song appeared in Season 6, Episode 6 of The Chi, playing at the after-graduation party, where the character Britney freestyles over it.[22][23] On YouTube, the "Kick, Push" music video was selected as part of their "Fifty Deep" campaign in celebration of hip hop's 50th anniversary, recognizing its cultural impact.
Due to its release ahead of Food & Liquor, publications tried to position him as a representative of skateboarding, even having him pose with skateboards in photoshoots, which he rejected. He added, "Then when the album came out, people forgot about 'Kick, Push.' The rest of the album had nothing to do with skateboarding. And they said, 'Oh, now we see why you didn't want to be the spokesperson for skateboarding.' The album had nothing to do with skateboarding."[6]
Live performances[]
He performed "Kick, Push" at many of his performances, including AOL Sessions (2006), the 2008 ESPY Awards, MTV Spring Break (2011), the Red Bull Music Festival (2019), and Hip Hop 50 Live (2023). He also made a cameo in Season 4, Episode 4 of One Tree Hill, where he performed the song along with "I Gotcha" at the fictional club, Tric.[24]
Music video[]
The accompanying music video was uploaded to YouTube on March 31, 2006,[25] and later premiered on Atlantic Record's YouTube channel on October 26, 2009. Directed by Christopher Adams and Hana McDowell (Chris & Blaq) of Impakt Studio, it was filmed during the winter in front of Madison Terrace with a Panasonic HVX100 and edited in Adobe Premiere Pro.[26] Fiasco recalled that the people in the video were actual gangsters, with the lead skater coming from a rough background. Cops even drove up to the video shoot to shut it down, with the police scene being real.[4][27]
According to Spin's April 2006 feature story, the protagonist was played by Kiko, who had recently been released from prison. Fiasco took him to Uprise to buy whatever he needed—clothes, shoes, wheels—to help him look the part for the video. Fiasco explained, "He has X's on his back. If he forgave himself, if God forgave him, the system he's in and the color that's on his body is not going to forgive him. So it's like, let me make sure he's straight with the regular stuff, so he doesn't have to worry about that. Because what might he be able to do if he didn't have to worry about buying clothes?"[28]
| Music Video | Information | |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Chris & Blaq | |
| Prod. Company | Impakt Studio | |
| Cinematographer | Christopher Adams | |
| Editor | Hana McDowell | |
| Length | 4:45 | |
Accolades[]
Awards[]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | BET Hip Hop Awards | Hip-Hop Video of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2007 | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Solo Performance | Nominated | |
| Best Rap Song | Nominated | |||
| MTV Australia Video Music Awards | Best Hip-Hop Video | Nominated |
Listicles[]
| Publisher | Listicle | Year | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| About.com | "The 100 Best Rap Songs of All Time" | 2006 | 72
|
|
| "The 100 Best Rap Songs of the 2000s" | 2010 | 6
|
||
| Cleveland | "100 Greatest Rap Songs Since 2000" | 2017 | 41
|
|
| Complex | "The 50 Greatest Chicago Rap Songs" | 2013 | 6
|
|
| "50 Best Hip-Hop Songs of All Time" | 2023 | 43
|
||
| HotNewHipHop | "Lupe Fiasco Essential Songs" | 2024 | 1
|
|
| Okayplayer | "The 16 Best Lupe Fiasco Songs" | 2023 | 1
|
|
| Pitchfork | "The Top 100 Tracks of 2006" | 2006 | 15
|
|
| Vogue | "17 Essential Music Videos for Skate Fans" | 2016 | Placed | |
| XXL | "Top 100 Greatest Songs by an XXL Freshman" | 2012 | 7
|
Track listings[]
CD: 1
- "Kick Push (Album Version)" – 4:15
- "Tilted" – 3:34
CD: 2
- "Kick Push (Album Version)" – 4:15
- "Spazz Out" – 3:45
- "Kick, Push (MyTone Ringtone)"
- "Kick, Push (Video)"
12" Vinyl
- "Kick Push (Album Version)" – 4:15
- "Kick Push (Instrumental)" – 4:14
- "Kick Push (Acapella)" – 3:52
- "Tilted (Non-Album Track)" – 3:34
Personnel[]
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Craig Bauer – mixing
- Greg "G-Ball" Magers – recording
- James Auwarter – mixing assistance
- Rudolph "Soundtrakk" Lopez – production
- Ryan Neuschafer – mixing assistance
- Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – lead artist, vocals, writing
- Will Quinell – mastering assistance
Cultural references[]
- Uprise is a skateboarding retail store in Chicago. It was featured in the music video.
- Aerials are a type of skateboarding trick performed on vert ramps, which combine rotation with different grabs.
- Varial flips are a type of skateboarding trick that involves a kickflip with a 180-degree spin.
- Spitfire is a skateboard company.
