Lupe Fiasco - Lasers

[Phillip]

just got leaked. DLed it. I am happy.

[MannyIsGod]

Yesssssssssssssssss

[Stringer_Bell]

This is the record I imaged when I first heard "Kick, Push", but it doesn't sound as focused or confident as The Cool. It's still good, the standout tracks slay every other radio artist other than Kanye, but it's hard to listen to some songs you know were tweeked by the record label or how Fiasco says he hates parts of the album because he knows how hard it was to put some songs together due to external issues with the label or other artists being dicks.

I hope he sells a bunch of records, if only for how fucking beautiful "Words I Never Said" is. Best rap single of the year regardless of whatever else comes out in the next 10 months.

[MannyIsGod]

Yeah - fucking love that song.

[IronMaxipad]

link?

[IronMaxipad]

http://i.imgur.com/hhUzD.jpg

[Stringer_Bell]

http://i.imgur.com/hhUzD.jpg

I think he is talking about the Lupe record, you can hear it clearly in some songs like I mentioned earlier - so FUCK THE LABELS. 9th Wonder puts out sick shit all the time, so I can't knock him, but it'd be nice for him to acknowledge how at least 3-4 of the tracks on the Lupe record SHOULD be popular but aren't because people are too stupid to digest it while they'll eat up "The Show Goes On" and spit it out at the retail checkout or iTunes shop. It sucks, but it's not Lupe's fault.

[Stringer_Bell]

"I'm Beaming" isn't even on the actual cd, that's criminal by the record company

[oh crap]

listening

[MannyIsGod]

Man, WINS has such good lyrics.

[Venti Quattro]

Eargasmic

[Pistons < Spurs]

Not impressed.

The only song i really liked was 'Till I Get There'. 'Never Forget You' was decent, but the rest of songs were forgettable and way too poppish for my liking.

[MannyIsGod]

You really think Words I Never Said is forgettable?

That said I think I bit too hard on WINS because so many other songs are a disappointment.

[Pistons < Spurs]

To be fair, Words I never Said is pretty good. I've already listened to it many a time in the last couple of weeks so I wasn't really including it in my critique. I am getting a bit tired of Skylar Grey though.

And forgettable was probably too strong a word. I didn't mean for it to be quite so negative. But few of the tracks really stand out at all.

[MannyIsGod]

I think forgettable is appropriate to be quite honest. Gonna give it a ton more listens but so far nothing grabs me except WINS.

[monosylab1k]

http://www.complex.com/music/2011/02/interview-lupe-fiasco-hates-lasers

tbh the way he says it, it sounds like basically the entire album is just his label forcing him to do pop songs. considering most artists will promote their new album with "it's the best thing i've ever done!" even if they know it's crap, he must REALLY hate this album if his way of promoting it is "I'm indifferent to it"

[monosylab1k]

shitty lupe still > lil wayne tho

[Venti Quattro]

Lil Wayne annoys me to no end.

[monosylab1k]

i still haven't heard the album, but WINS is a terrific single. Sounds like he did this album partly because the fans fought so hard for it to be released, and that after he leaves his label he can get back to making the music he really wants to make.

The album cover is also great.

[HeatTheBestEver]

AAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEE y0 i still got l0ve fo my boi lupe but he aint got shit on that nigga soulja boy,,,,str8 musical genius, check dis shit out,, striaght fiya mayne i be dancin on all dem girls with this shit ya feel me?

YuX6QB-SUHA

[Venti Quattro]

i still haven't heard the album, but WINS is a terrific single. Sounds like he did this album partly because the fans fought so hard for it to be released, and that after he leaves his label he can get back to making the music he really wants to make.

The album cover is also great.

Crass consumerism :cry :cry :cry :cry :cry

[Phillip]

i still haven't heard the album, but WINS is a terrific single. Sounds like he did this album partly because the fans fought so hard for it to be released, and that after he leaves his label he can get back to making the music he really wants to make.

The album cover is also great.

I like it alot.

I think some people might be a bit disappointed because it has a few songs that have a little more of a poppy style, along with more straightforward lyrics, and have been spoiled because Lupe has always put out absolutely ridiculously deep lyrics without a pop style.

