The Albums: 2009.
14/
Wale/
Attention DeficitI’m not exactly sure when it happened as I -like you probably were too- was too busy Harlem Shakin’, Krumpin, and “Supermannin Hoes” to notice, but Hip-Hop got away from me. Shit, it got away from US.
Wait a minute, let me finish.
Trap muzik, iced out chains, makin’ it rain, and the bowing down to that oh so Holy Trinity of “Money, Cash, Hoes” began to reign supreme. Now let’s be real, Hip-Hop ain’t always been full of or all about saints, Dear Mama tracks, and Jesus Walks, as all of the previously mentioned subjects and storylines have been a mainstay and focal point here and there throughout Hip-Hop’s history, but all of a sudden it seemed like the money, the cars, the ice, the Block, the DECADENCE was all that was being celebrated/produced/wanted to be heard. As a result, singles reigned supreme, ringtone ready hits sky-rocketed, and there we were, here we are, ending a decade full of many a Hip-Hop album heavy on the filler, and all too short on the killer. Now contrary to all this, and what you may have heard though, Hip-Hop ain’t dead as fortunately every few months, year, new release Tuesday or so, an MC is able to be above all that decadence, keeping it 100 and the game alive by coming out the gates with an album grounded in the true inner workings of Hip-Hop: ‘Da Art of Storytelling” and riding hot beats like it’s nothing, all while giving the people something they can relate to, rehash, and talk about.
Take this album for example by D.C. native Wale. Right off the bat, on the triumphant opening track Triumph, Wale lets it be known that he won’t rest til he’s given respect. Skip ahead to the next track, and he lets it be known that so long as he’s on it, it’s on. Keep going, keep listening and you soon realize that these opening statements aren’t mere boastful declarations, they’re FACTS. All them other cats may have “gimmicks in their lyrics”, but not Wale. Backed by top notch production that never overtakes his flow and delivery, as well as stellar turns from big name guests on some verses and hooks, Wale stays hungry, sounds hungry, HAS SOMETHING TO SAY for the duration of the album’s length, speaking on shit you know, shit you can relate to, shit you need to hear. Is he single handedly saving Hip-Hop? No, I'm not trying to suggest that at all. Is he placing an emphasis on Hip-Hop’s core elements –flow, lyrical wordplay/dexterity, talkin’ mad shit cause you can (truly) back it up-, taking it back to basics, and offering a fresh break from the bloated, decadent norm that often dominates the charts? Yes. That’s why he, along with this album, deserves your undivided attention.
KEY TRACKS: Mama Told Me/Pretty Girls/Prescription
15/Devendra Banhart/What Will Be16/Grizzly Bear/Veckatimest
17/Chester French/Love the Future
18/Jay-Z/The Blueprint 319/Discovery/LP
20/Mariah Carey/Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
21/Franz Ferdinand/Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
22/Peter Bjorn And John/Living Thing23/Peaches/I Feel Cream24/Karen O and The Kids/Where the Wild Things Are Motion Picture Soundtrack25/Tegan and Sara/Sainthood