- Nike SB Dunks are a line of shoes released by Nike in 1985.
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Ugh! (Woo!)
What up, y'all? Yeah
(Soundtrakk, what's poppin', baby?)
Woo! (Ugh)
If y'all ain't know
I go by the name of Lupe Fiasco
(Kick, push, coast)
Representing that 1st and 15th, yeah, uh
And this one right here (Woo!)
I dedicate this one right here (Uprise…)
To all my homies out there grinding
You know what I'm saying? Legally and illegally, haha
You know what I'm talking about? (Woo!)
So, check it out, uh
[Verse 1]
First got it when he was six, didn't know any tricks
Matter of fact, first time he got on it, he slipped
Landed on his hip and busted his lip
For a week he had to talk with a lisp, like thisss… (Ugh)
Now we can end the story right here
But shorty didn't quit, it was something in the air (Ugh)
Yeah, he said it was something so appealing
He couldn't fight the feeling, something about it
He knew he couldn't doubt it, couldn't understand it
Branded, since the first kickflip he landed, ugh (Woo)
Labeled a misfit, a bandit
Ka-kunk, ka-kunk, ka-kunk; his neighbors couldn't stand it
So, he was banished to the park
Started in the morning, wouldn't stop 'til after dark, yeah
When they said "It's getting late in here
So I'm sorry, young man, there's no skating here"
[Hook]
And so he kick, push, kick, push
Kick, push, kick, push; coast…
And away he rolled
Just a rebel to the world with no place to go
And so he kick, push, kick, push
Kick, push, kick, push; coast…
So come and skate with me
Just a rebel looking for a place to be
[Bridge]
So let's kick… (Ugh)
And push (Y-Yeah, y-yeah-yeah)
And coast
Uh, uh, uh (Y-Yeah, y-yeah-yeah)
[Verse 2]
My man got a little older, became a better roller
Yeah, no helmet, hell bent on killing himself
Is what his mama said, but he was feeling himself
Got a little more swagger in his style
Met his girlfriend, she was clapping in the crowd
Love is what-what was happening to him now, ugh!
He said "I would marry you
But I'm engaged to these aerials and varials
And I don't think this board is strong enough to carry two"
She said "Bow! I weigh a hundred and twenty pounds" (Woo!)
"Now, let me make one thing clear
I don't need to ride yours, I got mine right here"
So she took him to a spot he didn't know about
Some odd-end apartment parking lot
She said "I don't normally take dates in here"
Security came and said "I'm sorry, there's no skating here"
[Hook]
And so they kick, push, kick, push
Kick, push, kick, push; coast…
And away they roll
Just lovers intertwined with no place to go
And so they kick, push, kick, push
Kick, push, kick, push; coast…
So come and skate with me
Just a rebel looking for a place to be
[Bridge]
So let's kick (Ugh, ugh)
And push, yeah, yeah (Woo, woo)
And coast… (Yeah, ugh!)
(Haha, swanky)
Yeah, yeah!
[Verse 3]
Before he knew, he had a crew that wasn't no punk
In they Spitfire shirts and SB dunks
They would push 'til they couldn't skate no more
Office building lobbies wasn't safe no more
And it wasn't like they wasn't getting chased no more
Just the freedom was better than breathing, they said (They said…)
An escape route they used to escape out
When things got crazy, they needed to break out
They'd head... to any place with stairs
Any good grinds, the world was theirs, ugh!
And their four wheels would take them there
Until the cops came and said, "There's no skating here"
[Hook]
And so they kick, push, kick, push
Kick, push, kick, push; coast…
And away they rolled
Just rebels without a cause with no place to go
And so they kick, push, kick, push
Kick, push, kick, push; coast…
So come roll with me
Just a rebel looking for a place to be
[Bridge]
So let's kick (Ugh, ugh)
And push, yeah, yeah (Woo, woo)
And coast…
Ah-ha, swanky (Mm, mm)
Charts[]
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
 Australia (ARIA)
|
66
|
| Australian Urban (ARIA)
|
16
|
 Scotland (OCC)
|
32
|
 UK Singles (OCC)
|
27
|
| UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)
|
5
|
 US Billboard Hot 100
|
78
|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)
|
56
|
Releases[]
|
Country: Australia Label: Atlantic, Warner Music Australia Format: CD Released: September 9, 2006 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: 7567943252 Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
|---|
|
|
Country: Europe Label: Atlantic Format: CD Released: November 24, 2006 Catalog #: LC00121 Barcode: 75679422828 Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
|---|
|
|
Country: Europe Label: Atlantic Format: 12" Vinyl Released: November 24, 2006 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: 75679422903 Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
|---|
|
Country: Europe Label: Atlantic Format: Maxi CD Released: 2006 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: 7567942302 Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
|---|
|
|
Country: United States Label: Atlantic Format: Vinyl Released: April 18, 2006 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: 75679426000 Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
|---|
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Hardimon, Zharmer (June 18, 2006). "Notes from the Hip-Hop Underground". Houston Chronicle.
