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

One of the highlights from last night's BET Hip Hop Awards was the series of rap ciphers that were intermingled into the 2-hour broadcast. This was the truest representation of rap I've seen in a while. The hottest of the cipher circles? Joe Budden, KRS-One, Eminem, and Mos Def. Nicki Minaj came kinda hard too!

Wale released this track the other day. Here ya go! via Wale's Twitter. Attention: Deficit drops November 3rd.

Mack: By the way... this ain't a Lenny Kravitz sample. That's N.E.G. also known as The NorthEast Groovers. Go-go heads stand up! Kravitz's song, Groovers sample!

DOWNLOAD: Wale - Fly Away

Another party starter rightchea... I feel like I should know this sample, but damn I can't think of where it came from!! If there's one thing I can say about Wale, he brings some versatility to hip-hop and it sounds fun again. I hope his album holds up to the standards of all these leaks...

In Episode 5 of On The Road With Wale, we find our hero breaking down the definition of the term "juicin". Setting up for shows and taking his tour with UCB around the country Wale is on the road to a city near you and next month he'll be in stores everywhere with the release of Attention Deficit, his debut album which he's definitely "juicin"!!

We apologize that we missed last week but we're back with episodes 3 & 4 of On The Road With Wale, powered by Zune. In episode 3, Wale takes a minute from the set of the Chillin video to kick a freestyle for his viewers. Not just any freestyle though, Wale makes sure to address some of the misconceptions in his style and his music. Check it out!

Check out this very moving video for Wale's new single Family Affair, directed by Rik Cordero. Somber in nature, this video depicts the deep story told in the lyrics of this song - a mother embattled in what appears to be a no-win situation, narrated from three unique perspectives. The wisdom of children sometimes exceeds us all... check it out and then download the MP3.

DMV stand up!!! Check out the video for Wale's debut single Chillin' featuring Lady Gaga! This joint warms my heart seeing the sights of my hometown all over the place. The song has been gaining a lot of momentum on the net and the airwaves, and the video introduces Wale to the world. Just being honest they could have left out the mini-special effects at the end (Lady Gaga dancing on his hand), it looked a bit cheap but overall its a pretty nice video. Chillin is the lead single from Wale's debut album Attention Deficit, dropping in August!

We're back with episode 2 of On The Road With Wale. In this episode, we go behind the scenes with Wale at the video shoot for his hot debut single Chillin featuring pop starlet Lady Gaga. Filmed in the nation's capitol, this video aims to skyrocket Wale into the mainstream forefront. The shoot looks like it was a lot of fun, and the video looks like it's gonna bring some heat. According to Wale, Chillin should hit the net within the next day so make sure you check back to see it. Video provided courtesy of Digiwaxx.

Wale put out Family Affair via Twitter this morning and I think it's a good look for him, a nice way to transition out of the party/hype vibe of Chillin and showcase more of his lyrical ability - especially now that he's got the world's attention. Family Affair is a pretty intense song with some hard-hitting perspectives. There lyrics here NEED to be heard, so if this isn't the final version, I'd simplify the instrumental as much as possible so as not to distract from the song's content. Otherwise, I stamp this joint as official!! Attention Deficit is on the way!! Video below...

The homie Wale put it down for the DMV area last night with his first national TV performance. Together with go-go band UCB, Wale took the stage and brought the crowds in LA to a roaring chant with the performance of his debut single Chillin. The band totally completes this performance, and I must say whoever's on guitar is rockin this song!! Wale brings it all together for a killer performance. A note to all hip-hop artists out there: here's proof that a great live band is ALWAYS better than a track!