Smart & Angry

(Is that red velvet???)
I got to be completly honest, I been bumping Ross albums every year as they are released for the man. I have never felt his mixtapes, nor did enjoy listening to that Self Made compilation(R.I.P the artistic talents of Wale, & Pill) one bit. Usually though In terms of major solo releases his brand of music I can usually roll with for a few months. With the birth of this single though I feel the streak is in jeopedy as the act though is beginning to wear thin.

The track leaked released last week titled I Love My Bitches was stupidity, digitally captured on in fulll.Yes Just Blaze backdrop is a force of nature, but besides that? The chorus(which I guess Lil John wasn’t available for) is a him repeating “I love my bitches” with an extra emphasis on: bitches(which one my friends in high school could get writing credits for this cause he used to say it just like that back in 97). That could come across as funny I guess to him and his inner circle of friends weed carriers, but elsewhere, I don’t know who in their right mind would find themselves repeating this chorus?

As far as the lyrics go, it’s him at one his less-sensationalized verses and basically it’s him talking about how much he likes to trick. With some Scarface/Casino/Godfellas fantasies sprinkled in here and there.

Well I guess when you rise from the lowly ranks of a middle-wage earning Correctional Officer to fictional successful Mobster boss this is the tale you must tell.   

(If you want to listen to the song I guess you can listen to it here, cause I am not posting that shit anywhere near the vincintity of my words)
-Justa

I was invited to review the group  Zipsquad’s Lifestyle EP. Since I never review anything really from unsigned artists,  I thought I would give a go and review this.

I’ll begin with this, if you have a project with 10 tracks or less, don’t have skits. I saw an interlude on the tracklisting and was like what??? I also almost gave up on the album from the get go, cause there was some talking going on the first track for like 40 seconds over the first track!!! Which would of been cool for like 20 seconds, but this is an EP, and I don’t know who you are, and you want to talk for forty-plus seconds of what is suppose to be a rap album? “Bad form Peter(That’s Hook reference for you young’ns)”. The artist themselves aren’t bad though, as far as constructed rhyme patterns and technique go, they definitely have skills. The problem is that  that most of the time they are wasted on cliche’ topics of gettin money and bitches unfortunately. Which wouldn’t be a problem if it was done in a somewhat interesting way.

As far as the  production goes,  most is forgettable except for the track Long Nights, Cold Champaigne & Weed Smoke which flips a sample quite nicely. Think the guys need to gravitate a little more towards this type of sound next go around, it goes with their styles a lot better than the Celly Cel/90’s Bay Era synths that tend to litter this EP instead.  While the dudes are cool on the mic, there is nothing that warrants any further listens of this. There definitely is potential for the guys though, the guys have technique just need some better ideas as well as production to go along with and I think we might have something to talk more about next time. 

-Justa

What happened to the Wale in the picture below? The guy that was dynamic, and stood out  from the pack, and was in league with those also pictured above? Who in 2009 all of sudden transformed. The guy had one of the most talked about Mixtapes since... I can’t even remember a mixtape as well received by everyone as A Mixtape About Nothing, had management from Roc Nation, a few notable co-signs, hosted MTV Music Awards with his UCB band, was on a national tour with Jay-Z and N.E.R.D, and was getting co-signs from anyone that matters.

Attention Deficit , his debut album was released in the summer of 2009. From that point on things started looking down for the man. All of a sudden, there were a ton of complaints  by him about the release (dealing with lack of units initially shipped out, songs left off),  I should of known something fishy was up when all of sudden Lady Gaga was featured on his first single. Never heard him talking about working with her before, nor were fans of either artist restless for this collaboration. That wasn’t to say enough though, as somehow  the at the time much hyped about artist Gucci Mane got a feature (though not a bad one) as well. This was not a good look. Gucci didn’t add anything to the song, and I doubt he added anything to the sales of the album. Nor do I think Gucci Mane fans are checking for Wale collabs either.  

To make it worse, he was signed by producer Mark Ronson’s Allido Records. Which has no cred when it comes to producing successful albums. Remember Rhymefest? Yeah, Kanye's protege that had writing credentials on Jesus Walks? Somehow they fumbled his debut release as well.  Despite a feature on the first single of produced and featuring Kanye West. What made Wale choose to sign with them? Couldn't be history that’s for damn sure.

After his album bombed he dropped the sequel to the Seinfield mixtape that was cool, but nowhere close near the first.  And featured to make it worse, it featured a a song with Waka Flocka Flame....

(like he isn’t even the first name featured...smh)

 

That was it, at the point he was no longer the man who was an individual. He did a feature with Waka (which was featured on Waka’s debut album as well) who stands for nothing that involves making classic music.

Then came what I thought might be a smart business move at the time, signing with Rick Ross Maybach Music Group. Thinking Ross is successful, and has a good ear for his own projects music, this might work. Then I thought, he has Jay-Z’s management still, had radio play, and everything else you could want for as a mainstream artist. So more can Ross team bring to the table at this point?

Well the worst did has happened, and it seems as Wale might be trying to fit in with the BAWSE a bit too much. There wasn’t anything standout by Wale on the Self Made Vol 1 album. Which featured him on the cover dressed like he was a made man. Yes the guy who once rapped about his Nike Boots , was now dressed like a mobster on the cover....


Now he has claims to have rediscovered his mojo with being signed with Ross,  and is ready to release his 2nd album Ambition. Which so far has given us another average sounding single, Bad Girls Club featuring J Cole.  The single is an attempt once again at the clubs I would guess, yet sounds just as generic as the Gaga one that predated it. There also is a new mixtape titled The Eleven One Eleven Theory  which was released recently. It had a few songs that sounded ok, but don’t think I will be replaying it anytime soon.

At this point I don’t know who Wale is anymore. I saw a video of him making his new album and he was saying questioning what it means to be successful:

“I don’t know what success is, but it’s not in the form of  record sales right now” - Wale (said during the making of his upcoming sophomore release)

Sadly I don’t think Wale knows who Wale is anymore.

The Roots - Rising Up f. Wale & Chrisette Michele by itsshake

-Justa