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  • » Name: Amanda Bassa
  • » Location: VA
  • » Member Since: 09/21/07
  • » Bio: student, future change maker, and everything you wouldn't expect me to be.
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MY FAVORITES




The Undisputed Truth

Wale - On His D.C. Shit


November 17, 2007 | Tags: wale, D.C., go-go, DMV

Being that DC is the city of my birth, I always get excited when I hear about one of its own making some moves and giving the DMV* the positive shine that it deserves. With a fresh pair of Nikes on his feet, a creative mind working hard, and persistence that anybody trying to come up in the game should take notes on, Wale is making it big. You may have read earlier this week here on HiphopDX that Wale was just signed to Allido Records by Mark Ronson. Normally I’d be skeptical about one of my favorite indie artists getting signed, seeing as how this leads to sell-out problems and turns a true art into a business venture. Yet somehow…I still got faith in my man Wale.

Wale (and you better pronounce that shit “wah-lay”), a Nigerian with a blatant Nike addiction, had made his name very prominent in the DC metro area, yet recently has attracted worldwide attention. If you don’t know about this guy – time to read up. Cop his free mixtape at his myspace, and while you’re there look around a little more. Some free downloads are lurking within the page. And I know y’all love that free shit. Anyway, Wale made the cover of the 150th issue of Urb, got a front page feature in the Style section of The Washington Post, and has also been seen in The New York Times, and The Source, just to name a few. And he sure as hell didn’t land shine time in those publications by being ordinary. He’s a versatile lyricist, able to adapt his rhymes and delivery to a plethora of instrumentals spanning many different styles of rap and even other genres entirely. His sound is certainly unique – he remains true to his D.C. roots by incorporating large aspects of go-go into his music, and even performing shows with famous local go-go bands.


Perhaps one of the things I enjoy most about Wale’s music is that he excels at letting his personality shine through his rhymes. You can sense his swagger as you listen to his music, and at times you can even feel the smile on his face without being able to see it – just through his words alone. You grow to admire his loyalty to where he came from; realizing that no matter how big this guy makes it, the district will always be in his heart and a strong part of his music. And in what I view to be a difficult task to accomplish, Wale exhibits a humble side while still exuding the self confidence needed to truly shine and to keep heads turning. He makes you believe in him without ever coming off overly-cocky. I don’t know many people, and I’m not even talking strictly rappers here, that can do that successfully.

And as a testament to his aforementioned versatility, Wale has a little bit of music for everyone. Go-go isn’t your thing? No problem. He’ll throw tracks out there that will have the hipsters crowding around to listen, while at the same time tracks like “Nike Boots” will have the southern hip hop fan satisfied as well.

Peep this video that covers Wale’s Urb cover shoot…I personally find what the guy has to say quite fascinating. And yeah, he’s sharing the cover with Justice.




And check how far he’s come in such a short time: from “Uptown Roamers” filmed on the streets of where he calls home, to performing at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas.





Peep the variety game:

“Good Girls”

“1 Thing About a Player (remix)” featuring Jae Millz and Southeast Slim



*That would be D.C., Maryland, and Virginia for those that may not understand our local abbreviations for random ass shit. HOV, anybody? No Jay-Z.


The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

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