Superstar

"Superstar"Single by Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos
from the album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
Released	September 25, 2007
Recorded	2006
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:49
Label	1st & 15th Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Rudolph Lopez Wasalu Jaco
Producer(s)	Soundtrakk
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool chronology
‹ Previous	"The Coolest"
	"Superstar"
Next ›	"Paris, Tokyo"
Media

"Superstar" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released as the lead single and third track from his second studio album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007). It features American singer-songwriter Matthew Santos on the chorus.

The song peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated at the 2009 Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 17, 2008, and Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on February 25, 2022. "Superstar" is featured on the soundtracks of NFL Tour and NHL 2K10. Professional baseball player Hanley Ramírez used the song as his walk-up music at Florida Marlins home games. Additionally, it was the theme song of Fox8's Football Superstar.

Background

The remix version features Young Jeezy and T.I. Fiasco wanted Eminem on this version as well, though was unsuccessful. In 2021, he revealed that he wanted Chris Martin to be featured on the single, stating, "P or Ye told me on the set for "Everyone Nose" they heard Chris singing the chorus on a video shoot and he was like that's me which kinda was 🤯." In 2022, he addressed to Twitter problems he had with Atlantic, where they would replace instruments on records in order to be credited as producers. He noted, "Craig Kallman attempted to "reproduce" the entire record & claim it. I left in a small bass roll in the third verse as proof."

The lyrics are autobiographical, about "the perils of the music business." He clarified to Billboard, "I'm like, 'Hey, if you are what you say you are'—just remember here's all the kind of struggles, trials and tribulations and don't rest on your laurels. [...] It's always been a challenge being in the music business. Whether that's a challenge to stay credible or selling records or staying relevant, that all comes at a certain cost and a lot of the times that's not good."

Critical reception

PopMatters penned positively, "the obligatory ode to newfound fame, laced with crowd and camera sound effects and topped with another sublime Matthew Santos hook." Mark Pytlik of Pitchfork remarked it to be a "hooky first single [...] with Fiasco protégé Matthew Santos (who has probably heard a few Coldplay albums) playing Adam Levine to Fiasco's Kanye West." Sputnik Music wrote, "The snide commentary on celebrity culture which runs through lead single 'The Superstar' is infinitely more engaging than any of his conceptual efforts. John Legend-clone Matthew Santos makes the first of his two vocal contributions, his sweet voice providing the infectious hook..."

Music video

The accompanying music video was released on November 5, 2007. It was directed by Hype Williams and filmed earlier that year in the first week of October. It premiered on BET's 106 & Park on November 23 and on February 19, moved up to the number one spot on the countdown. The black leather jacket Fiasco wears in the video was created by Dr. Romanelli, specifically for the promo. Matthew Santos also makes a cameo, standing in a dark smoke room.

The visual depicts a Mercedes-Benz S-Class stopping at the red carpet. Two girls leave the car. Director Hype Williams manages to slip in two characters from The Cool: The Cool with his characterizing skeleton hand, and The Streets with her dollar signs in her eyes. The Cool apparently sold his soul to The Game for fame and fortune. In return, The Game's wife The Streets made him The Coolest and gave him the Mercedes as well as his bling and the gold key he has around his neck.

Live performances

Fiasco performed the song at a variety of shows, including the mtvU Woodie Awards (2007), Chicago Has Talent (2010), Walmart Soundcheck (2011), the Dodger Stadium (2014), Riot Fest (2021), and Hip Hop 50 Live (2023). Televised performances throughout 2008 include Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Mi TRL, where Santos was present for the latter two. He performed the song with Coldplay for their Chicago show on May 28, 2022, during their Music of the Spheres World Tour.

Accolades

Certifications

Organization	Certification	Date
British Phonographic Industry (BPI)	Gold	February 25, 2022
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)	Gold	September 17, 2008
	Platinum	September 17, 2008

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Result	Abbr.
2007	BET Hip Hop Awards	Alltel Wireless People's Champ	Nominated	N/A
2008			Nominated
2009	Grammy Awards	Best Rap/Sung Collaboration	Nominated
		Best Rap Song	Nominated
2008	MTV Video Music Awards	Best Hip-Hop Video	Nominated
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Music – Rap/Hip-Hop Track	Nominated

