Song after song, he brings something worthwhile to the table. Of course there’s the thoughtful “Bad,” which should be relable to women but also men with ‘relationship’ issues. Wale generally eschews club bangers, but manages one that’s not completely shameful or desperate on “Clappers.” Still, “shawty got a big ole butt” isn’t the most profound, poetic line ever. This continues on a second consecutive standout “LoveHate Thing,” where he stopped “giving a f*ck about opinions,” and is “Temporarily out of fizzucks / so tell the post to leave propaganda to the politicians. “And y’all don’t even gotta love us / but you will respect this motherf*ckin’ hustle.” On opener “The Curse of the Gifted,” Wale opens with a bang referencing jealous haters. On this particular effort, he benefits from meaningful rhymes and soulful production work. His third album, The Gifted is consistent and exceptional throughout. These hits, such as 'Lotus Flower Bomb' and 'Bad,' supported albums that regularly landed near or at the top of the Billboard 200, including the chart-topping The Gifted (2013) and The Album About. Wale is definitely a standout, which should go without saying. Most of the major singles that ensued for him, however, were melodic slow jams spread across the tail-end of the 2000s and well into the late 2010s. That’s amazing considering his first album, Attention Deficit (2009), wasn’t a commercial smash Despite a ‘loss in game one,’ he came back to take ‘game two’ with Ambition (2011). , released on the ever growing, popular He ascended from nothin’ to somethin.’ Wale definitely achieved the come-up he deserved, given his skill. Yep, that’s Wale! He’s quickly risen in the rap ranks. “I go hard, I’m ballin’, I’m globetrottin’ / And my flow art my n*gga, I’m Mozart with it.” His third album, The Gifted, is consistent and exceptional throughout. Wale is definitely a standout, which should go without saying.

Wale the gifted album cover