Why isn't Wale bigger/more popular than he is?

[THE MACHINE]

I have been trying to figure this out all night man

He has solid features
He has great albums/mix tapes
On a major label
A sneaker head
Great relationship tracks
Good production
Doesn't rely on coke/murder rap
Promotes black excellence

The only flaw with him is his delivery. He seems uncertain about his bars sometimes and mumbles. This is why you don't really hear people quoting him in the streets. If he sounded more confident I think people would flock to him. He's my favorite rapper right now.

Thats really all I could come up with

 

[PracticeMeansNothin]

Lol Wale was my favorite rapper from 2007 to about 2010 when I stopped listening to rap for a year or so. If It wasn't for his concert w/ J Cole in Richmond back in 09 (a nobody who performed Grown Simba to open for Wale) I wouldn't have become a Cole fan so early. By the time I came back into the fold around 2011,12 his style had switched up. Wasn't that he had less bars or anything but this was the same guy who always said it was more about substance than money, u wont see him rocking a chain, and all this artistic integrity stuff - and I could tell he was doing certain things to fit in aka caring too much what people thought. I didn't rock with it as much.

Still one of my favorite rappers but, 100 miles and running, Mixtape about nothing...those were some of the dopest projects I've ever heard. Alot of people disagree but bar and flow wise ...immaculate. One thing about him though is he would have so many bars you had to either look up, or already be hip to the subject matter of the bar to understand how hot it was. But even the way he said it you could tell it was hot lol. I can see how alot of people could be put off by this ...but for me it was one of his best traits. Mixtape about nothing probably the deepest mixtape I've heard and the bars are just crazy lol. Wale needs to just get on some more Go-go joints lol










Old Wale mindset was just too smooth...unforced but with substance still^^^^^^ #BARS

People who think Wale is trash what do yall think of those tracks? Notice how they're all pre-MMG tho

 

[loyola llothta]

yea surprised Ross didnt try to make it a fully indy label.

how is the label function?i know maybach is ross and he sign to Def Jam (solo project) and Atlantic got they hands in it

i know he was talking to Wiz, nip, and Dom to sign early on

what

his peers aren't even in the same ocean as the man

Kendrick is by far and wide the leader of the new school, at least rapping wise

rapping yes but if you look at popularity(fans that' off the web) and sales/touring it all goes to cole and drake

 

[noumena]

I hate to say it but it's because he's dark skinned and short.

Yeah, same reason Wayne is so unsuccessful

 

[↓R↑LYB]

Save the juvenile light skin vs dark skin debates for LSA.

Man these nikkas are worst than bytches

 

[loyola llothta]

He should have signed with Puffy (who could have helped him with his look and image)

bruh he was on life support before ross saved him

 

[thewiz]

bruh he was on life support before ross saved him

nikka said sign with puff.. when's the last time you seen someone sign to puff and be successful and not end up broke

 

[THE MACHINE]

nikka said sign with puff.. when's the last time you seen someone sign to puff and be successful and not end up broke

Yep...he would be ghost writing for Diddy and Diddy would be seen as a dope rapper if he spit these relationship tracks Wale spits. Wale would be buried and broke.

 

[A Tribe Called Quest ™]

nikka said sign with puff.. when's the last time you seen someone sign to puff and be successful and not end up broke

I mean French but dude always had his own buzz

 

[Music Fiend]

Wale lost because he's late. Everyone else hopped on the trends at the right time. Wale was always behind. Like drake, wale had s very unique sound. Unlike drake he left that sound for a late MMG deal , where he tried to be a pop culture artist instead of what his lane is. Dude had the gogo game on lock along with 9th wonder production.


Everyone else stayed the same with there roots and upgraded production wise at the right time.


Currency still spittin bout money hoes and cars. Wiz still Rollin up. Drake still singing and rapping female friendly yet relatable ballads along with a few knockers. Sean still got the witty punchlines, cole still psyedo intellectual relatable music with some ignorance, and kdot still talking about gangs and violence.

And wale.... Wale wants to be everybody.

 

[blizzard man]

 

[WEKetchum]

He makes dope music, and he's a great performer. I've always felt the hate/apathy wasn't deserved. And he's got a great fan base. Dude does a lot of touring, and all his shows that I've been to have been lit.

People just like to tease him, and he entertained it for so long that people associate him with that instead of his music. Also, I think people felt like he sold out after signing to MMG (something I disagree with). My only issue with him is that his mixtapes are always much better than his retail projects. Although Album About Nothing is better than any other retail album he's had, and one of the best releases this year.

 

[SirBiatch]

People who think Wale is trash what do yall think of those tracks? Notice how they're all pre-MMG tho

I appreciate you posting what you consider to be Wale's best material.

Not feeling these tracks at all. Boring as fukk. shyts don't even sound like hip hop. Like a cover band with some guy rapping on it.

 

[WEKetchum]

...you could ask that same question about my nikka Big Krit .

KRIT isn't as popular as he should be for two reasons.

1.) So much of his sound was anchored on samples (he's getting much more versatile now though, as seen on Cadillactica)
2.) Game is so spoiled now. He needed to drop an album every year when he first started popping, and that hurt him. Had it been a different era, he could wait two years between each album, which actually would make him have a really long career by default. But he dropped four great free records, the retail one was built up and didn't measure up. But if all those were seen as equally important and were more spread apart, his career is seen completely differently

 

[ImChrissyB]

He's successful but not mainstream successful and it's due to two reasons mainly. One, because his music is more conscious and less commercial and two, because he wasn't willing to sit in the 'director's chair' if yall know what I mean smh look it up, it is a thing.