Lupe Fiasco has always been one to go against the grain – except, of course, when his previous record, 2011′s Lasers, was seemingly the waving of the white flag to the “machine” as the Chicago emcee found himself trying to mesh his dexterous lyrics over awkward clubby beats.

However, despite talking up his new album, Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1, as a lyrical exploration of everything American – the dream, the nightmare, the philosophy, the history and the phenomenon – the cover art is as simple as it gets: A black image.

If you recall, Prince took the exact same route back in 1994 with his aptly-titled The Black Album. Not just a suitable cover for the title, however; many believed the design was a metaphor for regaining his African-American audience after becoming a star in the largely white pop world. You can’t help but to spot the similarities in Mr. Fiasco’s case.

Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 is due out September 25th. Pre-orders are available now via Warner Music Group.