Lupe Says Label Holding Him Hostage

Lupe’s new album Lasers, drops next Tuesday. But yesterday he told the Chicago Sun Times that he felt his label Atlantic Records was holding him hostage.

“I was specifically told” — Fiasco chuckled — “‘Don’t rap too deep on this record.'” He laughed some more. “That was a specific order from the top. ‘You’re rapping too fast or too slow, or it’s too complex.’ …

There are consequences and combat that comes from that process and the eventual compromise. With me, though, I’m not writing about someone else. I’m writing about me. This is my life. It’s very personal for me. So for somebody to kind of put their fingers in that and play with that, it becomes more damaging.”

“I am a hostage,” Fiasco said. “I gave them what they wanted. If I didn’t, at the end of the day the album wasn’t coming out.”

Later, Atlantic responded to the claim with this: “We fully support Lupe and the release of ‘Lasers.'”

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  1. k1ngeljay says:

    I definitely said something like this on my website.Eh.

  2. ZoomZoom says:

    REALLY? ITS FUCKING PATHETIC HOW MUCH EXCUSES ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE UP FOR PUTTING OUT SUCH A HORRIBLE ALBUM THAT EVEN YOUR OWN FANS DONT LIKE?!!

    I KEPT SAYING #KEEPLASERS BUT NO ONE LISTENED SMDH

  3. Mike deli says:

    Fuck Atlantic.

  4. acorn says:

    thats why you dont look 2 get signed these days… build from the ground up

  5. TVA says:

    That’s one more knocked down off his contract. I haven’t listened real intently but there will still be 4-5 cuts I’ll ride with off of it. So it is what it is. He could have gone the Joell route and said just buy merch and dl the album and call it a day but he’s doing a bit of media etc.

  6. comment says:

    Lupe just fucking get off that wretched label! Go indie my friend! None of these corporations will ever appreciate your talent! GO INDIE!

  7. HollyWood says:

    So how many albums do you have to release to get released?!?!?

  8. ET says:

    What he’s saying about Atlantic telling him not to rap too deep makes sense if you listen to/read the lyrics to “Words I Never Said” — very telegraphed, paint-by-numbers, forced-controversy kinda song, it had Atlantic’s stamp of fail all over it

  9. Gordon B. says:

    This guy seems like a straight up bitch, always whining, if you’re in a jam you put yourself there so man the fuck up.

  10. 5k on my wrist says:

    nigga album was so watered down, shit was terrible

    buy out your contract fuck nigga

  11. 5k on my wrist says:

    buyout

  12. Lall says:

    Put it this way first it was nas lost and noe it is lupe lost

  13. Talk is Cheap says:

    Why is Lupe apologizing for his own work, before anybody has a chance to cop it? Bad business.. if he stayed quiet and sold a shit load of records next week, nobody would be thinking about ANY of this.

    I feel you Lupe, but you need to at least ride this one out in silence.

  14. Chu Chu says:

    Lupe I Respect Your Honesty Thou Im Not Buyin This Album I Will Surly Buy The Next One If Theres Ever A Next One.

  15. COLD BLOOD says:

    LUPE IS DOPE, BUT LASERS IS VERY WEAK! I EXPECTED MORE…

    YOU CAN HATE ME NOW!

  16. pienman says:

    yo, git it lupe…that was fucked up with recent leaks! i will still get the ablum

  17. ghost says:

    Man this dude is ALWAYS BITCHING. sounds like my girl. So ill do him like I do her. (Eazy e voice) Bitch shut the fuck up!

  18. Yung Silv says:

    he needs to go to interscope where they embrace talent that is a little bit different and make them into big stars while not watering down there music & he is always bitching though . . . i like the artist much more than the person.

  19. still best rite now!! says:

    well, somebody is paying for these LaSER ads on RapRadar…lol

  20. dmfslimm says:

    lupe stfu for real fam.

  21. Jav says:

    ahhhh he’s always talking about how its for the love of the fans and blah blah blah..sell one of your 10 lambo’s and put out a free mixtape with real lupe music and believe me..we will all forget about this whole lasers buffonery. He has 3 good tracks on the album and even on those tracks the lyrics are watered down like a fat kid on a diet who mixed 2oz orange juice 10 ounces water.

