**Official Lupe Fiasco Thread** (LASERS March 8, 2011 // Friend of The People Coming Soon)

Here's a question for my fellow Lupe fans and deep thinkers to consider:

Do you think alot of the current hate Lupe gets (Spin Mag, bloggers, Drake-ridin NTers, etc.) comes from the fact that his music is starting to be more explicit with regards to issues affecting Americans rather than implicitly hinting at problems in America (think of the hook on Hurt Me Soul, The Cool, Put You on Game, etc) along with foreign issues (Little Weapon, Conflict Diamonds, etc)?

My experience is that alot of intellectuals find it easier to laud the efforts of foreign charities, mission workers, Arab Spring, etc while neglecting the numerous domestic problems that plague our country. I feel like this comes from their rose colored glasses and desire to believe that all the problems are "over there" and throwing a few bucks at it can fix it. I've met people who get personally offended if you imply that they are responsible to help fix America.

Back to Lupe, every song released off FL2, and you can include Words I Never Said, deals with cultural issues in America and are very "in your face" about it. When things hit that close to home, you either have to accept it or reject it. "You gotta know in order to be a hypocrite" said Lu himself.

Anyways, let me know if I'm way off base here.
 
The subjects Lupe raps about (or speaks on in general) are very sensitive subjects for a lot of people... Religion, politics, gender issues, etc. Just problems in the world that people know are a concern so when Lupe goes in on those topics, he is very outspoken on them & doesn't hold back, so its going to make noise in one way or another & he's going to get the people that agree & the people that disagree... There's not a lot of in between with the topics he touches on.

With people reacting a certain way towards it... I see it as him trying to provoke discussion & trying to make certain issues known. He's trying to make people think with his music... That's how I've always seen it.
 
AIRJORDAN JB23 said:
The subjects Lupe raps about (or speaks on in general) are very sensitive subjects for a lot of people... Religion, politics, gender issues, etc. Just problems in the world that people know are a concern so when Lupe goes in on those topics, he is very outspoken on them & doesn't hold back, so its going to make noise in one way or another & he's going to get the people that agree & the people that disagree... There's not a lot of in between with the topics he touches on.
With people reacting a certain way towards it... I see it as him trying to provoke discussion & trying to make certain issues known. He's trying to make people think with his music... That's how I've always seen it.
Click to expand...

This is how I have always viewed it as well. However, I understand that some people don't want discussion to be provoked sadly.
 
man i hope food and liquor 2 is worth the wait.. trust me i ahve been a fan of lupe since 05 in highs school. i honestly enjoyed food and liquor the leak and the album, and the cool:smokin but after all thats said and done lupe has fallen off and im praying to god this album is worth the wait and he goes back to the lupe before $hitty lazers
 
Lupe knew Lasers was a giant fail as he was doing it

So imo that means he never fell off... just put out a product that his label was forcing him to do, basically

And Lasers would've been a B.O.B. album. No, literally... "Nothin' On You," "Airplanes," "Click Clack Away" were all Lupe songs first. I guess he whittled the label influence down a little in the end.
 
SenorRoboto2k5 said:
Lupe knew Lasers was a giant fail as he was doing it
So imo that means he never fell off... just put out a product that his label was forcing him to do, basically
And Lasers would've been a B.O.B. album. No, literally... "Nothin' On You," "Airplanes," "Click Clack Away" were all Lupe songs first. I guess he whittled the label influence down a little in the end.
Click to expand...

Word!! It (Lasers) is ONE ALBUM and people need to consider the situation he was in while recording that "forced" album and relax with all that nonsensical "he fell off" talk.

As far as him keeping Airplanes...why?! Lupe had a major single with "Superstar" that became a major single organically and it is a good song. He didn't need to make a forced poppy track. I am not saying that Airplanes would have been a bad song at all but I totally get why he didn't want to do it as a fan and I get it from his perspective as a true artist.
 
"Airplanes" didn't sound that great. It still sounded like Lupe was selling out more than not. He had a decent message but he didn't sound interested at all.

"Nothin on You" was awful. People pan him for doing some of the stuff on Lasers, this would've been the track people panned the most.
 
Lasers had so much potential too... From the message behind it, to the petition, & the protests (That was media attention right there for Atlantic). The cuts that should've made the album (Not talking sticking them as Bonus Tracks like they did since you can tell they're out of flow with the album) were shaping up to Lupe being 3/3 with albums.

Shining Down
Im Beaming
What You Want

Now if the album wasn't pushed back for so long than these tracks wouldn't have been out for years before the RD.

Those tracks were all dope... You could even throw in All Black Everything, Never Forget You, & even Letting Go (with a less pop hook) & you have half an album. I can definitely see some cuts off of Friend of the People fitting in perfectly, too.

The potential was there |I
 
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Only "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now" and "Outta My Head" sound like the songs the label forced him to do.

I bet that the label forced him to do a pop song with Alex da Kid, got him the beat/hook for "Words I never Said," and he decided to make it controversial. I remember Alex Da Kid or Skylar Grey saying that wasnt' what the song was supposed to be.

