For the past few years the underground, internet hip-hoppers, bloggers and backpackers have been raving about the kid, Wale. I’d be fronting if I said I didn’t notice that the D.C. repper could play with words and rhymes like his daily diet consisted of Alphabet Soup. That’s just the kind of impression he left on me after listening to some of his songs and freestyles. Though he’s not the type to just devour a beat like a Big Pun or Canibus, he is the type to continuously build substance on a track. And that’s what’s up like a Pixar fillm.

When son said, “See it’s sort of like the beat cryin’/better it than me cryin’, keep quiet/the red head step son of the industry I’m in/rap fans, meet Ron Howard/far from an Opie/mind like the sword of Shanobi/butter knife rappers can’t clone me/a lil’ more Talib, less Jay-Z/a lil’ less Nasir, more AZ/a lil’ more Consequence than Kanye/the underdog from the underground, Wale,” on “Rhyme and Reason” he really spoke volumes without tearing down mountains. Read in-between the lines and you shall find some next sh*t. That’s what sets him apart from the new school of MC’s and why he has a cult following. He had me at, “Charles Hamilton… that’s NOT my niqqa…” I’m a CH fan, but Wale blew up the spot.

And though heads is complaining that homie is featuring too many heads on this project, you gotta understand that dude is sparing with hip-hop’s best MCs and proving that not only can he hold his own, but that he can be just as, if not more creative than his celebrity peers. He seesawed something ridiculous with Bun B on “Talkin Shyt” and reuniting Beans, Freeway and Young Chris (there’s that “Young” again) on “Cypha” was sicker than anything Michael Moore could cover. That track was just the bomb. You could sell that track to terrorists and promise them destruction.

When the mixtape was all said I done I was left with a few questions. First of all, why isn’t 9th Wonder considered a necessity whenever someone is making a hip-hop album? Back in the '90s if you didn’t have a Premier beat on your album then you did not have a hip-hop album, period! In my opinion you still don’t. But why isn’t 9th Wonder acknowledged in that same sense? Even Lil Jon and Jazze Pha bum ass had his moment. What the fuck? Second, LRG is a pretty cool clothing line, why hasn’t the hood caught on? True Religion and Ed Hardy are trash!! Finally third, Wale is something nicer than Mick Foley. Was it the beats or the rhymes? Or was it both? I don’t know? But will his fame have him disappear into a Phantom with a driver when the world catches on or will he continue keep the underground on fire? I just hope he doesn’t date bald white chicks after he goes platinum…-The Infamous O

Hottest Joint: Too many to name. Might as well scramble eggs on this project.

Weakest Joint: “Um Ricka”

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