ALBUM REVIEW: Lupe Fiasco - Lasers

What up hip-hop heads! Man...so much to discuss with this Lasers album, I'm not quite sure where to begin. I'll start by saying that given knowledge of Lupe's agreement with Atlantic Records to put radio-friendly material on this project in exchange for a release date forces his die-hard fans to listen to this album with two sets of ears. It is obvious which songs were Atlantic Records' ideas and which ones were Lupe's. With that said, let's get to it...

After reading many reviews on Lasers so far, I must say that these many people are being waaaaay too overcritical of it. Yes, Lasers is different than Food & Liquor and The Cool, but let's not forget...The Cool came out in 2007 - I would hope his sound has changed just a little. I think in terms of lyrical technique, Lupe has definitely changed his style up, but sometimes change is necessary, depending on the context in which it is placed. In this case, it's more in his rhyme scheme and delivery: instead of using multiple extended metaphors to get his point across like his previous two albums, Lupe decides to take the more direct approach. I can understand how die-hard Lupe fans (like myself) might cry “he's falling off” when that was one of the main reasons we fell in love with him in the first place. But I think this is a different case. Think about when Ghostface rapped on “All I Got Is You”. That was the first time he didn't use any slang and it was effective. I believe Lupe's straight-forward approach is necessary with the stories and overall point he wanted to get across. Lasers takes on many sensitive issues such as politics, tolerance, conformity, and racism – and sometimes if you want people to listen to your message, you have to speak it for what it is, clear enough for everyone to understand what you're saying.

Sonically, Lasers is dark...very dark. Darker than The Cool, which is hard to imagine. This creates a sense of irony, seeing how Lasers stands for Love Always Shines Everytime Remember (to) Smile. He sets the mood perfectly with the opening song “Letting Go”. He says:  

“My self portrait shows a man that the wealth tortured/ Self absorbed with his own self - forfeit a shelf full of awards/ Worshiping the war ships that set sail on my sea of life/ Where I see my own self and wonder if we still see alike – we was tight, seeing light, speaking right and breathing life/ Now I see more demons and barely even sleep at night...”

“Words I Never Said” speaks for itself. Again, this song is more about the message and less about his lyrical technique. Listen to what he's saying:

“...and a bunch of other cover ups/ Your child's future was the first to go with budget cuts/ If you think that hurts then wait – here comes the uppercut – the school was garbage in the first place, that's on the up and up...”

Talk about lines that hit close to home - especially when just TODAY, Dekalb County, GA schools plan to close eight schools as part of a redistricting effort – which affects 9,000 students. They say hip-hop is a reflection of what's going on in the inner city – this is a prime example.

Other favorites include “All Black Everything”, “Break The Chain” and “State Run Radio” which reminds me of Nas' “Sly Fox”. It is clear that Lupe was intending to make the album most hip-hop heads have been waiting for. The ultimate revolutionary album – no radio pop hits, just the truth: raw and unfiltered. Enter Atlantic Records...

Listening to Lasers with my second set of ears – I gotta admit that although Lupe's attempts at making crossover songs sound forced and...well...just plain weird – I think some came out better than I expected. What I enjoy about “The Show Must Go On” is not only is it catchy, but he's still rapping with a message. Yes, his flow is slightly cadenced to ride the beat a certain way, but the content is still there. I know I'll catch a lot of flack for saying this, but “Out of My Head” isn't too bad either...and you're talking to someone who is a huge Trey Songz-hater! I think the 106 & Park crowd will eat it up and make Atlantic Records more than happy. With that said, “I Don't Wanna Care Right Now” is just plain terrible. Wack. Horrible. Horrendous. Imagine when Nas released “You Owe Me”...then vomit in your mouth a little bit...then chew on some broken glass. At that point, you will understand how I felt while listening to that song. It SUCKED.

What's the verdict? I don't think Lasers lives up to Food & Liquor and The Cool – but I can't help but partially blame Atlantic Records for this fiasco – no pun intended. There is no doubt that Lasers should have been released through an independent label, but that is a debate in itself. It is a shame that when we play Lasers five years from now, we would've forgotten that this wasn't his intention, yet this is what is set in stone. With that said, I still think Lasers a very solid album and has many songs that I will play for years to come. I recommend everyone purchasing this album if only to prove that our power truly is in numbers. Lupe deserves radio-spins, youtube hits, facebook “likes” and magazine covers as much as Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Drake, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, etc and should not have to compromise to do so. LASERS IN STORES NOW. GO GET IT!!!


8/10


Standout tracks:  "Words I Never Said", "State Run Radio", "All Black Everything", "Break The Chain"

"Where Is The Love?" Part Dos

"WE diss our OGs (JayZ, Dr.Dre, IceCube,LL) White Ppl give their OGs standin ovations (MickJagger,Eminem,Striesand,Madonna) #SeeWhereImGoinWitThis" – Tweet from Atlanta rapper, Mic Check

First off, I'd like to thank Mic Check for inspiring this blog entry. I think the tweet alone speaks volumes and gives us something to look deeper into.

