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"