American rapper Wale has become a huge force to be reckoned with over the years with his honest and relatable lyrics, but which track is his finest work?
Wale is one of the leaders of the new generation of hip-hop. At 29 years old, he's already the owner of one of the most elite music catalogues in the entire genre. With free projects such as The Mixtape About Nothing, More About Nothing and The Eleven-One-Eleven Theory, plus albums such as Attention Deficit (2009), Ambition (2011) and The Gifted (2013), he has established himself as not only one of the quintessential lyrical juggernauts of his era, but as a versatile hip-hop star capable of crossing over to a mass audience. Wales music has undergone numerous changes in the time he has spent in the public eye. From 2008-2010 he was the cool college type rapper with earth shattering punchlines and DC GO-GO style beats that the internet grew to be infatuated with. His move to Rick Ross Maybach Music in 2011 raised more eyebrows than Dwayne Johnson at the time, but would ultimately prove to be exactly what he needed to open the door to the next level of his career. Like Meek Mill said, There are levels to this. During this time his music became more polished as he showed more personality and gained access to a new style of production due to his Maybach affiliation. Admittedly, ranking Wales 10 greatest songs was not the easiest thing to do. With such a varied collection of songs - that this writer personally enjoys - here is a humble attempt to summarise an artist that is nowhere near his peak, but already has carved his place in rap history. The songs listed include tracks where Wale is the credited artist, and will be judged on Production, Flow/Rhymes, and Message on a 1-10 scale.
Honorable Mention
Miami Nights Off Ambition, this song, with its triumphant beat by Mark Henry (not the wrestler) sounds like an audio version of what the greatest night ever in Miami would be. Listen to it in your car and just ride. TV In The Radio Off Attention Deficit, this was a Punchline session between Wale & KNann. Wale wins the ring with Ballin, Folarin so god damn hard/Fat (Phat) Rhymes every time B*itch, Rosanne Bars. Nike Boots This was Wales first major look. He even blatantly says THIS AINT A SHOE SONG! Instead Wale crafts an open letter to Washington D.C about their lack of support for someone from their own city, while praising perceived lesser talents from elsewhere - people still chanted Nike Boots though.