As people, it's very ordinary that we work harder at our jobs/careers when we're young so we can live off the fruits of our labor once we get older. This concept is no different as a recording artist. The artist makes song after song, album after album, expanding his or her catalog in hopes that when they become older, their catalog will be able to work for them – whether through royalty checks from those timeless hits they made being played on the radio, movies or tv commercials; or being healthy enough to take those hit records on the road and tour whenever you feel like it. There are certain artists who have that liberty and deserve a certain level of respect.

Let's look at Stevie Wonder: Since 1962, he has put out twenty-three solo studio projects. He has more than thirty top ten hits in his career and has won twenty two Grammy awards. He was eventually inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. With all of the hard work that he put in since the 1960's, he is now able to tour and sell out arenas whenever and wherever he wants. And the best part about it – he can damn near charge whatever he wants. Why? Because he's Stevie Fuckin Wonder, that's why! He calls the shots. There are numerous solo artists and groups who can do this: Prince, Earth Wind and Fire, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, The Police, The Who, etc.

Is this any different with hip-hop? Having a long enough catalog and extensive enough resume to be able to hit the road or drop an album whenever you feel like it - even if you're 40 years old or older?  Is that something we embrace in the hip-hop community?  

Take Jay-Z, who is hip-hop's oldest artist who is still relevant today. Jay-Z has eleven solo albums, three collaborative albums, two soundtracks, and one compilation to his resume. Add that to thirteen Grammy's and over fifty million records sold in his career. It's safe to say that the Jiggaman has enough hits under his belt to put on a three hour set...easily.  Sure, we're already starting to see Hov on the road more these days, including throwbacks as old as "Jigga My Nigga" in his set, but there's something that makes us embrace Stevie Wonder as a musical icon before we do a Jay-Z or Dr. Dre or 50 Cent.  Oh, don't get it twisted, we LOVE our Doug E. Fresh's and Slick Rick's and Big Daddy Kanes - there the pioneers and made it possible for Jay, Nas and even 2Pac to take it to the level they did in the mid 90's.  And with all respect due - they're not as commercial a rapper as a Jay or Dr. Dre or 50 Cent.   What separates Jay from Stevie Wonder? Jay is a rapper. Stevie Wonder is not. It seems as though rappers have two obstacles working against him:

1. Hip-hop being accepted as a credible art-form to the general public

and

2. The competitive nature of hip-hop.

Allow me to elaborate...

Hip-hop being accepted as a credible art-form to the general public: 

 Regardless of how anyone may feel, rap music, as an art-form, has yet to gain full respect from America.  Never do we hear any hip-hop songs as elevator music in your local malls. Never will you study the history of hip-hop in your elementary school music classes. Never will you have a rap-lesson similar to voice lessons that most singers take. Never have you seen a kid go to college to major in “Hip-Hop Performance”. In fact, even in 2011 – I heard a version of Katy Perry's “California Girls” on the pop radio station where they completely cut Snoop Dogg's verse from the song. Sure it wasn't a hip-hop quotable, but it's the principle of the matter. There is a reason why artists like Andre 3000 and Kanye West have experimented with singing on full albums. It's because all of the songs that are viewed as American Standards are all melody (all sung). “Over the Rainbow”, “I Got Rhythm”, “It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)”, “Bye Bye Blackbird” are much older American classics. But even more recently – George Benson's “On Broadway”, Stevie Wonder's “Ribbon In The Sky”, Michael Jackson's “Rock With You”, Mariah Carey's “Hero”. Given the rebellious nature of hip-hop, it is easy to see why most rap songs will never be looked at as American Standards. It's difficult to label a song an American anthem when the lyrics of the song are very anti-American. Just sayin.

Again, let's look at Jay-Z: He might be the closest artist to breaking down that barrier with hip-hop. He was able to sell out Madison Square Garden during a time when it was unheard of for a rap artist. He's performed for The World Series, which is just one step under the Super Bowl. We're now starting to understand his lyrics when he said “I do this for my culture...” 







 Which brings me to my next point:

The competitive nature of hip-hop: 

 Battling is part of what hip-hop is about. It is almost like a sport – even viewed as a “young man's game”. Although I'm not intending to spark a debate about whether or not old rappers should eventually hang up the mic, I do think that sometimes that competitive spirit can be detrimental to our growth. Sometimes we have to put the art in front of the culture in order to move forward. We root for the underdog, but once they make it we hate to see them on top for too long – it's in our nature as people. So like Mic Check said, we make diss records about “old rappers in the game.” Rappers with no more than two albums to their name are taking shots at OG's who are 15 – 20 years deep in the industry. It makes no sense!

I'm not sparking a debate about Jay-Z as an artist.  Regardless how you may feel about him, he has paid more than his fair share of dues – you would think he has enough to overcome with him being at the forefront of changing the face of hip-hop's corporate side. In 5 to 10 years, it will be because of Jay-Z that a credible hip-hop artist will be able to perform at the Super Bowl, and we won't have to argue about whether The Black Eyed Peas are, in fact, the first hip-hop group to do so. Hopefully.

Hip-hop needs our own version of Stevie Wonder, Prince and Earth Wind and Fire. Someone or some people who can transcend the barriers and limitations that hip-hop often is associated with. As a culture that has changed the world and a generation, there should be no debate in cooperate offices on whether or not a “real” hip-hop artist should perform at Cowboys Stadium or any other major arena - it should be a given. But it starts with us!