Rick Ross Surprise Appearance At Heineken Inspire NYC Stop

via MTV

With a moniker like Teflon Don, you'd expect Rick Ross to be smooth. On Saturday (July 31), the Miami MC proved how slick he could be by surprising a room full of unsuspecting fans at an NYC show after rising rappers J. Cole and Wale hit the stage. Ross pulled the sneak attack at the NYC stop of the Heineken Inspire tour - a show which only advertised Cole, Wale and DJ D-Nice on the bill.

The crowd of hip-hop heads erupted when the Bawse rolled onstage at Manhattan's St. John's Center and spit his street record "Blowin' Money Fast (B.M.F.)." Casually cool in a simple black T-shirt, ropes of gold chains and his ever-present dark shades, Ross also ripped Teflon Don tracks "MC Hammer" and "Aston Martin Music." The Bawse didn't let the solo set stop him from dropping his electric verses from remixes such as Diddy-Dirty Money's "Hello Good Morning" and Waka Flocka Flame's "O Let's Do It." The hip-hop heavyweight also took it back with his debut hit, "Hustlin,'" and the crowd rhymed the lyrics along with the MC as he closed with a reprise of "B.M.F."

J. Cole fans rolled deep and throngs of the Fayetteville rapper's acolytes knew the words to many of the up-and-coming MC's songs, including "Who Dat," his guest verse on Jay-Z's "A Star Is Born" and "All I Want Is You," his soulful collaboration with R&B singer Miguel. Cole also performed "Premeditated Murder," a track that has been floating around the Web and is rumored to make the rapper's upcoming album.

Sporting green and white Nike kicks, DC MC Wale performed a medley of his tracks such as the Lady Gaga-assisted "Chillin'" and the Jazmine Sullivan collabo "World Tour." The star also got the crowd involved, briefly passing his mic to an audience member to spit some of the MC's lines. Ultimately, Folarin did most of the heavy lifting in the rhyming department and showed off his mic skills with a few a capella bars.

Photo link:
Wire Image

(video courtesy of MsLBTV)

Bun B Brings Out Lupe, Wale, Big Daddy Kane And More At NYC Show

With everyone in town for the VH1 Hip Hop honors (which tapes tonight at Hammerstein Ballroom NYC and airs June 7 on VH1), Bun B pulled a smart and strategic move, by promoting his album Trill O.G. by getting everyone together for an "all time greatest concert" at S.O.B.'s NYC. Lupe Fiasco, Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Big Daddy Kane, Paul Wall and Wale, Pimp C is smiling!

(video courtesy of Dirty Glove Bastard , Miss Info TV and itsmistermillers)

Wale Live In Vegas

spotted on Hip Hip Site

Video of Wale performing live at XS Nightclub in Las Vegas on Monday, February 22. Performing "Pretty Girls" & "Chillin'".

Bun B & Wale Perform At Jordan Brand 23/25 Event During NBA All-Star Weekend

press clipping via SLAM

(Saturday, February 13 - Dallas, TX) On a makeshift little stage, Bun B was rockin’ the mic, delivering his trademark crisp rhymes to the Jordan sneaker faithful. I’ve been to a million concerts so I can say this with confidence: small venues are the best way to enjoy live shows.

After Bun dropped “Big Pimpin’,” on us, DC-bred rapper Wale hit the stage and ran through his catalog to the delight of all the back-packed hip-hop heads. Funny development of the night: Wale threatening to do a cover of Kings of Leon if the crowd didn’t take its hype up another decibel and him doing it anyway and the crowd not missing a beat while singing along.

Photo links from the event:
Getty Images

Wale: Backstage Interview From Hands For Haiti Benefit Show At Howard University

A Wale backstage interview at the Hands for Haiti benefit concert at Howard University Thursday, January 21.

Related:
Wale Performs Haitian Benefit At Howard University

Wale Performs Haitian Benefit At Howard University

via MTV

On Thursday night (January 21), Washington, D.C. rapper Wale rocked the party in the name of charity and good will at last night's Hands for Haiti Benefit Concert at Howard University. 1,500 people crammed into Crampton Auditorium for the MC's extra-boisterous blend of hip-hop that, for at least one night, was delivered in the spirit of charity. Because of the desperate need for resources and aid in Haiti, 100 percent of the proceeds from the concert — a grand total of over $15,000 — will go toward the Haiti Relief Fund.

