Lupe's Rolling Stone Interview: Not Giving A F*ck, Not Doing Interviews Any More, Inspirations ETC.

[Bawse D.Lox]

I really like Lupe's music, and I understand how he's probably disenfranchised about the commercial aspect of music, but if wants people to hear his music anywhere other than the trunk of his car when he goes independent, he has to be at least a little cooperative during interviews and not shun the public a la Howard Hughes.

By being almost combative with the media in all forms, he's burning bridges that independent artists need to be successful.

He can say he wants to do it purely for the art, but the fact is, if he doesn't want to run into debt and lose whatever wealth he's accumulated from his career so far, he's going to have to play the game with interviewers and reviewers and other people that can either make or break music careers.

When magazines begin shunning him or giving him bad reviews because he keeps being an asshole when they try to interview him, he's going to do a reversal on his stance towards fan interpretations and media reports, but it might be too late.

Sometimes you just have to play the game and give a little to get what you want in return, and it seems like Lupe doesn't want to do that. Unfortunately, he's not popular enough nor have a large enough and loyal enough fan base to survive off this kind of isolatory strategy. Nor is his catalogue great enough where he can do whatever he wants and still get the airplay off the strength of his past works.

Lupe:Nah, for me it's art. I do this for the sake of myself. It's a selfish process. I don't really have any expectations from anyone for your comments or your reviews or your previews. Not to say that I won't see it, but that's not the point. I'm happy rapping a song like "Form Follows Function" for myself, the same way I can sit and watch a movie by myself or go to an art gallery by myself. Who do you listen to at the end of the day? Who do you look for to give you the thumbs up or the thumbs down about a certain thing? I don't really look to the public atmosphere for that kind of validation. I'm trying to find that validation in myself with my own art and put it on display, and if people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. Some stuff I don't even put out. I'll just be home, happy, creating something for myself, and then ball it up and throw it in the trash. It's less about trying to prove something or get on somebody's list or make a fan happy or make a hater mad or convert a non-believer. That's not the case for me anymore. Mixtapes, The Cool, whatever. We're done now. You get it, I get it, we're done. If you want to participate in this album, fine, if you don't, that's just as fine. I'll go on tour, go on vacation and come back next summer.

 

[jono]

I understand dude. Sometime you just get tired of explaining yourself to people. He was an asshole to this interviewer but it was still good.

 

[aneed123]

there is a big difference between being individualistic and being a condescending asshole... Lupe came off as the latter in the interview

 

[MC The Rapper]

I mean it what it is dude is a walking talking contradiction . In one sense he's saying I make art for myself but he isn't. He says well i don't have anything to prove but then you name ya album fnl 2 and tell the fans i'm trying to get back to what i was doing before. Then he says I'm not trying to be on anybody top ten list or whatever but he has rap lines that contradict that . Damn dude is suffering from a crisis of identity that Lazers shit got him messed up still

 

[PadSuJad]

Lupe is one of my favorite artists but that fool needs Midol at times

 

[blackrain]

I really like Lupe's music, and I understand how he's probably disenfranchised about the commercial aspect of music, but if wants people to hear his music anywhere other than the trunk of his car when he goes independent, he has to be at least a little cooperative during interviews and not shun the public a la Howard Hughes.

By being almost combative with the media in all forms, he's burning bridges that independent artists need to be successful.

He can say he wants to do it purely for the art, but the fact is, if he doesn't want to run into debt and lose whatever wealth he's accumulated from his career so far, he's going to have to play the game with interviewers and reviewers and other people that can either make or break music careers.

When magazines begin shunning him or giving him bad reviews because he keeps being an asshole when they try to interview him, he's going to do a reversal on his stance towards fan interpretations and media reports, but it might be too late.

Sometimes you just have to play the game and give a little to get what you want in return, and it seems like Lupe doesn't want to do that. Unfortunately, he's not popular enough nor have a large enough and loyal enough fan base to survive off this kind of isolatory strategy. Nor is his catalogue great enough where he can do whatever he wants and still get the airplay off the strength of his past works.

