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[TheKaeptain]

The album is very disappointing. Not totally shit like you guys are saying though. Some good tracks and lyrics are there.

 

[Ken Masters]

Album SUCKS, and this comes from someone who thinks F&L is 5/5 and The Cool is 4.5/5 albums

 

[kamspy]

Hmm. Checking out Atlantic's website I don't see a trend among Atlantic artists and being toned down for radio.

T.I.
Plies
Donnis
Wiz
Musiq
Maino

http://atlanticrecords.com/artists/

 

[Stat Flow]

Hmm. Checking out Atlantic's website I don't see a trend among Atlantic artists and being toned down for radio.

That's cause they're already toned down/tailor made for radio.

 

[overcast]

F&L 2 coming out at the end of this year possibly? Different sound? Probably won't come out at the end of this year, but sounds like he is anticipating it. Better be some real hip-hop lupe. Don't play with my feelings :[

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Just got done listening to the album, pretty forgettable, but it is a nice album to play in the background while doing something.

The only tracks that sound like Lupe tracks are "All Black Everything," "Words I Never Said," and "Never Forget You."

Words I Never Said sounds a bit less Lupe due to the hook, but I like it anyways.

 

[MightyHealthy]

I blame Atlantic here...especially when the b-sides KILL.

No I'm Beaming is criminal.

 

[Phloxy]

Loving this album, just like everything on gaf, people here are jaded as fuck. Couple songs are meh, but majority of the album is really good. Different, but good.

 

[MorisUkunRasik]

Loving this album, just like everything on gaf, people here are jaded as fuck. Couple songs are meh, but majority of the album is really good. Different, but good.

 

[The M.O.B]

Why would Lupe promote this album to his fans if he knew it was garbage? Dude has a major fucking superiority complex.

Because if this doesn't sell, he is gonna be tossed into artist purgatory, where the Label lets him sit there until he does exactly what they want. That or he is forced to pay a huge amount to get out of his contract. If it sells good then he can at least make another Album hopefully with less Atlantic influence in it.

Hmm. Checking out Atlantic's website I don't see a trend among Atlantic artists and being toned down for radio.

T.I.
Plies
Donnis
Wiz
Musiq
Maino

http://atlanticrecords.com/artists/

All of those guys are super radio friendly already except Maino. If you check Maino's album he has cuts with T-Pain, Trey Songz, and Swizz Beats, which is probably because of Atlantic(His album flopped with barely 50k btw).

 

[KanZolo]

Lupe describes being held hostage by Atlantic, says next album is done

Lupe Fiasco struggled to release his third album on Atlantic Records. It took over three years and picketing from fans before Lupe followed up his gold-selling The Cool. Despite platinum singles, gold plaques and Grammy Awards, the Chicago native said his budget was cut and he was stiffled creatively.

"I was specifically told" -- Fiasco chuckled -- "'Don't rap too deep on this record.'" He laughed some more, telling the Chicago Sun-Times. "That was a specific order from the top. 'You're rapping too fast or too slow, or it's too complex.' ... There are consequences and combat that comes from that process and the eventual compromise. With me, though, I'm not writing about someone else. I'm writing about me. This is my life. It's very personal for me. So for somebody to kind of put their fingers in that and play with that, it becomes more damaging."

"I am a hostage," Fiasco continued. "I gave them what they wanted. If I didn't, at the end of the day the album wasn't coming out." The potentially good news for fans is that Lupe was busy recording his next album The Great American Rap Album while he was working on Lasers. He hopes to have that out before the end of 2011.

So sad. Love State Run Radio and All Black Everything though.

EDIT: Some quotes of this were posted a page back

 

[Imm0rt4l]

"dumb it down"

 

[Forearm Star]

So basically if this album (which everyone thinks is terrible solely because of outside influence) doesn't sell, even with the help of the record company, Lupe will pretty much be finished?


