Wale - "Sight Of The Sun" (feat. Fun.)

This is the Wale that hip hop heads fell for leading up to Attention Deficit. It's very reminiscent of pre-AD tracks, "Bittersweet" and "Fly Away" where the DMV native drops a verse or two over a celebrated song. This time, Wale brings back his effortless flow and witty wordplay over this gorgeous Fun. song of the same name. Here's hoping that it's a sign that The Gifted (dropping June 25th) will be more Attention Deficit and less Ambition.

Wale's dumbed down his sound and lyrics for popular appeal since signing to Maybach, so you can never tell, but I'm still hoping at the least for a Nas-esque career arch (a revered debut album followed by disappointing releases before a career resurrection). Too bad hip hop is too PC these days and it doesn't look like Jay-Z/J. Cole is going to drop a Wale diss track anytime soon to awaken Folarin from his slumber.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,

Noah

Previous: Wale - "BASEhead" x "Kini Big Deal"

Wale - "BASEhead" X "Kini Big Deal"

DC's pride, Wale has some of the better freestyles in the game today.  If you need more proof, look no further than his demolition of Jay's "Thank You."  In celebration of Hitler's Birthday 4/20, Wale recorded, mixed, and released these gems today.  The wordplay on these songs is simply jaw-dropping (I'm still laughing at the Ryan Leaf shoutout).  One of the most talented up and coming emcees in the game today, there are a lot of people out there who still need to get hip to Wale.

Peace, Love, & Wale,

WordIsBorn

"BASEhead" (prod. The Bassheads)

"Kini Big Deal"

Previous: Wale - "90210"

Wale - "90210"

One of the better tracks off of one of the better albums of 2009, "90210" is a basic, Mark Ronson-produced song, that is beautiful in it's simplicity and allows Wale to address the pressures society places on women to be beautiful.  The hook (and the song as a whole) proves to be impossibly catchy.  Enjoy.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,

Noah

Previous: Wale - "Who Don't" (feat. Fat Trel & Black Cobain)

Wale - "Who Don't" feat. Fat Trel & Black Cobain

Wale made this song for Brandon Jennings (who has the potential to be the best NBA rookie named "Brandon" since a certain Trailblazer a couple years ago) after Jennings requested a song to get him pumped up during his pregame warm-up.  I like it, but I'll let you be the judge.

I'm still sore on the NBA ever since Sonicsgate, but this comes right in time for March Madness.  While I'm on the subject, who are your picks for the Final Four?  I've got Kansas, Kansas State, West Virginia, and Duke, with Duke beating Kansas 85-81 in the finals.

Peace, Love, & BBall,

WordIsBorn

Previous: That's That Mixtape, Vol. SE7EN

Wale - "The Meeting" X "Thank You Freestyle"

Wale recently graced us with these two tracks. The first (one of the best songs I've heard from him) is from waaaay back in 2007 and was considered for the intro track of Attention: Deficit (my favorite album of the year).  After hearing this, I don't know why he didn't begin his debut album with this song (the only real problem I had with the album was that I had a rough time getting into the first couple tracks).  The second is a freestyle off of Jay-Z's "Thank You" (which may very well be my favorite instrumental of the year).

Peace, Love, & Wale,
Neoteric Noah

"The Meeting"
"Thank You Freestyle"

Previous: Daniel Merriweather - "Change" feat. Wale

Daniel Merriweather - "Change" feat. Wale

I recently came across this song off of Australian R&B singer Daniel Merriweather's Love & War album which was released back in June.  Merriweather has collaborated with Wale in the past on two Mark Ronson procuced tracks off Back to the Feature and 100 Miles and Running to great success and this is no exception (Ronson produces this track as well).  As always, it's good to hear Wale on a track.  Enjoy.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
Noah

Daniel Merriweather"Change" feat. Wale
Wale - "Let's Ride" feat. Daniel Merriweather
Wale - "Pot of Gold" feat. Daniel Merriweather

Previous: Wale - "Diary (Acoustic)"

Justis - Nike Boots Remix

It takes a lot of guts to go over an instrumental that Wale already demolished, but the Seattle emcee definitely does the track justice in his own right.  Couldn't get a (good) picture of Justis so I went with the token image.  I've been impressed by everything I've heard from him thus far (though, to be fair, it's only been two songs).  Alright, time to buckle down and finish studying for the last remaining exams of the semester.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
Noah

Previous: Fice, Logics, Fatal Lucciuano, & Justis - "Boss Life Remix"

Wale - "Diary (Acoustic)"

This song was amazing on Attention Deficit, but this acoustic version of the Marsha Ambrosius assisted "Diary" brings something else entirely and evokes a sense of incredible emptiness and sadness.  Props to the Sleepwalkers on the production.  Wale's album is still holding up as the best album of the year thus far.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
Noah

Previous - Attention Deficit Review I Prelude to Attention Deficit Mixtape

Attention: Deficit [Review]

It is difficult for one to put to words the quality of Wale’s debut album, Attention: Deficit.  Ever since I downloaded the leak last Friday (mind you, not so I didn’t have to pay for it, I’ve already pre-ordered a copy of the album, but in order to hear it sooner), it has been in near constant rotation on my iPod despite the other very high quality recent releases such as K. Sparks’ Super Senior and Lil’ Wayne’s No Ceilings. 

