Brain washed by MTV

I grew up in the hood around prostitutes, drug dealers, killers, and gangbangers, but I also grew up juxtaposed: On the doorknob outside of our apartment, there was blood from some guy who got shot; but inside, there was National Geographic magazines and encyclopedias and a little library bookshelf situation. And we didn't have cable, so we didn't have the luxury of having our brains washed by MTV. We watched public television — cooking shows and stuff like that.

My father was a Renaissance man. He was an operating plant engineer, a musician, and a martial artist. He had eight black belts and taught [martial arts] for 40 years. He was also in the military and the Black Panthers. My mother [Shirley Jaco] was an intellectual and a chef. I got nine brothers and sisters. Three of us have the same mother and father, everyone else is half brothers and sisters.

Lupe Fiasco: The Art of Being Cool

EW talks with the hip-hop artist about his impoverished childhood, Grammy nods, and premature retirement plans

By Margeaux Watson | Jan 17, 2008