From the first couple listens, its really good. Didn't strike me as being quite as deep lyrically as a whole album like his previous two, but it is a more fun album for people in general to listen to. He hasn't stooped to a point where he is putting out "money cash hoes" rap, and I don't think he ever will, so that is definitely something you don't have to beware of from this album.

If you go in expecting it to blow away his first two albums lyrically, then you will probably be disappointed. But if you go in just expecting to hear a good album, you will probably like it. I'd say its similar to a Kanye album, with a poppiness to it, but still a great listen to ordinary observers as well as hiphop purists.

I still need to give it a few more listens and read the lyrics. Usually when I actually read them out as well, I tend to catch a lot of hidden things in his lyrics that are easy to miss when just listening.

[monosylab1k]

All his lyrics are just about literal skateboards

[Phillip]

rofl

[oh crap]

i gotta give it a few more spins before i decide how i feel about the album. and as much as i hate to say this, so far saigon's 'greatest story never told'>>this. highly recommended.

[Mixability]

just got leaked. DLed it. I am happy.

:tu

[MannyIsGod]

There are a few good songs, but there are songs I outright skip because they are really bad. Weakest Lupe album to date and you can see a lot of Atlantic's influence on it. All I know is the next Lupe album better come back strong because this is just meh.

[Phillip]

There are a few good songs, but there are songs I outright skip because they are really bad. Weakest Lupe album to date and you can see a lot of Atlantic's influence on it. All I know is the next Lupe album better come back strong because this is just meh.

The only ones that I wasn't big on were I Don't Wanna Care Right Now and Out Of My Head. But I liked all the rest. And even I Don't Wanna Care Right Now had some nice lyrics but the song itself sounded overly poppy which makes it kinda hard to listen to. Definitely could see Atlantic's influence through the album. I don't mind some of the slight pop sound to some of the songs because it will captivate new listeners. It definitely also seems like he aimed this album a bit more toward a younger audience, with the extremely positive sound and nature to most of the songs, and straightforward lyrics.

After listening to it more, it reminds me a lot of Jay-Z's Vol.1 album. I think its his most underrated album, and is full of jewels, but got overshadowed heavily by a couple overly poppy/mainstream songs that just didn't belong in it. Jay himself said that it was the one album he wishes he could redo because it would have been an absolute classic if a couple songs hadnt messed it up as a whole.

[MannyIsGod]

Till I Get There is beyond bad. I had to make myself listen to the whole thing just to make sure, but fuck its bad. I don't Wanna Care Right Now is actually good till you get to the chorus. I haven't decided yet if the chorus ruins it for me. I don't think so.

[Phillip]

Till I Get There is beyond bad. I had to make myself listen to the whole thing just to make sure, but fuck its bad.

You think so? That was one of the songs I liked more on the album. Talked about the bullshit Atlantic was trying to force him to do.

[oh crap]

on limited listens, i don't wanna care right now is definitely my least favorite. it's hard for me to swallow that this even made it to the final cut.

[Phillip]

on limited listens, i don't wanna care right now is definitely my least favorite. it's hard for me to swallow that this even made it to the final cut.

I can agree, just because the chorus sounds wayyyy poppy, not something you would expect at all from a Lupe album. However, aside from the chorus, lyrically it is actually one of the better songs on the album IMO.

[MannyIsGod]

I also think State Run Radio and All Black Everything are pretty meh.

[Phillip]

I've listened to it about 5-6 times now. The only one I really can't get into is Out of My Head. It really doesnt seem to fit at all. Lupe rapping about a chick? Doesn't seem his style. And it doesnt seem like one of the songs following his "The Cool" storyline either, so I can't really understand what made him decide to do this.

[oh crap]

food & liquor>the cool>>>lasers. like manny said, some nice songs mixed in but definitely lupe's weakest effort yet. i'm hoping it grows some on me but my expectations certainly weren't met.

[MannyIsGod]

Maybe it'll grow more on me after more listens. Part of it is just being let down because nothing else comes close to WINS. Most of tracks that I heard prior to WINS I didn't have a good opinion of so this is probably what I should have expected.

[Phillip]

food & liquor>the cool>>>lasers. like manny said, some nice songs mixed in but definitely lupe's weakest effort yet. i'm hoping it grows some on me but my expectations certainly weren't met.

