When you think of Wale, you think of a DC rapper who is signed to Rick Ross’ MMG label. Wale sure has come a long way from his first single “Chillin” with Lady Gaga. Wale’s first album, “Attention: Deficit” had the likes of 9th Wonder and Cool & Dre on the board. Looking at the production list for his new album “Ambition” it seems like he may have abandoned his sound for a new sound that appeals to the southern listeners with producers like DJ Toomp & T-Minus. While many may question his song making choices now that he’s signed to Maybach Music, I’ve noticed that he is a little more mainstream. I am a fan of the Wale who was signed to Roc Nation and made songs with J. Cole and singers such as Chrisette Michele and Jazmine Sullivan. On “Ambition” we get features like Rick Ross, Miguel, Lloyd & Kid Cudi. Now I’m not sure if Wale’s song formula has changed or if he just wanted to go with some newer and possibly bigger artists. We also never got any mix tapes before this album like we did for the last. However we did get the MMG album which definitely displayed Wale’s abilities to the Ross fan base and gave him a smash with the Lex Luger produced “That Way.” I am spinning “Attention: Deficit” first and then this will be my first listen of “Ambition” and I’m pretty anxious to hear what it sounds like. With no further ado here is my review of Wale’s second LP.
1. Don’t Hold Your Applause
The album starts out with a Tone P cut. I have never heard of Tone P before but this beat fits right in with the rest of Wale’s catalogue. I really like the arrangement of the production with the female vocals. Nice first verse by Wale and the hook is pretty good. The second verse is really dope. He starts it off by shouting out some fellow rappers like Drake & Kid Cudi and then just goes off for the rest of the verse. We get 2 solid verses to start out the album and the track concludes with the female vocalizing and some round of applause.
7/10
2. Double M Genius
This is a production by Mark Henry but it is definitely something Rick Ross would rap over. The beat is really smooth and dope but it bumps at the same time. I personally love Wale’s sports references. “Loud smoking so pass the L like a semi colon” is an example of how Wale can easily make some dope metaphors that fly under the radar. The chorus is just okay but the verses are more than making up for it. I kind of hear some J. Cole in Wale’s flow but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence. The track is wrapping up right now and I think this might be one of the standout tracks on the album. Great beat and great verses = a great track.
9/10
3. Miami Nights
This track is once again a Mark Henry production and I definitely can hear that Miami influence. This is another beat that I could hear Rick Ross rap over but I definitely prefer hearing Wale’s lyricism over the live instruments on this track. Never mind the Miami influence, this track screams Miami; I think I may have even heard the Rick Ross grunt. Yup, I did because as I typed that Rick Ross comes in and says a few words. I wish this record was released when the sun was still shining and the weather was warm because I definitely can picture this being played in the summer. Pretty dope track overall.
8/10
4. Legendary
This is a DJ Toomp production and I never would have guessed that. Dope beat and I feel like this is a different type beat than from what Wale usually raps on. Nonetheless the beat is crazy and Wale’s first verse is pretty good too. The chorus is ok, Wale raps about trying to be legendary. Wale jumps on the second verse and is killing it right now. This beat is tailor made for his flow and it’s really amazing how his dope metaphors fly under the radar. Royce Da 5’9” also made a track called Legendary this year and I think I like Royce’s better but this one is definitely a great track. I once again think the chorus is a lacking a little but the verses make up for it.
7/10
5. Lotus Flower Bomb ft. Miguel
Next up is Lotus Flower Bomb which was release but I never listened to. Wale is definitely talking to the ladies on this one. The Jerrin Howard (who?) beat is crazy. I can see this track getting radio play, if it hasn’t already. Wale has a solid verse and Miguel’s hook definitely fits the track well. Wale’s second verse is real good and is packed with some great metaphors and punch lines. Make sure you listen for the A cup line. There is a bridge after the second verse by Miguel and there is no doubt about it that this song is for the radio and the clubs. Pretty solid track over all.
6/10
6. Chain Music
This is another track that gets radio play and I’ve heard this one before. Another Tone P production and the beat is pretty catchy and dope. This is Wale’s “swag” track and you can definitely tell. The Rick Ross sample on the hook is a nice touch. This is one of those tracks that you put on in your car and turn the bass and treble up and just ride to. I’m sure that if you know Wale then you’ve heard this track and you are probably not disappointed. What the fuck is he saying though? Geechy? Is that a word? Whatever, maybe I’m not with that whole DC slang thing. I am from Rhode Island after all. Anyways, pretty solid track and definitely has replay value.
7/10
7. Focused ft. Kid Cudi
I’m pretty anxious to hear how this one is going to sound, seeing how Cudi and Wale have exchanged some not so nice words earlier this year. The beat is by Kore who is a relative unknown to me at least. I thought the chorus was but the same guy who does Racks on Racks but I don’t think it is. This beat is nice. I really like how Wale switched up the flow a little bit on the first verse. Good first verse and so far Kid Cudi is on the chorus a little bit. I’m not sure if Cudi will have a verse but I sure am expecting it. Wale’s second verse is really good; he has some nice lines in there. I can kind of hear this as like a third single. No Cudi verse so I’m kind of disappointed but the song as a whole is pretty good.
7/10
8. Sabotage ft. Lloyd
This song came on before I typed the title and all I heard was Lloyd and it pissed me off a little bit. I’m not a big Lloyd fan; I’d prefer to hear a female sing like that. Wale’s first verse is decent and the words on the chorus are pretty good. I just dislike Lloyd and think he’s only good in certain songs. Don’t get me wrong this is definitely Lloyd’s element because this is a track for the ladies. Wale has a crazy Avatar/blue balls line in the second line that kind of woke me up a little bit. Aside from that line I definitely won’t be replaying this track but I know a lot of women will be. It seems like Wale is definitely looking for radio play with this album so far because I’ve heard some tracks that are directed towards women. I really like the drum breakdown around the 4 minute mark. I’m glad Wale said “Give me some cough drops” at the end because he was definitely starting to sound like Rick Ross at the end of this track. Like I said, women will like this but I am not a woman so therefore I am not a fan of this song.