I can kind of see why this guy wanted to hang it up and call it quits.

 

[spindashing]

So sad. Love State Run Radio and All Black Everything though.

That's because those two tracks were originally going to be on Lupe's own idea for Lasers a few years ago. State Run Radio was probably more hyped and was toned down, though.

Beautiful Lasers was one of them too, but I believe Matthew Santos had the hook not Altantic's plea to be mainstream with the autotune...

 

[Pinko Marx]

Loving this album, just like everything on gaf, people here are jaded as fuck. Couple songs are meh, but majority of the album is really good. Different, but good.

 

[FloppyDelux]

im really not liking the album, i loved Food and Liquor and The Cool but this album sucks, maybe it will grow on me.

 

[spindashing]

For this album, I suggest getting rid of the tracks that you won't listen to. Granted you'll be left with 19.9% of the album, but there are some tracks that I wish never existed lol.

I'm also torn over buying this because I want to support Lupe but I do not want to support Atlantic Records' douchebaggery.

=(

 

[kamspy]

Even with all my criticisms I'm still buying the record. It's something I can play in the truck with my kids. They love The Show Goes On. It's probably my favorite song on the record too.

They already both want it on their iPods.

I drove em to pre teen night at the Y last night bumping Show Goes On and they felt super cool rolling up to some Lupe. So he get's my $13. There isn't much hip hop I like that I can listen to around my daughters.

My favorite Lupe songs are Daydreamin' and his freestyle over Radiohead's Nation Anthem.

 

[daffy]

So what tracks should be bought on iTunes and which shouldn't? Let's make a list!

I'm still waiting for the release date so I haven't heard any leaks as of yet.

Buy
-All Black Everything
-Beautiful Lasers
-State Run Radio
-The Show Goes On

Don't Buy
-All that other shit

???

 

[spindashing]

So what tracks should be bought on iTunes and which shouldn't? Let's make a list!

I'm still waiting for the release date so I haven't heard any leaks as of yet.

Buy
-All Black Everything
-Beautiful Lasers
-State Run Radio
-The Show Goes On

Don't Buy
-All that other shit

???

Actually, I may just do this and buy individual tracks that deserve it.

 

[daffy]

Yep, this is what I decided to do after hearing the awful impressions. It'll come out cheaper than buying the entire album, especially if the majority is as bad as you guys say.

I would just immediately skip the bad songs anyway so...

 

[Zoramon089]

Yep, this is what I decided to do after hearing the awful impressions. It'll come out cheaper than buying the entire album, especially if the majority is as bad as you guys say.

I would just immediately skip the bad songs anyway so...

But the majority isn't bad...

 

[The M.O.B]

Buying just the songs that you like is also counted towards an albums sales I believe so there is no shame is just doing that.

I believe every 12 songs bought digitally = Plus 1 album sale.

 

[daffy]

But the majority isn't bad...

Again, I'm just going by the impressions in this thread. I have no idea if they're bad or not, I'm just probably going to buy individual songs at this point going by what's been said here.

I'm still going to preview the entire album on release date and decide for myself, but right now I only have 4 good songs on my list that people have said were good, and that I've heard myself (The Show Goes On, All Black Everything).

 

[Kentpaul]

So much for rappers pretty much dropping autotune.

 

[Hellion]

Album SUCKS, and this comes from someone who thinks F&L is 5/5 and The Cool is 4.5/5 albums

There are about 3 good songs.

For this album, I suggest getting rid of the tracks that you won't listen to. Granted you'll be left with 19.9% of the album, but there are some tracks that I wish never existed lol.

I'm also torn over buying this because I want to support Lupe but I do not want to support Atlantic Records' douchebaggery.

=(

Support or we wont get the next album.

 

[YoungHav]

I was being a bit dramatic, but Lupe has better flow and lyrics, but i do enjoy Currensy.

And Pilot Talk 1 and 2 shit all over this album. Thats all that matters. All that talent and Lupe/Atlantic put out a dogshit album.

