Wale: His 10 Best Tracks You Need To Hear

By Rich D. Latta II /

8. 88 €“ The Gifted

Production: 10 Lyrics: 8 Message: 8 Notable Lyrics: "Carolina blue kicks/hottest n***a on your block/I aint J.R. Rider but them wolves coming for my spot/From the percentage of young'ns winning without no college/Im in my Laneys but nothing JV about this balling/I lost my deal got with Will he seen a n***a genius/My rapping skills is on Chapel Hill but you ain't see it/" If Wale has one lasting legacy it will be the way he blends sports and hip-hop. On 88, Wale speaks about his ungodly shoe collection, while focusing on the career parallels of Michael Jordan and himself. He talks about his competition not measuring up lyrically or mentally over one of Just Blaze€™s greatest beats ever. Wale is at his best when he doesn€™t worry about dumbing down, and on 88 the audience has to catch up because he isn€™t slowing down either. €œI€™m in my Laney€™s but nothing JV about this balling€ - here Wale is referencing when Michael Jordan attended Laney High School, where he famously played for the Junior Varsity squad, while contrasting that he owns a pair of €œLaney 5€™s€ which is the fifth signature shoe in Jordan€™s collection. But don€™t dare call him a Junior Varsity rapper! 88 is one of the highlights of €œThe Gifted€ album of 2013.