Wale's set was the centerpiece, but there was also dancing, singing, rapping, and spoken-word pieces performed by students, alumni and local D.C. artists, highlighted by the solemn, moving performance by spoken-word artist and Howard alum Messiah. With every break in the program, students danced in the aisles and waved Haitian flags in support of earthquake victims on the island.

When Wale took the stage in the headlining spot and did not disappoint. His stage presence alone brought everyone up to their feet and rushing to the front of the theater. He clearly thrives in intimate venues like this, as he hopped off the stage to perform top tracks like "Nike Boots," "90210" and "Beautiful Bliss" amidst a sea of singing, arm-waving fans. Everybody walked out happy, not only because they saw an excellent night of music and song but also because they did their bit to reach out to disaster victims in Port-au-Prince.

more fan shot footage below.



(video courtesy of Justplainjones808)

Jay-Z Headlines 2010 Coachella Music Festival; Wale & B.o.B. Also On The Bill

via the Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Jay-Z will bring his "Empire State of Mind" to the West Coast for Coachella this year.

The Brooklyn-born rapper will headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which kicks off on April 16 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.

Rock acts Muse and Gorillaz are set to headline on April 17 and 18, respectively. The three-day festival — with more than 130 acts — also includes Thom Yorke, David Guetta (GET'-tah), MGMT, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend and Wale (wah-LAY).

Three-day weekend passes are priced at $269, plus surcharges. Tickets go on sale Friday.

Highlighted acts:

Friday, April 16
Jay-Z
P.O.S.
Wale

Saturday, April 17
David Guetta
Corrine Bailey Rae
DJ Z-Trip
Flying Lotus

Sunday, April 18
Gorillaz
De La Soul
Sly and the Family Stone
B.o.B.
Gil Scott-Heron
Mayer Hawthorne

Wale, J. Cole & Phil Ade New Year's Day Show In DC @ 9:30 Club

Wale's Setlist:
Mama Told Me
Dig Dug
Nike Boots
Mirrors
World Tour
Shades
W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.
(UCB Set)
Breakdown
Let It Loose
Pretty Girls
90210
Chillin
Encore:
Beautiful Bliss
Prescription
(source)

(video courtesy of Jaime Aquino)

Wale: L.A. Times Picks Their Best Grammy New Artist Front-Runners

Reads the Grammy rules: "A new artist is defined as any performing artist who releases, during the eligibility year, the recording that first establishes the public identity of that artist as a performer." The "recording" in question doesn't have to be a full album, either.

Wale. Hip-hop isn't usually well-represented in the best new artist field, as one has to go back to Kanye West in 2005. That won't necessarily hurt Wale, as West is clearly a major influence on the underground-turned-major label rapper. His Interscope debut was released too late to be considered in any of the album fields, but it had plenty of buzz and a solid first week, selling nearly 30,000 copies. There's jazzy, Roots-like takes on his album, and it also has a guest shot from Lady Gaga. Grammy faves Chrisette Michele and Jazmine Sullivan also appear. It may be a surprise pick, but it's in the discussion. (source)

Wale 'Attention Deficit' On Track To Sell 25k-28k First Week

According to Hits Daily Double based on first day sales, Wale 'Attention Deficit' is on track to sell between 25k-28k in it's first week of release. The Hits Daily Double numbers will become more firmer a day prior (on Tuesday, November 17) to the Nielsen/Soundscan (the industry standard) numbers as we will see next Wednesday, November 18.

Tuesday 11/10 Street Date Album Reviews Wale, Wyclef Jean And More

Wale - Attention Deficit
(Interscope/ Allido)

via the New York Times

While Wale has long cited Black Thought, lead rapper of the Roots, as his strongest influence, Kanye West (an acknowledged Wale fan) looms over “Attention Deficit,” although he had no direct role. The productions often sample old funk, particularly horn sections, emulating Mr. West’s orchestral arrangements and annunciatory buildups. Wale comes close to a direct West imitation in “Mama Told Me,” from its windchimes to its “never ever” refrain.

Still, Wale could have chosen far worse models than Mr. West, who never feigned being a thug. Wale can admit to (former) insecurity in a song like “Shades,” about being a dark-skinned young man ignored by lighter-skinned girls. He also musters compassion, in the waltzing “Diary,” for a woman wounded by love and, in “90210,” for a “regular girl” with “celebrity dreams” growing increasily desperate in Beverly Hills, succumbing to bulimia, cocaine and promiscuity.

via the Washington Post

For proof of Wale's lyrical acrobatics, look no further than "Pretty Girls," where the rapper's best pickup line involves two bottles of champagne, a football joke and a healthy credit rating: "What you sippin' on? It's no problem/Black and gold bottles like I'm pro-New Orleans/But shorty, I'm far from a Saint/But I got two AmExes that look the same way."