Some of the other pop-sounding tracks were his ideas though. "State Run Radio" I know he likes. "Break the Chain" was the sound he was going for
 
SenorRoboto2k5 said:
Only "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now" and "Outta My Head" sound like the songs the label forced him to do.
I bet that the label forced him to do a pop song with Alex da Kid, got him the beat/hook for "Words I never Said," and he decided to make it controversial. I remember Alex Da Kid or Skylar Grey saying that wasnt' what the song was supposed to be.
Some of the other pop-sounding tracks were his ideas though. "State Run Radio" I know he likes. "Break the Chain" was the sound he was going for
Click to expand...
I'm sure originally, in Lupe's mind and if he had full control, the songs would've turned out totally different.  Same concept and lyrics but production wise, it would've sounded totally the opposite of how it did, they had a lot of control and Lupe couldn't do anything about it.  Even songs like Beautiful Lasers was changed, the chorus with the autotune wasn't Lupe's doing I believe. Also, Break the Chain wasn't the original song he wanted on the album, it was actually Stereo Sun, Break the Chain was the song, Atlantic gave a green light to. 
 
Matt53 said:
Here's a question for my fellow Lupe fans and deep thinkers to consider:
Do you think alot of the current hate Lupe gets (Spin Mag, bloggers, Drake-ridin NTers, etc.) comes from the fact that his music is starting to be more explicit with regards to issues affecting Americans rather than implicitly hinting at problems in America (think of the hook on Hurt Me Soul, The Cool, Put You on Game, etc) along with foreign issues (Little Weapon, Conflict Diamonds, etc)?
My experience is that alot of intellectuals find it easier to laud the efforts of foreign charities, mission workers, Arab Spring, etc while neglecting the numerous domestic problems that plague our country. I feel like this comes from their rose colored glasses and desire to believe that all the problems are "over there" and throwing a few bucks at it can fix it. I've met people who get personally offended if you imply that they are responsible to help fix America.
Back to Lupe, every song released off FL2, and you can include Words I Never Said, deals with cultural issues in America and are very "in your face" about it. When things hit that close to home, you either have to accept it or reject it. "You gotta know in order to be a hypocrite" said Lu himself.
Anyways, let me know if I'm way off base here.
Click to expand...

I don't buy that argument at all. Lupe isn't catching hate from intellectuals or from people who think there are no problems in America, Lupe's BEEN rapping about that (American Terrorist, The Instrumental, Daydreaming). He might be doing it more head on now but people normally like that. He's talking to the media way too much and that always gets on people's nerves. His overall sound isn't as appealing as it was when Food & Liquor came out. Even though he didn't have the label on his back, he made a record that EVERYONE loved. Street dudes, rock fans, young people, old people. I don't think he's fallen off too much (although I don't think his lyrics/flow are as sharp as they once were for whatever reason) but his sound has definitely changed. I'm not saying his sound shouldn't change, I'm a fan of some of the changes (FOTP for example) but not everyone will like it.

I think it's simple. If he lets his music do the talking and it's GOOD music, people will love him. If he talks too much to the media or doesn't come out with great music, people will hate.
 
xbiker47 said:
mean.gif

Some people will never appreciate Lupe until hes long gone
Click to expand...
When the dude gets gunned down. That's when F&L will be a classic.

mean.gif
.
 
mgrand15 said:
Matt53 said:
Here's a question for my fellow Lupe fans and deep thinkers to consider:
Do you think alot of the current hate Lupe gets (Spin Mag, bloggers, Drake-ridin NTers, etc.) comes from the fact that his music is starting to be more explicit with regards to issues affecting Americans rather than implicitly hinting at problems in America (think of the hook on Hurt Me Soul, The Cool, Put You on Game, etc) along with foreign issues (Little Weapon, Conflict Diamonds, etc)?
My experience is that alot of intellectuals find it easier to laud the efforts of foreign charities, mission workers, Arab Spring, etc while neglecting the numerous domestic problems that plague our country. I feel like this comes from their rose colored glasses and desire to believe that all the problems are "over there" and throwing a few bucks at it can fix it. I've met people who get personally offended if you imply that they are responsible to help fix America.
Back to Lupe, every song released off FL2, and you can include Words I Never Said, deals with cultural issues in America and are very "in your face" about it. When things hit that close to home, you either have to accept it or reject it. "You gotta know in order to be a hypocrite" said Lu himself.
Anyways, let me know if I'm way off base here.
Click to expand...

I don't buy that argument at all. Lupe isn't catching hate from intellectuals or from people who think there are no problems in America, Lupe's BEEN rapping about that (American Terrorist, The Instrumental, Daydreaming). He might be doing it more head on now but people normally like that. He's talking to the media way too much and that always gets on people's nerves. His overall sound isn't as appealing as it was when Food & Liquor came out. Even though he didn't have the label on his back, he made a record that EVERYONE loved. Street dudes, rock fans, young people, old people. I don't think he's fallen off too much (although I don't think his lyrics/flow are as sharp as they once were for whatever reason) but his sound has definitely changed. I'm not saying his sound shouldn't change, I'm a fan of some of the changes (FOTP for example) but not everyone will like it.

I think it's simple. If he lets his music do the talking and it's GOOD music, people will love him. If he talks too much to the media or doesn't come out with great music, people will hate.
Click to expand...

I agree with your media comment but disagree with this; every negative review of the 3 songs off FL2 contains the complaint that he sounds "preachy" because he is coming at it head on instead of throwing in subliminal facts like in the past. Lupe even says this himself in Lightwork off Friend of the People "Funny how I'm only sick if you never catch a thing"
 
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Trying my best to not listen to any of the singles still.

One of the few artists out there i still support. I will be in stores next week to buy the album.

And he mentioned his retirement is right around the corner. He had 3 albums left to fulfill the contract. FL2 part 1 FL2 part 2 and Skulls and he is done and free.

 
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