LASERS Review

It has been way too long. That is mostly my fault. We haven't blogged in a long time mainly because our lives have somehow become incredibly busy (yea still wondering when that actually happened). However, I will try to post more on the blog as of now mainly because the written word is still the best way for me to express my emotions and thoughts (seriously I'm really quiet and reserved, just ask Franny) and also because I like to believe (foolishly) that somehow, somebody out there in the world actually cares about what I think; but I digress.

My last post was about Lupe Fiasco so now that his much anticipated album Lasers (Love Always Shines Everytime Remember 2 Smile) has actually come out what better way to get back into blogging than posting an album review? I bought the album the day it came out but admittedly I've had the bootleg for a good month or so (I waited 3 years for this album and did not mention to anyone I had it out of respect to the artist). To those who are Lupe fans and haven't bought it yet 'cause they already have the bootleg I advise you to buy the album (it doesn't cost that much) so that Lu's label will be happy and we get even more music from Lupe, mainly that Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album gets released on time (though if I have to I will wait like I did for The Cool and then Lasers).

It has been over two and a half years since Lupe Fiasco wrapped on the first tracks for what would become his third album, Lasers. What followed was chaos and pun fully intended, a fiasco. to make a long story short: Atlantic Records rejected the tracks deeming that the album was not marketable, froze Lupe’s production budget, and Lupe requested to be let out of his contract. Atlantic refused to drop Lupe or his album, loyal fans protested in the artist’s defense, and the label conceded to release the album if Lupe made some serious sacrifices. He compromised with Atlantic and voila Lasers had a release date. If you’re looking for a detailed history of the ordeal, the folks over at Ology have done a great job in bringing the whole story together.

I’ve been a huge fan and supporter of Lupe since his early beginnings (I've written for 2 blogs about his music) so I was eagerly anticipating this album. However, it’s obvious that this isn't a normal Lupe album. By Lupe’s own admission in an interview with Complex, Atlantic had their hands all over this record and forced him to do certain songs, rap a certain way, and use certain hooks and beats. Lasers is mostly Atlantic’s album when compared to The Cool or Food & Liquor, which were entirely Lupe’s albums and it’s obvious. In the interview mentioned above Lupe said he loves certain parts of the album and hates others not only 'cause of the music but because of what went on behind the scenes and the pressure that was exerted on him to compromise his creativity. I have a feeling fans will also have a love/hate thing goin' on with this album.

However, Lasers is still a fantastic record if you look at it objectively. As a Lupe album it fails to deliver to the expectations of the hardcore fanbase. It's an album that is entirely different and that should be ok with the fans. Just because he's great at making records in a certain way that should not limit his ability to try his creativity out of his normal realm and push the boundaries of his talent. Also I think this album was necessary for Lupe's progression and evolution as an artist because the one thing about this album is that it is extremely radio friendly and appeals to a wide array of demographics and these are good things for Lupe because the core fanbase will always be there but this album is open to a whole new audience that may be experiencing Lupe's music for the first time ('cause they only listen to chart-toppers).

Also, contrary to some reviews, the lyrics are not overly dumbed down and certain songs such as "All Black Everything", "Word I Never Said", "Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)", "Till I Get There" and even "The Show Goes On" are every bit as complex and intuitive as Lupe's past work. The lyricism is still great and even on a track like "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now", which is heavy with the electro-pop sound that Atlantic seemed to push Lupe on, is really enjoyable to listen to because of the lyricism and flow. With that said I have to admit that the use of auto-tune on some tracks put me off a bit. Case in point: "Beautiful Lasers"; this was a song I listened to live when Lupe came to Seattle and it was my favourite of the snippets he provided to the fans that day but the use of auto-tune on the hook in the album version put me off a bit because the original song I heard just sounded so much cleaner without auto-tune and flowed much better. "Beautiful Lasers" is still a very good song but the non-synthesized version was great.

I was also really disappointed with the fact that Lupe's frequent collaborator Soundtrakk didn’t have a single production on this album. I believe he is a key factor of Lupe’s sound and holds his albums together. For those who don’t know, Soundtrakk did the beats for and co-wrote Lupe's biggest hits: “Kick, Push” and “Superstar”, plus he produced five songs on Food & Liquor and more than half of the songs on The Cool. They have great chemistry together and Soundtrakk is definitely capable of producing massive hits for Lupe that are loved by both fans and the general public as he has proven. I don't know the situation but if this was a decision by Atlantic they must be profoundly stupid because I can't fathom any reason why they wouldn’t want him to continue contributing to Lupe’s albums.

There are some good songs on this record and while some of the lyrics are not nearly as complex as the dense lyrics on his mixtapes or first 2 albums, Lupe’s message still comes through pretty clearly and he still brings the heat on most of the tracks. The album starts off very strong with “Letting Go” featuring Sarah Green followed by, “Words I Never Said” and “Till I Get There” (produced by long-time collaborator Needlz) which has a real old-school hip-hop feel to it. “State Run Radio” is a great song despite the chorus (which was sub-par in my opinion) and takes out his frustration with the music industry. "All Black Everything” is definitely the most hip hop sounding track with strings and hard drums. The album closes with “Never Forget You” featuring John Legend. Even though Lupe said he had little to do with this song and it was submitted to him by Atlantic, it’s actually pretty catchy (I guess the label did good work on that front) and ends the album on an optimistic vibe.

It’s a heartbreaking thing to see someone you admire being taken advantage of by the music industry. It breaks the idea of an artist, producer and writer actually working together in the same room to create songs they want to make. Instead, Atlantic records exposed the music industry as a bunch of cut-throat faceless business executives whose job is solely to create hits with little care for the artistic integrity and individual creativity of its signed artists. With that said take Lasers for what it is because it delivers as a pop-rap record and honestly it's still better than most of the major rap releases in the last year or so. To me this record is a stop-gap/experiment in order for Lupe to make the music he actually wants to make.

Notable Tracks: "Letting Go", "Words I Never Said", "Till I Get There", "The Show Goes On", "Beautiful Lasers", "State Run Radio" and "All Black Everything"

Grade: 8.75/10

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)