This is some masterful wordplay -- with an emphasis on play -- and it makes for the album's most dazzling cut. The song's thundering, go-go-inflected track helps, too. Production duo Best Kept Secret built it around a sample from local stalwarts Backyard Band and it sounds like a house party crumbling in an earthquake. How it will fare on national radio is anyone's guess, but for locals fluent in go-go, "Pretty Girls" is a thriller.

Wale has a fantastic ear for beats, though you wouldn't know it after hearing "Attention Deficit" in its entirety. There's some real dreck from producers Mark Ronson ("90210") and the Neptunes ("Let It Loose"). Wale is either adopting the please-all-audiences model West popularized, or his label's invisible hand is fussing with the dials. (In a delicious stroke of irony, Interscope reportedly zapped a song from the track list titled "Artistic Integrity.")

via Pitchfork

6.6 rating
Opener "Triumph", a terrific, Afro-beat-inspired production by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek, indicates this will be a sonic adventure. It's not particularly. "Mama Told Me" is a sort of post-Kanye reflection on how difficult it is coming up in the game, namedropping people in his life whose names you will not recognize. It's been done before and better. "Mirrors" is sonically consistent-- squealing horns and down-low bass-- but also features that tried-and-true rap trope: the Bun B feature. It's negligible. "Pretty Girls" is an ode to women via his native Washington D.C. sound, produced by longtime partner Best Kept Secret, sampling legendary Go-Go crew the Backyard Band, and featuring that group's Weensey. It's a classic hip-hop raveup, loose and fun. And then Atlanta's Gucci Mane shows up. Wasn't this supposed to be a D.C. anthem? "World Tour" is typically bland, R&B diva-led (in this case Jazmine Sullivan) nostalgia-stroking patter. "Let It Loose" is the Pharrell record. Six songs in and we're hitting all the bases, without any sense of what it means to be Wale.




Wyclef Jean - From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion
(Carnival House/Megaforce/Sony Music)

via the Los Angeles Times

3 stars out of four
Partnering with mix-tape master DJ Drama, (Wyclef) Jean seems determined to change that. Here, he introduces his Toussaint St. Jean alter-ego, inspired by Haitian liberator Toussaint L'Ouverture. The fictional guise coupled with furor at his also-ran status has injected a hunger in Jean. Childhood anecdotes about receiving his first pair of shoes and the crushing poverty in Haiti, ("Warrior's Anthem") provide a gritty poignancy he'd lacked since going pop. "Toussaint Vs. Bishop," and "Letter from the Penn" triumph thanks to Jean's sincerity.




Melanie Fiona - The Bridge
(SRC/Motown Universal)

via the Associated Press/Yahoo

Melanie Fiona may be eccentric. Or maybe she's just madly in love. Either way, her debut CD is an impressive mix of tracks that presents the many sides of the woman.

"The Bridge" finds the 26-year-old newcomer begging her man to stay put on the uptempo "Please Don't Go (Cry Baby)," leaving her lover behind on the impeccable "Monday Morning," and demanding her partner treat her the right way between the sheets on the groovy first single, "Give It to Me Right."




(MF) DOOM - Unexpected Guests
(Gold Dust Media)

via Pitchfork

5.9 rating
The early news of DOOM compilation Unexpected Guests positioned it as a field report from the indie MC's late-decade wilderness period, spanning a half-committed star turn (2005's Danger Doom collaboration with Danger Mouse) to this year's bullish return to form on Born Like This. And it is... except when it isn't-- "Rock Co.Kane Flow", taken from De La Soul's The Grind Date, actually finds DOOM doing something of a victory lap in 2004 after his essential triad of Take Me to Your Leader (released under the name King Geedorah), Vaudeville Villain (Viktor Vaughn), and Madvillainy (Madvillain). "Rock Co.Kane Flow" is a fantastic symbiosis of DOOM's many playful styles, but the beat itself feels weightier than what we're used to from De La and the stakes higher (ahem) than what we're used to from DOOM when he guests on a track. The other high(er)-profile collaborations on Unexpected don't always fare as well-- while "Da Supafriendz" spotlights a nerdy side of Vast Aire that often goes overlooked amidst Cannibal Ox's doomsayer image, "Fly That Knot" is the second hopelessly corny track DOOM's done with Talib Kweli (see also: "Old School" from The Mouse and the Mask) and most of the blame lies with Kweli's increasing ineptitude at hook-writing, it's clear these two share more camaraderie than chemistry.

