Just days after expressing his frustration with the redundancy of Hip Hop during an interview with HOT 93.7’s Jenny Boom Boom, Windy City rapper Lupe Fiasco is back at it again giving his commentary on the genre. During the rapper’s most recent promo stop at Louisiana’s Xavier University he touched on commercial Hip Hop, record labels, and more while being interviewed by producer Mannie Fresh.
When asked about present day Hip Hop, Lupe touched on the two different sides of the genre, cultural and commercial, and also spoke on the lack of substance in today’s commercial Hip Hop.
“There’s like the culture of Hip Hop which is Crazy Legs, Big Daddy Kane, and rap dudes who paint on the train stations in Paris to the dudes who deejay competitions in Japan,” Lupe explained in a video posted on MightyMuzik.com. “Everything that is Hip Hop from the good, the bad, the ugly, everything else. And I think you got the commercial side of Hip Hop. Everything that you hear on the radio, everything that’s for sale so to speak. And I think that today there’s a very substantial lack of substance in the commercial side of it. Which even affects some of the cultural side of it to because they are one in the same.”
The rapper also spoke on his creativity being stifled by a label whose main goal he believes is to be in control.
“It’s always a compromise,” said the rapper. “Even when I do what I want to do. They take it out of me on the backend, ‘Ah okay, you can do whatever you want but you know we’re not gonna really pay for the videos.’ They leverage it on you. You know how they do, how they get down. It’s about control at the end of the day. They don’t really necessarily care what you make, what kind of music it is: the most positive, the most negative, the wackest, or the dopest. They just wanna make sure that they got control over it to a certain extent.”
Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 will be released on September 25.
RELATED: Lupe Fiasco Says “97% Of Hip Hop Is Terrible,” Praises Drake & Slaughterhouse
Commercial Hip Hop is and always has been pretty bad but its just getting worse and worse and the target audience is getting younger
These commercial hip hop dudes spitting abc rhymes wish Wu Tang still ruled the airways non of this bullshit rap would be around. TDE are the only dudes in hip hop truly killing it
you must be a dumbass to think TDE is the only good label out there. really though, Black Hippy is quite mainstream and your thinking they’re the only one killing it? stones throw, ill adrenaline, goodfelons, redef, megakut records, mellow music group, funk night records, freestyle records, fat beats
wake your ass up
>Black Hippy is quite mainstream
nigga, what
ETK. Kendrick Lamar’s “The Recipe” w/ Dr. Dre got 2 million hits on youtube. Sure it ain’t no Lil Wayne/Rick Ross, but when Kendrick Lamar gets more exposure so does Black Hippy to an extent. Black Hippy has tons more exposure than artists who have been working since the 90’s and are yet to be featured on all the big name magazines and the mtv shows.
But people always type in crap like “Ab-Soul is sooo underated”, or “TDE are the only dudes in hip hop truly killing it”. TDE is one of many great labels, but people b so quick to say they’re the best, or the greatest when they’ve slept on emcees with mad talent and execution
Diagree. MMG provides us listeners with quality lyrical hip hop, and allows us to enjoy the hottest beats from the most acclaimed producers. This label is pivotal for the black community and future of this genre.
Lyrical??MMG??!!!
They talk about the same shit over and over!!
Nas is lyrical.
Quality garbage.
*squints to understand better*
Still not sure if troll or genuinely unintelligent.
smh @ you hating backpacker crackas. mad cause your fav raper aint knockin and probably broke.
lmfao at trent!
My favorite rappers are Eminem and Kanye West. These dudes shit on MMGay when it comes to lyrics and success.
That’s got to be the funniest and dumbest thing I’ve read all day. Well I needed that laugh.. MMG is a waste of space and from your comment I can see that you are too…smfh… Go play in traffic and do us all a favor or just permanently shut the fuck up.
Ross should hire a ghost writer, get some serious lyrical shit, that no ones expecting from him lol.
lol @ nas being lyrical. worst lupe verse shits all over illmatic.
tell us something we dont already know nucca
does this guy ever shut up. he thinks hes the president of quality hip hop. we dont care about your opinions on obama, we dont care what you think about commercial hip hop. Its not going to change any intelligent persons opinion on the topic. all music is getting worse commercially but there is still quality out there too
If no one cares then why do people keep asking him? And why does every story about him become the top story of the day?
meek mill is ok. rick ross is aight, wale is whatever and omarion sucks and his voice is annoying. i dont even know the other dudes name but he wack too.
ummmm his name is Stalley! U sound like a HipHop head so let me advise u to check him out. Dude is dope. He doesn’t really fit in with that commercial vibe which is why u don’t know his name.
Stalley is probably the most real dude in MMG, i would advise listening to his words. check his interviews, he is super humble
Stalley seems like a nice genuine dude but that doesn’t make his music not bland…
everything before attention deficit was great after wale signed to mmg i dont think he even touched another gogo beat
“Diagree. MMG provides us listeners with quality lyrical hip hop”
1. “Diagree”!?
