I’m not quick to crown anyone with a title, let alone someone I don’t really know. Secondly, it’s never good to name anyone as the saving grace of hip-hop, as it’s difficult to save anything that, en masse, isn’t in the mood to be saved. Since the birth of the movement, the salvation of hip-hop has been a low priority.
But, along comes Wale and within a few listens, I’m suddenly thinking to against those lines. I downloaded the new Mixtape About Nothing, honestly based on the curiosity at what lunatic would really theme a mixtape after Seinfeld. After the opening few tracks, I’ve got those flutters in my ear that remind the first time I heard Mos Def’s Black On Both Sides, with the slick palatable production and intelligent rhymes. The Mixtape About Nothing itself is a solid work of art, that found itself getting multiple plays over the course of last weekend. He’s smart, without being too aloof. Production choices, like the use of Justice’s D.A.N.C.E as the backing on last year’s 100 Miles and Running shows a smart touch that’ll just make his wider appeal that much more apparent.
I’ve had a pretty love/hate relationship with the last 5+ years of hip-hop, each year offering me less and less that genuinely appealed to my ear. Both production choices and lyrical styles just veered away from my real taste. Lately, production’s been a factor in my drifting off; moving away from a reliance on pricey samples took a little of the soul and swing away from much of the music. It’s cheesy, but I’m a sucker for just a well-aged snare sample. Well, From start to finish both The Mixtape About Nothing and 100 Miles And Running are slick, fun, and smart…a combination just not so often found in hip-hop these days. The choices of backing tracks are amazing, his lyrics are consistently interesting and at times, incredibly insightful (The Kramer). Hell, I’m even entranced by the purposeful contextualization of Seinfeld clips.
Wale is on his way up. Given that the man has produced a few mixtapes that are better than most people’s debut albums in another 6 months, he’ll be someone you’ll struggle to not constantly read blog posts about.
Enjoy his last two mixtapes, which are available as free, digital downloads:
Wale – 100 Miles and Running
Wale – The Mixtape About Nothing
W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E – from 100 Miles And Running
The Roots feat. Wale & Chrisette Michele – from The Roots Rising Down as well Wale’s Mixtape About Nothing
This song is also proof that ?uestlove is a gooddamn fine drummer.
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