Read each album review here:
New York Times - Wale

Washington Post - Wale opens a panderer's box

Pitchfork - Wale

L.A. Times - Album review: Wyclef Jean's 'From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion'

Associated Press/Yahoo - Melanie Fiona's debut CD is solid

Pitchfork - DOOM

For a full list of November 10 New Releases:
Hip Hop And R & B New Releases 11/10

Jay-Z: More Los Angeles, CA Live Show Reviews & Videos Posted Online

As reported by Jeff Miller at the Orange County Register

Still don’t believe the Democrats’ party line about a post-racial America? Then obviously you weren’t at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion Sunday night for Jay-Z’s absolutely outstanding show.

You can’t make this up: in one row, right by the stage, sitting next to each other, were a pair of very young white kids, bumping up and down and singing every word of “Empire State of Mind” and “Hard Knock Life” … alongside a bearded man in a turban attempting to both impress his date and pretend to ignore his next-door neighbors … who happened to be an interracial couple, basketball player Rick Fox and actress Eliza Dushku … plus a Latina too busy taking pictures of the superstar rapper to even pay attention to her tabloid-royalty seatmates.

With Michael Jackson’s passing, there may be no other entertainer in the world able to unify such a diverse audience. And Jay-Z –- the Brooklyn-born hip-hop prince who has managed to maintain an impressively lengthy career unheard of for a genre filthy with flashes-in-the-pan –- isn’t one to let such an opportunity pass him by.

But what Jay-Z’s best at is connecting with his audience, and here he did it in one of the most literal ways I’ve ever seen. As the band vamped its way through some funk towards the end of the show, he asked for the house lights to go up, took off the sunglasses he wore throughout the rest of the set, and literally thanked audience members one by one –- 40 or so of them, anyway.



“You in the USC shirt? You have a good time? Good luck getting out of here.”
“Hey, little guy -– your first Jay-Z show? You enjoy yourself? Thanks so much for coming!”



As reported by Gerrick Kennedy at the Los Angeles Times

Not quite midway through the show, Rihanna, draped in black and standing on an elevated riser, emerged from underneath the stage to sing her vocal on Jay-Z's summer hit, "Run This Town," from his 11th studio album, “The Blueprint 3.”

Young women in the audience jumped onto their chairs, camera phones in hand, for a better glimpse, their screams ringing out in near unison over the arena. One fan nearby turned to her friend and screamed, "Oh my God, is that really her?"

It was the first time the pop star had performed since breaking her nearly nine month silence last week about being assaulted by former boyfriend Chris Brown in February.

Armed with a newfound swagger, she sang on "Run This Town," then treated the crowd to the new single "Hard" (sans Young Jeezy) from her upcoming album, "Rated R," due Nov. 23. Jay-Z nodded his head in approval -- from the side of the stage.



He was equally generous when it came to spotlighting the other performers on the bill. J.Cole, the first act signed to Jay-Z's label Roc Nation, opened the show and joined the rapper later for their collaboration "A Star Is Born."



Up-and-comer Wale was embraced by the sold-out crowd, who rapped along with every word of the Washington, D.C., native's hit "Chillin" from his studio debut, "Attention Deficit," out Tuesday. No stranger to the mix-tape circuit, Wale appeared every bit the seasoned performer, delivering a high-energy, engaging set.



When it came to high energy, though, it would have been difficult for any of the acts to compete with N.E.R.D. The band, fronted by the Neptunes' Pharell Williams, doesn't have the same album sales as the artists it produces, but group's fan base is loyal, judging by how easily concertgoers transformed the arena into a raucous mosh pit.



Playing for an hour, the genre-bending rockers ran through such hits as "Lapdance" and "Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)," with Lupe Fiasco joining them on the latter track. Williams' raspy falsetto was sometimes lost in the massive mix, but the presence of female vocalist Rhea added a strong, sexy edge to the songs.

More fan shot footage below.