Listicles

Publisher	Listicle	Year	Result	Ref.
LiveAbout	"The Top 100 Rap Songs of 2007"	2019	42
Oprah Daily	"54 Hip-Hop Songs That Capture the Genre's History"	2022	Listed

Personnel

• Charles "Chilly Patton – executive producer
• Chris Gehringer – masterer
• Craig Bauer – mixer
• Greg "G-Ball" Magers – additional vocals, recorded by
• Matthew Santos – featured artist
• Rudolph "Soundtrakk" Lopez – writer, producer
• Soul Children of Chicago – additional vocals
• Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – lead artist, writer, executive producer

Gallery

• Acoustic Version
• Remix Version
• Live Lounge 3
• Hip Hop 50 Live
• The Kennedy Center

@LupeFiasco: "Coolin..."

• July 14, 2015
• Instagram

@LupeFiasco: "Platinum off streams too! 🤗 #Superstar @Soundtrakk @MatthewSantos"

• September 28, 2017
• Twitter

Lyrics

"Superstar"

[Chorus: Matthew Santos, Lupe Fiasco]
If you are what you say you are (Yeah, yeah)
A superstar (Gon' say now)
Then have no fear, the camera's here (Uh)
And the microphones
And they wanna know, oh, oh, oh, oh (The return)
If you are what you say you are
A superstar (Uh-huh)
Then have no fear, the crowd is here (Yeah)
And the lights are on (Ha)
And they want a show, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah (Free Chilly)

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]
Yeah, uh, a fresh, cool young Lu'
Tryna cash his microphone check, two-one-two
Wanna believe my own hype, but it's too untrue
The world brought me to my knees; "What have you brung? You?
Did you improve on a design? Did you do something new?
Well, your name ain't on the guest list, who brung you?
You—the more famous person—you come through
And the sexy lady next to you, you come too!"
And then it hit me, standing outside of heaven
Waiting for God to come and get me: I'm too uncouth
Unschooled to the rules and too gumshoe
Too much of a newcomer and too uncool
Like Shadow and Lavelle, I battle with it well
Though I need a holiday like lady who sung blue
"Go back, whatever you did, you undo."
Heavy as heaven, the devil on me two tons too
Ha, ha, ha, ha-ha-ha

[Chorus: Matthew Santos]
If you are what you say you are
A superstar
Then have no fear, the camera's here
And the microphones
And they wanna know, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]
And you better wear your shades
The spotlights here can burn holes through the stage
Down through the basement, past the Indian graves
Where the dinosaurs laid and (Pew!)
Out through China, nearly misses airliners
Magnified times five, this was pointed at the rhymer
Ricochets off the moon and sets the forest ablaze (Woo!)
Now, that's important to say
'Cause even with all that, most of us don't want it to fade
We want it to braid
Meaning we want it to grow, meaning we want it to stay
Like the governor called, and he told him to wait
Unstrap him from the chair, and put him back in his cage
The audience ain't fazed
And they ain't gon' clap, and they ain't gon' praise (Uh)
They want everything back (Back) that they've paid
'Cause they've been waiting since ten to see the lights get dim
Ha, ha, ha, ha-ha-ha

[Chorus: Matthew Santos]
If you are what you say you are
A superstar
Then have no fear, the crowd is here
And the lights are on
And they want a show, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]
So, chauffeur, chauffeur, come and take me away
'Cause I've been standing in this line for, like, five whole days
Me and security ain't getting along, and when I got to the front
They told me all of the tickets were gone
So just take me home where the mood is mellow
And the roses are thrown, M&M's are yellow
And the light bulbs around my mirror don't flicker
Everybody gets a nice autograph picture
One for you and one for your sister
Who had to work tonight but is an avid listener
Every song's her favorite song; and mics don't feedback
All the reviewers say, "You need to go and see that!"
And everybody claps, 'cause everybody is pleased
And then, they all take the stage and start performing for me
Like, "Ha, ha, ha-ha-ha"
"Ha, ha, ha-ha-ha, ha"

[Chorus: Matthew Santos, Lupe Fiasco]
If you are what you say you are
A superstar
Then have no fear, the camera's here
And the microphones
And they wanna know, oh, oh, oh, oh
If you are what you say you are
A superstar (Superstar)
Then have no fear, the crowd is here
And the lights are on
And they want a show, oh, oh, oh, oh (Yeah)

[Outro: Matthew Santos]
If you are
What you say you are
Then have no fear