  22. ZoomZoomDad-Otis says:

    To bad EM cant sign LUPE to SHADY RECORDS. That would’ve been the best record label signing of the year just wishful thinking.

  23. em says:

    I want to see lupe with the shady 2.0 they would rip shit up, the dude got talent and i think on a track with any shady artist he would kill it and also be able to rap about wateva he likes, who agrees??

  24. MacAttack says:

    Shady sign Lupe!!!

  25. HJOOD says:

    they got this nigga by the balls, talk about selling your soul dude is not getting out that contract

  26. Miah says:

    Sign with GOOD music!

  27. Pauper says:

    Lasers was subpar because of his label, ya’ll know this guy goes harder than that. MacAttack is right, Shady or Andre 3k need to buy out his contract cuz atlantic is slowing up progress for Mr.Super-Lupe-Lyrical.

  28. Thoro says:

    Mannnn who told him to sign a record deal without readin the shit..
    kick & push that shit aside..

  29. Sincere973 says:

    Sorry Lupe…those aren’t viable excuses to why your record is garbage! The production is complete trash & most of the hooks are cringe worthy…It is what it is…an awful & disappointing album

  30. Nathaniel says:

    on some real shit…

    as listeners, we otta sympathize a lil more with these artists. he’s not making excuses for having a sub par album, he’s just saying atlantic tried to fuck his career up during a 3 yr battle for creative freedom. if not for that protest, Lasers wouldn’t even be coming out. Lu and his camp had already said fuck it and were shopping for another deal. the reason he agreed to the release is cuz OBVIOUSLY fans wanted it.

    and this shit with these labels is an ongoing saga. it doesn’t make sense for niggas to be like “quit bitchin and make better music” when artist have suits over their heads chopping and screwing their whole operation.

  31. Ice Cold says:

    Just admit it nigga, you ran out of steam and you got nothin left but garbage. Plus yo girl been slobberin on my balls like mad strong, ya dig ?

  32. villain says:

    grow a pair and get of the label buy your self out or just give them some albums they want
    so u can go independant u only lose when u fight back handle your bizzz damn lupe

  33. LA says:

    Only a fuck boy would sign with a major label and then complain like a lil bitch? if he were idependent i dont think it would be no difference bc his fans are hypocrite and wont even support their favorite artist bad lp. he will then have to start from tha bottom and build his way back up.

  34. kwame says:

    he’s gonna fuck up the sales!hush now yap later,lupe!!

  35. Ice Cold says:

    Nice, album was pretty dope. I like it though.

  36. Ice Cold says:

    Yo who da fuck using my name *chapelle voice
    Haha o well

  37. Fan of no man says:

    I actually dug the album thou it would have been better with different production.

  38. DaMAN says:

    Co-Sign @Miah
    But Some Of Yall On Some Shit.
    Lasers Is A Dope Album. Only Two Sub Par Songs. And Those Are i Dont Wanna Care & that song Wih Trey Songz That Atlantic Probably Forced. but Yall Neeed To Listen To The Album Again

  39. Ac@pella! says:

    Illuminati.

  40. sean says:

    shut it Ac@pella! illiminati only deal with famous people.

  41. Craig says:

    My guess is he doesn’t have the flow to buy his contract out and he wants the machine to push his music knowing he won’t have that being independent.

  42. LordMort says:

    Can’t believe the amount of work he puts into diminishing his own album and making excuses for what it turned out to be, BEFORE IT’S EVEN RELEASED…
    And why was the need to sign with Atlantic so strong that he chooses to release a wack album and compromise all of his artistic integrity??? Shit like that will ruin an artist’s reputation, especially in the internet world we live in today…
    We know Lupe’s got it in him to release dope albums, but if he had love for what he was doing, and actually had a vision, he wouldn’t have allowed something like this to happen.
    And I haven’t even heard the album yet, but I’ve heard nothing but criticism about it.

  43. MKvsDC says:

    I have not heard the album (I’m buying it), although I am worried about all the disappointment. I loved The Cool. But simply the fact that LASERS won’t be a story album worries me already. His label DO have him by the balls. He tried releasing a triple disc album (LUPEnd) to get out of his label asap, but Atlantic didn’t fall for it. He’s got two more albums to go. You can do it, Lupe!

  44. wickwickwack says:

    enuff crying !

