Firstly, 

WHY LUPE!? Why? and WHY!? 

Secondly,

Maybe I should give it another listen, because it’s so different from his first two albums. Food & Liquor, while commercially unsuccessful marked the territory he as an artist would pursue. Jazzy samples with robotic ticks and crushing bass, explosive cymbals while Fiasco’s talking about skateboards, women and all that is cool. A year later, The Cool is released and it’s official: Lupe Fiasco is a force to be reckoned with, a don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, a raw storytelling ability and lyrical arsenal.

Now, 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, later and Lasers is upon us a cluttered mess. Production value isn’t what you’d expect to hear from a Lupe album, instead it’s trying too hard to appease a warped Black Eyed Peas collective. (Listen to “Never Forget You” and tell me it doesn’t have shades of “Where is the Love”). I’ve immediately stepped into a club when I put on my headphones and listen through.

“Coming Up” feat. MDMA aka. Pooh Bear and “All Black Everything” are heavy reminders of his first two albums and my favorite tracks. This album is a different Lupe Fiasco, perhaps, shackled by his record label he had to produce $$$ instead of music that’d complement his first two efforts. Out of ten, this album is a six, on a test this would be a D, in a race this would get fourth place. 

Again, maybe more listens I’ll jump onto this album as a transition, an experiment rather than a hiccup. 

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Where it stacks up? 

Along w/ Gnarls Barkley’s Odd Couple, MGMT’s Congratulations, Nas & Damien Marley’s Distant Relatives — Doesn’t survive the hype.  

Commercially?

This shit’s going to sell, people have been itching for a Lupe Fiasco album to drop. It’s going to get a fair amount of radio play too. “Letting Go” feat. Skylar Grey and “Till I get there” are radio-ready to blow up.