Read the full show reviews here:
Orange County Register - Jay-Z wows again in L.A. with help from Rihanna

Los Angeles Times - Live review: Jay-Z at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion

Related:
Jay-Z Bounces To The Beat At UCLA's Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles Show Recap

Jay-Z 'The Blueprint 3' World Tour dates:
Nov. 12 – University of Illinois – Assembly Hall – Champaign, IL
Nov. 13 - Vanderbilt University - Nashville, TN
Nov. 17 - United Spirit Arena - Lubbock, TX
Nov. 19 – Tingley Coliseum – Albuquerque, N.M.
Nov. 20 – Don Haskins Center – El Paso, TX
Nov. 22 – Frank Erwin Center Arena – Austin, TX

And the second leg of the tour starts in 2010 with Young Jeezy opening the show.
Feb. 22 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Feb. 23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Feb. 25 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Feb. 27 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Feb. 28 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Mar. 03 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Mar. 07 - Norfolk, VA - Norfolk Scope Arena
Mar. 11 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Mar. 16 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mellon Arena
Mar. 19 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
Mar. 20 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
Mar. 22 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Mar. 24 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion At San Jose
Mar. 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center

(videos courtesy of OPiiE562, shahanamama2you, masterkkoosh, cLark & moviebruin)

Wale: Los Angeles Times Q & A

As reported by Jeff Weiss at the Los Angeles Times

L.A. Times: Like many of the more blog-buzzed rappers, you’ve been subject to a lot of rumors, beefs real or fabricated, and a level of media attention that rappers a generation ago may have had to face, but certainly not on as large of a scale. Has this been a difficult thing for you to cope with?

Wale: Q-Tip once told me that 15 years ago, all people had to judge you on was your album, one or two interviews, your record for the radio and the picture on the album cover. That’s it. The only way you can remain relevant is to give yourself up, unless you’re blessed to be in one of those every-once-in-a-while Drake situations. But that’s not even a once-in-a-while thing; that’s a one-time thing.

L.A. Times: Do you ever think that you’re angling more for a Mos Def-type fan base than say, a Drake-type fan base?

Wale: I don’t know. I really don’t know what my fan base is. I don’t think anyone knows. It’s so weird. On one hand, they’re like, Wale is the new Common or Mos Def, and on the other hand, people say Wale is the other Drake. On the other end, people are like, Wale is the new Jay-Z. On the other, they’re like, Wale is the new Talib Kweli. I don’t think anybody knows. There’s definitely some commercial appeal, but I’m not sure if I can put my finger on it. It’s interesting, because when I did my radio tour, all these people, all these pop stations spoke to me, and I was like, "Dawg, you don’t care about me. You only care about me because I did a record about Gaga."

In a lot of urban markets, they know who I was, they cared about me, they knew my grind and my struggle, but there wasn’t anything for me to give them at that point. It’s something I’m still trying to figure out. Still, we sell out shows all the time.

Read the full interview:
Los Angeles Times - Wale watch: The D.C. rapper on the blog age, Twitter and his debut album 'Attention Deficit'

Heineken Red Star Soul Concert NYC With Ludacris, Estelle, Wale and Surprise Guest Nas

The secret Heineken Red Star Soul concert with Ludacris, Estelle, Wale and surprise guest Nas took place at Gotham Hall in NYC Friday, October 16.

Photos:
Getty Images

(video courtesy of thatsstillfunny)

Jay-Z 'The Blueprint 3' World Tour Stop in Calgary Show Recap

Fan shot video below.



Last night's Jay-Z "The Blueprint 3' World Tour stop at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, AB Canada October 14.

Concert review excerpts via Lisa Wilton of Sun Media/Canoe

Jay-Z's live performance takes more from the over-the-top stage artistry of Nickelback or U2 than the laid-back, rather unorganized style of say, Snoop Dogg.

But unlike Nickelback, Jay-Z doesn't overdo it. His entrance was dramatic, of course, rising up from beneath the stage to greet the 9,500 excited fans who took in the concert.



Opening act Wale crammed as much as he could into his short 30-minute set. Though people were still filing in as the D.C. rapper did his thing, Wale made sure those who were paying attention were rewarded with a cool set of bass-heavy neo-funk and groovy hip hop.

