Wale – Self Promotion (EP Review)

As you may know, Wale has been on his grind these last couple months, dropping a couple of EP’s that gave listeners a glimpse of his true rap potential. In his last one, “It’s Complicated,” he showed a bit of his R&B side, giving us four full length tracks revolving around the trials and tribulations that come with being in a relationship. However, in his newest EP, “Self Promotion,” he goes full out Rambo, dropping four more tracks that show off the killer in him. I like when Wale shows off his killer side in his raps.

TOP 5 2

2. SALARY KAEP

I’ve always appreciated when Wale addressed political matters like he does on “Salary Kaep.”

These past two years, Colin Kaepernick has become an activist for the urban community, and that has sparked this movement in hip hop to speak on oppression. On “Salary Kaep,” Wale does just that and more, giving us this bullish track that never lets up in aggression lyrically. What I love about the track is that our hero doesn’t quite shove knowledge down our throats like it’s history class, instead he makes sure you hear his ability to put together a barrage of honest raps that takes aim at who he sees as his foes, and uplifts people that are like-minded. It’s certainly a dope approach.

1. NEGOTIATIONS

The Wale that you get on “Negotiations” is the one that J. Cole was pleading for on “False Prophets.”

This is the Wale I thought was capable of being a top 5’er. Over this sinister instrumental, Wale raps like he has a battery pack powering him, providing us with some tough ass bars that contain impregnable flows and hard-hitting lyrics. His punchlines are top notch on the track, and the way he pieces his words together are beyond impressive.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. NEGOTIATIONS (5/5)

2. SALARY KAEP (5/5)

3. BODY BODY BODY FREESTYLE (4.5/5)

4. CASSIUS (EXCELLENCY) (4.4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(B+)

It’s unknown whether or not Wale will ever reach his peak, but projects like these remind you that his window of opportunity is wide open. In his last two projects, it feels like he finally took the time to figure out what it is he does good, with this EP in particular showing his ability to spit with the best of them. Wale’s mind is complex, deep & confident enough to at least be paid attention to, and his decision to give us small doses of it might just be genius for his career in the foreseeable future.