2. I bet your IQ is to low for you to get tried for murder…
‘Too low’ not ‘to low’ faggot, he obviously made a typo. You can’t even spell ‘too’ and you are talking about IQ?
^^Hahaha!!
First response ethered your ass.
In the span of 2 years, I have gone from the biggest Lupe fan in the world to getting sick and tired of him. He’s always in the media complaining. Is always blah blah this, blah blah that, blah blah radio sucks, blah blah Obama did this…
FOR ONCE I WISH HE WOULD JUST SHUT UP AND MAKE MUSIC! Radio sucks, WE KNOW!!! THATS WHY WE DON’T LISTEN TO IT!!!
Then you simple bitch were never really a Lupe fan…
He got asked a question, simple ass niggas can’t read apparently.
Oh my god is this news?
lmao lupe think he finally goin rogue after that show goes on dogshit
Shut up and continue to envy..
how many times is he going to make this point? shit, I like Lupe and everything but Lazers is a prime example of a good rapper putting out commercialized music, i know it was the label that made him put some of the songs on it, but still this dude should fully acknowledge that he didn’t contribute to making hiphop better with his last album.
Idiot! They keep asking him about it………
The label didn’t force Lupe to do Lasers. That was his choice.
Anonymous you’re a faggot.
@Ehhhhh, i know it was his choice to release it, but the singles that were put out weren’t his choice, and i’m going to say that he wouldn’t work with Trey Songz by choice.
You obviously have never been under contract, other then staying 500 ft away from certain females. It’s not the same…
haha anonymous got those original gay jokes. he’s got talent, and by the way he talks, he’s famous and under contract.
yeah he’s under contract, he supposed to suck 5 dicks a day, if he doesn’t meet that, then his employers are going to buttfuck him to death.
*
oh Lupe…u got so corny.
Shut ur lame ass up
@1stAnon: Says the nigga commenting on a hip hop site that’s the equivalent of People Magazine
Ummm lupe says 97% of hip hop is horrible but so was 97% of your last cd hopefully you do better on the next one
Beats were off, but lyrics on point!
lol this label branding of lupe as a rebel is so cheesy…what exactly is he standing up to? lol whining and complaining like a 5 year old about the world…
Expressing yourself, and not being quiet while injustice is going on is a man’s job.. Something you obviously are not…
that is actually a childs job…it is the equivalent of fuming in your bedroom at your parents. men take ownership of their reality and live their lives instead of externalizing power. you aint doing shit but mouthing off and “protesting”..just another mind controlled zombie following a set program with predictable reactions..occupy these nutz
Dumbass.
So glad Lupe blessed us with his godly wisdom. I never would have discovered most hip-hop lacked substance without him! Remedial ass philosopher!
Lupe is got the balls to share the struggles behind being under a record label, and the reason why there is so much lack of substance in commercial hip hop and ya’ll diss him?
what is wrong with you hip hop fans?
who else will inform you about what goes on behind the scenes?
Dude if lupe was the first rapper to tell you about record companies ur way to young to talk shit. Lupes a hypocrit. He knew what a label meant. Then signs to a label knowing damn well ur not gonna be doing ur thing then cries about it and tries to insult other rappers who are probably in the same fucking spot he is. Lesson number 4080 record company people is shadddy.
Lupe’s a mad idiot.
Rick Ross is the GOAT rapper. Wayne right after him, close call tho. MMG= new Death Row with a charismatic, brilliant leader. It’s the start of a New Golden Age for hip hop. MMG= they do tell about all the struggle.
So… which insane asylum did your wack ass escape from? All Rick Ross’ hype comes from grunting… Grunting is probably something you did when Lil Wayne stuck his choad in your ass.
His whole thing is hiphop pose to be a balance of every part of life, not just watered down drug selling,drug using, sex, and money. It suppose to challenge us on an intellectual level as well as commercial. But the part of hiphop that deals with intellect is becoming non existence.
Lupe’s right, I do think its also a lack of exposure, that make these folks stay on the same topics…
“Also, water is wet”
-Lupe Fiasco
“Also, I made a comment”
– I’m still a nobody, and Lupe lives a better life then me
Not whilst Atlantic are raping the shit out of him.
When asked about present day Hip Hop, Lupe touched on the two different sides of the genre, cultural and commercial, and also spoke on the lack of substance in todays commercial Hip Hop.
AGAIN MAIN POINT…
WHEN ASKED!!! WHEN FUCKEN ASKED!!!
He isn’t tryna preach just answering fucken questions morons!! Blame the site, blame the interviewer, but not the dude just answering questions.
yeah bro soo true With all this, this is not the first time says the same answer However, this site wants to put lupe fiasco in the circle of debate for their benefit Or they just hate him !!
Man Lupe made me so happy with what he said around 8:50 in the Interview. All those rappers he mentioned changing the game for the good are my favorites including Lupe.
Kendrick , Blu, Danny Brown!
