Posts Tagged ‘Wale’
Wale Watch: The “Support The Movement” Movement
Wale’s Attention Deficit is in stores today. For those not paying attention to rap buzz or this blog the DC/MD MC has emerged in recent years as the great hope of the area’s rap community. And, by my count, his debut marks the first major label release from a local rapper in nearly a decade.
I considered penning a post about how DC should unify and support Wale’s effort. I wouldn’t be the only person on the internet to do so. Even more than usual, the local rap bloggers and twitterers have been abuzz with well meaning but mostly empty words like support and movement.
But I decided against such a gesture. Instead let us step back and ask ourselves what a major label album release means in 2009. Not just to Wale or the greater DC area but to the world at large: nothing. As Dwayne Johnson once eloquently told Clef, it doesn’t matter. Read More “Wale Watch: The “Support The Movement” Movement” »
Wale Watch: “Pat Your Weave” Video w/ UCB
UCB’s “Pat Your Weave” (formerly “Sweatin’ Out Weaves”) is one of the more ambitious studio/go-go integrations of recent years, the energy of the go-go folded neatly into a three minute single. Polished, certainly, but not stripped of its charater. Superficially it feels like one of many post-”Crazy In Love” Beyonce records (which, of course, feel like go-go records, word to Rich Harrison and the biters that followed) but it has better drums and slowly builds into something distinct as the heavy synth stabs come into play. Wale’s involvement is close to negligible on a musical level, but his few bars are the reason UCB is getting burn on otherwise homogeneous rap blogs.
Other recent Wale sightings in the rap blogosphere: an awkward freestyle at the BET, a remix of Kanye’s “Grammy Family,” a Chrisette Michelle cameo, a radio rip of an unreleased Travis Barker, and a new push on his pre-buzz video “Uptown Roamers.” If getting your artist on aggregation blogs still qualifies as doing something right, then it is safe to say that his team is doing something right. Attention Deficit drops tomorrow. None of the aforementioned songs appear on it.
Shudder to Tweet
Sampling the thought streams of D.C. musicians past and present.
-A man has our elevator filled to the brim w/plants. Its like a 2 acre jungle crammed into a cubicle. he’s complaining the door won’t shut.
-i think i just discovered the malkovich floor of my building? what exactly is going on the 3rd floor? :-)
-Mother fucker, I’m trying to watch the lost boys!!
Wale:
-dear ucb..i will go to breakfast w/ yall but i am NOT goin to eat a Dinosaur sized pancake at “The Griddle”
-everybody askin what kinda shoes im wearin…haa
-09 airmaxes http://pic.gd/38d0d6
-is listening to some old songs he wrote and thinking that they are not that good.
-The Whitespace 7″ should in stores soon, but it’s available now here: http://www.dischord.com/release/ws01/whitspace
-My bookbag smells like it’s been eatin chicken behind my back…literally
-Somebody somewhere has candy paint…on their house though.
-I think I’m just gonna say “Jordan!” after I have sex or something from now on.
Area Code
The term “DMV,” brought to you by the hard work of local rappers. And phone cards.
Rapper 20 Bello; Photograph by Darrow Montgomery
Thanks to the hard work of both hip-hop pioneers and young upstarts throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, the DMV is now officially on the map. It’s also in the dictionary. The Urban Dictionary—but still.
Most regions with thriving hip-hop scenes have catchy nicknames, but before the whole DMV acronym caught on in the mid-aughts, the greater nation’s capital lacked one. Chocolate City, popularized decades ago, was starting to get a little moldy, and it ignores both the all-important suburbs and the fact that D.C. is becoming more cream-filled by the day. There have been valiant efforts to make “The Middle East” (for middle East Coast, get it?) stick, but it didn’t happen. Ditto for “Tri-State,” which failed not only because it’s already taken but because, technically, only two states are involved.
So where’d the acronym come from? In an informal poll of area hip-hop luminaries—from Judah to Kokayi, Head-Roc to Overok—the same three names came up over and over: Wale, DJ Rob AKA Mista DMV, and 20Bello.
DMV Rap Attack: Diamond District Drops
After a very promising (and very free) test release of the clean version several months ago, Diamond District’s In Da Ruff is officially available in stores today, with cuss words restored and bonus tracks. Though it isn’t getting the national acclaim that Wale is, the trio of emcees XO, yU and rapper/producer Oddisee have cut what is certainly the most complete D.C. rap album of the year. And it might just be the best in many years.
