Wale Been in the Game for Almost a Decade without a Definitive Sound/Style

[GoldenGlove]

Big Sean has gotten better over time but he still isn't a better rapper than Wale. I would expect Big Sean to be more relevant and popular right now seeing as how he's dropped 2 studio projects since the last time Wale dropped his. Big Sean's content and abilities are limited compared to Wale, so his lane is easier for to pinpoint and quantify.

You're stuck on this whole lane thing and it's weird. As I've said, Wale's lane has always been the vulnerable dude not afraid to express his ups and downs while droppings songs that have a wide range. Having a wider range than most rappers does not mean he is "aimless". I don't agree with the premise that versatility is ever a bad thing as long as the artist can do all those things well, which Wale can.

Should Wale happen to narrow his lane to become just straight conscious and lyrical like a Lupe, or a simp-savant like a Drake, I doubt that's going to make him any more popular. His fans like his versatility, and folks like you are gonna critique him like he's some kind of defective toy regardless lol.



Nah, that isn't his problem at all. What does Big Sean or J.Cole do better than their peers? It has nothing to do with content and all about his image - the perception of it and how he maintains it.

Up until The Gifted, I would easily say Wale >>> Sean as a rapper.

I can't say that anymore. You're making excuses as to why Big Sean is more relevant... he's more relevant because he's making better music. They both are in the commercial/radio lane with their releases. Big Sean's hits don't come off as forced like Wale's shyt. And Wale easily could have released Shine by now. Hell... the dude launched My PYT March of 2016. His album rollout strategies for the most part are TRASH. Shine is another example of it.

He had so many dope songs he put out last year, he put out the mixtape... My PYT was out... he put out Running Back last year, the song with Travis was floating around since last year when that Birds bootleg dropped. Maybe Wale doesn't have any say in when he drops an album, I don't know... but all indications were leading me to believe that Shine was supposed to drop in 2016. If it wasn't... why the hell did he drop My PYT so damn early?


And I'm "stuck" on a specific lane/style because with most things and in most are industries and even in music, an artist has to have something that sticks to them... His versatility is being overstated when his main claim for success has always been the same formula (R&B lead single with somebody killing the hook). It's always the same kind of lead single breh. What good is being versatile if it's not improving your status in your profession?

 

[Versa]

Up until The Gifted, I would easily say Wale >>> Sean as a rapper.

I can't say that anymore. You're making excuses as to why Big Sean is more relevant... he's more relevant because he's making better music. They both are in the commercial/radio lane with their releases. Big Sean's hits don't come off as forced like Wale's shyt. And Wale easily could have released Shine by now. Hell... the dude launched My PYT March of 2016. His album rollout strategies for the most part are TRASH. Shine is another example of it.

He had so many dope songs he put out last year, he put out the mixtape... My PYT was out... he put out Running Back last year, the song with Travis was floating around since last year when that Birds bootleg dropped. Maybe Wale doesn't have any say in when he drops an album, I don't know... but all indications were leading me to believe that Shine was supposed to drop in 2016. If it wasn't... why the hell did he drop My PYT so damn early?


And I'm "stuck" on a specific lane/style because with most things and in most are industries and even in music, an artist has to have something that sticks to them... His versatility is being overstated when his main claim for success has always been the same formula (R&B lead single with somebody killing the hook). It's always the same kind of lead single breh. What good is being versatile if it's not improving your status in your profession?

- You can't say Wale is easily a better rapper than Big Sean but I can

- Shine's awkward rollout does not = an aimless career nor does it erase the strong body of work that he's put out over his career. And for all we know, Shine could end up being good. It probably will be.

- Being a really good and versatile rapper has led to him enjoying a 10 year career with multiple gold records under his belt and plenty of hit singles. He doesn't need to "improve his status" because, regardless of what you or his ambitious appetite for fame feel, being a second tier star in the most popular genre on the planet is not a bad deal at all. Most artists would take that in a heartbeat.

- Lotus Flower Bomb, Bad, The Body, etc don't suddenly become "forced hits" just because My PYT sucks and people aren't feeling Fashion Week. Those were dope records.

- Lots of artists have the same formula for their lead singles. Very few offer the range that Wale does when you actually get to their albums

- You made this thread with an agenda and you're sticking with it regardless of what me and others in this thread are saying.

 

[GoldenGlove]

- You can't say Wale is easily a better rapper than Big Sean but I can

- Shine's awkward rollout does not = an aimless career nor does it erase the strong body of work that he's put out over his career. And for all we know, Shine could end up being good. It probably will be.

- Being a really good and versatile rapper has led to him enjoying a 10 year career with multiple gold records under his belt and plenty of hit singles. He doesn't need to "improve his status" because, regardless of what you or his ambitious appetite for fame feel, being a second tier star in the most popular genre on the planet is not a bad deal at all. Most artists would take that in a heartbeat.

- Lotus Flower Bomb, Bad, The Body, etc don't suddenly become "forced hits" just because My PYT sucks and people aren't feeling Fashion Week. Those were dope records.

- Lots of artists have the same formula for their lead singles. Very few offer the range that Wale does when you actually get to their albums

- You made this thread with an agenda and you're sticking with it regardless of what me and others in this thread are saying.

*sighs*
You really hanging a lot of shyt on my use of the word aimless once in the OP. Going off of the definition, since you continue to bring it up...

aim·less
ˈāmləs/
adjective

1. without purpose or direction.

I and many others have stated why this applies to Wale in many aspects. The Shine rollout doesn't equate to it 100%... it's a combination of things that brought me to use the word aimless. He's been rapping this long and he still does not have a legit specialty to hang his hat on in my opinion. Now I can see the argument for R&B/Lady Records, but he doesn't really do that the best out of his class right?

