Steph Curry has four NBA championship rings to his name, but when it comes to music, he tips his hat to another accomplished figure in his own field. The Golden State Warriors All-Star guard stopped by Mistah F.A.B.’s “The Unc & Fab Show” yesterday (March 8) and was asked what project he could listen to if he could only hear one LP for the rest of his life. He was sure of his answer. “It’s Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool,” he replied. “[I’m a] huge Lupe fan. I think that album — I don’t know how many Top 10 lists that album would come up on, but that for me [is No. 1]. The time and place too. And he’s an amazing artist.”
The unc and fab show interviews the GOAT!!!! @StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/o64uaqo49r
— STAN PABLO (@MistahFAB) March 8, 2023
The Cool was released in December 2007 and remained at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Rap Albums chart for nine consecutive weeks. At the time, Curry was a sophomore basketball star at Davidson College. When he listens to those songs, it reminds him of that time in his life. “Anybody who knows me knows my favorite rapper is Lupe Fiasco,” Curry said in a 2018 Slam interview as he held a vinyl copy of the record. “This album, The Cool … it was my favorite album of his. If I hear any song it reminds me of my college days and having that tournament run that we had back at Davidson.”
“It’s just a classic for me,” he added. “Still have it on my playlist now. Big shout out to Lupe. [I] appreciate all the inspiration.”
In September 2022, The Cool was officially certified platinum, marking the Chicago native’s first platinum full-length. The Grammy-nominated project receiving that recognition 15 years after its release was a meaningful accomplishment for him. “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,” Fiasco told HipHopDX in October. “I’ve sold millions of records. I have platinum singles and multi-platinum singles … 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.”
As for where The Cool fits in his catalog, Fiasco, like Curry, puts it in his top spot. “Where would I rank it? It’s my number one selling record. I’ma start doing that, whatever sold the most is the best,” he declared. “The Cool sold the most records so that’s the number one record.”