Lasers

Lasers (a backronym for Love Always Shines, Everytime Remember 2 Smile) is the third studio album by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released on March 7, 2011, by 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records. It follows his sophomore studio album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007), and features guest appearances from Sarah Green, Skylar Grey, MDMA, Trey Songz, Matt "sELF" Mahaffey, Eric Turner, Sway, and John Legend. He collaborated with various songwriters and producers, including Alex da Kid, The Audibles, King David, Syience, and The Buchanans. Primarily a pop rap album, it incorporates elements from EDM and rock, and was largely panned by critics and fans alike for its commercialized sound.
The album became Fiasco's first to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200, and had a first-week sales of 204,000 copies.Caulfield, Keith (March 16, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco's 'Lasers' Lands at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. It was nominated at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album and has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Being known as Fiasco's "hated" work, he mentioned, "The fact still remains that a lot of people really loved LASERS (Me Included)…"Grebey, James (September 1, 2015). "Lupe Fiasco Offers to Destroy Hated Copies of His Album 'Lasers' with Real Lasers". Spin.
He recalled there being about four phases of the project, piecing together the track list where some songs didn't make the final cut.Gregory, Jason (March 9, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Interview". Gigwise. Problems included creative differences with his label and comparisons made to his commercially successful songs, which made Fiasco want to go independent or switch to another record label.Ramirez, Erika and Hood, Bryan (March 7, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco on Lasers, Lame Rap, and His Battles with the Music Industry". Vulture. His refusal to sign a 360 deal caused threats of not promoting his records and withholding funds for music videos. He shared to Loud and Quiet magazine, "In the midst of this record I had people dying—all of this extra stuff and then I'd go up to the record label and it was like sitting in an office with Lucifer's minions. So when I look at this record there's a certain level of, 'I've achieved it!', because I'm still here and this record is coming out and the music is positive, but it's bittersweet, and the bitter bit came first."Stubbs, Stuart (February 25, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Isn't Retiring, but the Making of His Third Album, 'Lasers', Almost Made Him Wish That He Were". Loud and Quiet.
== Dedication ==
Firstly to "The October 15th Lasers Liberation Front" with you this album has become something more than just mere music. This is my gift to you all in return to the gift you all have given me. Thank you for your support and love. Momma we got another one! Free Chilly!!! To family and friends and to all who made this possible you are appreciated more than you know! And to my beloved brother ESCO. May Allah bless you and watch over your family in your absence…Until we meet again…Peace & Much Love 2 Ya! — LF
== Descriptions ==
Standard edition
Back in the mid-'00s, Lupe Fiasco struck a nerve with his fashion-forward style, matched with cheeky verses and ear-tickling, loop-driven productions. Lasers (an acronym for Love Always Shines Everytime Remember 2 Smile) marks his 2011 return. The best joints here are the string-laced, Afro-centric anthem "All Black Everything," ridiculously catchy "Coming Up" featuring MDMA, and "Words I Never Said" with Skylar Grey. —Apple Music
Deluxe edition
Lupe employs a lot more singing, radio-ready choruses, and a heavy, electro-pop influence on his tracks. The best joints here are the string-laced, Afro-centric anthem "All Black Everything," ridiculously catchy "Coming Up" featuring MDMA, and "Words I Never Said" with Skylar Grey. Other guests include John Legend, Trey Songz, and Matt Mahaffey. —Apple Music
== Background ==
