Controversy broke out after Lupe Fiasco admitted via Twitter that he is experiencing creative differences with his record label, who asked him privately not to “rap too deep” on his latest album. Lupe may have taken this advice to heart, or he might be preparing himself for a disappointing release. Either way, his third album, Lasers clearly isn’t his best. Despite the growing popularity of introspective rappers like B.o.B, Kid Cudi, and Drake, there’s plenty of room in hip-hop for Lupe Fiasco to make a statement. But instead, he raps primarily about the burdens of success and the state of American politics.
The middle of the album is filled with catchy club songs fueled by strong hooks and solid guest appearances by Trey Songz and MDMA. Some might call this a superficial sell-out, but a break from Lupe’s socially conscious rapping is long overdue.
As for the political raps, Lupe just couldn’t help himself. On “Words I Never Said,” “State Run Radio,” and “All Black Everything,” he goes after some of the most obvious targets imaginable: Fox News, George Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, etc. Thinking this material would be edgy and original was a big miscalculation.
By the end of “Lasers,” the deep tracks sound lazy and listeners get the impression that he made the club tracks only to appease his label. I’d take a catchy pop song over trite political rap any day, but Lupe and his fans seem to think otherwise and the end result is just confusing.