Yeah, it wasnt what I expected either at all. But again, I think that is because we have been spoiled by Lupe. Dude is so lyrically sick. This album is still considerably better than the vast majority of hip hop albums being released. It's definitely his most straightforward album lyrically.

[Phillip]

Maybe it'll grow more on me after more listens. Part of it is just being let down because nothing else comes close to WINS. Most of tracks that I heard prior to WINS I didn't have a good opinion of so this is probably what I should have expected.

+1

WINS is one of the finest hip hop songs I have ever heard.

Question now is, what would you rank as Lupe's best individual song?

[MannyIsGod]

You know there's also a lack of tracks on this album, its only 12 while Lupe's other works were 16 and 18. This album is not what we've come to expect.

[MannyIsGod]

I dunno, I like The Instrumental a lot. Hip Hop Saved My Life was great too. Daydreamin' is bad ass. It might actually be WINS but we'll see how it holds up over time.

[Phillip]

I dunno, I like The Instrumental a lot. Hip Hop Saved My Life was great too. Daydreamin' is bad ass. It might actually be WINS but we'll see how it holds up over time.

Yeah, I was a huge fan of The Instrumental. I also liked Put You On Game a lot. For me, it would be a toss up between those two, and WINS.

[oh crap]

another vote for the instrumental, shit like that is just special. to this day, i still love that fucking song. maybe i can post what my top 5 or 10 look like later.

[Phillip]

Another I really liked was Just Might Be Okay. Oh, and Game Time is the shit as well (it was supposed to be on Food & Liquor, but since it got leaked early, they replaced it)

[Phillip]

the main disappointment for me about this album is that it didnt have a continuation of the whole "The Cool" storyline. I really was looking forward to see where he would go next with that.

[MannyIsGod]

Honestly some of my favorite shit he's done is off of Enemy of the State. I love love love love National Anthem. Shit, Listening to my Radiohead mp3s the other day and I started singing Lupe's verses when that came on. So good.

[oh crap]

i was gonna say that this didn't even stand up to his last mixtape. reminds me i have to give enemy of the state more plays.

[sribb43]

This CD is a hot mess. Every damn track has someone singing a hook. Lyrically Lupe is there but the hooks and production are garbage. I'm very disappointed... I don't even know WTF "State Run Radio" is.

Ive got to listen to The Cool and F&L right now to get this garbage out of my ears

[sribb43]

Another I really liked was Just Might Be Okay. Oh, and Game Time is the shit as well (it was supposed to be on Food & Liquor, but since it got leaked early, they replaced

"All Black Everything" is one of the few tracks that actually reminds me of the Lupe we all come to love. It's a shame Lupe had issues with Atlantic bc he had some nice tracks that got released as singles before things feel apart initially. Go To Sleep, I'm beamin' and Shining Down went hard IMO

Favorite tracks

WINS
All Black Everything
Never Forget You
Show Goes On
Break the Chain

[Phillip]

"All Black Everything" is one of the few tracks that actually reminds me of the Lupe we all come to love. It's a shame Lupe had issues with Atlantic bc he had some nice tracks that got released as singles before things feel apart initially. Go To Sleep, I'm beamin' and Shining Down went hard IMO

Favorite tracks

WINS
All Black Everything
Never Forget You
Show Goes On
Break the Chain

Yeah, I liked All Black Everything. I think you put it well in your earlier post, lyrically he is definitely there in the album (although I think its clear though he dumbed it down a bit though for newer listeners), but the non-stop hooks make some songs tough to really listen to for hip hop purists who are expecting another lyrical masterpiece from him. Almost seems as if the album is aimed toward a younger audience, which would make sense considering what LASERS is supposed to stand for, and how he constantly tried having a "feel good" sound to the album.

[fraga]

Started listening to it on the drive in to work...I thought it was pretty good so far...only made it to like track 4 or 5...

[Phillip]

Started listening to it on the drive in to work...I thought it was pretty good so far...only made it to like track 4 or 5...

Tracks 4 and 5 might be the worst two tracks on the album, lol.