The record originally had the working title of We Are Lasers, which came from "some repressed highschool outcast shit...blended amidst And He Gets The Girl ambitions.""We Are Lasers (@WeAreLasers)". Twitter. March 22, 2009. Archived from the original on March 27, 2009. He began recording in March 2009, and tweeted updates to the account, 'wearelasers,' now defunct. On March 22, 2009, he revealed that Lasers was "around 60% done" after working for a week in the studio, though warned that the song titles were "gonna be phony."Vozick-Levinson, Simon (March 24, 2009). "Lupe Fiasco Recording 'Lasers'". Entertainment Weekly. Initially scheduled to be released in June 2009, it was rejected by his record label due to not being commercial enough.Knafo, Saki (March 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Goes Mainstream—His Way". Details. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. In an interview with Australian radio station Triple J, Fiasco told them Lasers had been submitted to his label with an estimated release date of mid-May 2010. Its delayal brought about traction from fans to demand a release date, including an online petition launched with over 5,000 signatures on its first day, which resulted in Fiasco dropping the song "B.M.F. (Building Minds Faster)" as a gift."The Release of the Lasers Album". PetitionOnline. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. In addition, a protest was held outside Atlantic's New York headquarters on October 15, 2010, otherwise known as Fiasco Friday. While Atlantic did confirm the release date earlier on October 7,Adams, Gregory (October 8, 2010). "Lupe Fiasco's Lasers Finally Earns Legitimate Release Date". Exclaim!Fleishcer, Adam (October 8, 2010). "Update: Lupe Fiasco's 'Lasers' to Drop on March 8, Label Tweets". XXL."Atlantic Records (@AtlanticRecords)". Twitter. October 8, 2010. where he credited Julie Greenwald to help in bridging the cooperation between himself, 1st & 15th, and Atlantic to move forward,Tardio, Andres (October 27, 2010). "Lupe Fiasco Speaks on Atlantic, "Lasers," MTV and Bloggers". HipHopDX. the event went forward as planned to celebrate and show support for the rapper. In an interview regarding his fans, Fiasco said, "It was amazing, humbling, and inspiring, to the point where I went back in the studio and did more records… it made everything real, that your music is actually something that people want. And it's something that is successful, not in selling records, but the way it moves people and inspires them to do better for themselves." On February 3, 2011, the official track listing appeared online, though a representative from Fiasco's team did not confirm it."Lupe Fiasco’s Tracklisting for Lasers Not Confirmed, Rep Says". XXL. February 3, 2011.
Lasers was assumed to be the final record of Fiasco's musical career, as he mentioned after The Cool, his next was going to be called LupEND and "likely be his last." He clarified to Loud and Quiet, "I had four more records with Atlantic Records, and my thing was that I was gonna do an album that was three records released over a period of time, but all under the same title, like Star Wars. This was 'LupE.N.D.'—Everywhere, Nowhere, Down Here, was going to be the thing. It's something that got canned, but it was going to fulfil a majority of my contract, and then I could have done a greatest hits record or whatever, and then I'd become Lupe Fiasco 2 or something like that. So it was never that it was going to be no more records, just that I would be out of my agreement with the record company."
Fiasco relented in putting out mainstream songs, though assured on radio station KMEL that some tracks will be controversial, in semblance of Food & Liquors flow.Burgess, Omar (January 19, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Promises Club Tracks and Controversy on "Lasers", Cover Art Revealed". HipHopDX. His label believed The Cool was a failure in sales, and criticized his verse and performance on "Nothin' on You," where Fiasco admitted of the latter moment, "That was the tipping point. It was less about the bruised ego but more the audacity of it. It was mentally destructive. I say it with a certain laissez-faire now because I'm past it, but back then, hearin' that shit, it fucked me up. I was super-depressed, lightly suicidal, at moments medium suicidal—and if not suicidal, willing to just walk away from it all completely." In a 2010 statement to HipHopDX, he said of the long-awaited LP, "I literally put it in God's hands. You know what, Lasers is a record I poured my heart into. I was actually making my own music, in the studio making the songs, and rapping on them. And at the same time, making the music more acceptable. Not making it more poppy, but making it more popular. Putting it in the position where more people can understand it but at the same time still satisfy my hardcore fanbase."Cooper, Roman (September 9, 2010). "Lupe Fiasco Talks "Lasers," "Food & Liquor II"". HipHopDX.
