LEWISTON — The contracts have been signed, the date has been set. Lupe Fiasco is coming to Lewiston.

The Chicago-born rapper, known to write lyrics that are refreshingly “safe for work,” will perform at Bates College on May 11.

The deal was finalized this week. By Friday afternoon, word was beginning to spread.

“I am so excited for Lupe to be at Bates,” said 21-year-old Renee Desmarais of Lewiston. “His style is clever and smooth. He has been around a while but is really taking off right now.”

The show is part of a tour that marks Lupe’s re-emergence after a long absence from the rap scene. He recently released the album LASERS, said to be an acronym for “Love Always Shines Every time. Remember to Smile.”

The March 8 release has already spawned the hit “The Show Goes On,” a reintroduction, of sorts.

According to the Lupe Fiasco official website:

“LASERS features some of the most thought-provoking rhymes and concepts Fiasco has ever conceived, combined with irresistible melodies, production by the likes of Jerry Wonder and The Neptunes, as well as collaborations with John Legend, Trey Songz, and others.

“The album is filled with unvarnished truth, straight from the mind of the hyper-literate Muslim MC, who grew up in the projects, but read books constantly and learned martial arts from the age of 3. The son of a Black Panther, his family didn’t have cable TV, but did have a subscription to National Geographic.”

Tickets and show info

Students: $25; on sale 8 a.m. April 4; 1 ticket per student.

Faculty/staff: $35; on sale 8 a.m. April 4; 1 ticket per member.

General admission: $40; on sale 8 a.m. April 9; limit of four per person.

Each ticket will have a $2 transaction charge. All tickets will be sold online at www.batestickets.com.

The show is at 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, in the Gray Gym on the Bates College campus. Doors open at 8 p.m.