4/10
9. White Linen (Coolin) ft. Ne-Yo
Nice airy beat from Deputy and it allows Wale’s verses to kind of take it over. Ne-Yo is on the hook and I definitely prefer hearing his voice on hooks as opposed to Lloyd’s. This is a smooth track and Wale’s first verse was ok but now that I’m typing this halfway through the hook I kind of forgot what he said. This song is also directed towards the ladies but this one Wale is talking about what he wants in a woman. Side note, a Wale track is NOT a Wale track without at least 2 sports related punch lines. There are only 2 verses in this because of the extended Ne-Yo hook. I personally prefer 3 verses because I am a lyric junkie but this song isn’t bad at all.
6/10
10. Slight Work ft. Big Sean
This is a beat from Diplo and its pretty dope. I’ve heard this sample used in a J. Dilla beat but it’s kind of refreshing to hear it used differently. I really love how the beat switches throughout the first verse. Speaking of the first verse, Wale kills it. The chorus is used solely to separate the verses. Big Sean comes in for the second verse and his words are very entertaining. He is one of the only people that can turn something that could sound stupid into s a pretty dope line. I think Big Sean has a standout verse on the album. This track is most definitely a club song and will probably blow up because of the clubs. Personally I think there are too many sirens in the beat for me to bump this track in the car. I don’t really want to keep looking back in my rear views for cop lights.
7/10
11. Ambition ft. Meek Mill & Rick Ross
T-Minus produced this track and it’s crazy. I can hear some Lil Wayne & Drake “She Will” in this beat. T-Minus has this undeniable bounce in his track that I haven’t heard since Swizz Beatz. Meek Mill comes in for the first verse and it’s pretty solid. I really like Wale’s hook on this one. Rick Ross has the second verse and it’s just okay. Kind of a forgettable verse but it serves its purpose of getting the Boss on this album. Crazy ass beat switch for the beginning of the third verse. I had to bring Wale’s verse back to the beginning after the like 4th bar. It’s that dope. This might be the best verse I have ever heard Wale spit. This is definitely the best track of this album and there probably won’t be one that will top it.
10/10
12. Illest Bitch
This track is produced by Tha Bizness. It starts off with a nice little acoustic to make this sound like a ballad. I really like how the beat progressed from guitar licks to pianos into this whole arrangement. It’s really dope. This song is about an ill bitch. Ill meaning sick, meaning awesome, best. I’ve heard the term illest bitch like 8 times and we’ve just started the second verse. This is once another track for the women, maybe specifically a woman. It’s not a bad track at all and Wale has done a lot of talking on this album. Like literally talking and I don’t think it’s out of place at all because sometimes in music the most powerful things are said rather than sung or rapped.
5/10
13. No Days Off
I can definitely tell that this is a DJ Toomp beat. Nice bounce to it and I can hear some of Toomp’s trademark sounds. I can actually hear T.I. ripping this track. Wale has a slower than usual flow on this cut but it’s still dope. The chorus is definitely a Rick Ross type chorus, complete with the Ray Charles reference. This isn’t the most lyrical track on the album but its still dope.
7/10
14. DC Or Nothing
This track starts off sounding serious. This album is displaying Tone P’s production ability. He is really dope for someone who I’ve never heard until this album. Wale kills the first verse. The Chorus is dope but I have no idea who it is. Wale definitely takes it back to DC as the title suggests. Wale’s flow is on point and the beat is a perfect complement. This track is great and I like how he dedicates a whole track to his home city because not many people do that anymore. I feel like Wale is on his motivational speaker shit on this album. I kind of like it though. I also really want to know who was on the hook, so if someone knows you should let me know.
8/10
15. That Way ft. Jeremih & Rick Ross
This is the track that everyone has heard. Originally on the MMG album and released as a single. This might be Wale’s biggest track in his career. A refreshingly dope beat from Lex Luger that shows he has some diversity in his production catalog. The snares are absolutely crazy and Jeremih’s hook is good. Wale’s verses are really good and probably his most memorable. I see the last 2 bars of his second verse all over Facebook and Twitter almost daily. Rick Ross has a great verse. As for its placement on the album, I think it was thrown onto the end of the album to just get it on there. Since this is the smash hit that Wale needs they definitely needed it on Ambition. Now while this is a track for the women I really like it because Wale and Rozay have some great verses and Lex Luger’s production is ridiculous.
8/10
Now that I have listened to the whole album I will say that it is a good album. There are songs on here that are made specifically for radio play. Wale is different because he is able to easily play with words and produce some strong lyrical verses while still being mainstream. There are some songs that I don’t like on this album (Whatever track Lloyd was on) and there are a handful of really great tracks (Ambition, Miami Nights, Double M Genius.) The three tracks I just listed are my favorite off the album and they’re quite different. I really like how this album was able to touch on many different subjects. I didn’t really want to compare Wale’s albums and how his sound has either changed or progressed. However I listened to “Attention: Deficit” before I checked out “Ambition.” I can definitely tell how Wale switching from Roc Nation to MMG has changed his sound but you can definitely tell he’s the same artist. He knows what fan base he’s appealing to and he will continue to pump out hits while he’s signed to Maybach Music. I’m rating it a 7 out of 10 because the standout tracks are that good.
7/10