Fiasco disliked the album because of the process behind it, telling Complex: "I know the sneaky business deal that went down behind this song, or the artist or singer or songwriter who wrote this hook and didn't want to give me this song in the first place." They continued to create a few songs after the fans' protest, but he remained indifferent on if the album would be put out or shelved, similar to his neutral view of a lot of its tracks. He added, "I'm happy for the fans, this is their album. This is the album that they fought for and that's what made me do songs like 'Words I Never Said' and 'All Black Everything.' […] That was one of the only reasons the label got on the phone and wanted to have that meeting, they seen the outpouring of support and the critique that was beginning to mobilize via the Internet."Ahmed, Insanul (February 28, 2011). "Interview: Lupe Fiasco Hates His Own Album". Complex.
In 2015, Fiasco offered to destroy physical copies of Lasers, inspired by Atari's burial of their unsold E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial cartridges.Charity, Justin (August 31, 2015). "Lupe Fiasco Offers to Destroy Copies of His Worst Album, 'Lasers,' with a Laser". Complex. He wrote in a Facebook post:
For all you people who really hated my 3rd album LASERS for whatever reason in the universe I want you to send it back to me so I can destroy it with an actual Laser. You not getting any money back or an apology or anything like that. The fact still remains that a lot of people really loved LASERS (Me Included) despite the popular myth that it's one of the worst rap albums ever but sometimes the myth can be stronger than the truth. So yeah…if you have a physical copy of LASERS that you absolutely hate and wish for it to be rendered non-existent then you can send it back to me and I'll have it destroyed with an actual giant laser and send it into next world in spectacular grand fashion!"Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Facebook. August 31, 2015.
To this day, no one ever took him up on the offer.Lewis, Dash (July 17, 2024). "We've Got a File on You: Lupe Fiasco". Stereogum.
== Themes ==
Lasers explores themes of self-reflection, rebellion, resistance, and freedom. It was inspired by his 2009 Lasers manifesto, which was posted to YouTube in 2010 and centers on social activism. The manifesto also appears in a clip from his "Words I Never Said" music video, and fully reads:
To every man, woman & child… We want an end to the glamorization of negativity in the media. We want an end to status symbols dictating our worth as individuals. We want a meaningful and universal education system. We want substance in the place of popularity. We will not compromise who we are to be accepted by the crowd. We want the invisible walls that separate by wealth, race & class to be torn down. We want to think our own thoughts. We will be responsible for our environment. We want clarity & truth from our elected officials or they should move aside. We want love not lies. We want an end to all wars foreign & domestic violence. We want an end to the processed culture of exploitation, over-consumption & waste. We want knowledge, understanding & peace. We will not lose because we are not losers, we are lasers! Lasers are revolutionary. Lasers are the future.
Three songs specifically address his struggles within the music industry. Thoughts of suicidal ideation ("Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)") or admittance of his own flaws and seeking the positive side ("Till I Get There") wrap up in "Letting Go," where he felt he finally "lost a damaged" part of him and realizes it would be okay."Lupe Fiasco Discusses the Making of 'L.A.S.E.R.S.': 'It Was Destroying Me'". Chicago Tribune. March 1, 2011. Archive from the original on March 5, 2011.
Several tracks lean into sociopolitical messages. "Words I Never Said" questions political leaders and how people don't challenge authority, instead partaking in what harms them (drugs, diet soda) or complaining without doing anything to help. "The Show Goes On" acts as a motivational anthem to the disenfranchised, and "State Run Radio" critiques the highly regulated radio that plays repetitive music. "Break the Chain" and "All Black Everything" offer Afro-centric themes, where the former observes how inner-city youth are products of their environment but have a possibility to break the generational cycle, and the latter rewrites history where racism has never existed.
The remaining records are pop-oriented, where "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now" was created for a live audience in mind. "Out of My Head" and "Coming Up" serve as love ballads seeming to target the female demographic, and "Never Forget You" reflects parts of his past, including his roots and his father passing away.
== Release and promotion ==
Fiasco did a promotional run through concerts, televised appearances, two tours, and interviews with various publications. He was featured on the covers of Greedmont Park, Highsnobiety, Jet, Music Connection, and YRB Magazine, where a majority detailed his struggles with Atlantic Records. There were a series of short films directed by Xandy Smith.