 

[spindashing]

There are about 3 good songs.


Support or we wont get the next album.

You're right. I'll just buy the songs that I like. I have not previewed all of the songs; I'll do that later and choose.

 

[Ashhong]

So basically if this album (which everyone thinks is terrible solely because of outside influence) doesn't sell, even with the help of the record company, Lupe will pretty much be finished?


I can kind of see why this guy wanted to hang it up and call it quits.

Finished with Atlantic hopefully. Maybe they will drop him so he can be signed by Kanye. In fact, Lupe should have sabotaged it and made a deal with Ye ahead of time so Atlantic would drop him. Genius

 

[KanZolo]

Support or we wont get the next album.

Or it sells well and they force him to do the same shit again

 

[Uno Venova]

Or it sells well and they force him to do the same shit again

This is pretty much why I'm so conflicted right now. Dunno if this could hurt or help, I might just buy single songs off iTunes.

 

[enzo_gt]

Alright so I've listened to this a fair bit and have collected some of my thoughts.

Seeing parallels with L.A.X. here. Artist takes 3rd album in new stylistic direction and gets mixed results, mostly negative. I'm not as big a Lupe stan as some people here, but this album isn't really "bad." I wanted to hate it for all the reasons posted before, people saying Lupe sold out, Lupe has become a dick recently, etc.

But then I realized I like 8 of the 12 songs on the album. The only ones I don't like are I Don't Wanna Care Right Now (keeps reminding me of Right Now Na Na Na with that chorus), Out of My Head (fuck Trey Songz, also this feels way out of place), Beautiful Lasers (the autotune is a bit excessive to the ears) and Coming Up (what the hell is this west coast vibe-y song doing on Lasers?).

Every other song is good, if not better. Better songs of note: Letting Go, Break The Chain (my JAM, seriously, this song is incredible, that Sway verse is on some Defcon 5 levels of insanity) and All Black Everything, which are all good shit.

But, I guess I tempered the stylistic change better. This isn't classic Lupe and I understand a lot of people's disappointment, as this isn't what any of us expected years ago. Nor is this necessarily the direction I want Lupe to go in. Clearly he found some middleground with this electric sound and ran with it, and coincidentally ended up with a quite a few good songs with the sound, but the album feels disjointed as a result. Just hearing Out of My Head and Break The Chain on the same album is straight up odd, and I really don't know what actually could have made him take this route. Probably had Graduation on loop for a week and thought he'd try and 1up it.

I don't know if Atlantic still has him by the balls or what but I don't know how he'll get out of this one and get the creative freedom he says he needs. Then again, I think it's all marketing out of Lupe's PR hole. I don't know why Atlantic would pull a red flag after The Cool seemingly sold more than F&L. I don't see them running up on Grand Hustle telling Tip or any of those other artists what to do with their music, and I'm sure there's more to get upset about with them too.

tl;dr: Not a great album, but a decent one, but I can understand the distaste. Lupe needs to focus.

 

[KanZolo]

This isn't classic Lupe and I understand a lot of people's disappointment, as this isn't what any of us expected years ago. Nor is this necessarily the direction I want Lupe to go in.

I think that's the problem. I don't like as many of the songs as you do but if this was a debut of some new artist it would probably get some positive attention (ie. look at the potential).

But like any artist in any genre, if they have displayed how awesome they are/can be, then anything not up to those standards will get backlash (deserved or not, which in this case I think it's deserved). It didn't help that it was released 4 years after The Cool.

 

[enzo_gt]

I think that's the problem. I don't like as many of the songs as you do but if this was a debut of some new artist it would probably get some positive attention (ie. look at the potential).

But like any artist in any genre, if they have displayed how awesome they are/can be, then anything not up to those standards will get backlash (deserved or not, which in this case I think it's deserved). It didn't help that it was released 4 years after The Cool.

