Published: Wednesday - June 4, 2008
Words by Gritz
So I hit up Wale's Mixtape About Nothing party in SoHo last Friday (May 30) and on my way over, I couldn't help thinking, "A release party for a free mixtape seems pretty unnecessary -- if Weezy did that there wouldn't be enough clubs in the world to accommodate them!"
But let's be honest about a few things: 1) Wale has pretty much been giving a masterclass in hype since last summer -- his mixtape is based on SEINFELD, for goodness' sake. 2) The party was hosted by 10.Deep and showcased exclusive "Serenity Now" tee shirts from Commonwealth, so the hype was spread around lovingly. 3) Having just published a book (The Gradspot.com Guide to Life After College -- check out page 76 for an interview with Naledge from Kidz in the Hall) that's available as a free download just like Wale's tape, I know that I would also throw a party if I thought tons of beautiful women and New York hipsters in thick-rimmed, non-prescription glasses would come. They wouldn't, but I understand the appeal.
Thankfully, not all hype is bad, and I happen to think that Wale deserves the lion's share of the attention he receives. Here are just a few reasons: His flow is distinctive and adaptable; he's from an awesome city; he's got a likeable if slightly self-conscious persona; he raps over songs that almost everyone likes; he has the curious distinction of being jocked by Mark Ronson; and he delivers the same "above the fray yet still very much in it" meta-commentary as Kanye without being as arrogant or annoying.
The party marked the second time I've seen Wale perform live, and despite his bizarre propensity to not face the audience (another "meta" posture?), I'd recommend it to anyone who likes upbeat and fun hip-hop. That said, I should note that I was mentally prepared to enjoy anything at the time. The vino was flowing like Wale was flowing -- pause, no cabernet, I'm gone! Shout out to Elitaste, 10.Deep, the D.M.V., and "Black Swan Australian Table Wine" for a great event. A perfect beginning to a night that ended with leaning against a fence alone, dripping a disgusting kebab all over my hoody.
Even before I went to the party, I had downloaded the free mixtape from here, which may not seem like a relevant detail until you know that I have almost zero RAM left on my computer, so listening to Wale involved sacrificing a picture of my girlfriend and a semi-critical work document.
Needless to say, I have no regrets. I won't go so far as to say it's on par with Kanye's College Dropout tape, but it definitely has that feeling of a mixtape that's light-years beyond the average and very promising in the lead-up to Wale's first official release. In addition to all the recent collabos most people have heard -- i.e., "Nike Boots Remix" with Wayne, the Roots track, and "Back in the Go-Go" with Bun B and Pusha T -- there are some other very strong joints and the whole thing ties together well with the tongue-in-cheek theme (classic Seinfeld clips lead into relevant songs and there's even a drop from Elaine Benez). "The Kramer" is a smart and honest reaction to Michael Richards' racial outburst, and the intro is going straight onto my Best Hip-Hop Intro Tracks list -- Wale takes the Jerry Seinfeld "What's the deal with ___?" joke formulation and runs with it to comment on the current rap scene. A final noteworthy (if old) track is the rapid-fire "The Chicago Falcon Remix," which should silence any haters who don't think the DC wordsmith is lyrically up to snuff.
Ok, enough banging on for now ... check out the mixtape and buy my book!
Beyond Hip-Hop Shopping Guide: August 2008 Here's our August installment of the shopping guide for all your avid BallerStatus.com visitors who love the newest ... full story
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