This past Tuesday, Lupe Fiasco released his third album, Lasers, and earned the praise of fans and critics alike. But according to an interview with Tavis Smiley, the Chicago MC struggled with the label, a la the age-old battle of art vs. business. That drama, coupled with the burden of losing his father “and other people along the way” drove the rapper to consider suicide at one point, he revealed.

“I became very human, very aware of my mortality,” said Lupe. “I contemplated suicide. I contemplated some things that I shouldn’t have, but I felt it was a part of the process.” During the interview, Lupe goes in-depth about his depression and recovering from it, and explains how his experiences played a major role in the making of his album.

“For me, it was like this is too much to bear—just life in general. I didn’t really see any light,” Lupe said. He also mentions that the song “Beautiful Lasers” was a result of how he felt at the time. “It became less about completing this record and completing this project and more about completing yourself as a human being.”

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