Every artist, regardless of genre, does their best to make each album release something special. What makes that any one special varies from album to album, but ideally the artist behind that release believes the work to be the best they could possibly create at that time. After all, why would you release something you were not a fan yourself? The entire reason any artist strives for a record deal or similar financial backing is to better express themselves.
But what if you didn’t have a choice in how or when your album was released?
Lupe Fiasco has maintained a position near the top of the hip-hop hierarchy for nearly a decade, but he’s not above falling short of expectations. The Chicago based rappers has experienced numerous ups and downs during his career, but no drop may have hurt more than the release of his third album, Lasers, in 2011. This was the release that supposed to cement Fiasco’s place amongst hip-hop’s greatest icons, but due to several wars with his label the product that eventually arrived on shelves was not what fans, critics, or even Fiasco himself wanted to hear. It still had moments, of course, but overall the album was a clear step back in a career that had until that time been on a constant progression made in leaps and bounds.
Now, after four years of regret, Lupe is taking a step to erase his biggest commercial disappointment from the record books.
In a new message to fans, which accompanied a series of updates on the rapper’s plans for the future, Lupe has revealed a way to ‘unmake’ Lasers. Check it out:
“My 3rd musically related thing I want to accomplish this year is not to make another album but to do something waaaay stupider…I want to unmake an album. I watched the ATARI E.T. documentary and got inspired. So here’s my idea. 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!
If your down hit me up in the comments or on Twitter with the hashtag #TheReturnOfLasers and if we get enough #LaserHaters willing to have their physical copy destroyed then will do it on New Year’s Day 2016!!! To you #LaserLovers out there with physical copies just sit back and enjoy the craziness that’s about to happen lol… This is a #WellBoggleMeGiblets© production”
Just how Fiasco will use a laser to destroy remains a mystery, but the idea has quickly garnered the rapper a lot of positive attention in the press. A quick scan of both hashtags on Twitter reveals fans seem into the idea as well.
If you found yourself wishing to destroy an album you created, how would you do it?
