I was in Chicago at the Congress Theater on Halloween 2008 when Lupe Fiasco announced the name of his third album, “LupEND.” Since then, it has been postponed and renamed — to “Lasers” — with only three of its tracks released on the Internet.
The production process of “Lasers” can be used to illuminate the larger processes of hegemony and domination in the music industry and the possible linkages among military, economic, political and other cultural phenomena.
Why has the release of “Lasers” taken so long? It is not lack of work on Fiasco’s part. In one instance, he submitted 60 versions of a song to Atlantic Records, according to an article by MTV News.
It took an online petition, with signatures from about 28,000 fans, for Atlantic Records to finally allow for the album’s release.
Fiasco released a short video called “The L.A.S.E.R.S. Manifesto.” The video discussed and outlined Fiasco’s philosophy and the ideas behind the album.
It states, “We want the invisible walls that separate by wealth, race and class to be torn down; … we will be responsible for our environment; we want clarity and truth from our elected officials; … we want an end to all wars, foreign and domestic; we want an end to the process culture of exploitation, overconsumption and waste.”
In an interview with Details, Fiasco said he wanted to “make a popular record,” which by his definition meant “an uprising by the people.”
Following along the same lines, the album cover simply reads “LOSERS,” with a red anarchist “A” painted over the “O.”
It appears the album was political. After repeated rejections, Fiasco attempted to cancel his contract with Atlantic Records but legally found himself unable to do so.
The album is not directed against any specific person or entity. In the song “Words I Never Said,” he criticizes everyone from the U.S. government to terrorists to drug users. He simply is rejecting the status quo.
The point is, by entering into a contract, Fiasco’s music forever has been changed. Still, this is no conspiracy theory. Atlantic Records is not working with the government to keep Fiasco down.
We should realize large corporations are not interested in music that might be hostile to the status quo and the disruption of markets. They are concerned with profits.
Art is not only reflective of culture and society; it also can produce it. Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring” inspired the environmental movement.
By entering into the production of music, a corporation can influence the opinions and ideas of listeners. The music that comes out of Atlantic Records can be understood as contributing to hegemonic views and outlooks in society.
We should be aware the Department of State has a position known as U.S. Hip Hop Cultural Envoy.
This post, currently held by Toni Blackman, is concerned with using hip-hop as a diplomatic tool to produce sympathetic views of the U.S. in the eyes of global youth.
It is an attempt to use hip-hop for American interests. If corporations already are influencing production in ways that propagate the status quo, we can see the Department of State also is thinking along the same lines.
The point is not to control and dominate the hip-hop industry, but these policies do help the continuation of certain dominant military, economic and political positions, as well as cultural ideals.
Fiasco still can get his point across, but in the process, he enters a web of competing hegemonic tropes and ideas.
As Omar El-Khairy, a political sociology graduate student at the London School of Economics and Political Science, put it, “The intersection of Empire, globalization and hip-hop culture is therefore coming to represent a complex and contradictory space, but also an equally possible space for liberation.”
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These are not isolated incidents. U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., recently received death threats after she proposed ending military sponsorship of NASCAR.
Culture no longer can be seen as neutral to politics. It produces, and is a product of, political sentiments.
It can be used as a weapon by the strong or the weak.
Joey Podrasky is a State News guest columnist and an anthropology and Arabic senior. Reach him at podrask2@msu.edu.
