Chicago rap legend Lupe Fiasco was famously thorny towards the music industry. A big part of his story was bickering back and forth with Atlantic Records over ownership of his records. This conflict, specifically, had a huge impact on Grammy-winning DJ/producer Kaytranada.
Fiasco made adjustments and compromises to make more contemporary music in his career. But the label wanted complete authority over his work. “The issue was who controlled those records and what the ownership and splits were. Atlantic would only promote my records if they owned a large portion of them or if I signed a 360 deal,” he told a fan in 2022.
It was this divide that inspired a teenage Kaytranada to be particular about how he moved in the music industry throughout his career. In an interview with Highsnobiety, the dance producer talked about watching the rollout for Lupe’s 2011 album Lasers.
Lupe Fiasco’s first independent album after leaving Atlantic Records was ‘Drogas Light’ (2017)
The friction between Fiasco and the label altered how Kaytranada approached the negotiating table. He would make certain decisions that would allow him to maintain creative control at all costs, especially when it came to sampling.
“A lot of people are skipping sampling; they just don’t want to go through the bulls*** and the lawsuits, or even [calling rights holders],” he told the outlet. “But I’m a hip-hop head. I’m a purist when it comes to that.”
It’s this approach that informs the Bubba artist’s desire to release records a lot more frequently. In the past, he would take years at a time working on his own albums. Nowadays, he’s inclined to look at the greats and their prolific release rates.
Kaytranada Shares How Lupe Fiasco Shaped His Approach in the Industry
“Prince would just put out an album every year,” Kaytranada said. “Madlib would put out projects whenever he wants. For me, [an album should be] just a document of what you went through — you look back at it, and you’re like, ‘Okay, that’s how I felt.’”
It’s Prince in particular that seems to inspire Kaytranada the most. In a March 2026 conversation with Billboard, he mused about the Purple One’s 80s output and how every record was just an insight into his state of mind. “In 86, he was doing Parade, then Under the Cherry Moon, then Lovesexy and the black album that was canceled.
This is all literally just a documentation of what he was going through, and people love him for that,” Kaytranada explained. “I approach albums and music like that. If you don’t like what I’m doing, there’s the old stuff, and it’s all good. If you want to keep following what I’m doing, go right ahead and get along for the journey. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
The post How Watching Lupe Fiasco’s Career Struggles Informed Kaytranada’s Approach to the Industry appeared first on VICE.
