Wale - Attention Deficit

"They keep sayin' whale, but my name Wale" don't worry about forgetting that little nugget of info 'cause he'll remind you of that fact plenty on his official debut dubbed "Attention Deficit".

The album is Wale's first official foray into mainstream waters as his arsenal up to this point existed of a few (albeit well received) mixtapes. Like many rappers before him Wale is on a bit of an ego-trip often spitting lines that describe his greatness and presenting himself as the second-coming in hiphop whenever he can, which hurts the album quite a bit. Lines like "Momma ain't raised no fool, true. But me and my brother never made it outta school." from 'World Tour' (ft. Jazmine Sullivan) seem to give the promise of much more to come, just to be tarnished by the following lines where Wale raps about implants. The track 'TV in The Radio' (ft K'naan) is even worse as it exhales a vapor of superiority that intoxicates an otherwise nice composition that could have been non-wasted instead.

Thankfully the rapper of Nigerian descent proves he can deliver lyrically on '90210', rapping about serious issues like drug abuse and bulimia: "And she throws up whatever she eats, she leave the bathroom with a nose bleed. A regular girl, celebrity dreams. She is 90210".

The one area where Wale excels is with his impeccable flow and rhymes, that are always on point. He holds his own against featuring rappers Bun B, J.Cole and Gucci Mane.

Production wise the young rapper is backed by some of the biggest producers in the business, names include The Neptunes, Mark Ronson, Cool & Dre and DJ Green Lantern. Overall the production is fresh, filled with playful loops, synths and subtle keystrokes that add just that little bit extra to hold your attention. Eye-catchers (or should I say ear-catchers) include 'Chillin' (ft. Lady Gaga, produced by Cool & Dre) which contains a sample of 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye' by Steam, 'Mirrors' (ft Bun B, produced by Mark Ronson) with its old-school vibe and 'Diary' (ft. Marsha Ambrosius, produced by The Sleepwalkers) that contains a sample of "La Valse D'Amelie" by Yann Tiersen. The different productions seem to vibe well together delivering a nicely composed package that is at least worthy of a listen.

delivering more towards the mainstream, the album despite its flaws still has much to offer the listener in Wale's impeccable flow and the fresh synthfilled compositions provided by some of the best producers in the biz. Just remember to prepare yourself for a big dose of self declared glorification and all out omnipotence. All hail Wale....

Wale's "Attention Deficit" in stores November 10th 2009.

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