It’s no secret that DC native, Wale is one of the most unappreciated talents in Hip Hop today,
I’m really just trying to understand why. Until someone comes at me with an argument
compelling enough to warrant consideration, I’ll always hold a grudge against more than
pathetic, talentless, face-tatted, egotistical weirdos who don’t even know the difference
between a major and a minor chord.
Could it be that Wale is too technical for this microwave generation? I would’ve considered this if
I didn’t think he hadn’t properly adjusted to the current climate. Songs like My Love and Fine Girl
off his 2017 Shine album are perfect examples of his craft reacting to the Culture’s current
obsession with Afro beats. The point is Wale keeps a banger tucked, whether he’s in album
mode or not. His ability to write and record songs for the strip club thots, the hopeless
romantics, the Caribbean vibes and the street kings is rare and almost entirely reserved for top
tier artists; but why is Wale so often left out of that conversation? This is the same guy who
made Bad, Lotus Flower Bomb, The Girls on Drugs, Gullible and hoist of other hit singles.
“The most highly underrated of my generation/ behind them crooked smiles n*ggas neglect to
embrace me…”, Wale raps over an iconic O’Jays (one of my favorite groups) instrumental. Wale
acknowledges that he is often overlooked and maybe his affinity for drama is part of the reason
for that. In my own personal opinion, Wale has been a partial victim of an early form of cancel
culture by one of his peers. Back in 2011 Kid Cudi uttered the famous phrase “We Don’t Fuck
With You Musically” which later became an internet meme. This phrase was aimed at Wale, who
at the time had released Attention Deficit, Ambition and a number of highly regarded mixtapes.
This was a classic case of the bigger artist (or the artist with greater influence) created an us VS
him situation; much to the detriment of Wale’s image and self-esteem. Wale has undeniably
created some of the greatest Hip Hop songs of the past decade, whether they were
acknowledged by consumers as such or not.
My own biases aside, I don’t think there are many mainstream artists that can rival Wale when it
comes to penmanship, song construction, and flow. I could honestly just sit here and write about
how consistently brilliant his work has been since he came out. In retrospect, his fifth album,
Shine, which was widely regarded as a flop, has to be one of the greatest flops of all time. The
album deserved at least 5 songs to be on Billboard’s top at the time of release. As soon as one
cultural commentator said the album was luke warm, all of you ungrateful maggots jumped on
the bandwagon and echoed his sentiments. I resent you guys for that.
Regardless, the future is looking bright for Wale who seems to be getting better the older he
gets. Don’t believe me? Check out the last 3 EPs he put out in 2018, as well as his last two
singles, On Chill & BGM .
I think it cannot be overstated enough how important it is for us to give artists their just due while
they’re with us. What we do too often is talk about how important they’ve been to us once they
are dead and gone. Wale is one of the greatest wordsmiths and unsung heroes of our
generation and he ought to be celebrated as such.
ALBUMS
THE ALBUM ABOUT NOTHING (2015)
THE GIFTED (2013)
ATTENTION DEFICIT (2009)
AMBITION (2011)
SHINE (2017)
MIXTAPES & EPs (LIMITED TO 5)
1. SUMMER ON SUNSET (2016)
2. THE MIXTAPE ABOUT NOTHING (2008)
3. SELF PROMOTION EP (2018)
4. FOLARIN (2012)
5. FREE LUNCH EP (2018)
I think it cannot be overstated enough how important it is for us to give artists their just due while
they’re with us. What we do too often is talk about how important they’ve been to us once they
are dead and gone. Wale is one of the greatest wordsmiths and unsung heroes of our
generation and he ought to be celebrated as such.
Written By: Sizwe Moyo
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