Yup. Lasers gives a very different impression of "Who is Lupe" in contrast to The Cool and F&L. With this album people might class him in with the likes of B.o.B. and the like. That's not the kind of artist Lupe is or was. I really don't know where he can go from here or what can be done, but the disconnect between fans and the music has to be cured somehow, and should be looked at as an issue until it is cured.

 

[The M.O.B]

I don't know if Atlantic still has him by the balls or what but I don't know how he'll get out of this one and get the creative freedom he says he needs. Then again, I think it's all marketing out of Lupe's PR hole. I don't know why Atlantic would pull a red flag after The Cool seemingly sold more than F&L. I don't see them running up on Grand Hustle telling Tip or any of those other artists what to do with their music, and I'm sure there's more to get upset about with them too.

TIP has 5 Platinum albums, record companies don't interfere with that kind of success. Gaga, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, kanye, these kinda of Mega stars can do whatever they want because the label knows that there is a legion of fans that will push their albums to million sellers no matter what. Lupe has two Gold albums, we have seen plenty of artists put out big selling albums and then flop on their next.

As you know the record label get their money from singles and albums, artists get their from tours.

Nelly had a Triple platinum selling album in 04, a gold selling album in 08, his latest album that came out last November has just 100K. Bunch of artists have had similar downfalls in a span of a few years just like he did

Very few artists have that guarantee of selling huge amounts of music. Atlantic steps in and says "Hey Lupe, this rock n roll/rap kind of stuff aint gonna work for us, lets put you on this Trey Songz track so we can sucker all his fans into buying it hehehehhe" something like that. And if you don't agree then your album gets put on hold until you do agree.

/rant

 

[enzo_gt]

TIP has 5 Platinum albums, record companies don't interfere with that kind of success. Gaga, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, kanye, these kinda of Mega stars can do whatever they want because the label knows that there is a legion of fans that will push their albums to million sellers no matter what. Lupe has two Gold albums, we have seen plenty of artists put out big selling albums and then flop on their next.

As you know the record label get their money from singles and albums, artists get their from tours.

Nelly had a Triple platinum selling album in 04, a gold selling album in 08, his latest album that came out last November has just 100K. Bunch of artists have had similar downfalls in a span of a few years just like he did

Very few artists have that guarantee of selling huge amounts of music. Atlantic steps in and says "Hey Lupe, this rock n roll/rap kind of stuff aint gonna work for us, lets put you on this Trey Songz track so we can sucker all his fans into buying it hehehehhe" something like that. And if you don't agree then your album gets put on hold until you do agree.

/rant

Points taken. I keep under this assumption the Cool hit platinum, and realize it still hasn't. There isn't really much security for the label in an artist that consistently goes gold when they have powerhouses like Tip on the roster.

Listened to this interview for more on the Lupe/Atlantic problem. Really sounds like he's in a shit hole if we are to believe what he says. The combination of Lupe wanting to lay back and make this album about "positivity" instead of some message-centric shit like the last two albums, and Atlantic wanting him to go more pop & radio friendly has led to Lupe finding comfort in this style that no one else is comfortable with him being at, or as he calls it, the "people's album."

I guess the people have spoken, pre-release. I don't think it's a tragedy for an artist to attempt to show some versatility, and I don't think Lasers is a tragedy, but after hearing Lupe spit some insane verses on Enemy of the State, I wouldn't be mad if Lupe went in that route over this one.

 

[Ashhong]

Giving it a good listen right now. Really liking "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now". Beat is great, yet SO different from previous Lu. Not sure what to think..

 

[CRS]

s Atlantic steps in and says "Hey Lupe, this rock n roll/rap kind of stuff aint gonna work for us, lets put you on this Trey Songz track so we can sucker all his fans into buying it hehehehhe" something like that. And if you don't agree then your album gets put on hold until you do agree.

