Hip-Hop Block Reviews Wale's Album, 'Attention Deficit'
Donald Vincent
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: Arts & Society
The next song is arguably one of the best songs on the album. "Mama Told Me" can be understood by underdogs everywhere. When you didn't believe in yourself, mother always did. The soulful sounds penetrate the aural senses and pleasure the mind.
"Mama told me it be days like this/ But I ain't never think it be a day like this." After being the first mainstream rapper from his CD, mom always said and believed, but not to the extent of fame he has acquired thus far. He's already gained 120,000 plus followers on Twitter.
"It's lonely at the top, so I waited/ But ain't nobody take it/ Now I'm playing solitaire pacing/ Crucifix pieces, necklace with Jesus/ See me as blasphemous/ But I don't need them."
He doesn't need the materialism that has been a product of what rap has become, he just wants to be heard by the masses.
After the soulful sounds we are given a bass-heavy track featuring UGK member, Bun B on the song "Mirrors." The mirror on the wall tells Wale who he really is every waking day. This is a slap at the artists in hip-hop who don't do what they say they do in their songs. At the end of the day, the man in the mirror is who you really are.
The only negative aspect of the album is that is heavy on the features. The features include Gucci Mane, Lady Gaga, J. Cole, Jazmine Sullivan, Chrissette Michele, Pharell, K'nan and a few other notables.
With songs about women who will do any and everything for fame ("90210"), relationships between dark-skin and light-skinned African-Americans ("Shades"), a story-telling track about a girlfriend who doesn't answer the phone during the club ("Contemplate"), trying to make a girl fall in love with you after her heart has been broken plenty of times before ("Diary"), and a song about prescribing hope to hip-hop ("Prescription"), the reality that this album is driven by emotions is evident.
We all have been through or experienced something he describes on this album whether in relationships, interactions with the opposite sex, or the persistence of certain individuals.
"Mama told me it be days like this/ But I ain't never think it be a day like this." After being the first mainstream rapper from his CD, mom always said and believed, but not to the extent of fame he has acquired thus far. He's already gained 120,000 plus followers on Twitter.
"It's lonely at the top, so I waited/ But ain't nobody take it/ Now I'm playing solitaire pacing/ Crucifix pieces, necklace with Jesus/ See me as blasphemous/ But I don't need them."
He doesn't need the materialism that has been a product of what rap has become, he just wants to be heard by the masses.
After the soulful sounds we are given a bass-heavy track featuring UGK member, Bun B on the song "Mirrors." The mirror on the wall tells Wale who he really is every waking day. This is a slap at the artists in hip-hop who don't do what they say they do in their songs. At the end of the day, the man in the mirror is who you really are.
The only negative aspect of the album is that is heavy on the features. The features include Gucci Mane, Lady Gaga, J. Cole, Jazmine Sullivan, Chrissette Michele, Pharell, K'nan and a few other notables.
With songs about women who will do any and everything for fame ("90210"), relationships between dark-skin and light-skinned African-Americans ("Shades"), a story-telling track about a girlfriend who doesn't answer the phone during the club ("Contemplate"), trying to make a girl fall in love with you after her heart has been broken plenty of times before ("Diary"), and a song about prescribing hope to hip-hop ("Prescription"), the reality that this album is driven by emotions is evident.
We all have been through or experienced something he describes on this album whether in relationships, interactions with the opposite sex, or the persistence of certain individuals.
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samueljaxon
Dissertation Editing
posted 2/09/10 @ 7:34 AM EST
I must say, great review!
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