American hip-hop superstar Lupe Fiasco has confirmed he will be taking his high energy live show to stages across Australia with dates scheduled in February 2010 in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and a very special show at the Melbourne Zoo as part of Sound Safari.

Lupe exploded onto the hip-hop scene in 2004 with a mind-blowing verse on Kanye West’s ‘Touch The Sky’. Since then he’s gone from strength to strength, with the release of not one, but two Grammy nominated albums - 2006’s Food & Liquor and last year’s critically-acclaimed LP The Cool. The album’s major single ‘Superstar’ became an instant classic and ironically solidified Lupe as a superstar himself.

Lupe’s latest hit, the brilliant ‘Shining Down’, is the first track off his third studio album and has begun the huge wave of impatience for his new LP which is slated for release in early 2010 – just in time for his highly anticipated return to our shores.

‘The reverberating din of stamping feet demands an encore… Within the rhymes of Superstar, Fiasco calls it himself: “All the reviewers say, ‘You need to go and see that.’” ‘

-Inpress Magazine, February 2009

Before the incredible Lupe takes the stage under the moonlight with his amazing live band, 1500 or Nothin’, fans will be treated to an all-star line-up of local hip-hop, funk and soul.

Melbourne’s Phrase will join the tour nationally with his full live band, whose highly acclaimed LP Clockwork has taken him from underground buzz to now being heralded as one of the city’s most remarkable musical exports.

Adelaide’s finest - Lowrider - will also take to the stage on all shows nationally. Throughout the years, Lowrider have built a solid reputation as one of the country’s most electrifying acts, and through little more than word-of-mouth have sold-out four national tours in 2009.

In Adelaide and Melbourne audiences will be treated to hot new comers - the incomparable Diafrix who combine rhythms from their African background with contemporary hip-hop to create a sound that has seen their debut album Concrete Jungle labeled as one of the country’s best releases of 2009 and earned them The Age EG Award for Best Homegrown New Artist.

Performing in Melbourne only, True Live’s unique fusion of hip-hop with classical music has built them a huge cult following nationally and the band’s live show is recognised as one of the most dynamic in the country.

Illusive is very excited to unveil the first installment­ of its brand new concert series, Sound Safari. The boutique event will be the first of its kind in Australia and will take place amongst the unique and picturesque backdrop of Melbourne Zoo.

Sound Safari will be the largest scale concert ever undertaken at the iconic location, and - boasting the amazing line-up of Lupe Fiasco, Phrase, Lowrider, True Live and Diafrix - is sure to become a staple on to-do lists of punters over summer.

For anyone that’s experienced Lupe Fiasco’s incredible live show – you already know this is one summer event not to be missed; and for those that haven’t – the time has come to see what all the fuss is about.