Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Wale. Okay. Put your hands down. Now raise your hand if you haven’t. A few hands up? Great. Well here’s the good part, you’re about to find out. What has all too recently been a local phenomenon is now poised to become an internationally recognized phenom. Bringing a sound with a perfect blend of originality and familiarity, Wale is revamping the hip-hop scene. Ask yourself, do I really want to miss out?
The brain and brawn behind this movement is just an ordinary dude from D.C. Born and raised in the heart of the city, Wale suffuses his unique “chocolate city” rearing with a familiar genre to create something rare: A sound that is smooth and rich, yet subtle. It will leave you wanting more, wondering how does he do it?
The road to Wale’s success has not been an easy one. A three-time college dropout, he has seen his share of ups and downs, but has remained resilient through it all, “Never will I ever, utter never to myself / Fall in love with defeat, throw my endeavors on the shelf.” Just last year, he signed a contract with Interscope Records and has been bumping out tracks with notables from Travis Barker to Jay-Z. He’s also been taken under the wing of über-producer Mark Ronson, who has brought us the likes of Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen.
Lest we forget, however, Wale is but an ordinary dude from D.C. Despite heavy endorsements pouring in from the music world, Wale is loyal to his roots in the nation’s capital. For many concerts, he brings along a live go-go band that calls for an influx of percussion, swing and funk particularly familiar to the ear of Washingtonians. This past Thursday, Wesleyan seniors were given a private concert with Wale featuring one of DC’s most popular go-go bands, U.C.B. (Uncalled 4 Band). Despite the 1920s theme of the party, which called for flapper dresses and knickers, seniors rocked out to the hip-hop experience. With familiar tunes such as Wale’s remix of D.A.N.C.E by Justice as well as his most recent hit “Nike Boots,” seniors swayed and screamed provoking Wale to remark after the show, “Wesleyan. I like this school.”
Hopefully, Wale and U.C.B. will return soon so the rest of Wesleyan can get a taste of their musical experience. It may only have been the second one, but it was truly no ordinary cocktail party.
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