He held the hometown concert, Remember 2 Smile, at Congress Theater on October 29, 2009. In the following year he embarked on the Steppin' Laser Tour, which showcased the latest songs "Shining Down," "State Run Radio," "Scream," "Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)," and "I'm Beamin'." In November 2010, Atlantic Records held a private dinner reception and listening session for Lasers, hosted by Tree Sound Studios. During the event, Fiasco called it "a revolutionary album," wanting to inspire social activism. The focus shifted from creating songs for the sake of creating them to crafting songs with a purpose. He aimed to challenge himself on this album, contrasting it with his previous work The Cool, by producing music that leans towards being more accessible without being strictly pop. This approach was intended to connect with a broader audience through his music."One on One with Lupe Fiasco". StraightFromTheA.com. November 22, 2010. He also partnered with the free scanning application, RedLaser, where on February 4, 2011, it was reported in accordance to his tweet, "union square, nyc. just look up to the sky. 7pm." He later elaborated, "University place and 14th look up on the side of the building." This showed the QR code projected on the building that linked to the pre-order of the record."Lupe's Laser Show in Union Square". Rap Radar. February 4, 2011. Later, the website 'qrlasers.lupefiasco.com' hosted Lasers merchandise. All orders included an MP3 download of "The Show Goes On" and "Words I Never Said" to be delivered digitally on February 8th. Hits Daily Double estimated the album to project 220-250k in sales, adding it would be "the second biggest of the year next to Adele.""Hang on Lupe". Hits Daily Double. March 9, 2011. On February 17, 2011, fans could opt into a digital iTunes Pass, where those who pre-ordered Lasers could receive pre-release tracks and, on the drop date, have the deluxe version including two music videos and two bonus tracks.Cooper, Roman (February 19, 2011). "iTunes Pass Available for Lupe Fiasco's "Lasers"". HipHopDX. The album sold 204k album-equivalent units in its first week. Upon its release, there was a storm of online comments from disappointed fans who felt it did not exemplify the rapper's best work. Fiasco tweeted out on March 1, "I never thought Lasers would inspire so much negativity. Reading the comments and reactions is crushing. To all the Lupe fans who protested and petitioned you did a GREAT thing. Don't let people belittle what u achieved. You forced a massive corporation to bow to the whim of the people. That's a glorious thing. Love always shines everytime remember 2 smile has always been a note2self; the product of trying to figure a reason to keep going."Naclerio, Michael (March 1, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Reacts to Lasers Leak". XXL. While there was dissatisfied public responses, the album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the second hip hop record, after Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday, to top the chart in 2011.
For the album release party, Fiasco hosted a concert on March 7, 2011, at Webster Hall in New York. It featured special guests John Legend, Sway, Dosage, and Black Milk."Lupe Fiasco Played Webster Hall w/ Help from Black Milk, John Legend, Sway & Dosage". BrooklynVegan. March 8, 2011. On March 8, 2011, he performed a special set at The Palazzo in Las Vegas, Nevada. On March 26, 2011, a concert was held at House of Blues in Chicago. Meant to be a party, Fiasco and his team had no hand in organizing the event, and apologized for the long delayal of his performance.Shaw, A.R. (March 27, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Performs Live at the House of Blues in Chicago". Rolling Out. Chicago Reader summarized of the incident, "Given that the night's entertainment consisted mostly of a DJ and a bunch of rappers who weren't Lupe Fiasco, it's not surprising that things turned ugly. […] During the five or so hours between the start of the show and Lupe's eventual appearance, numerous fights broke out in the general-admission area of the venue, the stage was piled with bottles thrown in protest, and at one point an unidentified man claiming to be part of the Black P. Stones gang came out and threatened the crowd on the mike. Lupe finally took the stage around 1 AM."Raymer, Miles (March 28, 2011). "Lupe's Buzzkill of a "Concert"". Chicago Reader. Fiasco addressed on Twitter and a blog post:
To be clear to everyone that attended the House Of Blues Laser release thing in Chicago. It was NEVER supposed to be a show… The promoters didn't stress to the public the fact that it was supposed to just be a party. I had NO hand in organizing the event. Nor did my team. I don't even know who the other performers were until the night before the event.
As far as me being late I literally drove about 6 hours to get there and I ran out of gas around Springfield!!!! Shout to AAA 4 the save!!! But anyways my name was on it so I'll take the "L" and rest assured that it will NEVER EVER happen again.
I love my fans. I'm sorry u guys had to go thru some BS. Again me and my crew had NOTHING to do w/ how the event was ran or organized. Also all the money for the event from my side is and always was going to be donated to charity so atleast for me it was a free event.Duong, Paul (March 27, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco at House of Blues (Chicago)". Rap Radar.
The second promotional concert tour, Generation Laser, took place during the Fall of 2011, where several dates happened to coincide with Occupy Wall Street."Lupe Fiasco Talks Family Upbringing, Occupy Wall Street". HipHopDX. November 11, 2011. He supported the movement by donating tents and writing the poem, "Moneyman," which was read out loud by one of the protestors at a New York rally.
== Singles ==
Lasers consisted of four singles, where music videos were issued for each. "The Show Goes On" was released as the album's first single on October 26, 2010, sampling "Float On" by Modest Mouse. It peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming his highest song to chart."Lupe Fiasco | Billboard" The music video, directed by Hiro Murai, premiered on Christmas Day on December 25, 2010.Gary, Kevin (January 3, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Reveals "Lasers" Guest List". HipHopDX.
"Words I Never Said" was released as the second single and contains a pre-written hook by Skylar Grey, where Fiasco chose to talk about world affairs. Its subject matter was considered bold, as he explicitly disagreed with politicians and their actions. During this time, he was blackballed in the industry for his comments on then-president Barack Obama being a "terrorist" for the drone attacks in the Middle East. The song peaked at 89 on the US Billboard Hot 100 for a week. The accompanying music video premiered to MTV on April 29, 2011.
"Out of My Head" was the third single, released on May 22, 2011, and features Trey Songz on the chorus. It debuted and peaked at number 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The music video premiered to MTV on June 29, 2011.
The fourth single "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now" featuring MDMA was released on December 2, 2011. The music video contains footage from his Generation Laser Tour at the Iowa concert.Banks, Alec (December 3, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Featuring MDMA - I Don't Wanna Care Right Now Video". Hypebeast.
Title	Title 	Date 	Note
 	"Shining Down" 	July 7, 2009 	Promotional single; included as a bonus track
 	"I'm Beamin'" 	January 26, 2010 	Promotional single; included as a bonus track
 	"The Show Goes On" 	October 26, 2010 	Single
 	"Words I Never Said" 	February 8, 2011 	Single
 	"Out of My Head" 	February 15, 2011	Single
 	"All Black Everything" 	February 22, 2011	Promotional single
 	"I Don't Wanna Care Right Now"	February 23, 2011	Single
== Title and artwork ==
File:Lasers 1.jpg
File:Lasers 2.jpg
File:Lasers 3.jpg
File:Lasers 4.jpg
File:Lasers 5.jpg
File:Lasers (CD).png
Lasers has the purpose of encouraging social activism, where his manifesto outlines what he wants to achieve with his music."Lupe Fiasco: Don't Forget'em". Ruby Hornet. November 9, 2009. Archived from the original on February 5, 2010. At a 2009 New York concert, he explained of the title, "I picked Lasers because Lasers are life, Lasers shine, Lasers are the future, Lasers are progression, Lasers are revolutionary, Lasers are not losers! Lasers are different, Lasers are weird, Lasers are eclectic, but Lasers are not losers! We're winners that's what we are, we're winners! All the freaks, all the ones that don't know what they are, all the indecisive ones, we're not losers, we are Lasers!""Lupe Fiasco – "My Record Company Didn't Push 'Shining Down' at All"". Hip-Hop-N-More. September 20, 2009.
