On July 13, cult-favorite rapper Lupe Fiasco took to his twitter and posted ‘Lasers is out of my hands guys and gals…it’s done and that’s all I can tell you…when they drop it…they drop it…so drop it…’. Lasers, Lupe’s third studio album, was originally slated to be released in the spring of 2010, but as of now it has no release date. Even though the album is done, and Lupe’s fanbase is clamoring for it (even creating an online petition to get the album released), ‘they’ – the powers that be at his label, Atlantic Records – have decided to shelve it indefinitely.
What are ‘they’ waiting for, exactly?
True, the lead single ‘I’m Beaming’ failed to make much of an impact on the charts, but Lupe has never been one to set the charts ablaze. His only real hit was ‘Superstar,’ which peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it is arguable that that song was only a hit because of the Matthew Santos-hook. In other words, it was something of a fluke. Lupe isn’t a pop star, and it is very doubtful that he’ll ever have a hit as big as ‘Superstar’ again. This isn’t a bad thing, and it doesn’t take away from his immense talent as an emcee, it’s just the facts. Lupe isn’t Drake. And the sooner his label recognizes that, the better for us all.
NEXT PAGE: LUPE ISN’T ALONE…
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While Lupe does not have the crossover appeal of someone like Drake, he does have a pretty sizeable, hardcore fanbase and when/if Lasers does eventually drop it is sure to move units. Both of his albums went number 1 on the Rap Albums charts when they were released, with Food & Liquor eventually going gold and The Cool being certified platinum. So one would think that his label wouldn’t hesitate to release his album, even without a huge single, given his sales history and strong fanbase. The Lasers sitauion is yet another example of the major label companies shooting themselves in the foot by refusing to release albums because of a percieved lac
