It's become somewhat of a running joke for Wale being considered one of the most underrated, yet overlooked rappers of the last decade or so, though his abilities are far from joke-worthy. The D.C. rapper has seen plenty of love from his core audience over the years, but that's about it. Signing to Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group label in 2011, Wale has scored 2 consecutive Billboard number ones albums in 2013 and 2015, respectively (The Gifted and The Album About Nothing), and has released a slew of music, having come out with an album every other year since 2009. So what is it that is holding Wale back from becoming a premier name in hip hop? Some say its his Twitter antics, but going back and forth with a troll about how your music isn't as good as it was back in 2011 shouldn't prevent you from becoming a big name, if your music really is that good. I felt as if I couldn't speak fairly on Wale due to my lack of Wale in my playlists, so I figured I'd try to get to the bottom of these allegations myself. Here's some observations on Wale's newest EP, It's Complicated.
R&B Love Song Vibes, With Bars
On Wale's short EP, the theme stays consistent with feelings of hurt and love, as well as lessons for future encounters with these feelings. On the intro title track, Wale discusses the problems in today's world of flirting and getting to know a woman, including liking a girl's pictures on Instagram, and his "complicated" methods of explaining his love for a girl. Bravo to the old fashioned, Wale. The wavy instrumental's bassline keeps an ambiance for dimming the lights and lighting the candles with your girl, while showcasing a rapping ability that you could play and contemplate about in long car rides, an interesting combination.
Hurtful, Yet, Hopeful
As well as lessons Wale is imparting on his new EP, he's also discussing what he would like the most from a woman. On one particular song, Wale is asking for a girl to be a "Black Bonnie" to his Clyde, including a somewhat entertaining line about spray painting Trump Towers, as well as traveling the world together. "Black Bonnie" is a great "flipping through the old photo albums and remembering all the good times we had together" type of track in which Jacquees provides excellently tender vocals on the hook that drive home the loving tone. It seems Wale's dreams about his dream woman are not much different from our own... chasing dreams and conquering the world together. I feel it, Wale. I feel it.
The great thing about this EP is that all 4 songs featured each have their own respective mission to accomplish, yet none of them stray away from the subject matter. Different sounds bring out different vibes in the songs, which represent the different sides of the relationships Wale is speaking of, some of them fun, others difficult and hard to talk about. All in all, Wale dropped off an extremely solid, yet unfortunately short EP that whether you're going through heartbreak or not, is a fun listen, and can be a lesson for those going through it, or just a vividly bump-worthy tape that remains multi-layered, depending your mood.
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