For a man who once believed that “hip-hop saved his life,” Lupe Fiasco is now realizing that hip-hop might also be the end to his life as he knows it.

After great struggle with Atlantic Records, as well as an internal struggle, Lupe Fiasco has finally managed to produce a haphazardly assembled and more-or-less inconsistent album to appease the demands of his producers and listeners – “Lasers.”

“Lasers” was released on March 8, following an online leak, and was immediately received with mixed feelings, which developed in the aftermath of Lupe’s two previous creative albums, “Food & Liquor” and, more recently, “The Cool.”

The ambivalence Lupe expressed stems from his conflict with Atlantic Records; through a series of failed album releases due to his strict contract with Atlantic Records, Lupe was not able to release the songs of his choice but was instead subject to the whims of the producers’ mainstream, moneymaking views.

In February of this year, Lupe revealed his feelings for the album in an interview with Complex.

“… ‘The Cool,’ is more of my own blood, sweat, and tears, and my own control,” Fiasco said. “With this record, I’m little bit more neutral as to the love for the record.”

And it becomes evident by listening to the music.

While three years ago Lupe was engrossed in preaching his philosophical viewpoints in his previous album, “Lasers” embodies a personal struggle with the entire ordeal he underwent. “Lasers” not only lacks Lupe’s fun vibe which permeated his Kanye West-inspired lyrics and unique subject matter beforehand, but he also focuses on the suicidal sentiments and low-key thoughts that plagued his mind during the production of “Lasers.”

In songs such as “Letting Go,” Lupe describes his overwhelming exhaustion and his bleak emotional state in the past few years. “Beautiful Lasers (Two Ways)” mixes an auto-tuned chorus, which breaks from most of the mainstream music in the exploration of his negative energy during the process. 
In “Words I Never Said,” the powerful lyrics alone carry the song and force his audience to reflect.

“Words I Never Said,” on the other hand, takes a stronger position, a form of social criticism, attacking the political scene, including Obama and Islamic fundamentalists; it also focuses on the war on terror.

One of the stronger songs with a clear message is “State Run Radio,” in which, as the name implies, Lupe foretells of a government-controlled radio where lyrical freedom does not exist since repetitive, catchy songs that lack substance are forced upon the people.

However, perhaps it is the success of the few of his songs that cause the great disappointment, which comes from the inconsistencies in the album “Lasers.” After all, while Lupe criticizes the current radio industry in “State Run Radio,” “I Don’t Wanna Care Right Now” hypocritically features uncreative lyrics, mainstream rap, and dull subject matter focusing on money and women.

“Coming Up” features a punchy pop beat reminiscent of the new-age Usher, again falling into the mainstream trap that Atlantic Records pushed for. Lupe shouts out to his listeners and strays from any focus of which he might have awkwardly built in the album.

Finally, there is great irony in the anarchy symbol on the album cover. After all, Lupe strives for a rebellious mix of prophetic verse which he tries to capture in the red “A,” but he falls short of this in his conformist, mainstream popping beats as well as auto-tuned choruses and lack of direction.

My rating for “Lasers”? Three out of five stars. Maybe three point five on a good day.

So this piques one’s curiosity: Is this the end of Lupe Fiasco, the unorthodox rapper who has fallen into a rut with record company contracts?

Well, probably not.

His album “Lasers” may fall short of his two previous fresh and groundbreaking albums, but in the larger sense of his music – when compared to the rest of the current hip-hop industry  – Lupe still maintains a certain uniqueness from other mainstream rappers. Chances are he’ll come back positively with an invigorated set of tracks in the next year or two.

At the release event, Lupe told the audience he would have more creative freedom next time around. “[They] promised me they would not come into the studio,” Fiasco said.

With this in mind, the crowd cheered Fiasco on, not wanting to yet accept the premature career ending of a man who had recently been a superstar, a representation of that big letter “A.”