Let me get one thing clear, I fux with Wale. I dig his rhymestyle and his content has always felt smart to me. After his Seinfeld themed mixtape I was a fan. I still give Wale mad credit for namedropping Oksana Bauil. Who does that crazy shit?!? Wale does, but only on mixtapes.
Wale’s albums are a disappointment to me for not having the consistency of cleverness that his mixtapes boast. They are just… Meh. I felt that way about his debut CD ‘Attention Deficit‘ and I feel similarly nonplussed about this new project ‘Ambition’. Wale isn’t a bad rapper and he is far from boring but he does not dominate on his tracks the way he should. Wale is becoming a background rapper on his OWN music. I fux with the tracks I posted below tho’ almost all of them are R&B rap tracks.
When the Maybach Music honcho tabbed Wale for his team I thought that would be the watershed moment for his breakthrough. No one is more confident than Rick Ross. Who else in rap has survived as many fuck ups as Rick Ross? He’s gone from stealing the swag of a drug dealer, being a former law enforcement officer, to battling bloggers and the beast of all rappers, 50 Cent. If Rick Ross can rise up from all of that so can Wale from an embarrassing internets meme moment.
And Wale has risen up. His singular and obvious contribution to Maybach Music is that their sports references have jumped up several levels, and no one knows high end designer hypebeast shit like Wale. You see how crazy Rick Ross sneaker game is now? Give Wale the credit for that. I wish Ross would imbue Wale with the ability to make a consistent album. Not even a great album, just a joint not populated with features which disappear Wale into the background of his own ambitions.
‘Lotus Flower Bomb’ featuring Lloyd
‘Focused’ featuring Kid Cudi
‘Slight Work’ featuring Big Sean
‘That Way’ featuring Jeremih and Rick Ross
I keep thinkin he looks like Jim Jones on that cover…
But yeah, another sign that major releases stifle creativity. I wasn’t ever the largest fan of Wale but the mixtapes about nothin were solid. I bought Attention Deficit and wasn’t impressed, and haven’t heard anything off the new album that makes me want to purchase it
Very similar to J Cole. I loved the Warm Up and even Friday Night Lights, but Coleworld was a step in the wrong direction.
maybe you are right..
Wale, Stalley and Meek Mills are the only reason I’m checking for MMG. I’ll give Wale a chance and make the purchase. At the worst “Ambition” should be a good compliation album, if Wale don’t shine.
Wale is pure Kakamania…. I never understood the overhype behind this guy. Dude doesnt even rhyme his words half the time!
#1 rule in Rap 101, rhyme your words!! Fuck outta here!
I can’t fuck with Wale.
You have to be one of the world’s dumbest rappers (which is damn near impossible in the current state of affairs) to give the good shit away and charge for what feels like leftovers.
Like DP, I am a Mixtape Wale Fan too. More so of the earlier ones than the most recent.
I think Wale is at an maturity point where he needs to stop trying to care what ppl want or say about him (see his tweet to me), and as an artist, complete his vision. I mean, look at the title of his album – “Ambition”. Ambition is what you hope to do or achieve. Its an a mindset of inferiority. Someone who would like to gain or be something higher than themselves. Much different that Motivation or Drive. Might’ve as well called it, “Aspiration”. He’s not at a place of confidence or self-awareness to declare who he is, just want he wants. At this stage of his career, he has no voice, no identity beyond emotional-impulsiveness, MMG, DMV or Nikes associations.
I cheer for the guy. I really do. I am eager to see him come into his own. But I have to be patient, I guess. Until then, I will stand by what Henry Ford said about “ambition”:
“You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.”
I’ve been a Wale fan for a while now and I’d agree that his mixtapes are better than his albums. With that said, from the label’s perspective he’s not in a position to gamble with the general public with a “More About Nothing” or “Back to the Feature” type of album.
As bloggers and online fans, we’re exposed to new music as soon as it leaks. You’ve gotta realize that there’s a huge population that ISN’T up on the blog game. There’s probably a ton of kids who have never heard of his past mixtapes and/or never downloaded them in a timely fashion.
So, again, coming from a record exec’s perspective would you really let an album even land on shelves that won’t appeal to the casual hip hop fan and/or crossover pop fan? Especially after selling 28k first week with A:D. It seems like Wale tries the hip hop heads with his mixtapes, but he’s still building his overall brand via his albums/features to the general radio friendly crowd.
Perhaps if he sells well and is given another album or two, he’ll be more inclined to stick with the hip hop-centric/experimental type of music.
Meant to say “it seems like wale tries to appeal to the hip hop heads with his mixtapes”
J.D. you sound like a PR genius but DP dot com is a purist hangout. Everyone is welcome here but you won’t find too many mindsets who apologize for crossover tendencies.
there IS a precedent in the last 10 yrs for making quality (for the “heads”) while still radio-selling rap. Kanye “Late Registration” or even Jay-Z “Blueprint 1”. Hell even Game “The Documentary”.
I’m not familiar with Wale’s stuff to know if he has the potential of making an album like that.
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