The Sound of Three Titans: What Could Have Been

For a brief, shining moment in music, we had a supergroup that felt too good to be true: Child Rebel Soldier. The three artists who came together were Lupe Fiasco (the Child), Kanye West (the Rebel), and Pharrell Williams (the Soldier), and the world was ready.

All three were at the height of their respective careers: Kanye was riding the wave of success from Graduation and then upcoming album 808s & Heartbreak, Lupe had solidified his status as a lyrical force with Food & Liquor and The Cool, and Pharrell was experiencing renewed fame with his band N.E.R.D. while maintaining his legendary status as one half of The Neptunes. The intersection of their careers, particularly during Kanye’s Glow In The Dark tour, ultimately led to the creation of this powerful but short-lived supergroup.

The group’s journey actually began with Lupe and Pharrell, who had already been working together on the idea of a group. Once Kanye came on board, the project leveled up into a supergroup, and the hype was born. The very idea of three of the most creative minds in music, a lyrical genius, a sonic innovator, and an artistic visionary, teaming up was a dream for fans everywhere.

Ultimately, a full-length album never materialized, and fans were left with only three songs. Yet, each track provided a powerful glimpse into what the group could achieve. “Us Placers,” the group’s first song, was built on a minimalist beat and vocals from Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, showcasing how their distinct lyrical styles could blend seamlessly. The second track, “Don’t Stop,” was released during Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Fridays series. It leaned more into their productive side, with a more instrumental-heavy sound than the previous track. The final collaboration, the remix of N.E.R.D.’s “Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom),” marked the last time the three powerhouses would officially convene as CRS.

Sadly, CRS never made more music together, mostly due to scheduling conflicts rather than any bad blood. It remains one of hip-hop’s biggest “what-if” groups. The three songs they released are a moment stamped in time, a tantalizing glimpse of a collective genius that was almost too big to contain.