  45. tr says:

    “His label DO have him by the balls. He tried releasing a triple disc album (LUPEnd) to get out of his label asap, but Atlantic didn’t fall for it.”

    lmao, what record company would allow an artist to release a triple album in this day and age?

  46. james says:

    ^Exactly! And i thought lupe was smart lol!

  47. cmosa says:

    I’m WAY more inclined to give this album a chance now.. (NOT!)

  48. MusicorDeaf says:

    It’s not a bad album. I don’t know what everyone’s problem is. Lupe is allowed to speak freely and he’s trying to do things in the industry that other rappers aren’t for the most part. Listen to his lyricism and it’s still there. Hopefully you guys can post more without having heard it. Also, I didn’t know it was cool to support the labels and not the artists who have the talent and message.
    @MusicorDeaf

  49. CarreraLu says:

    Irony is a bitch.

    “You goin’ over niggas’ heads Lu (Dumb it down)
    They tellin’ me that they don’t feel you (Dumb it down)
    We ain’t graduate from school nigga (Dumb it down)
    Them big words ain’t cool nigga (Dumb it down)
    Yeah I heard Mean And Vicious nigga (Dumb it down)
    Make a song for the bitches nigga (Dumb it down)
    We don’t care about the weather nigga (Dumb it down)
    You’ll sell more records if you (Dumb it down)”

  50. D!A!E says:

    Soooo……Do I buy the album? or not buy the album Lupe?? C’mon Lup Dogg!

  51. leroy says:

    Lupe should just sign wit G.O.O.D. music. he fits perfectly

  52. mikk swagger says:

    shut the fuck up pussy, keep making bullshit records that nobody likes, lupe fiasco has been a joke since day 1, somebody should punch him in his face and break his glasses, DEATH TO NERD RAP.

  53. iknowGOODmusic says:

    Lupe need to just swallow his pride and go G.O.O.D!!!!!!!

  54. The Fuckery says:

    You all are the reason hip hop is dead, you supported this fool to no other until he music leaks, and since it’s not to YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIKING, you turn on him. Selfish ass 90’s babies…

  55. bullfrog24 says:

    LOL @ you guys trying to hate on Lupe

    Food and Liquor = Classic
    The Cool = Great Record
    Lasers = Great Record

    Yall probably won’t understand until years from now how good his albums are. Until then you guys stick with waka. BOW! BOW! BA BOW!!

  56. Itz Yourz says:

    SMH…the label actually told him “dont rap to deep”?…Lupe that dont make you a hostage, it makes you a slave bruh. Lost your freedom…of control…of your own talent and how you I.D with your people.

    I dont think it an excuse at all…we always complain about getting commerical ,mainstream, pop,waterdown rap/hiphop and you got your brethren yelling you they killing my talent and instead of helping him or empethize you bash him? How cold has the field nigga become?

  57. bjbsa says:

    umm, you got signed to a major label and are getting paid big money. Lupe wants to have his cake and eat it too ( make whatever he wants to make, while still being signed to a major label and getting paid) thats not how it works for most artits.

  58. god says:

    ask jay z to put in a good word for you, and get Lyor (your slave master) to let your dumb ass go. life is a bitch!!

  59. madison and hamlin says:

    coming from a aspiring, fellow chicago artist… U R NOT A HOSTAGE UR AN ARTIST IN A GAME U BEEN TRYING TO PLAY UR WHOLE LIFE… (make the game work for u)

    dont like it stop making music

  60. Belize says:

    this nucca gay as fuck

  61. Lasers says:

    Yall are all dumb.
    If Lupe is trying to get out of his deal don’t you think that he would tell the fans that the album sucked so that they don’t buy it, thus proving to atlantic that the pop shit wont sell in Lupe’s case.
    I love all the people calling him a bitch. you know nothing about the music business and bitch about your lives daily so shut the fuck up

  62. ODM3TheTruth says:

    smh.. there are some uneducated niggas on here.

    If we stopped trying to be thugged out and actually applied ourselves.. maybe they would see the real issue…

    smh

  63. […] isn’t having the best week ever, but with the release of his album in three days, the show must go on. Last night, he […]

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  65. John John says:

    It’s 2011…The Nuccah is battling the beast from the inside, man it is too late!
    We’re not in the 70’s anymore, it’s all washed up, garbage fashion sexy bullshit nowadays…
    Good try though…but like many said, go indie or go GAGA!

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