The cover artwork was designed by Spencer Bagley and Dean Nicastro, with photography done by Andrew Zaeh. It was partly inspired by a phrase in the record's manifesto: "Lasers are shining beams of light that burn through the darkness of ignorance." Bagley added of them actually spray-painting the anarchist 'A' on the 'Losers' sign to align with Lupe's "revolutionary spirit" and "because the way light reacts with its environment can never be faked." It was shot "in a gallery-type setting, which speaks to the separation of social class in itself: The art world is out of reach for a lot of people. […] We had a vision, and Lupe told us to go with it. He really trusted us, and gave us the freedom to do something a little different."Wolk, Douglas (June 2011). "Lupe Fiasco/Lasers." PRINT, vol. 65, no. 3, p. 108.
== Critical reception ==
Lasers received mixed responses from contemporary music critics upon release, many citing his battle with Atlantic to affect the project's creative outcome. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 57 based on 27 reviews. It became his lowest-scoring album until Drogas Light in 2017."Lasers by Lupe Fiasco | Metacritic" The website Album of the Year (AOTY), using the same measurement as Metacritic, gave the album an average score of 55 based on 20 reviews."Lupe Fiasco - Lasers - Reviews | Album of the Year" The album was rated a 5.3 out of 10 on the aggregator AnyDecentMusic?, based on 14 reviews."Lasers by Lupe Fiasco Reviews | AnyDecentMusic?"
Andy Kellman of AllMusic wrote, "For all the concessions one can imagine Lupe making, it's unquestionably the lumbering, overwrought choruses […] If there is one MC whose rhymes should not be dulled for the sake of chasing pop trends, it's Lupe Fiasco."Kellman, Andy (March 8, 2011). "Lasers Review by Andy Kellman". AllMusic. BBC Music's Johnny Sharp was mixed in his review, noticing how the struggle between "creative and commercial" largely affected the end product. He criticized the usage of autotune on vocal melodies, though concluded that "Lupe remains a singular hip hop voice, and Lasers is still worth a listen."Sharp, Johnny (March 8, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Lasers Review". BBC Music. Ian Cohen from Pitchfork was harsher, stating, "simply sounds bad" and "feels like the flaming wreckage of a project that never had a prayer."Cohen, Ian (March 16, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Lasers". Pitchfork. Similarly, Alex Macpherson of The Guardian critiqued the record's direction of commercial and mainstream rap rather than keeping his distinctiveness.Macpherson, Alex (March 3, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Lasers – Review". The Guardian. Los Angeles Timess Todd Martens called it "a moderate disappointment" that lacked cohesiveness, where some tracks felt like a "filler." They acknowledged that several songs seemed to break away from these constraints, where "[they] illustrate Fiasco has something far more important than a No. 1 hit: an opinion."Martens, Todd (March 7, 2011). "Album Review: Lupe Fiasco's 'Lasers'". Los Angeles Times.
A few critics cited his contentious relationship with Atlantic to be a major pitfall for the project. The Boston Globes Carrie Battan wrote that it "reflects the drama of this tug of war" with Atlantic,Battan, Carrie (March 8, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: "Lasers"". The Boston Globe. while Chicago Tribunes Greg Kot remarked, "Its best music shows what it might have been. The rest feels more like an obligation reluctantly met."Kot, Greg (March 1, 2011). "Album Review: Lupe Fiasco, 'L.A.S.E.R.S.'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. Chris Coplan from Consequence of Sound lamented over Fiasco's battle with his label, though positively added, "there's BS everywhere, but true Lasers can rise above."Coplan, Chris (March 9, 2011). "Album Review: Lupe Fiasco – Lasers". Consequence. DJBooth gave a mixed review, writing, "The effect of all that knowledge is to make listening to Lasers a sometimes paranoia-invoking experience. Every song, every note, every lyric has a question lingering like a shadow behind it: was that Lupe's decision, or Atlantic's?" They praised "All Black Everything" for its production and lyrics, but expressed overall disappointment of the project.Slavik, Nathan (March 8, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco - Lasers". DJBooth. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011. Tim Chester of NME said of Fiasco's situation with Atlantic: "The truth is they put this damp flannel to their ears and heard a lot of corny rhymes about virtuous living set to mass-produced R&B synth sounds." Aside from the three following tracks "Words I Never Said," "All Black Everything," and "Lasers," Chester believed the rest to "[walk] a fine line between conscious hip-hop and sleepwalking."Chester, Tim (March 23, 2011). "Album Review: Lupe Fiasco – Lasers (Atlantic)". NME.
