Leaders of the New School - Wale

I <3 Music. The older I get the more eclectic my ears become, however I am and forever will be a hip-hop head. I am sort of an elitist when it comes to my music though i.e. Quality Production, Quotable Lyrics, Infectious Melodies & Cool Ass Hooks (I’m also a sucker for a strategically placed Ad-lib). Living in the A, I hear A LOT of comedy on the radio and I’m not talking about the The Rickey Smiley Morning Show. Towards the end of last year, I got a major iPod update and was put on to some talented up & coming artist. I’ll be highlighting some of my favorites on the site because well, it’s my site. Muhahahahahahaha….

My cousin, TheEscapeArtist, is from Murrland (Maryland) and if you know anybody from the DMV [D.C. – Maryland – Virginia], you are already aware that they rep it hard. So we are in the car one day and he pops in a random unmarked mixtape. The track begins and I hear George from Seinfeld going on about his artistic integrity and then some rapper begins to VERBALLY ASSAULT the track.

*nodding my head fervently* “Who is this?!” –Wordsmith
*signature smug smirk* “Wale” –TheEscapeArtist

A D.C. native, Wale quickly caught my attention with a combination of bravado, flow, blistering metaphors and similes. And for someone who is NOT a Go-Go fan (Schowwy), the hip-hop/go-go beats actually go in. He has three mixtapes out that I’m aware of, “The Mixtape About Nothing”; “Hate is The New Love”; and “100 Miles & Running” … you need them all.