Lupe:Nah, for me it's art. I do this for the sake of myself. It's a selfish process. I don't really have any expectations from anyone for your comments or your reviews or your previews. Not to say that I won't see it, but that's not the point. I'm happy rapping a song like "Form Follows Function" for myself, the same way I can sit and watch a movie by myself or go to an art gallery by myself. Who do you listen to at the end of the day? Who do you look for to give you the thumbs up or the thumbs down about a certain thing? I don't really look to the public atmosphere for that kind of validation. I'm trying to find that validation in myself with my own art and put it on display, and if people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. Some stuff I don't even put out. I'll just be home, happy, creating something for myself, and then ball it up and throw it in the trash. It's less about trying to prove something or get on somebody's list or make a fan happy or make a hater mad or convert a non-believer. That's not the case for me anymore. Mixtapes, The Cool, whatever. We're done now. You get it, I get it, we're done. If you want to participate in this album, fine, if you don't, that's just as fine. I'll go on tour, go on vacation and come back next summer.

THen he can keep that shit to himself, and this is coming from a Lupe fan...thats one of the most bullshit statements rappers say. If he does music for him and doesn't care about what others think about it, there's no need to put it out there for public consumption. Just make music as a hobby and go get a normal job, plenty of people do it. You can't make your living making music and it not be for public consumption. Shit doesn't make sense

 

[Rock_Well]

1.Why make a sequel to Food & Liquor now? What was your thought process behind creating a Part Two?

What are you interested in trying to figure out, beyond that?

Lupe: I don't really look into it that deeply. I think people might be overthinking it. It wasn't that much of a decision either way, like, "Oh, we're going to take people back to the first album," or, "Oh, I'm going to take advantage of people relating it to the first album." It wasn't that serious. I guess it's serious enough for people to ask questions about it, but maybe you should answer it for yourself, too. Not to be a jerk about it, but specifically for that one thing, it's not that deep. It's just Food & Liquor 2.

lol @ this answer....dodging questions that have no apparent intent to even harm anyone.

So basically, Food & liquor 2 just 'happened'. Like he just woke up one morning and, 'Boom!' hey, look it's Food & liquor 2 today

why not take opportunity to give a positive answer that might motivate more sales, duh

 

[Disciplined InSight]

Obviously...Lupe is fed up. The pressure's about to bust those pipes.

 

[IceBergTaylor]

Lupe the GOAT.

 

[silverfoxx]

Where the hell is the "LOL Button" ? And i dont know what to expect from Lupe at this point. From Lasers backlash, to mainstream control, to twitter battles about him selling out, to him breaking down with Sway on MTV, to this. Its obliviously he is going through an transformation for the good or bad. I even remember at one point he contemplated suicide during the Cool album era. Just hope dude is straight mentally.

Its apprent that mainstream took a huge hit on dudes psyche, just hope great music benefit from this.

Also, if he dies before the album Skulls drops, then Illuminati is fucking real.

 

[IceBergTaylor]

^LOL

Idk why people are so up in arms that he's developed a "no fucks given" attitude. Just like a poster said in another thread, the media & even some of the people are to blame for this new Lupe.

 

[JokerzWyld]

I liked this interview. He gave the same attitude to Rolling Stone that Rolling Stone gives to Hip Hop. They got what they deserved.

 

[704Hustla]

dude was just talkin in circles

 

[idoitforhiphop10]

I still don't see what's so bad about this interview?

 

[DR. JEK]

Why do an interview tho if you have no intentions of answering questions? These niggas get in the industry and get to feelin themselves too much. I get that they probably get tired of media twisting they shit around, get disinchanted with a mag slamming them one album and be in they face for an interview the next, and maybe the overall nature of the business side from label politics to kissing shady DJ's asses to get records played fuckin sucks to them, I get that....but they also gotta realize there are legions of people that will trade places with them in a heartbeat that will relish in the face a magazine wants to talk to them about they shit. This interviewer in particular in my view wasn't even asking him shit that was that abnoxious or obvious that he had to get on some defensive sensitive shit.

 

[bkkbully]

I didn't see any bitterness or asshole at all in the interview. Lupe was just being direct with the answers, not tip toeing around like most rappers do (You all know what I'm talking about). Lupe was just straight 100 proof no chaser, straight up and down, ain't no way you can twist these words. gotta respect that and his craft

 

[Bawse D.Lox]

I really like Lupe's music, and I understand how he's probably disenfranchised about the commercial aspect of music, but if wants people to hear his music anywhere other than the trunk of his car when he goes independent, he has to be at least a little cooperative during interviews and not shun the public a la Howard Hughes.

