Lupe Fiasco's long-delayed new album, Lasers, has finally received a release date of March 8, 2011. It also takes swipes at Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and... Barack Obama.
The Lazers saga is an epic tale that pit the political rapper and his legions of fans against his record label, Atlantic Records. The album was finished in 2009 but Atlantic refused to set a release date for the album. Fans rallied for the album, declaring a Fiasco Friday and protesting outside the label's NYC headquarters last October. They also created an online petition that generated 5,000 signatures in its first day and 32,000 in total. Now that a release date has been set, fans have organized Fiasco Friday II, asking everyone to gather at Union Square and purchase the album. Talk about loyal fans.
Fiasco's anti-establishment street cred may step up a notch even further with the album's second single, "Words I Never Said." It premiered today on Fiasco's website. Fiasco had warned that the song would be controversial, as its lyrics include the line "Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist, Gaza Strip was getting bombed, Obama didn't say shit, That's why I ain't vote for him, next one either." While many rappers, including Young Jeezy and Nas, openly praise the current President, Fiasco has set himself apart with his lyrics.
Check out the single below: