Wale has always been something of an underdog. Initial praise following his mixtapes, translated into an underwhelming and under performing debut album. Then the Maybach Music bounce back, has seen Wale develop as an artist; but more importantly outside of the music an artist who always feeling he never gets the respect he deserves. A number one album and a Grammy nominated single has seen Wale settle into himself a little more, allowing The Album About Nothing to be a singular body of work.
The spiritual successor to the acclaimed Mixtape About Nothing; the concept is simple Wale has Jerry Seinfeld sit in on the sessions and drop sagely knowledge, with vague references to the show.
Firstly, he’s clearly confident in the concept and is aware his fan base have waited for this album. Therefore there’s no need to create unnecessary hype like “I’ve got a Drake verse” because the albums hype rests purely in the album itself. Wale doesn’t remotely compromise here unlike his previous albums that is purely for the radio, but it’s refreshing to hear pure unfiltered Wale. He tackles everything from racial prejudice to the similarity he has with Seinfeld’s alter ego, who famously struggled to settle down.
More importantly Wale is underrated because he makes music he enjoys. If Wale came out around the time of Kanye’s College Dropout he’d probably be top 5. Everything from his instrumental choices to his flows are about 5-8 years out of vogue. That in no way means it sounds dated, just means the sound isn’t dripping with lazy trap instrumentals.
Wale is uncompromising here, his previous efforts have given him the leeway to make this album. An album so uncompromising that all the singles have been shoved at the end of the record and stand out in relationship to the rest of the album.
The whole album blends beautifully which at times can feel like one long track and even the more club orientated moments have their place. ‘Girls On Drugs‘ is less an ode to intoxicated women and more a subtle condemnation on the culture, as he struggles to find a partner. It manages to do this without being preachy, and is testament to Wale’s skill as a songwriter.
‘God Smile‘ is Wale at his most cerebral and is such a strong moment. Ideally a single, but not because it’s the catchiest moment but this one track sums up the entire feel of the album.
A woozy journey through the thoughts of a man-child who refuses to truly grow up. Which is where perpetual man-child (on the show) Seinfeld comes in. Seinfeld’s presence sometimes gets lost, but the fans of the show will get the message. Seinfeld was a show described as “about nothing” when actually it was about everything, which is the same for Wale’s album.
