Signs of Life 2008: Best Music
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Live at Paste: Whitley
Jerry Seinfeld isn't particularly gangsta. Not that there's anything
wrong with that. But he's not exactly the first person who comes to
mind as the inspiration for a hip-hop mixtape from the best rapper
you've never heard of. Last we checked, The Soup Nazi
wasn't getting too many Lil Wayne shout outs. But maybe a Seinfeld/Wale pairing isn't as odd as it initially seems.
Seinfield has a collection of more than 500 sneakers in his
closet (and yes, they are all white). He was so obsessed with sneakers
that his mother banned them during winter, and set a date when he could
start wearing them again. And the song that broke Washington, D.C., MC
Wale onto the national map was his street classic "Nike Boots" as well
as the obligatory remix with Wayne. So, if nothing else, the duo would have
one thing to talk about: high tops.
But it's not just Seinfeld's fresh kicks Wale loves. Dude loves him some Seinfeld. He told Entertainment Weekly he's seen each episode at least 30 times. Appropriately, then, he hooked up with D.C. producer Best Kept Secret, laced in some voice-overs from George and Jerry, yada yada yada, and Wale's The Mixtape About Nothing was born.
Released online worldwide on Friday, the album kicks off with a track in which Wale raps over the actual Seinfeld opening theme music. Over this unique backdrop, Wale ingeniously uses Jerry's "What's the deal with…" catchphrase as the foundation of his state of hip-hop analysis. This motif gives the title its double meaning. Many of the track titles seem to be a direct mockery of modern hip-hop formula, and the "mixtape about nothing" concept is no different. Wale comments on the market for current hip-hop by stating "If you love substance, then you love Wale, but most love nothing so I made this tape."
One thing is for sure, though: If this mixtape doesn't put Wale on the national radar, then hip-hop may be in as bad a shape as he says it is. Sorry, George. We're declaring this the summer of Wale.
Stream or download The Mixtape About Nothing here.
Related links:
WaleMusic.com
Wale on MySpace
The Seinfeld catchphrases dictionary
Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.
But it's not just Seinfeld's fresh kicks Wale loves. Dude loves him some Seinfeld. He told Entertainment Weekly he's seen each episode at least 30 times. Appropriately, then, he hooked up with D.C. producer Best Kept Secret, laced in some voice-overs from George and Jerry, yada yada yada, and Wale's The Mixtape About Nothing was born.
Released online worldwide on Friday, the album kicks off with a track in which Wale raps over the actual Seinfeld opening theme music. Over this unique backdrop, Wale ingeniously uses Jerry's "What's the deal with…" catchphrase as the foundation of his state of hip-hop analysis. This motif gives the title its double meaning. Many of the track titles seem to be a direct mockery of modern hip-hop formula, and the "mixtape about nothing" concept is no different. Wale comments on the market for current hip-hop by stating "If you love substance, then you love Wale, but most love nothing so I made this tape."
One thing is for sure, though: If this mixtape doesn't put Wale on the national radar, then hip-hop may be in as bad a shape as he says it is. Sorry, George. We're declaring this the summer of Wale.
Stream or download The Mixtape About Nothing here.
Related links:
WaleMusic.com
Wale on MySpace
The Seinfeld catchphrases dictionary
Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.
Email
is this running n the print edition?
Nope, this is an online news item, exclusive to the site. But look forward to something else about Wale in our September issue!