By being almost combative with the media in all forms, he's burning bridges that independent artists need to be successful.

He can say he wants to do it purely for the art, but the fact is, if he doesn't want to run into debt and lose whatever wealth he's accumulated from his career so far, he's going to have to play the game with interviewers and reviewers and other people that can either make or break music careers.

When magazines begin shunning him or giving him bad reviews because he keeps being an asshole when they try to interview him, he's going to do a reversal on his stance towards fan interpretations and media reports, but it might be too late.

Sometimes you just have to play the game and give a little to get what you want in return, and it seems like Lupe doesn't want to do that. Unfortunately, he's not popular enough nor have a large enough and loyal enough fan base to survive off this kind of isolatory strategy. Nor is his catalogue great enough where he can do whatever he wants and still get the airplay off the strength of his past works.

Lupe:Nah, for me it's art. I do this for the sake of myself. It's a selfish process. I don't really have any expectations from anyone for your comments or your reviews or your previews. Not to say that I won't see it, but that's not the point. I'm happy rapping a song like "Form Follows Function" for myself, the same way I can sit and watch a movie by myself or go to an art gallery by myself. Who do you listen to at the end of the day? Who do you look for to give you the thumbs up or the thumbs down about a certain thing? I don't really look to the public atmosphere for that kind of validation. I'm trying to find that validation in myself with my own art and put it on display, and if people like it, they like it. If they don't, they don't. Some stuff I don't even put out. I'll just be home, happy, creating something for myself, and then ball it up and throw it in the trash. It's less about trying to prove something or get on somebody's list or make a fan happy or make a hater mad or convert a non-believer. That's not the case for me anymore. Mixtapes, The Cool, whatever. We're done now. You get it, I get it, we're done. If you want to participate in this album, fine, if you don't, that's just as fine. I'll go on tour, go on vacation and come back next summer.

THen he can keep that shit to himself, and this is coming from a Lupe fan...thats one of the most bullshit statements rappers say. If he does music for him and doesn't care about what others think about it, there's no need to put it out there for public consumption. Just make music as a hobby and go get a normal job, plenty of people do it. You can't make your living making music and it not be for public consumption. Shit doesn't make sense

It's called being an artist. do u think Basqiuat was pondering, on who would be hanging his portrait on their walls???

no.

the nigga just painted. that's a true artist.

a true artist, don't give a fuck about fans. most fans are attached to an artwork, and they want you to paint the same damn artwork, over and over and over

EX: Kanye With CD or LR... Illmatic, Blue Print. ETC..

and once you start pandering to the public, and begin putting out the same thing over and over.

the fans by then, done figured you out. done got tired of you, and are ready to move on to the next thing.

It happened to; Jarule, DMX, Nelly, 50, Ludacris, Chingy. ETC.

Right Now: T.I., Jeezy, & Ross are on the hot seat.

a true artist just paints, just record, just dance off inspiration. and who ever likes it, likes it. who ever don't, don't.

the funny thing about being an artist is, that you don't know what the fans will gravitate too.

you may put out a "what's hot now record" and it won't be well received.

then in the same breathe, you put out something that you recorded because, you wanted to as an artist. and the fans love it.

i seen it with CB "Dueces", Kanye "Runaway", Many Of 2Pac songs. ETC ETC

 

[blackgod813]

Bingo ...u u like it or not brother so why kare he gonna get money

 

[(ob)Scene]

Lol at niggas really saying they didn't see the condescending tone in this interview. Nigga litterally opposed every single thing the interviewer said.

Even the statements that weren't put out to be disagreed or agreed with.

Interviewer: So I see that it's a beautiful day outside. It's 80 & sunny.

Lupe Fiasco: Nah, it's not even that nice though. I don't see it that way b/c beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. This weather starts fucking with my allergies and shit so I can't really seize the day how I want to seize it. And I don't care if anyone agrees with me or not.

 

[Jdilla26]

The Lupe is still God MC I could give 2 fuxs if he was a asshole to the interviewer its the Rolling Stones for GodSakes they dont give a fux about hiphop