Re: Official Hip Hop/Rap Music Thread
LASERS more of a pop album?
LASERS more of a pop album?
Lupe Fiasco Says 'Lasers' is 'More of a Pop Album'Posted Dec 1st 2010 2:00PM by Georgette Cline
Lupe Fiasco has much to look forward to in the new year with the expected March 2011 release of his highly anticipated third opus, 'Lasers.' While his official single, 'The Show Goes On,' made its way to listeners' ears last month, the road to completing 'Lasers' was full of hurdles and delays.
However, the voice of the people was heard and devoted fans took to the streets outside the New York City offices of Atlantic Records on Oct. 15, which was dubbed "Fiasco Friday." But, rather than protest, fans celebrated the label's decision to set a March release date a week prior to the rally, for the Lupe album they petitioned for. The Chi-town rapper appreciates all that was accomplished by his fans, but explains their actions stood for more than just his growing movement.
"They said that they were sick of hearing a certain quality of music on the radio," Lupe tells The BoomBox. "That had nothing to do with me. They were fed up with the way corporations were treating people and treating their customers. Even though I have the same beliefs, it wasn't just about me."
On the other hand, 'Lasers' is solely about Lupe and his showmanship. Though songs like The Neptunes-crafted 'I'm Beamin' and the Matthew Santos-assisted 'Shining Down' have previously leaked, causing him to remain quiet about prospective producers and guest features, the bespectacled MC isn't shy about revealing what his new material will sound like.
"It's way more of a pop album, to be honest, for various reasons and various forces within the industry and what have you," he admits. "['Lasers'] came with all this baggage, a lot of social baggage. We opened up the album with a manifesto. When I say we opened up the album before we even recorded one song, we wrote a manifesto. We came up with the things we wanted to see changed in the world and that kinda took a life of its own. For me, that was the point of [this] album."
Known for speaking his piece on a barrage of cultural and political issues, Lupe aims to make a social impact musically, much like a veteran singer/songwriter before him.
"It's less about the music and more about actually coming out and really having a strong social statement that you could feel, like back in the '60s or '70s when Bob Dylan made a song, it was a movement. To see ['Lasers'] become this whole thing in and of itself, and become bigger than itself and bigger than the music, differs radically from my first two records."
With albums 'Food & Liquor' 'and The Cool' under his belt, the lyricist, who rolled on the scene with the skater anthem 'Kick, Push,' is overly anxious to deliver a final product to his supporters.
"I just want it to come out, to be honest, for people to get another Lupe Fiasco record and stop asking me on Twitter, 'When is the album coming out?'" he admits. "The more serious part of it, we already saw it. [Fans are] active, they're ready to mobilize and they're gonna have a vehement conversation with Lyor Cohen directly about the way records are put out in this climate. As long as we know that the heart of resistance and the negative and destructive forces that exist within our culture, that there's kids, and grownups as well, out there who are willing to be participatory and sacrifice their time and their money to come out and stand up for something that they believe in for the greater good of humanity, that's dope."
Lupe Fiasco has much to look forward to in the new year with the expected March 2011 release of his highly anticipated third opus, 'Lasers.' While his official single, 'The Show Goes On,' made its way to listeners' ears last month, the road to completing 'Lasers' was full of hurdles and delays.
However, the voice of the people was heard and devoted fans took to the streets outside the New York City offices of Atlantic Records on Oct. 15, which was dubbed "Fiasco Friday." But, rather than protest, fans celebrated the label's decision to set a March release date a week prior to the rally, for the Lupe album they petitioned for. The Chi-town rapper appreciates all that was accomplished by his fans, but explains their actions stood for more than just his growing movement.
"They said that they were sick of hearing a certain quality of music on the radio," Lupe tells The BoomBox. "That had nothing to do with me. They were fed up with the way corporations were treating people and treating their customers. Even though I have the same beliefs, it wasn't just about me."
On the other hand, 'Lasers' is solely about Lupe and his showmanship. Though songs like The Neptunes-crafted 'I'm Beamin' and the Matthew Santos-assisted 'Shining Down' have previously leaked, causing him to remain quiet about prospective producers and guest features, the bespectacled MC isn't shy about revealing what his new material will sound like.
"It's way more of a pop album, to be honest, for various reasons and various forces within the industry and what have you," he admits. "['Lasers'] came with all this baggage, a lot of social baggage. We opened up the album with a manifesto. When I say we opened up the album before we even recorded one song, we wrote a manifesto. We came up with the things we wanted to see changed in the world and that kinda took a life of its own. For me, that was the point of [this] album."
Known for speaking his piece on a barrage of cultural and political issues, Lupe aims to make a social impact musically, much like a veteran singer/songwriter before him.
"It's less about the music and more about actually coming out and really having a strong social statement that you could feel, like back in the '60s or '70s when Bob Dylan made a song, it was a movement. To see ['Lasers'] become this whole thing in and of itself, and become bigger than itself and bigger than the music, differs radically from my first two records."
With albums 'Food & Liquor' 'and The Cool' under his belt, the lyricist, who rolled on the scene with the skater anthem 'Kick, Push,' is overly anxious to deliver a final product to his supporters.
"I just want it to come out, to be honest, for people to get another Lupe Fiasco record and stop asking me on Twitter, 'When is the album coming out?'" he admits. "The more serious part of it, we already saw it. [Fans are] active, they're ready to mobilize and they're gonna have a vehement conversation with Lyor Cohen directly about the way records are put out in this climate. As long as we know that the heart of resistance and the negative and destructive forces that exist within our culture, that there's kids, and grownups as well, out there who are willing to be participatory and sacrifice their time and their money to come out and stand up for something that they believe in for the greater good of humanity, that's dope."
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