When the artist himself hates his own studio effort, its a testament to how much of a botched mess this is. Not to mention the dreadful Charlie Puth ripoff "Pick Up The Phone", retrofitted with bittersweet, carefree strings that are the fixings of a garbage love-rap ballad in the making. Songs like the indie-pop bungle "It's Not Design" reinforce the narrative conjuring funk-laden keys and glitzy guitar that feels like a Maroon 5 ripoff, alongside god-awful lyricism by Lupe and some unknown named Selim, complete with a morbid hook on top. Ironic, as that "wisdom" fizzles out by faltering under the kind of manufactured, radio-esque fodder that stripped LASERS of quality and variety. His cool, collective verse is a prayer of improving one's self, beamed with bars like "I will pursue felicity, find value in simplicity/Altruism and empathy will be the first thing extended to my enemy". Laid under wintery, misty synths and a throwback to Lupe's insane lyrical ability, this is easily the best song of the album. It starts off with a refresher in "Tranquillo", carrying Lupe's biggest features in awhile with Rick Ross and BIG K.R.I.T. Quite the downfall.Įxiting the phase of trap-rap infusion, you're suddenly transported back to a reboot of the tasteless, pop filler that destroyed LASERS. Even the highlight of this poor start, the "Deliver"-esque "NGL" which delivers a soulful performance by Ty Dolla $ign, is marred by repetitive lyricism that Lupe forces down your throat with uninspiring energy. You expect us to get turnt to America's demise? The idea of such a concept is laughable. It's not close to as complex as the firestorm that was "Mural" or thereof, with direct lines like "My cocaine come from Arizona/my Detroit whip run quick like Forrest" alluding to the subject easily, and copying the signature Atlanta flow where he's channeling his inner Gucci.
It culminates with the rock/trap-built "Made In The USA", a hype track with a simple storytelling over the state of modern-day America.
It continues with songs like the generic trap anthem "Promise" muddled in soulless strings and a performance so unlike Lupe, it's unfathomable he went from lyrical maestro to "this". The downfall starts with the intro "Dopamine Lit", a adrenaline-pumped experience littered in a hook of annoying "DROGAS, DROGAS" that set the tone. Its not that the production is all bad, but the overly-basic tone is a far cry from the man who dropped a masterpiece in 2015. The first half starts off with a bunch of high-volume infusions that scream the obvious: create as many trap anthems as you can, stripped of the man we know and love. The first of three albums representing the "DROGAS" trilogy this installment goes horribly wrong with the radio filler that ruined LASERS, along with trap that see Lupe copy everyone. Even more unfortunate is how he allowed that sh*tstorm to culminate in possibly the worst rap album of the year, something so extremely dreadful like the sellout disaster that was LASERS, this might as well be its demonic offspring. During a freestyle, he delivered the controversial line, "Artist getting robbed for their publishing, by dirty Jewish execs that think his alms from the covenant", a line that got interpreted as anti-Semitic. Thank the backlash he received over a lyric that nearly resulted in canceling his independent debut, the uniquely titled DROGAS Light, for what unfolds next. However, that consistency has come to an screeching halt. Not to mention his balance of evocative, social lyricism equaled with eviscerating, cool production. Whether it was capturing the state of America on his heavily political "Food & Liquor II", or giving ambient depictions of Chicago and its grim surroundings into digital format with the colorful "Tetsuo & Youth", he's always been consistent. Disastrous efforts have rarely been a trait of Lupe Fiasco, considering his delivery of high quality, conscious rap projects.
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