HOUSE PARTY!!! This joint takes me back to my days house partyin’ it up in the DMV. Wale released this joint tonight shortly after the uproar over the Pretty Girls video. I love the feel of this track, it showcases his cultural background and makes for a pretty hot dance beat. Nice one Wale… shake the haters. SHOUTS TO TABI BONNEY FOR DIRECTIN!! #DMV4LIFE Read the rest of this entry »

So here’s the video causing such a fuss because it’s all light-bright-damn-near-white chicks in the video! Wale took to Twitter fighting off angry fans as always to defend himself, citing limited control over the chicks chosen for the video. When will he learn to just let the critics talk? I don’t mind the video, but then some would say I’m just chauvinist. One thing I don’t like is that damn FREE GUCCI MANE T-Shirt… seriously, Wale? Take that shit off… Read the rest of this entry »

The DMV goes so hard on this remix to Wale’s joint Pretty Girls (leaked via Devaughn’s Twitter page). The neo-soul-hippie-rockstar Raheem Devaughn and his new artist Phil Ade team up with Mr. Attention Deficit himself to remix this blazing go-go infused club banger. With so much non-love (word to A. Keys) coming out of the DMV for these NATIONAL artists, it’s great to see them working together. I’d love to see a video for this, in fact I’ll ask Raheem about it… Read the rest of this entry »

Wale’s goin IN over the Young Money freestyle joint. Diggin this joint, listen after the jump and share your thoughts… Read the rest of this entry »

Not the version that appears on Attention Deficit, this is a more acoustic, less-heavy re-working produced by the Sleepwalkers. Definitely one of the better tracks on the album… check it

Audio: Wale ft. Marsha – Diary

Another unreleased joint that didn’t make the cut for Attention Deficit. Lyrically this is a nice joint from Wale goin at it for the ladies. Attention Deficit in stores now, click the album cover above for the review… u got yours?

Audio: BEAST

It’s so good to see my hometown, the DMV on the map these days. Go-go band UCB and Wale together on Pat Your Weave is a certified club banger: it gets the ladies feeling sexy and makes the fellas turn the swag all the way up. Wale’s new album Attention Deficit in stores TODAY!

Artist: Wale
Album: Attention Deficit
Release Date: 11.10.09

Hailing from the nation’s capital where very few music artists have made it into the spotlight, Wale steps forth with his debut album Attention Deficit. Although he was introduced to mainstream with the pop music smash Chillin (featuring Lady Gaga), this album reveals the DMV-spitter as a true student of hip-hop. The project sees quite a bit of versatility: from party songs, to message-bearing anthems, to thought-provoking songs of introspection and reflection.

Exposing his roots in the go-go music style, Wale parties hard on the album’s latest single Pretty Girls, with vocals from Weensey of the Backyard Band. Pharrell lends a beat to keep the party moving on the feel-good Let It Loose and he teams up with Jazmin Sullivan on the high-spirited World Tour. It’s also commendable that Wale uses his debut album to highlight issues of self-esteem in such a bold manner on tracks like 90210 and Shades which features Chrisette Michele. Mark Ronson produced 90210, which speaks on topics of bulimia and drug addictions, while Shades reflects on Wale’s issues with his own image and skin tone: “cheated on light skinned Dominique when we was 17. I figured I’d hurt her, she’d evidently hurt me…” And yet, his words of inspiration are somewhat contradicted in the aforementioned Pretty Girls as he chants “Ugly girls be quiet, pretty girls clap-clap like this…” Still the album is well-put together, with songs like World Tour, Prescription and the feel-good anthem Beautiful Bliss as easy favorites. Marsha Ambrosius lends her vocals to Diary, a more solemn look at a woman’s inability to move through past hurts: “Every problem that you ever had with another man, I gotta face…”

Lyrically Wale pulls off a few sporadic one-liners and metaphors but for the most part his rhymes, though witty at times, aren’t impressively complex, if at all. That lack of ferocity stands out most on tracks like Mirrors (feat. Bun B) and Beautiful Bliss (feat J. Cole) where he’s outdone by the guests on his project. It’s also hard to listen to this album and not feel the undertones of resentment. With an almost Kanye-esque arrogance, Wale goes after his hip-hop counterparts on TV In The Radio, hometown detractors on Mama Told Me, and misguided females on Contemplate. These lyrical tirades reveal a man in touch with his emotions – but then again, Wale’s Twitter timeline could tell you that…

Attention Deficit doesn’t present him as the best lyrical rapper, but the content and delivery on this project make it worth the listen. Just from listening to his mixtapes, it’s clear that Wale has come a long way and represents a part of hip-hop that has been replaced as of late with songs that have a surplus of bitches and bling but a deficiency of substantial content. This is a return to reality for the casual hip-hop fan and is music that’s easy to relate to. Attention Deficit may not be a classic but it’s a solid debut and despite its title, I’m certain that it won’t see a shortage of acclaim…

Check out the video for Chrisette Michele’s latest single from her sophomore album Epiphany. In this clip she’s paired up with DMV homie Wale. If you haven’t checked out her album, I definitely recommend it – it’s one of the best out this year.

One of the better leaked cuts from the forthcoming Attention Deficit album. Wale’s and J. Cole both show the reasons why they’re two of the hottest upcoming MC’s on this track right here. Though a bit restrained, Melanie Fiona holds her own on the hook, but she’s a newcomer that’s definitely gettin’ her shine as well. Attention Deficit hits stores on November 10th.

Audio: Beautiful Bliss