Lupe Fiasco Talks Label Situation: "I'm a Hostage"

It appears that the release of Lasers is not likely to improve the complicated relationship between Lupe Fiasco and Atlantic Records. According to the Chicago Sun Times, label executives intended to order the rapper to write less politically motivated lyrics. Read an excerpt below.

“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.”

In an issued statement, however, Atlantic Records claims that they “fully support Lupe and the release of Lasers.”

During an interview with radio station Hot 97, Lupe revealed that he already has plans for his future – without a major label backing him:

“Hopefully I’ll be out of my traditional record deal, the record deal I’m in right now. Probably living in Africa somewhere, making rock music.

I would rather be independent, I would take that. Independent comes with its own set of consequences, so that takes preparation. There’s a lot of things you’re going to lose taking that route.”

Source: LupE.N.D. Blog