Artist: Wale

Album: Ambition

Label: Maybach Music

Release Date: Nov. 1, 2011

Top Tracks: ‘Slight Work’

Sounds Like: Kid Cudi

Sound Waves: 3/5

After a handful of subpar mixtapes, Washington, D.C.’s Wale returns to the drawing board.

During the last three years, young upcoming rappers like Drake, Kid Cudi and Lupe Fiasco made big splashes in the rap game. Wale also burst onto the scene in 2008 with the critically acclaimed ‘The Mixtape About Nothing,’ but his debut album, ‘Attention Deficit,’ did not have the same effect. It lacked the go-go sampling of his self-released mixtapes and featured high-profile artists like Pharrell, Gucci Mane and Lady Gaga, who all overshadowed him. But now he’s back with a new attitude —and Rick Ross.

‘Ambition’ pairs the two unlikely rappers together — sports- and shoe-loving Wale and drug-pushing boss Rick Ross. Wale’s lyrics set ‘Ambition’ apart from ‘Attention Deficit.’ After a female voice coos the name of the label on ‘Don’t Hold Your Applause,’ Wale bursts in with a more than two-minute freestyle-type verse over 808 drumbeats similar to the ones that made Ross so famous.

The song’s lyrics show that Wale’s ego and swag blossomed in the last two years. ‘GQ man of the year —Cudi, Drizzy and me / Went away for a little, let my wisdom increase,’ he boasts. Ross’ influence has clearly rubbed off on the usually clean Wale, whose verses now contain the word ‘bitch’ and drug references in almost every sentence.

‘Legendary‘ is a prime example of this. Produced by DJ Toomp, the snares and stirring horns sound tailor-made for a Ross verse, and Wale’s big flow seems to support it. But he makes the record his own, with an intoxicating, nonchalant hook: ‘F*** fame, f*** money and f*** anything anyone can take from ya.‘

In ‘Chain Music,’ Wale spits metaphors with a swift tongue as he flaunts his new chain. The track boasts a heavy bass and a well-placed Ross sample on the hook, ‘chain so big / can’t pop my collar.’

The guests on ‘Ambition’ work better with Wale’s flow, and unlike his debut, he can hold his own. ‘Focused’ features Kid Cudi’s typical auto-tuned voice laying down the hook over a spacey synth and snare beat. Producer Diplo creates the perfect beat for Big Sean’s cameo on ‘Slight Work.’ Both rappers trade verses over a mixture of police sirens, congas and block drums. The boss himself appears on title track ‘Ambition’ with protégé Meek Mill. The beat builds slowly until it climaxes during Wale’s passionate and explosive verse.

Wale is at his best when spitting his quick and witty flow. ‘Ambition’ falters when he tries to explore rhythm and blues territory. ‘Lotus Flower Bomb,’ ‘Sabotage’ and ‘Illest Bitch’ lack the creativity and variety of some of the more upbeat tracks. They bleed together in the middle of the album, killing the high energy that is created at the start of the album. Wale sounds uncomfortable with the low-tempo beats and forces his wordplay.

‘Ambition’ has its ups and downs, but with the help of the cocky Ross, Wale has come out of his shell a little bit. He crafted a handful of songs that will not only please old fans, but also get some more recognition from the rap community.  The album marks Wale’s official departure from the underground and move into the commercial rap world. It will be interesting to see where he goes from there.

drbleckn@syr.edu

Published on November 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm