Review:
Wale seems to reside just on the precipice of blowing up – he has the
lyrical skill and flow; he just has never had a big hit. His first two albums Attention
Deficit and Ambition
are both good, but do not stand out either. With his third album, The Gifted,
Wale seems to have both embraced his place in hip hop and desperately grasped
for a breakthrough hit with a somewhat random assembling of guest features.
The Gifted is at its best when
Wale is just riffing off the beats. He has such a nimble flow and he is a layered
storyteller that his raps alone are enough to sustain the listener. His lyrics give
a much more nuanced and realistic view of urban culture than most other artists
who still speak for the streets. Wale’s verses have substance. Musically, the
album is very vibrant and often the beats have more of a live band feel, which
is a nice change from the constant flow of EDM influenced hip hop songs (and
just every genre really). The live drums really pop.
But for all its positives, the
album is just flooded with pointless features by artistes that do not fit Wale’s
sound, who seemingly are only there to increases sales and draw new listeners –
like: Yo Gotti, Nicki Minaj, Juicy J, Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, Ne-Yo, and 2
Chainz. None of them bring anything to the album. Wale’s MMG mates Meek Mill
and Rick Ross also show up, but again neither stand out and their styles
somewhat clash with Wale’s – though, Meek Mill and Wale do have some chemistry.
The Gifted would probably be a better album without all these features (as
really only Cee-Lo Green and Tiara Thomas bring something worthwhile),
especially when the genre’s best recent albums (good
kid, m.A.A.d city, Born
Sinner, and Yeezus)
have all been built around a singular voice – all these random features dilute
the album’s impact.
The Gifted is sure to please fans
of Wale, as it is a good hip hop album. However, it is also slightly disappointing
(as it is almost a great album, held back by all the features). 3/5
Essential Tracks:
