From Elitaste

KILLER WALE
By: Alex Rush
Posted: 9/24/08

How is it that the Washington area, a region with a rich and diverse musical history, ranging from go-go to jazz, has never had a breakout hip-hop star? Up-and-coming rapper Wale, who calls himself the “ambassador of rap for the capital,” is determined to put the region on the rap map, and he’s performing on the campus in the Grand Ballroom at the Stamp Student Union Thursday to show he can represent Washington better than those in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The whole mindset of D.C. artists need[s] to be changed,” said Wale, who was born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin to Nigerian immigrants. “They just need to realize it’s possible to make it. I’ve always felt confident and known I could do it.”

Wale, the son of a caring and, at times, very strict realtor and a nurse, has made a name for himself with the Seinfeld-themed The Mixtape About Nothing, and often uses his lyrics to address the poverty and violence he saw while living in Washington and Prince George’s County. He now resides in Bowie and said he grew up with a tough “D.C. attitude” to keep up with his peers.

But now Wale doesn’t seem to be too worried about following the status quo of his contemporaries. His sound is refreshing, and Wale said he tries to make it as original as possible with an “eclectic approach.”

Although he has yet to release an official major label album, Wale has been hot on the collaboration circuit. He’s worked with a range of artists, from Lil Wayne to Travis Barker, and his status went through the roof once he signed with Allido Records, super-producer Mark Ronson’s label. Wale toured the United Kingdom in 2007 with the eclectic Brit and returned with a slew of gig opportunities, including the Rock the Bells tour this past summer. Wale said he plans to release an album under Allido in March, and Ronson will be the executive produce.

But until he hits the mainstream scene, the 24-year-old emcee is probably best known for The Mixtape About Nothing, a Seinfeld-themed collection of tracks that included samples from the show, a skit by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and tracks named after the sitcom’s episodes. This quirky tape garnered attention through heavy Internet promotion and downloads. Rolling Stone even said Wale, a huge fan of Seinfeld who has stated he’s seen every episode 30 times, demonstrated the potential to cross over to pop audiences with this ode to the television phenomenon.

On the mixtape, Wale showcases his funky and catchy flow; most of his lines bop along the beat to the rhythm of the percussion set, as opposed to a single steady bass or snare. He excels at manipulating the pronunciation of words to rhyme and crafts metaphors such as, “Some good rappers ain’t eating/ They Olsen twinnin’” and “With the counterfeit hitters/ They Sosa with it” on the song “Rising Up” with The Roots.

And although The Mixtape About Nothing has plenty of comedic moments, he addresses what he dubs “intense issues” as well. He contemplates whether rappers should use the n-word on “The Kramer” and discusses industry pressure on “Artistic Integrity.” “The Kramer” includes the sound-bites from Michael Richards’ infamous racial slur-filled rant at a comedy club, while “Artistic Integrity” features an audio clip of Seinfeld’s character yelling at George Costanza (Jason Alexander), “You’re not artistic, and you have no integrity!”

Wale said his new album, which is untitled as of now, won’t be conceptual like The Mixtape About Nothing.

“I’ve got a lot of ideas, but the subject matter on the upcoming record will be a lot more broad,” he said.

But no matter what issues his songs are about, listeners should expect his signature style, which draws inspiration from artists such as Jay-Z, Black Star and Camp Lo.

“I borrow bits and pieces from all those guys,” Wale said.

Wale is performing in the second annual Fall Semester Sound-Off Concert, a Student Entertainment Events-sponsored event that also features hip-hop artists Clipse, Consequence and Southeast Slim Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Student tickets are $7 and can be purchased in advance at Hoff Theater or on the day of the show.