If you've been a day one Lupe Fiasco fan, "Lasers" may have left you a bit confused.
The shift from "Food and Liquor" and my favourite, "The Cool" is quite clear... But the world has changed.
The music business demands a package. Lyrical prowess is simply not enough. The business needs artists who can cross-over, artists who have sex appeal(you know some of you ladies think Rick Ross is hot) and stage presence.
The poetry within rap is still important but not for lead singles. Lupe's war with Warner Music Group and Lyor Cohen has been well documented. On "Beautiful Lasers" he spits about being suicidal and how having his original singles turned down by his label killed his soul.
Lupe admits that he isn't Kanye and doesn't have the ability to create a sound... But he does know how to paint a picture.
On "Lasers" he needed radio joints in order to have a career. It's absolutely no coincidence that Lupe has shifted from the skate-boarding/customised sneaker king to the suave dude in GQ,Details,Esquire,etc... That's business.
Line for line, Lupe is still in my current top five. He still spits thought provoking shit about colonies and was one of the first to publicly criticise Obama. If more people get to hear this, this can only be positive.
If Lupe has sold out, then so have the rest of your favourite emcees. As a body of body of work, I enjoyed "Lasers" and I commend the adjustment despite the pressure... I commend the business.
Essentially, in order to succeed, art must be commercial. Lupe is still a genius writer, still the son of a Black Panther,still making sense and still the "Proust of rap".
I don't know how I landed up here but,you write well Sir. I have an old issue of Complex mag which has quite an in depth article on Lupe. After reading your write-up I cannot help but think about what that article said about his then oeuvre, look etc, and the 'turn' it has taken. I could go on and on about my views...
ReplyDeleteBut one thing is certain, if I was in Lupe's shoes, I would 'sell' out too. Elevation.
Londi