Lupe Fiasco has reason to celebrate as his Jill Scott-assisted Food & Liquor standout “Daydreamin’” is finally eligible for platinum certification.
Released in 2006 and allegedly forced onto Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor album by Atlantic Records executives, “Daydreamin’” has officially sold over one million units in the United States, according to Music Data on March 14.
The Chicago native caught wind of the exciting news early Tuesday and responded on Twitter with a smiling emoji featuring rosy red cheeks.
As of press time, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) has not officially confirmed the song’s platinum eligibility.
Built around an I Monster “Daydream In Blue” sample, the Craig Callman-produced record went on to take home a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2008.
Unfortunately, Lupe was sick the day of the award show and therefore was unable to collect his trophy. He didn’t end up getting it until nine years later on his way to a show in Cincinnati after it was originally shipped to his attorney, according to Genius.
When I went to do ‘Daydreamin” with Jill Scott, I was like, hyped,” he recalled of the creative process in an interview with A.V. Club. ‘Jill Scott is in the studio!’ She was like, ‘Whoa, calm down and tell me what you want me to do.’ [Laughs.] It was ‘Stop. This is business.’
“[She said] ‘You have to stop and tell me what you want me to do.’ Every other note or run or style I wanted her to do on the record, I had to stop and tell her to do it.”
Last year, Lupe Fiasco revealed that “Daydreamin’” was the only record in his catalog that he doesn’t get paid for and said the project wouldn’t have come out if he didn’t listen to the label’s demands of keeping it on the LP.
“Produced by the CEO of atlantic and forced onto the album (or it wasn’t coming out),” he wrote in January 2022. “I put Jill Scott on it to lessen the blow and that’s what got us the Grammy. But yeah I don’t get any royalties or revenue from Daydream other than concerts.”
Lupe Fiasco’s 2007 album The Cool also went platinum last year, marking his first full-length project to earn the certification.
Speaking to HipHopDX, Lupe explained why The Cool reaching platinum status is particularly meaningful, and where he ranks the album among the rest of his catalog.
Hip Hop puts a lot into sales and certifications,” Lupe told DX. “So to achieve this milestone is great. It’s one of the things I’ve always wanted — the only thing that I hadn’t achieved in rap or in Hip Hop.
“I’ve sold millions of records. I have platinum singles and multi-platinum singles: ‘Superstar,’ ‘The Show Goes On,’ and all that stuff. So I’ve had platinum plaques. But I’ve never had a platinum album.
He continued: “Food & Liquor’s gold, Lasers is gold, Food & Liquor 2 is gold, but I’ve never had a platinum record. So for me, it just solidifies my presence in the space and it puts me in a new kind of category.”