HipHopDX gave criticism to its execution, writing, "Only traces of Lupe Fiasco's greatness are present on Lasers, and even then he sounds less focused.""Lupe Fiasco - Lasers". HipHopDX. March 4, 2011. NOW Magazine was more positive, penning, "Oddly, Lasers is Fiasco's most commercial-sounding album—but think of it as club music with a conscience. The Chicago wordsmith wraps his skillful flow and incendiary rhymes about politics, social strife and race relations around feel-good club beats and massive, singalong choruses. In doing so, he effectively erases the invisible line that separates brain from booty.""Lupe Fiasco – Lasers". NOW Magazine. March 3, 2011. PopMatters gave the lowest critic score of 10 (out of 100), declaring, "My jaw remains affixed to the ground, my main goal from this point onwards remains to never hear Lasers in its entirety again."Amidon, David (March 9, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Lasers". PopMatters. In contrast, Entertainment Weeklys Brad Wete offered warm praise of the album, awarding an A.Wete, Brad (Maerch 2, 2011). "Lasers". Entertainment Weekly.
Rolling Stone writer Jon Dolan was generally favorable, writing, "Lupe's beats run from Nineties buoyancy to driving rap rock, but his most exciting tracks are operatic brawlers that give his athletic, whiplash flow and rich imagination room to move."Dolan, Jon (March 8, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco Lasers Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011. The New York Timess Jon Caramanica described it as "a chaotic album full of gummy rhymes that look better on the page than they sound to the ear, delivered with a tone of tragic bombast."Caramanica, Jon (March 8, 2011). "Bombastic, Boisterous and Triumphant". The New York Times. Andy Gill from The Independent admitted, "it's a bit of a letdown," continuing, "while his flow has a nice bounce and monotonal glide, too many tracks end with one wondering what exactly he's said, if anything at all."Gill, Andy (March 4, 2011). "Album: Lupe Fiasco, Lasers (Atlantic)". The Independent. Slant Magazine summarized, "Lupe's half-assed, club-ready radicalism is ultimately the most frustrating thing."Cole, Matthew (March 11, 2011). "Review: Lupe Fiasco, Lasers". Slant Magazine. In Spin, Brandon Soderberg commented, "fuses the seething, political rap of the underground with the motivational, occasionally emo fist-pumping that's been at the top of the charts in the past year."Soderberg, Brandon (March 8, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco, 'Lasers'". Spin.
Chad Grischow of IGN wrote in support, "it is hard to believe Atlantic Records ever seriously considered shelving it […] anyone that cannot hear the greatness here should probably find a new line of work."Grishow, Chad (March 8, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Lasers Review". IGN. Reviewing the album in Paste magazine, Jeff Levin opined, "is surprisingly polished, poppy and contemporary."Levin, Jeff (March 22, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Lasers". Paste. Rukus Magazine conceded, "For fans of Lupe since his beginnings, this album will have different beats than past Lupe Fiasco releases, in order to fit in with the commercial music of today." They argued, "Lasers is not a perfect hip hop album; there are some Euro-club beats which may not be for everybody and Atlantic Records obviously made him include certain tracks. […] Despite this, Lupe manages to keep his essence flowing throughout the album with smart lyrics about the issues of the day. So if you are tired of hearing rap songs about cars, girls, money, and champagne, Lasers is a must pick up—just don't expect the beats to blow you away."Weeden, Jeremy (April 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: Lasers, Album Review". RUKUS Magazine. May 2011. Alexander Billet, in a post written for SoCiArts, observed how relevant the topics in songs are: "In that respect, Lasers may be more an album for our times than either artist or label ever intended. Few releases in recent memory have so starkly embodied hip-hop's pain and promise in the same breath. Fewer still can claim its best moments to be the progeny of protest."Billet, Alexander (March 14, 2011). "Pain, Promise and Protest on Lupe's Lasers". SoCiArts.
