African Identity
Wale – “Cuz I’m African“
from various mixtapes (2006)
Pre-internet buzz, “Cuz I’m African” was possibly the first time I heard Wale rap. The second generation Nigerian American turned great rap hope of DC opens with two verses of standard issue mixtape punchline drivel but then finally fleshes out the concept on the third, where he digs a little deeper into identity politics. Remembering coming up “smelling like fufu”, Wale delivers an awkwardly tender verse. It’s maybe the best indication to date that he possesses the humanity necessary to transcend the $350 Sneaker Blog Hype ghetto. (Though a few moments on The Mixtape About Nothing come close.)
When I interviewed him for the new Vibe (uh… The Swagger Issue?), we talked about this record and he seemed a little saddened that the press has mostly overlooked his African origins:
“That’s really one of the elements about me that isn’t talked about. It’s kinda under the radar. That song was intended to just be a mixtape joint but it got a lot of feedback. There’s so many people, second and third generation African people in the country, I feel I kinda speak to them in a sense and where they’re coming from.”
As if being saddled with the aspirations of a city wasn’t enough, he’s repping for an entire continent. You gotta love the kid’s ambition.
June 19th, 2008 at 12:28 am
When is Wale gonna blow up? He’s one of the sickest out there, and besides the Roots feature I’ve only heard mixtapes that I was put on to right here at CB. He’s one of the funniest and dopest MCs I’ve heard in a while. And it ain’t like he’s some Saigon or Papoose bullshit, this dude’s got actual skill. Like Rodney Dangerfield, no respect, no respect at all (outside of D.C.)
June 19th, 2008 at 12:42 am
I love his ambition; not so crazy about the work. He’s like a more talented Kanye without the star power. Or a tolerable Lupe with way less raw talent. Or a much more boring version of Wayne. I feel like his popularity has little to do with him himself and more that he combines a lot of stuff in one convenient package – hipster appeal, okayplayer appeal, from an unmined and hence novel city/sound appeal. He’s a sort of bridge between multiple listenerships that don’t often listen to the same stuff and that, I think, is what’s fueled all the hype. Not that he’s actually so great. It’s just like how Game became a superstar because he was from the West Coast, cosigned by 50, had been shot several times, and simply by shouting out old-school/dead rappers 80 times per song, somehow convinced enough people that he was a real MC to 50’s pop rapper act. It wasn’t that people were actually excited about his music; it was just that he had this laundry list of attributes that appealed to the market at that point in time. With Wale there’s a little more there there, but not all that much.
June 19th, 2008 at 3:21 am
HATE IS THE NEW LOVE! that’s a good mixtape & wale is a good mc. hope he doesn’t end up like…..
June 19th, 2008 at 6:01 am
I think Tray hit the nail on the head when he mentioned Wale’s ability to “bridge between multiple listenerships”. Still, Im somewhat skeptical that his album will ever come out. If it hasn’t dropped by this time next year, Im pretty sure he’ll be stuck in the Saigon zone.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
a few points i hope to get off my chest.
1. Wale sucks
2. I’m from DC his fanbase here is weak he is liked mostly by hipster internet geeks
3.He rep DC and MD like he be out here for real homie used to stat getting punked and juxed
4.He is another jay clone
5.I still hope he blow so dudes from here with more talent will get shine and noticed
June 20th, 2008 at 11:40 am
Wale’s a star. As one of those (not a) bloggers that is championing dude, I was drawn to his music first and then I bought into the hype. I personally feel there is a definitive anti-backpack (although he’s not really a backpacker) backlash that’s already starting with him where some of my esteemed associates are already shitting on this guy out of sheer principle because he’s not generic swagger rapper X which is a shame because if given a chance, Wale’s going to become a huge star.
June 20th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Doc – Blair has a point. While I wouldn’t say Wale sucks, I actually think he’s pretty good. (You know, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing about him posit ively.) But unlike most city on the map rappers (say, Nelly or Boosie) Wale didn’t have a gigantic local following prior to his national buzz and still doesn’t to an extent. People seem supportive of his shit, but it’s not like dudes are sweating him. Pretty much the only time I hear his records on the radio is when his dude Alize is playing them.
He strikes me as a pretty business minded guy and I think, like so many in his generation, his greatest skill lies in networking and self promotion. And he directed those skills outside the city as quickly as possible. It’s a rushed hype cycle.
June 21st, 2008 at 1:27 am
No, no, Wale doesn’t suck, he’s a perfectly competent, occasionally really entertaining, B-list talent. But that’s about it, and if he were from practically anywhere else in the country we wouldn’t hear so much about him.
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 pm
I’m from DC too (Southeast to be specific) but I don’t hear Jay-z and all…I don’t hear any weezy either (he gets that too)…..I think Wale is pretty hot most of the time. Sometimes the style of his delivery don’t change up too much. I don’t hear people in S.E. or other parts of DC talk about Wale too much so I dunno how strong his fanbase is right here in the city and uh i’m not too sure how it is out in PG MD or in Mo County MD either.
@ blair I never heard anyone use juxed lol. What does that mean?
June 29th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Juxed means to get robbed like Tyga
July 7th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Cosigs’ noz assessment, post and comment.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
How much of hipster rap is the function of internet buzz or a real fan base?
August 19th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Man Wale Bit that song from Tre Treasure Chest …Word
Have Proof ..amn these rappers…check it out @ dasaent.blogspot….
like for real …he’s frontin !!
August 20th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
[...] Lil Wayne raps about being ‘tougher than Nigerian hair’ (on his megahit “A Millie”), Wale brags about “smelling like fufu.” Who knows what he’s talking about. Probably Wale. Wale, the D.C. rapper beloved by mainstream hipsters (think Pitchfork, The Fader, Complex) and who guested on The Legendary Roots Crew’s “Rising Down” (this is a link to the video of that song) and who had a minor hit with his “Nike Boots Remix”) knows what he is talking about. He’s the son of Nigerian immigrants. And he raps about it. [Via Cocaine Blunts.] [...]
January 8th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
I’m 100% ready for music fans to stop evaluating music based on the people who appear to like it. I remember a time when it became less acceptable for people to love Tribe or De La because white people who didn’t have a lot of rap in their Case Logics owned a copy of Midnight Marauders or 3 Feet High and Rising. Yep–people who listen to music besides rap like Wale. But Wale can rap his ass off, and he can pick a beat.
June 22nd, 2010 at 3:51 pm
One listen to Wale is enough to convince any sensible person to stop listening to hip-hop entirely. His lyrics get more and more annoyingly self-centered as he gets more famous. You, the writer of this article, should be ashamed of yourself for stroking the greedy music industry’s lubed up cock.