Put it this way...

Let's say an A&R has a young artist on the rise, and needs a feature for a song. Let's say the song is a light hearted radio R&B track... who you would you rather get a verse from for that artist RIGHT NOW in 2017?
-Wale
-Drake
-Big Sean
-Cole



I'm saying all of this to prove a point. Artists figure out a sound that works for them, and then people catch on to it and associate them with that sound. If you want a feature from Wale, what kind of song you want it to be? He's versatile, true... but you not going to stick him on a song before getting somebody who just does that kind of record better.

 

[GoldenGlove]

Also.....

Aimless ≠ Not Successful

He's had successful career, doesn't mean that what I'm saying doesn't apply as well tho

 

[Asicz]

Some of yall are over selling his lyrical ability imo.

 

[BO BARON]

With the all back & forth & many reasons to why wale is supposedly so corny, wack, hasnt found his specific lane, style & sound or hasn't reached his peers levels of success, respect, global appeal & appreciation

When its all said & done wale's presence, influence, contribution to the culture & catalog will be amongst 1 of the most revered, respected, debated, analyzed of his era

Alot of these critics & half ass fans will even be putting him ahead of some his peers & a few notable rappers from the 80s & 90s just watch

 

[Asicz]

He got that college age black female demo on lock tho.

 

[BO BARON]

And another thing name 1 rapper from dc that has had a bigger impact than wale

Name 1 rapper in the whole Maryland that has even reached even close to the level of emcee, respect, prestige & success as wale I'll wait

 

[LoMax30]

The problem is that Wale just won't commit to being a conscious rapper. That is his proper lane. I mean he's versatile enough where he can do more traditional hip-hop and commercial songs but they were never really his strength despite the fact he has seen commercial success doing it. I mean his first few mixtapes were brilliant and he actually managed to get that perfect balance between commercial and indie with the Gifted. But he's really a backpack rapper at heart even if he has spent the better part of a decade trying to dodge it.

I'm going to respectfully disagree. His early music isn't anywhere near backpacker IMO. It wasn't until "The Mixtape About Nothing" dropped that he was in that alt/indie/conscious lane but by that point he had the image consultants calling the shots.

 

[ahomeplateslugger]

i really like wale and think he's still in staying true to himself from what you said below @GoldenGlove

I wish this dude would have just stayed true to himself and stuck to the poetic/heartfelt pro black music he was on from time to time. It's like he doesn't know what is best to push for himself from a marketing standpoint... to be the spoken word clever uplifting MC or the cliche brash rich and famous commercial MC.

i think wale has been great and found his balance between being conscious/poetic/pro black/introspective and young, fly and flashy around 2010 when he dropped that verse on no hands, then dropped ambition, Folarin mixtape and his tracks on the MMG compilation albums. he's been pretty consistent up until recently. i'm not really feeling the new tracks as much but maybe the album will surprise me and deliver. i think he shines the best when he gets thoughtful and reflective on tracks like "bad," "lovehate thing," "ambition," "sabotage," "the god smile" and "matrimony."

 

[feelosofer]

I'm going to respectfully disagree. His early music isn't anywhere near backpacker IMO. It wasn't until "The Mixtape About Nothing" dropped that he was in that alt/indie/conscious lane but by that point he had the image consultants calling the shots.

It was but he managed to mix it with the unique sounds of the DC area and that made atypical and refreshing to what was out there.

 

[ThiefyPoo]

Some of yall are over selling his lyrical ability imo.

Nahh




And this shyt light for wale .

 

[GoldenGlove]

And another thing name 1 rapper from dc that has had a bigger impact than wale

Name 1 rapper in the whole Maryland that has even reached even close to the level of emcee, respect, prestige & success as wale I'll wait

While he hasn't had the longevity (I'm not sure what Wale's impact has been... I just don't see it)

Logic is doing better than Wale currently and he's from Maryland.
Logic Becomes First Rapper of the Streaming Era to Achieve Certification Milestone - DJBooth Article



Logic's last album moved more units than TAAN...


So while we are pitting Wale with Big Sean, Kendrick, Cole, Drake etc in terms of class and relevance, he's actually slipping down a notch. And it's funny too, cause I don't like Logic, don't check for him at all really. But he's going gold without catering to radio like Wale has been doing his entire career... he's also outselling Wale now... it's really sad, but it's facts. They both drop on the 5th too, lets see what happens with those totals.

And let me say this, because you been kind of slow in this thread.

NO, I don't think Logic is better than Wale
NO, I don't think he's had a bigger impact (Even tho, I don't think Wale's impact on the game has been worth noting anyway)

 

[BO BARON]

While he hasn't had the longevity (I'm not sure what Wale's impact has been... I just don't see it)

Logic is doing better than Wale currently and he's from Maryland.
Logic Becomes First Rapper of the Streaming Era to Achieve Certification Milestone - DJBooth Article



Logic's last album moved more units than TAAN...


So while we are pitting Wale with Big Sean, Kendrick, Cole, Drake etc in terms of class and relevance, he's actually slipping down a notch. And it's funny too, cause I don't like Logic, don't check for him at all really. But he's going gold without catering to radio like Wale has been doing his entire career... he's also outselling Wale now... it's really sad, but it's facts. They both drop on the 5th too, lets see what happens with those totals.

And let me say this, because you been kind of slow in this thread.

NO, I don't think Logic is better than Wale
NO, I don't think he's had a bigger impact (Even tho, I don't think Wale's impact on the game has been worth noting anyway)

Logic

Whatever you say bruh

 

[Asicz]

Am I the only one who liked The Festivus Mixtape w A-Trak? It is the project I enjoyed the most.

Spoiler: Wale Pusha

Wale and Pusha T