Lupe Fiasco has gone through struggles that many artists go through with releasing music that is in conflict with what the record label wants. He has talked about being forced to release records that the record label designed and suggested for him. Tracks like The Show Goes On, Words I Never Said, and Never Forget You were talked about by Lupe in a negative way because he has no emotional connect to them.
Atlantic Records went up to Lupe handed him the record and told him to record these tracks, and to write his lyrics a certain way, such as don’t be so deep. At the end of the day those records are really good because you can tell by the hooks and the production that the songs were originally designed to talk about relationships. Words I Never Said is the obvious track, where Skylar Grey and Alex Da Kid (the production/writing duo on radio tracks, such as Love The Way You Lie and Coming Home) really talk about past relationships, but Lupe turns that around into a story about terrorism and politics in the U.S.
What I appreciate about the tracks, is that Lupe found a way to make the themes fit around what he talks about. He talks about terrorism, racism, etc. and never touches relationship in these tracks. That’s not his style and none of his fans want to hear that mess.
There are some big standout tracks on this album. The opening track Letting Go is a really strong track that is classic Lupe. What’s crazy about this album is that one gets a ton of mixed messages from every track. Till I Get There starts off with the lyrics Album on hold, whole world on hold, which is an obvious reference to the issues with Lupe’s album being delayed.
Songs like Break The Chain, All Black Everything, conflict with Out of My Head. I Don’t Wanna Care Right Now is probably the most interesting song to me because of the obvious title.
Don’t leave 48 you’ll find a killer in the first floor
It was me boy, to commercials
Feeling out of place like PETA at a fur store
So I left with a couple dozen fur coats
Said I could never break away from your hold
Watch me, turn though Said that I blew it like
Turquoise Just mad hear it all in your word choice
Know it hurts but I really don’t care though
Let me rub it in, get it all up in that ho
The lyrics say enough. The beat was referred by another blog as a party track. Not the lyrics, and that’s what’s crazy about this album, you hear the conflict of the beats in some of the songs with the lyrics.
What I’ll say about this album is that it is controversial among Lupe’s fans because it’s not like his previous work. What I do think about this album is that in the future, eventually people will realize the fight that was made to make this an album. Lupe had to put Trey Songz on the hook of a track on his album, had to feature a guy who has produced songs like Massive Attack by Nicki Minaj & Love The Way You Lie by Eminem & Rihanna. That’s not who Lupe is, and what I think people were distracted by was the sound of the album.
When I listen to this album, I hear an artist who is struggling with a power that is higher than he is. I don’t mean some Illuminati or devil stuff. I mean that a record label has billions of dollars behind it, and an artist who really isn’t that rich can’t influence what they want. What’s hot is commercially acceptable songs that pretend to have passion behind them about love and stuff.
Labels are losing money and want what will sell them records. It makes me sad as a fan of music that an artist has to be on an independent record to have their freedom to record what they want. Lupe has talked about leaving Atlantic, but he is tied down to 2 record more albums, so I hope there can be a resolution because as a Hip-Hop fan, it has clearly become a situation where “conscious” rappers are underground/indie, and “commercial” rappers are on major label. I don’t want that. Who is going to talk about the serious things?
Bump a I know way too many people here right now, who I didn’t know last year. I need to hear something like
Bush pushing lies, killers immortalized
We got arms but won’t reach for the skies
Waiting for the Lord to rise
I look into my daughter’s eyes
And realize that I’ma learn through her
The Messiah, might even return through her
If I’ma do it, I gotta change the world through her
(Common Be Intro)
but I digress
I’m giving this album a 4/5 right now because some of the tracks like the one with Trey Songz are a little bit too much, but Lupe didn’t really have full creative control, and that does matter. I think in the future (2-5 years) people will appreciate this album more because it’s a piece of work that shows an artist willing to fight his record label and not let them take his voice away. JUST LISTEN TO THE DAMN LYRICS.
I usually pick songs off an album, but listen to the whole album!
Rafael Canton • Mar 11, 2011 at 1:16 am
Shout out to all of you commenting. Ethan, what I meant by Words I Never Said was that the hook was originally meant for a different meaning to the song. It was about relationships, so it wasn’t really designed for who Lupe is as an artist. probably a better original design for someone like Drake.
You catch me as the fan who likes catchy rap music. I respect that, you bump Drake, Lil Wayne, all the stuff on the charts. My only problem with those rappers, is what legacy they are carrying. Do they care about societal problems, or do they care about themselves. Drake obviously cares about himself and partying with his friends as evidenced by the brash title Thank Me Later, and the lead single Over that has the “catchy” and “unique” hook about how everyone cares about Drake.
While, sonically a good album, Drake’s impact will be less on the culture of Hip-Hop because he talks about being rich and cool (every average rapper does), which isn’t reflective of everyone’s life. What matters to you? The beats or what the artist is actually saying because Thank Me Later in my opinion is nowhere close to a great album. It’s a solid debut
Ajay • Mar 10, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Ethan must be on some crack. THANK ME LATER? A 5/5? SERIOUSLY? DRAKE? What the hell does Drake talk about that we can relate to in life? NOTHING. What does Drake inspire you to do in life? NOTHING. Come on now man, be real to your self. This Generation gave Hip Hop & Rap a ENTIRE different meaning than what it use to be. Lupe is one of the very FEW rappers that thank about real life problems, politics, and inspire people to do something with their dame lives. Get the heck out of here man and smell the bu*lshit that your putting out.
Greg • Mar 10, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Ethan couldn’t have said it any better!!!
Ethan • Mar 10, 2011 at 11:51 am
So many things wrong in this review.
First off, “Words I Never Said” was a true Lupe track. Not in the sense that it was very good, but in the sense that he had that planned with Alex Da Kid for years now. That’s one he wanted on the album.
Lupe also said he wanted that song with Trey Songz on the album and that wasn’t Atlantic’s choice. Lupe’s fans are trying to blame the quality of this album on strictly Atlantic Records, when Lupe just has as much to do with it as them.
There’s no way this album is a 4/5, unless you give albums like Thank Me Later a 5/5. The hooks are terrible, the production is weak and Lupe’s rhymes aren’t up to par. Frankly, I deleted half the album within a full listen because it just plain sucks.
You are allowed to say once in a while that your favorite rapper put out a terrible product, ya know?