Wale - More About Nothing (Mixtape Review)

Wale made big waves in 2008 because of his go-go styled rhymes, indicative of his D.C. roots. That was the heavily praised, 'Mixtape About Nothing'. However, his major label debut, 'Attention Deficit' belied the actual talent Wale possesses. Whereas, he was swallowed by the grandiose production and big budget guests, 'More About Nothing' captures Wale stripped of a big budget and back to basics. He dissects the ins and outs of relationships. Since returning to his rhyming roots, he sounds refreshed and finally ready for his close up, Mr. Demille.

DJ Omega, Kosmik, and other little known producers give Wale music with an elated bounce to it. Which causes the rapper to match the feel of each record. Instead of riding the beat, he sits inside of it and explores himself while he's in there.The best part of this mixtape, besides, the actual lyrics, is the attention to detail. Wale's mixtapes are based on his favorite show, 'Seinfeld'. So he picks skits from the hit sitcom that compliment the songs nicely. Also, the old school samples are flipped in a way not of the average. "The Problem" borrows from Debarge's "All This Love" in an interesting way.

'More about Nothing' is the album he should have put out instead of 'Attention Deficit'. This mixtape features the laid back rapper with a heart we've come to know and love. There's an element of freedom here. Probably because he wasn't trying too hard. This is the material that will give Wale the mainstream praise he deserves. Like he says on "The Power", "I aint Jay. I aint Wayne. I aint Tip. I am Olu Folarin." And he gets the best results when he is just that, himself.