== Accolades ==
=== Awards ===
Year	Award 	Category 	Result	
2011	BET Hip Hop Awards	CD of the Year 	 	
2012	Grammy Awards 	Best Rap Album 	 	
2012	NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Album	 	
=== Listicles ===
Year	Publication	List 	Result	
2011	HipHopDX 	Disappointing Album of the Year	 	
2012	PopMatters 	The 20 Worst Albums of 2011 	 	
=== Certifications ===
Country 	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)	Gold 	500,000^
 	 	
== Track listing ==
Notes
* signifies a co-producer.
* "The Show Goes On" features vocals from JR Get Money on the hook.
* "Break the Chain" is stylized in all caps.
Sample credits
* "Letting Go" contains samples from "Public Enemy No. 1" by Public Enemy.
* "The Show Goes On" contains samples from "Float On" by Modest Mouse.
* "All Black Everything" contains samples from and portions of "I'll Be Seeing You" by Jimmy Durante.
=== Unreleased songs ===
In 2018, Fiasco stated, "The OG version of Lasers was much more energetic and genre bending…the original intro was this 8-Bit video game BGM that was sooooo dope…if I can find all the original files I try and put together the OG version…""Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. March 26, 2018. This included the songs "Scream," "Stereo Sun," "All Systems Go," "You Can Have It All," and "Ghost.""Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. July 16, 2013. In 2021, he revealed some potential collaborations that were rejected or did not occur. He wanted Chris Martin on "Superstar," Eminem turned down the remix version, Chester Bennington to be on "Beautiful Lasers," and Kid Cudi on "Till I Get There.""Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. December 10, 2021. Lady Gaga was "on a version of Lasers," though was taken off because his label told him he was "rapping too fast.""Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. July 16, 2013.
In 2010, DJ Moondawg hosted the mixtape, Before There Were Lasers, which compiles unreleased leaks or bootlegs. The material contains tracks predating Lasers, and was meant to hype up Fiasco's forthcoming project.Barber, Andrew (June 5, 2010). "Mixtape; Lupe Fiasco + DJ Moondawg - Before There Were Lasers". Fake Shore Drive. The fan-made mixtape, Extra Lasers, compiles leftover songs including "Love Letter to the Beat," "Airplanes," and "Army Girl."
Title 	Note
"Airplanes" 	Leaked to the internet on on April 6, 2011; features Hayley Williams.
"All Systems Go" 	Mentioned in a tweet.
"Army Girl" 	Performed in 2009 (Live on the Levee, Sprite Step Off).
"Ghost" 	Mentioned in a tweet.
"Heart Donor" (OG) 	Mentioned in a tweet; had sample clearance issues."Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. July 3, 2014.
"Lasers" 	Mentioned in a tweet; features Matthew Santos."Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. July 16, 2013.
"Love Letter to the Beat"	Speculated track; features Alicia Keys.
"Nothin' on You" 	Leaked in 2010; given to B.o.B instead.
"Scream" 	Performed during the Steppin' Laser Tour.
"Stereo Sun" 	Given to UK rapper Tinchy Stryder for the album Third Strike.
"Strange Fruition" (OG) 	Mentioned in a tweet.
"Who Are You Now" 	Features B.o.B.Osei, Anthony (March 29, 2011). "Listen: Lupe Fiasco f/ B.o.B "Who Are You Now"". Complex.
"You Can Have It All" 	Mentioned in a tweet.
== Charts ==
=== Weekly charts ===
Chart (2011) 	Peakposition
Australian Albums (ARIA) 	
Australian Urban Albums (ARIA) 	
Australia Albums (Billboard) 	
Canadian Albums (Billboard) 	
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 	
French Albums (SNEP) 	
Irish Albums (IRMA) 	
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) 	
Scottish Albums (OCC) 	
UK Albums (OCC) 	
UK R&B Albums (OCC) 	
US Billboard 200 	
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) 	
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) 	
=== Year-end charts ===
Chart (2011) 	Position
US Billboard 200 	
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)	
== References ==
== External links ==
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Category:Albums
Category:Lasers
Category:Lupe Fiasco albums
Category:Studio albums