Wale’s fourth album, The Album About Nothing, was released this last week. Let’s just say up until this week, I’ve only had Kendrick, Big Sean and J.Cole’s newest albums in my iPhone. I can now add Wale’s new album to my list – I’ve been listening to it non-stop. When it comes to his musical style, Wale’s always in his own lane. The DC native didn’t surprise me with this album. The Album About Nothing, is nothing short of greatness.
There are 14 tracks on the album and a few features like Jeremih, Usher, SZA and J. Cole. Oh, and he does have another notable feature – Jerry Seinfeld. This isn’t the first time Wale has used the Seinfeld family as a cover for an album or clips from the show.
The Intro About Nothing, introduces the album. One of my favorite lines of the song is, “That’s why I let these dreads grow/I’ll never fit your f*ckin’ crown.” The interesting thing is he isn’t singing about nothing – he’s actually singing about something.
One of my favorite joints from the album is a The Need To Know, feat SZA. “I mean maybe some little problems could arise…” is the first line by Jerry Seinfeld. It’s a dialog between him and a potential girlfriend. Then we hear SZA singing Music SoulChild’s chorus in his song “Just Friends.” The song is talking about being friends with someone and not making a big deal about it. Musiq SoulChild wasn’t the album’s only muse – the track The Girls on Drugs borrows chorus inspiration from Janet Jackson’s Go Deep. He was very creative on this album. I love how he takes old school and makes it his own. He brings his own flavour to each track.
“Graduate from school just to live on their knees/then wonder why the undergrad don’t wait for summer for heat.” I feel like this is the best line from the song, The Success. He’s talking about real issues, for example: the heat not being on, using the oven, and people killing others for no reason. The next song, The Glass Egg, is something like The Success. Both of the songs seem to touch on the same subject, which is about empowerment. Not only being empowered, but being yourself. When it comes to being yourself, recognizing everything around you might not always be the best idea – but it will help you on your journey called life.
Overall as I mentioned before, this album is inspiring. I can’t wait to see what else Wale has in store. So far 2015 is a great year for great music.
