Lupe Fiasco said what? Rapper says ‘albums cancelled’ after Twitter war over lyrics

Looks like Lupe Fiasco is at it again.

The rapper, known for making both socially conscious rap and premature announcements about retiring, announced Tuesday on Twitter that he is quitting music. For real this time. After posting a new track, “N.ER.D.,” to SoundCloud on Monday, Fiasco received intense criticism over lyrics some are calling anti-Semitic.

The track is less than two minutes long and samples J.Cole’s “Everybody Dies,” a mellow jazzy beat, reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest. He addresses his exhaustion with the industry: “Guess I’m delusional/ Used to doing it all the time though/ Maybe I’m just jaded, out of touch and unrelated/ Unable to connect greatness based on the person who makes it.”

But it’s his lyrics toward the end that sparked controversy.

“Artists getting robbed for their publishing/ By dirty Jewish execs who think that it’s alms from the covenant.”

Last night, the rapper went back and forth with fans who pointed out why the lyrics were offensive. “And this makes me an anti-Semite how?” Fiasco responded to one detractor.

Frustrated with the discourse, on Tuesday morning, Fiasco announced that he is officially done with music and won’t be releasing his promised and long-delayed albums, “Drogas,” “Skulls” and “Roy.” “Yo Lupe fans it’s been fun, and I hope you’ve had fun. I’m officially not releasing anymore music. Albums cancelled,” he wrote. (His Twitter account is now private.)

Fiasco is no stranger to Twitter wars and early retirements. In 2015, he abandoned Twitter after tweeting “... Martin Luther King” using a profanity and receiving heavy backlash from fans. He’s also been in hot water over Israel-Palestine and anti-war comments, taking a photo in full KKK attire, and attacking fellow hip-hop artists Azealia Banks and Kid Cudi. Oh, Lupe.

makeda.easter@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @makedaeaster