In The Ruff was also released on nice double vinyl, a huge look for a contemporary rap album. Whether that vinyl can actually be purchased within the city limits is yet to be seen—not one of the remaining boutique-y record stores in this city actively stocks new hip hop vinyl. (Shame on you, Smash, Som, Red Onion & Crooked Beat. Oh yes, we’re naming names.)
Wale: Please Stay Away From Jay-Z
We at Arts Desk have mentioned before that the DMV’s own Wale is maybe probably kind of dating Beyonce’s little sister Solange. Now, the gossip site Mediatakeout.com, (say what you want about ‘em, but they very often get these things right) is reporting that Solange and Wale are house-hunting in Brooklyn. Or at least that Solange is house-hunting and Wale is tagging along. Or he’s been spotted in the general area of her house hunt or something. Whatever—the couple has been seen together in Brooklyn and apparently some kind of real estate is involved, and it sounds like things between them are getting serious.
This is a very troubling turn of events.
Solange is a nice enough woman, and we’re sure Wale would feel at home in Brooklyn, a borough awash in tight jeans and nerd raps. But as he gets closer to Solange, it’s almost inevitable that he’ll become chummy with Jay-Z and, as many young rappers on the cusp of stardom know, that is not the move.
So, Wale, if you’re reading this, here are a few reasons why you should stay far, far away from one Shawn Carter. (Hanging out with Bun B is still perfectly acceptable, though).
DMV Rap Attack: Washington Post Weigh In
Yesterday the Washington Post ran a large feature on DC hip hop.* Chris Richards’ piece offers a cursory “why hasn’t DC rap blown up?” history and intro as well as short profiles of Wale, XO, Kingpen Slim, Tabi Bonney, Phil Ade and producers Best Kept Secret. It’s a well meaning and pretty efficient overview, but it’s also predictably been causing some debate within the DC hip hop community as well as some concern about the orientation of Wale’s hat amongst WaPo readers.
And perhaps some concern is warranted (err… within the hip hop community, not about Wale’s hat). The easiest way to critique an article like this is to point out artist omissions. I understand the need for space in a newspaper column so I’ll mostly try to avoid such trivial complaints here.** But there are some larger holes in the story that deserve to be addressed. Read More “DMV Rap Attack: Washington Post Weigh In” »
DMV Rap Attack: New Likeblood, Bear Witnez & More
It’s been a minute, but I’m back with another round up of recent local rapps. (I’ve also officially christened the column, partially in tribute to the great Mr. Magic.)
Likeblood f/ Bobby Valentino – “Money Over Here“
As of late it seems like there are too many rappers and not enough rap groups. Mbea, Young E & Dre Strong, collectively Likeblood, are wise to pool their resources and create a strong hip hop trio. For their most recent single the trio has linked with A-Town crooner Bobby Valentino (whose name I cannot mentioned without a nod to Mista) to cut “Money Over Here,” which notably sounds like popular hip hop. It could comfortably be programmed into a PGC playlist without sounding like an obvious local concession.
Bear Witnez! – Bear Season Mixtape
Bear Wit lives up to his name by rapping like a bear does. He’s hungry and growling. Also he spits lots of metaphors about hibernation and such. Dude sounds best on post-MOP/Freeway style bombastic soul production and the tape does start to lose some steam when he steps out of that comfort zone. Still I’m really looking forward to some sort of cage match battle between him and Big Bear. Standout cut: “DC United” f/ Wale & Kingpen Slim Read More “DMV Rap Attack: New Likeblood, Bear Witnez & More” »
Wale Watch: WKYS of Death
A minor Wale-related scandal hit the web this week, surrounding a 93.9 ad campaign. On the radio commercial, someone claiming to be Wale’s cousin makes a sound-alike parody of Wale’s seemingly aborted lead single “Chillin,” and tries to push it to the station. He is swiftly rejected in favor of Birdman and Alicia Keys records.
Wale fans didn’t take to kindly to this, blowing up message boards and station managers inboxes about their unwillingness to support local music. Read More “Wale Watch: WKYS of Death” »