- ↑ Golianopoulos, Thomas (April 28, 2015). "Messiah Music: Investigating the Hidden Meaning of Lupe Fiasco's 'Tetsuo & Youth'". Grantland.
- ↑ Morse, Russell (September 21, 2006). Rolling Stone (1009), p. 22.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. September 20, 2023.
- ↑ Ducker, Eric (January 22, 2013). "Lupe Fiasco: Grindin". The Fader.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rabin, Nathan (October 31, 2006). "Lupe Fiasco". The A.V. Club.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. July 3, 2014.
- ↑ "2005 Tony Hawk Foundation Annual Report". The Skatepark Project.
- ↑ "2006 Tony Hawk Foundation Annual Report". The Skatepark Project.
- ↑ Abbey, Cherie (January 30, 2009). Biography Today. Omnigraphics, p. 69.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco Said 'Kick, Push' Helped Hip-Hop Embrace Skateboarding". XXL. July 3, 2014.
- ↑ Watson, Elijah (April 7, 2020). "Lupe Fiasco Explains How Atlantic Records Bought the 'Kick, Push' Sample to Partially Own His Song". Okayplayer.
- ↑ Fu, Eddie (April 7, 2020). "The Label Allegedly Flew to the Philippines to Acquire a Controlling Portion of the Song's Rights". Genius.
- ↑ Rabin, Nathan (September 20, 2006). "Lupe Fiasco: Food and Liquor". The A.V. Club.
- ↑ Serpick, Evan (September 29, 2006). "Food & Liquor". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ Fennessey, Sean (September 21, 2006). "Food & Liquor". Pitchfork.
- ↑ Kellman, Andy (September 19, 2006). "Food & Liquor Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic.
- ↑ Williams, Aaron (October 12, 2021). "Lupe Fiasco's 'Kick, Push' Prompts Belly, Lakeyah, and Other Young Rappers to Consider Skateboarding". Uproxx.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Wallace, Riley (February 16, 2023). "The 16 Best Lupe Fiasco Songs". Okayplayer.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Adams, Rain (June 25, 2024). "Lupe Fiasco Essential Songs". HotNewHipHop.
- ↑ Singh, Karan (August 17, 2023). "Logic Flips Lupe Fiasco's 'Kick, Push' While Announcing New Mixtape". HipHopDX.
- ↑ Constantine, Brandon (August 11, 2023). "Three Songs That Will Help Make Season 6 of 'The Chi' Unforgettable". Complex.
- ↑ Okon, Wongo (September 8, 2023). "'The Chi': They Go from 'Boys II Men' So Fast in Season 6, Episode 6". Uproxx.
- ↑ Benner, Lexa (February 3, 2022). "One Tree Hill: The 10 Best Characters to Only Appear in One Episode". Screen Rant.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco's 'Kick, Push' Video". Hypebeast. April 1, 2006.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco 'Kick Push' Music Video by Impakt Studio". Vimeo. July 10, 2008.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. July 3, 2014.
- ↑ Caramanica, Jon (April 2006). "Revenge of the Nerd". Spin (Vol. 22, No. 4).
- ↑ "BET Hip-Hop Awards Nominees Announced". AccessOnline.com. October 16, 2006.
- ↑ "Grammys 2007: A List of the Nominees". Entertainment Weekly. December 7, 2006.
- ↑ "Nominees for the 2007 MTV Australia Video Music Awards". Top40-Charts. March 3, 2007.
- ↑ Adaso, Henry (April 15, 2006). "The 100 Best Rap Songs of All Time". About.com.
- ↑ Adaso, Henry (January 29, 2010). "The 100 Best Rap Songs of the 2000s". About.com.
- ↑ Smith, Troy (August 24, 2017). "100 Greatest Rap Songs Since 2000". Cleveland.
- ↑ Barber, Andrew, et al. (May 14, 2013). "The 50 Greatest Chicago Rap Songs". Complex.
- ↑ Ragusa, Paolo (August 7, 2023). "50 Best Hip-Hop Songs of All Time". Consequence.
- ↑ "The Top 100 Tracks of 2006". Pitchfork. December 18, 2006.
- ↑ Borrelli-Persson, Laird (June 28, 2016). "17 Essential Music Videos for Skate Fans". Vogue.
- ↑ "Top 100 Greatest Songs by an XXL Freshman". XXL. April 3, 2012.
External links[]
- Kick, Push on Apple Music
- Kick, Push on YouTube
- Kick, Push on SoundCloud
- Kick, Push on Spotify
- Kick, Push on Amazon Music
- Kick, Push on Tidal
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