This album doesn’t sound like the freshman debut that it is, but instead reflects the refinement of Wale’s craft that comes with the release of five critically acclaimed mixtapes over the past five years and numerous guest appearances.  For the Washington, D.C. emcee, it’s all lead to this, the culmination of all of his blood, sweat, and tears up until this point has resulted in an album that I would dare call a classic.

Wale - Prelude to Attention: Deficit [Mixtape]

In order to celebrate the release of his debut album, Attention: Deficit, Wale has been steadily dropping some of his personal favorite tracks from his entire discography of mixtapes as well as some unreleased joints and tracks that were originally on other artists projects.

I've done you the favor of compiling all of the songs that the Capital City emcee has handpicked as some of his "favs from back in the day" into one, convenient playlist (in order of the time he shared them to twitterville) and included three of my personal favorites, "90210" off of Attention: Deficit, "Letter" feat. John Mayer, which was supposed to be on the album, and "Nike Boots."

The result is a superb mixtape that ends up compiling some of the emcee's best songs progressing from the beginning of his short career to today.  Hit the jump for the tracklist/download link, and be sure to pre-order your copy of Attention: Deficit (pre-orders receive an LE autographed copy), which is hands down the best album of the year thus far.  The album drops next Tuesday, Novermber 10, 2009 (mark your calenders).

Wale – "Beautiful Bliss" feat. Melanie Fiona & J. Cole (prod. DJ Green Lantern & Mark Ronson)

The track I've most been looking forward to hearing off of Attention: Deficit didn't fail to disappoint.  Two of my favorite up and comers, Wale and J-Dot, rep the new ROC Nation and simply kill it (J. Cole's may well be the best material I've heard from him).  Hit the jump for the full tracklist.

Previous: Wale - "Letter" (feat. John Mayer) x "Bittersweet" (feat. Colin Munroe)

Wale - "Letter" feat. John Mayer X "Bittersweet" feat. Colin Munroe

I guess I'm in a Wale State of Mind.  I dropped the very dope "Fly Away" yesterday on What's In Rotation, Vol. I and I'm gonna hook you up with two more tracks from the DC spitta.  Wale wanted "Letter" to be on the final tracklist for Attention: Deficit (dropping November 10th), but for some reason it didn't make the cut.  The on the second track (released a couple weeks ago) Wale gives his rendition of  the Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony."

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,

WordIsBorn

"Letter"
"Bittersweet"

PREVIOUS - Wale - "Rain, Sleet, Snow" X "That's Not My Name (rmx)"

Wale - "Rain, Sleet, Snow" X "That's Not My Name (rmx)"

It's a pretty slow day as far as music is concerned, so I'll post a couple older Wale songs for you.  The first one is is unreleased, but was supposed to be on some Nike mixtape (for you fans of the Swoosh out there, this song is for you).  The second is a remix of The Ting Tings' hit song (and is hella pop, just a heads up).  Attention: Deficit drops November 3rd (unless pushed back again...).

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
Nivial Noah

"Rain, Sleet, Snow" 
The Ting Tings - "That's Not My Name (rmx)" feat. Wale

Previous: Wale - "I'ma Champ"

Wale - "I'ma Champ" [Tags]

Hot new Wale track he spit for NBA 2K10 (I'm going to try and find a tagless version for you people).

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
New School Noah

Wale - "Ice & Rain" (Prod. Cool & Dre)

To celebrate reaching 80,000 followers on Twitter, Wale leaked this incredibly powerful track that didn't make the final tracklist of his upcoming Attention: Deficit (dropping October 20th).  Wale described the track as "another one of them records where you gotta just close your eyes and see the story, preferably with headphones."  Enjoy.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
Noah

Wale - "World Tour" feat. Jazmine Sullivan

It's been a long time coming for Olubowale Victor Folarin.  The DMV emcee, better known by his stage name Wale (pronounced wah-lay), has been releasing classic free mixtapes since 2006, including three of my favorites, 100 Miles & Running, The Mixtape About Nothing (an ode to Wale's favorite show, Seinfeld), and Back To the Feature (a mixtape which, as the name implies, features guest apearances on each and every track...Wale manages to outshine an impressive list of artists that includes Talib Kweli, Black Thought, J. Cole, and Royce Da 5'9").  Earlier this year, Wale joined J. Cole, Rihanna, and Melanie Fiona by signing a distribution deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation.  Wale's first album, Attention: Deficit drops in October.