XXL recently caught up with Lupe Fiasco to discuss his recent smash album Lasers and how he handles the music business. The Chi Town emcee talked about why he gave his fellow All City Chess Club-er and frequent collaborator B.o.B the records “Nothin’ On You” and “Airplanes” despite having recorded over them first. He explained that he did not feel his verses matched the type of songs his label Atlantic sought to push, saying that he has already branded himself as a conscious emcee akin to dead prez.
“B.o.B made those records,” he said. “He took those records where they needed to go. To say, if it was my records would they be different. For what? There is no way to know. When it first happened, it was me and Bob did the second verse. It was supposed to be me and Bob. Bob’s verse was what they wanted, it was like, ‘Why don’t you do that?’ I’m like, ‘Why don’t you give it to Bob.’ I remember Lyor [Cohen] was like, ‘Why did you let that record go?’ I’m like, ‘It’s the same money. It’s the same money I’m not going to get. It’s the same money you’re going to get. And you broke an artist, as what you should be doing. The way you did?’ Eh, I can’t really rock with those records because of the way they did the business.”
He added, “I’m already branded in a certain way. You got the people who fuck with Lupe and people who don’t fuck with Lupe. You have a whole industry that don’t fuck with Lupe. Some are malicious but they haven’t been acquainted with me and they’ve seem me do other things so they put me over here. It’s like, I’m not Nelly, I’m dead prez. The people who rock with Nelly aren’t as quick to rock with dead prez. But if it’s someone new, they are open to the forces of the market.”
Lupe also discussed the moral dangers of the music industry. He expressed his digust and hatred for urban music labels, saying that executives force artists to compromise their musical integrity in favor of trends and commercial viability.
“People come out of the music business fucked up because you have to become so numb to things and you have to do things completely against your morals,” he explained. “You are putting out the most negative shit in the world. I am specifically speaking about urban music departments. You have families and little kids and you are putting out records about people getting killed, people selling massive amounts of dope and all this negative crazy shit and you think that’s cool?…To them, it just becomes a job…the things that you see specifically in the music business, it’s so visceral and so fucked up the things that people do and the things that people go through and the integrity and the work is completely stripped away so you don’t know who wrote what…When I look at how the product we create is the soundtrack to people’s lives, this shit is everywhere. I hate the music business with all my heart. I hate this shit.”
Carrera Lu also discussed his views on mixtapes and their meaning for artists and fans alike. He said he approaches mixtapes like 2009’s Enemy of the State as tests of his lyrical craft that he is rarely able to exercise on his studio albums.
“[Mixtapes] have a purpose,” he noted. “They are like demonstrations. It’s like showing off. It’s not really about telling a story or pushing an agenda even though I will sprinkle that stuff in here and there. It’s about showing the skill level off, like metaphors, double entendres, all of that good fun stuff. I know fans enjoy that. I don’t necessarily think that if I did a whole album of that I would sell records. It’s definitely something that I think is needed. If people leave you off of lists or people doubt that you can rap or think you have fallen off, it’s nice to have that avenue where you can step in and drop some 39-metaphor song.”
Lupe your next album will be good, no lasers 🙂
Co-Sign. Only if he is on his OWN label..
lupes got a point about the urban musical development departments for these labels… they push fucked up messages to todays youth… we need more artists spittin a postive message, its 90 percent negetive.. that shit aint cool…
girlz on my dick cuz i pretty boy swag
he’s right…and lasers was dope…a little poppy…but his lyrics and verses were on point as always…
I am a fan of Lupe. But I am tired of hearing this dude complain in every single interview. Nobody made YOU sign a contract. You knew what u were getting yourself into when you signed with a Major Record Label. You don’t hear NBA players saying ” I hate the NBA” or NFL players saying ” I hate the NFL” only rappers who aren’t where they would like to be in there careers. I never heard Jay Z or Eminem complain in an interview yet, why because they are actually out there gettin theirs. Rappers like Lupe and Nas steady complaining..why not get off the Major and go underground then? Sorry for the rant..I just don’t like to see ppl complain with no action..It’s like a Ho getting repeatedly slapped by her pimp, complaining about it, and then keep running back to him
you really think lupe can do something about it alone? and sure, he’s been “complaining”, but this is his way of getting heard, aka “doing something about it” just like you said he should do.
Yes theres one thing lupe can “try” to do..and that’s make music that stays in his lane but yet is commercially viable. I mentioned jay and em before becus those dudes along wit t.i. and a few others have the ability to stay in there lane..maintain credibility with hip hop..and still sell alot of records. Trust me dude..labels don’t wanna put out this wack bs thats on the radio now..but its making them money that album sales arent bringin in..so they have to put it out..it sells..just like 15 years ago..”Hip Hop Hooray” was selling…Pac, Biggie..everything was gangsta..thats what was selling..If there were more em’s and jay’s out there…they would be signing em and puttin em out like hot cakes..to sell a lot of albums..I say alll that to say this..Lupe doesn’t have that ability..his music just doesn’t appeal to the masses for whatever reason..but don’t blame the industry or record labels for something that YOU lack..that’s why I don’t like the complaining..cus he really complaining about his own lack a mass appeal. Lupe comes off as somebody who loaths in self pity..but they don’t wanna say..so they complain all day so they can get the reassurrance..tha pat on the back “everthings gon be ok lupe..its not you..its them” please..no its YOU..put out hits..or get the off the major..but no need to complain
em and jay were around when the lyrics mattered more than the money. it was easier to sell back then because people could afford it. also jay owns his own label as well as the company and is the most financially successful artist , em is the top selling artist and has his own label also. lu cant just leave the label he has a contract same as nba and nfl players they can’t just say “eff it im leavin”. it’s also hard to pass up a major label deal when you have no money. and you do now hear nfl players say they hate the nfl.
“think before you speak.” george washington
Lupe Fiasco and B.o.B are one of the biggest fake ass niggaz in the rap game. They both suck, a bunch of white washed nerds who can’t rap for shit and they are faggots. Hopsin and Odd Future need to make a diss song toward these two faggots. Gucci Mane already murked Lupe and B.o.B.
It’s Gucci Time!
yea…go with the douchebag that tattoos an ice cream cone to his face…he’s really got his shit together
yea…go with the douchebag that tattoos an ice cream cone to his face…he’s really got it together
hey hey hey
Do the world a favor and kill yourself.
check out this new artist he’s dope
theverbalsit.bandcamp.com
He should sign with Kanye already, stop complaining and do something!
I would love to see what artists can do on a independent label, too many artists put out stuff that sounds exactly the same. The pop crowd is ruining hip hop music, artists signed to big labels only put out crap thats very simple to make and takes no skill.
All City Chess Club should just be a label and have lupe the head
Wow I respect Lupe for rejecting the way record labels are treating their artists and the community. It is all about the dollar to them and not about making quality music or putting out positive music. I also don’t like how they control the type of music that an artist wants to make. Universal was doing the same stuff with Chamillionaire and many other rappers. I hope he starts his own independent label and ill definitely support it.