Jay Kushtana-Got Next Up….No Bull No Gimmicks
BEST RAPPERS OF ALL-TIME
1. LIL WAYNE
2. RICK ROSS
3. FLO RIDA
4. 2 CHAINZ
5. JUSTIN BIEBER
6. NICKI MINAJ
7. SOULJA BOY
8. LUDACRIS
9. PUSHA T
10. HOPSIN
WORST RAPPERS
1. TUPAC
2. BIGGIE
3. NAS
4. JAY-Z
5. EMINEM
6. RAKIM
7. BIG DADDY KANE
8. SNOOP DOGG
9. LUPE FIASSHOLE
10. KANYE WEST
Terrible troll
loooooooooooooooooooool dumb fuck
lmao hopsin
obvious troll, but “LUPE FIASSHOLE” had me in stitches
these labels are playing y’all simple minded clowns…it is called branding..
Lupe is (In my opinion) the best MC to come up in the last 10 years, but my god he is an absolute ass. He’s so self-righteous for someone who made an album like Lasers. Well Lupe guess what….substance doesn’t = good music.
Exactly, damn. We got his point now.
I respect your opinion on this matter but I think he’s simply speaking about his experience dealing with his record label when he was recording Lasers. He understands how record labels control their artists because he was a victim. He was not given his ‘creative freedom’ when recording that album and that resulted in him recording a commercial album
I agree Commercial Mainstreem has taken over and the quality sucks. That’s why I like true artist like Number 1 Playaz check out their new single http://putmeinthegame.viinyl.com/
I respect your opinion on this matter but I think he’s simply speaking about his experience dealing with his record label when he was recording Lasers. He understands how record labels control their artists because he was a victim. He was not given his ‘creative freedom’ when recording that album and that resulted in him recording a commercial album.
That’s why he did the same garbage all over again with FOTP. Lupe is a goddamn hypocritical liar and yall falling for his promo moves.
fake skater. fake rapper. fake gangsta. fake political activist. fake black panther member. FAKE NIGGA! Lil Wayne is much betta den dis old ass nigga. he a real gangster/skater/blood member. swag
wow you’re an idiot. Lil wayne is the fakest person in the industry. Look at his old music, and now is upbeat gay ass zebra pants music. Any “real” blood would slap wayne for dressing and acting like a pussy. None of his raps make any sense, its not very hard to just rhyme and say n***a. Watch videos of wayne skating. so fake. dude sucks. Lupe has more substance and double/triple metaphors than anyone in the game, but they probly went over ya head..
Stop commenting on the state of Hip Hop and get back in the studio and start making hits like your originals the cool and Food & Liquor.
Lupe Fiasco Says There’s A “Substantial Lack Of Substance” In Commercial Hip Hop
no shit lupe i just found out looool go dj dance music
I don’t see how anyone can’t agree with what Lupe is saying. All these record labels do whatever it takes to maximize their profits. In order to do that, they ask their artists to ‘dumb down’ their subject matter so that it appeals to a wider audience. That’s exactly why there is a lack of substance in commercial hip hop and it’s unfortunate.
That’s exactly why Lupe signed a deal for one of these labels.
Record labels lie through their teeth in order to get an artist to sign with them. That’s why so many artists consistently switch record labels because the record labels never fulfill their initial promises.
You tell me Lupe wasn’t smart enough to see through it? People were complaining about their labels way before him.
The music is what makes the world rotate…
Music is the soundtrack to life….
Bitch Bad is a horrible song. Make better music, then talk your shit.
What are you talking about?? Bitch Bad is a dope song with a great message..
Lasers is a dope album!! The production may not be strictly hip-hop but the lyricism and substance is still there… The way you guys bash that album just makes me believe you judge hip-hop based on production..
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FUUQQ YEEZ MY NIKKAS
FINALLY IT HAPPENED – JUST GOT A NEW RIDE – A CAM A RO CONVERTIBLE.GOT APPROVED FOR 26 LARGE. BEEN 5 YRS SINCE IVE GOTTEN SHYT APPROVED, BUT NOW ALL MY CRE-DIT SHEET GONE. ALL OF IT.
IF YOU STRUGGLING WITH THAT CREDITT HISTORY ISHH, GET RID OF ALL DAT TODAY – CALL THESE PEEPS AT 8^8^8-9-2-7 -3-3-5-6. . THEY DO AMAZING WORK AND THEY ARE CHEAP AS FUQQ. GOT RID OF ALL MY SHYYT IN NO TIME.
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———-
Hit em up – THEY WILL HELP U!!!!!..iewq
Of course there is. People have been saying this for years and its obvious. The radio is pushing mind numbing music on the population while or rights and freedoms are being taking away and most people are becoming more poor and all these rappers have to talk about is how much money they have and all the girls they have sex with. The whole industry is fake and we as a nation are fucked due to it. These rappers need to be fucking condemned. Cut their fucking tongs out cause right now is not the time for their stupid shit. We need 2pacs we need people that have something to say we need talent and all this is lacking cause of the industry and radio.