[The Reckoning]

pew pew

[badfish22]

tbh The Cool is my favorite lupe album. As for best song, I like PYOG and both the coolest and the cool. Go to sleep is the goods too.
I haven't gotten the chance to listen to much of lasers yet, but I haven't been thrilled with what I've heard.

[oh crap]

the more i let this sink in, the sourer the taste in my mouth and the more i just kinda wish it never happened. just not that good, lupe laid an egg. i'm definitely diggin up that mixtape to remind myself how much better he is than this.

[badfish22]

tbh I had a feeling this album wasn't going to be typical Lupe a couple months ago when he didn't have his whole heart into the album and was already looking forward to his next album. He sounded pumped about his next album so maybe he gets back on track there.

[ALVAREZ6]

lol @ the song "Letting Go", chorus just like that timberlake song

[MI21]

This album definitely isn't typical Lupe. You can hear it every now and again but overall any Lupe fan will be a bit disappointed. Still, I think he pulls off this style as good as if not better than any current rapper anyway... it's nice to listen to for fun.

I'll give him a pass knowing how this album came about. I think we can expect some fucking awesome stuff on his next work.

PS - I fucking hate the British moron who ruins "Break the Chain". Ugh.

[redzero]

Damn, I was reading the wiki page on this album, and it said that Lupe had suicidal thoughts while creating this album. Maybe he hates it as much as all of you do.

[oh crap]

after giving it some time, i really hate this album. anyway, he may be releasing another one before the end of year according to a recent interview. i doubt it happens though honestly and don't have very high expectations this time around.


http://hypetrak.com/2011/03/lupe-fiasco-plans-another-new-album-in-2011/

[MannyIsGod]

Everything outside of WINS is garbage. I tried to like some but yeah, its all bout that one song and a bunch of shitty others.

[CubanSucks]

the one song i've heard so far is a remake of a Modest Mouse song (Show Goes On), just sped up

lame

[monosylab1k]

meh, it's not that bad. Not good, nowhere near the quality of his other work, but it's not terrible. As far as pop rap goes, I'll take this over Blueprint 3 or Drake or Lil' Wayne or whatever else.

[badfish22]

qFmLUBfU9I8

V-vsE51aSjg

:tu

[stretch]

meh, it's not that bad. Not good, nowhere near the quality of his other work, but it's not terrible. As far as pop rap goes, I'll take this over Blueprint 3 or Drake or Lil' Wayne or whatever else.

+1

people are just disappointed because its not like his first two (which are perhaps two of the greatest hip hop albums ever released), so they just say "it sucks". and sure, by Lupe's standards, it sucks. but you can still see far superior lyrical content in comparison to pretty much any other rapper out there, which shows how good this guy really is, that he can have a "shitty" album, and its still lyrically superior to 98% of rappers.

[monosylab1k]

"I hate this album" should be reserved for unadulterated crap like Eminem's Relapse/Recovery dogshit. Not this one.

Mediocre maybe. kinda uninspired maybe. But it's nowhere near as bad as most of the shitty rap music that's out.

[oh crap]

it's pretty fucking bad, honestly. i gave it an honest shot and tried pretty hard to find some redeeming qualities but i'm not gonna kid myself here. i've been a lupe fan for a long time but dude let me down, plain and simple. 3/10. no lie.

[Greg Oden]

"I hate this album" should be reserved for unadulterated crap like Eminem's Relapse/Recovery dogshit. Not this one.

Mediocre maybe. kinda uninspired maybe. But it's nowhere near as bad as most of the shitty rap music that's out.

mavfan scoffing their idol i said!

I'd buy det for a dollar.

[monosylab1k]

Marshall Mathers LP is still top 10 all time.

But Relapse/Recovery are two of the worst albums I've ever listened to.

[Stringer_Bell]

meh, it's not that bad. Not good, nowhere near the quality of his other work, but it's not terrible. As far as pop rap goes, I'll take this over Blueprint 3 or Drake or Lil' Wayne or whatever else.

Blueprint 3 was great. Good variety, some good lyrics sprinkled throughout. Better than Lasers, but I don't think Lasers is total shit either.

Ya'll know who fuckin sucks? BOB. Lupe kills dudes like that in his sleep.

[monosylab1k]

Blueprint 3 was great. Good variety, some good lyrics sprinkled throughout. Better than Lasers, but I don't think Lasers is total shit either.

