Posted 25th October 2008 in 10 G's on OGs bitches need their own room, DJ Toomp, Just Blaze, Lupe Fiasco, The Mixtape About Nothing, Wale, jay-z
The following post has been inspired by this and this.
Yes, the new XXL covers have created somewhat of a shitstorm amongst us blogger types. Everybody’s going through the pictures, either bigging the kids up or picking them apart every whichaway. Throughout all he say-he say (because, the ladies don’t give a shit about any of this…lol..), I figured I had to pull my own weight in this one. I’m not gonna riff about how I’ve never heard Ace Hood (??) or Asher Roth rhyme over anything (and kinda don’t care to), or how I’m just now really starting to pay attention to Mickey Factz (my bad..). I’m simply going to point out the one whom, in my humble opinion, could’ve had stood alone in all this….
Wale.
I’ll admit it, up until The Mixtape About Nothing, I had heard of Wale, but hadn’t fully heard him. At all. 100 Miles and Runnin’?? Nope. W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.?? Negatory. Why?? Because I’m 23 years old, and I’ve seen the best of the best in hip-hop do everything there is to do. So when a new dude comes along and gets a buzz going, I simply nod my head and go play Reasonable Doubt. Yep, I’m kinda one of those guys. Sorry. Can’t help it. I’m pretty stubborn in my tastes and set in my ways. I don’t big up the mid 90’s to early 00’s because it’s the cool thing to do. I’m a product of ‘Friend or Foe’. I’m a student of ‘Ain’t No Fun’. It Was Written triggers sensory responses to where I start smelling smells and hearing noises I heard back in ‘96. That’s just the way it is.
When Wale started making his rounds on the net a little while ago, I brushed it off. My young-old man mentalities got the best of me so I wasn’t too concerned. Then I heard ‘Back On The Go-Go’ on D’s Myspace and thought ‘…okay..hmmm..’ Then I started hearing bits and pieces of this and that. Again, cool. THEN, a chance encounter with said emcee in Bape in NYC some months back (and he STILL didn’t get back regarding the beat cd. But that’s neither here nor there…for now.)
Suddenly, The Mixtape About Nothing is out.
The premise itself is ingenious. Rapper takes most beloved show in TV history, centers tracks around the show. Nice. Never really has that been done before, so it could either be flat-out ill…or god-awful. The former. The former, for sure. After a few listens, it was clear. Wale had that moment. You know the one where after that one piece of material, an artist no longer has to do the hard sell. The Young Jeezy, Trap Or Die moment. The 50 Cent, Guess Who’s Back moment. The Lupe Fiasco, Farenheit 115 moment. Word. He had one of those. That’s the moment every artist dreams about; creating that one body of work that’s so raw, yet so telling- the mission statement, if you will. It’s the set where when you’re talking to the homies about Wale, you say ‘Dude, all you gotta do is listen to the Mixtape About Nothing…’
As far as the rhymes themselves, the kid can go.
‘They tellin’ me I ain’t shit
It’s quite true, constipation takes patience..
I have that like waitress
And the game’s like an indecisive patron…’
What?!!
‘They say I’m Lupe, they say I’m Lil’ Wayne
They say I’m to Jay to portray new ‘Le..
They say I’m to nice to be a rapper, the prerequisite is gun clappin’ so what happen?
They label me a backpackin’ nigga on fashion, I laugh at ‘em
You Mr. West, I ain’t mad atcha, see..
He in his soul mode, I’m on my go-go
Only thing in common is these fuckin’ Matsumotos…’
…damn.
Not to mention joints like ‘The Kramer’, ‘Perfect Plan’, and ‘The Grown-Up’. Crazy, indeed, but they have meanings and messages that are as clear as day. Wale managed to go on and tackle all things relevant in the life of not only a young artist these days, but all things relevant to a young black man. Race, bitches, sneakers, love, lust and hip-hop were all dealt with handily. Aware, but not preachy. Silly, but not ignorant. He tightroped the lines perfectly. Best Kept Secret is also a winner here because he provided the backdrop that’ll eventually be a great marriage to come between the two. Soul x Go-go = Win. Think (for lack of a better or more recent comparison) Preemo and Guru or better yet, Little Brother and 9th Wonder.
Beyond all the famous cosigns and great clothing choices, the best thing Wale is doing is creating his own lane. DMV now has a champion, a real one. He’s not trying to be overly NYC or ATL (thank God). The idea that he has embraced and highlighted his own surroundings makes it that much easier to get into him. We’re not getting the guy who patterned himself after rappers X,Y and Z. While you can see the influences, you can also see his own spin.
Maybe I’m being a bit overzealous here. Maybe I’m overdoing it. Or maybe I’m right. Maybe Wale took it there. I haven’t been this excited about an emcee post-Hov since Lupe. That says a lot. Hopefully, everything pans out here and I don’t come off looking insane once his album finally drops. But I probably won’t because he’s working with Just Blaze, Toomp, BKS, and by the grace of 35 Gods and Heavens, me. Either way, I’m fully endorsing Wale. Eight months late.