/rant

He was doing Japanese Cartoon BECAUSE Atlantic was being hard wo work with and wouldn't release the album. I pictured the situation go something like this:
1. Lupe makes his version of Lasers
2. Atlantic wants a different version
3. Lupe doesn't agree so Atlantic cuts all support for album
4. Lupe is in limbo and decides to start a punk band.

I really don't know where he can go from here or what can be done, but the disconnect between fans and the music has to be cured somehow, and should be looked at as an issue until it is cured.

Go To Sleep has and is keeping me going until F&L2 comes out. Lupe more than delivered in the 2010 when Go To Sleep was released so I have high hopes.

 

[OttomanScribe]

I almost cried listening to it. Okay, maybe not, but damn it was bad.

I have seen him live 4 or 5 times now, every time he gets worse. I saw him after Food and Liquor came out and he was awesome, but his last performance was so bad I just gave up.
*sigh*

 

[j-wood]

I just heard "Shining Down" for the first time.

It's weird how he disses auto tune, but then it's all over this cd

 

[Brobzoid]

real disappointing album. :/

Hope he'll come back hard with food & liquor 2.

 

[daffy]

Album & Deluxe Edition up on iTunes. I've been up waiting for this one all night. Previewing now.

Deluxe Edition comes with I'm Beamin' and Shining Down btw

 

[GamerSoul]

Gona pick this up in stores tomorrow.

 

[overcast]

And Pilot Talk 1 and 2 shit all over this album. Thats all that matters. All that talent and Lupe/Atlantic put out a dogshit album.

But Lupe is far better. I love pilot talk 1, but it doesn't come close to F&L or The cool. It's better than this sure, but cmon man. It's Lasers, hardly indicative of Lupe Fiasco. I'm not sure you were dissing him as a whole.

For anybody about to listen to this album, Set your expectations low, it's far too poppy and nowhere no near as good as his first 2. But there are a few good songs. Give it a chance if you like. I said it before, it's about a 6/10.

 

[daffy]

Ok so I finished previewing the album and added some more songs to my list:

Buy
-Letting Go
-I Don't Wanna Care Right Now
-Break The Chain
-All Black Everything
-Shining Down
-I'm Beamin'
-Beautiful Lasers

Total: $9.03

Any other songs I should give a bit more time to listen to? Words I Never Said sounds almost exactly like I Need A Doctor, just not for me.

Gona pick this up in stores tomorrow.

Awesome! I use to buy all my music in stores, then I realized I just end up putting it on iTunes anyway hehehehe

 

[The M.O.B]

Lupe had 30K in online pre-orders alone, he should definitely be able to break the 100K mark for 1st weak sales.

 

[overcast]

Any other songs I should give a bit more time to listen to? Words I Never Said sounds almost exactly like I Need A Doctor, just not for me.

I liked till i get there (not a fan of I don't wanna care right now). But other than that I think you got it right. Is shining down on sale too? I think that's a pretty good track as well.

Edit: Nm you got shining down. Then you are all good man.

 

[jg4xchamp]

Didn't care for a lot of the tracks on lasers. Won't be buying the album

 

[spindashing]

I just heard "Shining Down" for the first time.

It's weird how he disses auto tune, but then it's all over this cd

Exactly... And ironically he uses it on the track that Matthew Santos was supposed to be involved in. =(

A Lupe album without Matthew Santos in at least one track feels weird. I understand Santos as well as GemStones/Gemini were kicked from FNF but still.

Wow, 30k in pre-order sales? I guess this album will sell more decently than I expected, which is always good for Lupe. If what Lupe says is true and that Atlantic won't be vaginas about Lupe's album, then consider me hyped. We can just put Lasers under the rug...

 

[Ashhong]

Lasers isn't THAT bad. When I listened to it in the car at least half of the songs were listenable. It's good enough...but obviously not up to the standards of The Cool.

I imagine some people would call it his 808s. Not me though since I love 808s.