Ya'll know who fuckin sucks? BOB. Lupe kills dudes like that in his sleep.

Agreed on BoB, how is that guy ever mentioned in the same sentence as Lupe or Kanye? You know you suck at rap music when emo kids think you're good.

I dunno, I personally think Jay-Z has been garbage since coming out of retirement. American Gangster is his only halfway decent work, and even that isn't very good imo.

[Greg Oden]

appealing to emo kids and/or white suburban kids is how to do it. How do you think Kid Cudi has a fanbase?

[stretch]

Agreed on BoB, how is that guy ever mentioned in the same sentence as Lupe or Kanye? You know you suck at rap music when emo kids think you're good.

I dunno, I personally think Jay-Z has been garbage since coming out of retirement. American Gangster is his only halfway decent work, and even that isn't very good imo.

My issue with Jay-Z is it's not that the albums are bad, its just that we've heard it 20 times already. He pretty much just regurgitates the same ol' shit, only it sounded a lot better when it was on Reasonable Doubt, Blueprint, and Black Album.

[stretch]

it's pretty fucking bad, honestly. i gave it an honest shot and tried pretty hard to find some redeeming qualities but i'm not gonna kid myself here. i've been a lupe fan for a long time but dude let me down, plain and simple. 3/10. no lie.

not his fault when Atlantic is trying to fuck him in the ass

[oh crap]

every year we do better, steady on the rise, the tears for lost ones weigh heavy on the eyes, dita sunny’s, gold prezzy, twin turbo chevy fo’ a ride of course, from the backseats of phantoms i thought of leaving thru suicide doors, love got me thru it, best fans ever made the whole world care, had 51st & 6th looking like Tahrir Square! apologize for dumbing it, but look what has become of it, “All Black Everything” some old white southern woman humming it, Took Gaza Strip’s Politics and put them number one and shit, took the myth that concious dont equal commercial and mothafuckin pummeled it! weapons for the weak, lessons for the meek, the too proud to beg, and the too poor to speak, the too smart to listen, and the too dumb to teach, two sides to every story so i listen to both speak, shout 2 all the dj’s, who gave a nigga replays, fake shore drive, rap radar & the whole internet space, U put it online I put it in they face, and there it will remain, for atleast another week, right at number 1, hahaha yeah nigguh, stay strong Japan, Nate Dogg REST IN PEACE!!!


Lupe's latest blog. I still hate the album and already knew he wasn't very fond of it, but it's still nice to hear him admit that it's dog shit.

[redzero]

appealing to emo kids and/or white suburban kids is how to do it. How do you think Kid Cudi has a fanbase?

Or OFWGKTA.

[oh crap]

god, i hate odd future (with the exception of a song or two off of frank oceans latest mixtape)

[monosylab1k]

I was curious how Lupe's singles charted on Billboard so I looked it up. What made me laugh was that 3 of the top 10 songs this week feature the word "fuck" in the song title.

[IronMexican]

Add me on the OFWGKTA wagon.


They aren't doing anything Gravediggaz didn't do.

[sribb43]

Album has started to grow on me. I guess the songs I dont like, I really hate and say "this isnt Lupe". LASERS has about 6-7 tracks that I listen to consistently, so I guess I cant call it trash by todays standards

[WildcardManu]

It's still far superior over some of the garbage out.

[DieMrBond]

After his last two albums, I was really disappointed in this album. Lupe, as others have said is MUCH better than this.

The new Talib Kweli is freaking awesome tho.

[crc21209]

This album definitely isn't typical Lupe. You can hear it every now and again but overall any Lupe fan will be a bit disappointed. Still, I think he pulls off this style as good as if not better than any current rapper anyway... it's nice to listen to for fun.

I'll give him a pass knowing how this album came about. I think we can expect some fucking awesome stuff on his next work.

PS - I fucking hate the British moron who ruins "Break the Chain". Ugh.

I actually like "Break the Chain." :lol

[MI21]

I actually like "Break the Chain." :lol

So do I, it's just annoying skipping the 2nd verse because of the British retard.

[Venti Quattro]

Does anyone try to get album covers in iTunes? Why can't I get the album cover for this one? Anyone had success?