Full show review here:
Canoe

(video courtesy of keriprigmore and mwood)

Jay-Z 'The Blueprint 3' World Tour dates:
Oct. 15 – Prospera Place – Kelowna, B.C.
Oct. 16 – General Motors Place – Vancouver, B.C.
Oct. 17 – Key Arena – Seattle, WA
Oct. 21 - EMU Convocation Ctr. - Ypsilanti, MI
Oct. 23 - The Wachovia Center - Philadelphia, PA
Oct. 24 – Dunkin’ Donuts Center – Providence, R.I.
Oct. 25 – Mullins Center – Amherst, MA
Oct. 27 – 1st Mariner Arena – Baltimore, MD
Oct. 28 – Value City Arena – Columbus, OH
Oct. 29 – John Labatt Centre – London, ON
Oct. 30 – Bell Centre – Montreal, QC
Oct. 31 – Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON
Nov. 1 – Scotiabank Place – Ottawa, ON
Nov. 4 - Alexandra Palace - London, UK
Nov. 7 - Save Mart Center - Fresno, CA
Nov. 8 - Pauley Pavilion - Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 12 – University of Illinois – Assembly Hall – Champaign, IL
Nov. 13 - Vanderbilt University - Nashville, TN
Nov. 17 - United Spirit Arena - Lubbock, TX
Nov. 19 – Tingley Coliseum – Albuquerque, N.M.
Nov. 20 – Don Haskins Center – El Paso, TX
Nov. 22 – Frank Erwin Center Arena – Austin, TX

Wale In Concert At Virgin Mobile Free Fest Video And Photos Posted

Virgin Mobile Free Fest at Merriweather Post Pavillion Columbia, Maryland on Sunday August 30 with DC's finest Wale.

Photos:
Wire Image

(video footage courtesy of djsnowflake410, Fortunekookieboy and dhoneywe03)

Wale announces "Attention:Deficit" album release date

Wale "Attention:Deficit" out September 22 on AlliDo/Interscope Records.

(via press release)
SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Of this time yet unafraid to move beyond this moment, rugged yet introspective, Wale--hip-hop's newest sensation and the first D.C. rapper to gain national attention in more than a decade--demands to be heard with his debut album Attention: Deficit (Allido/Interscope), releasing September 22, 2009. With its initial single, "Chillin'" featuring Lady Gaga, gaining spins on Rhythmic Radio, boosted by a video from Grammy-nominated director Chris Robinson, Attention: Deficit catapults Wale to hip-hop's center stage.

The 24-year-old D.C.-born son of Nigerian immigrants, Wale has previously issued a series of acclaimed, go-go/rap mash-up mixtapes that gained notice and airplay in the DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) and beyond. In 2007 super producer Mark Ronson--responsible for new luminaries such as Amy Winehouse-- began playing Wale's "Good Girls" on his East Village radio show. Soon after, Ronson added Wale to a remix of Lily Allen's bubbly pop record "Smile" and recruited him for a U.K. tour for his latest album. Wale also turned "D.A.N.C.E." from French electro-house stars Justice into a hip-hop banger renamed "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.," which he performed at the MTV Video Music Awards.

In 2008 Ronson signed Wale to his and Rich Kleiman's Allido Records and subsequently to its joint venture with Interscope. That year, Wale appeared on The Roots' single "Rising Up" from their Rising Down album before remixing his own "Nike Boots" track to feature Lil' Wayne. Most recently, Wale inked a co-management deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation and this summer headlined his first tour, which sold out a number of venues.

Along with Ronson ("Mirrors" feat. Bun B, "90210"), some producers on Attention: Deficit include Cool and Dre ("Chillin'" and "World Tour" feat. Jazmine Sullivan), Dave Sitek of TV On The Radio ("Warrior" feat. K'Naan), Sean C and LV ("OG"), and Sleepwalkers ("Diary" feat. Marsha Ambrosius).

Proclaimed "The Great Rap Hope" by The Washington Post (October 2007), Wale fulfills his promise of a new voice in hip-hop with Attention: Deficit.

Wale: Sacramento California show posted

On Wale's Northern California trek, filmed at the Empire Event Center in Sacramento, California Wednesday June 24







'Attention: Deficit' out sometime this year on AlliDo/Interscope Records

Wale links up with Zune for a new promotion

In anticipation of his upcoming full-length album debut 'Attention Deficit,' Wale and Zune have joined forces to create a special "On The Road" series of up-close & personal video podcasts. A total of 10 episodes will be available for free download through the Zune Marketplace, with 1 episode released each week beginning May 26th. The first video podcast can be viewed in entirety below, check it out now:


To download the full series free as they go live: www.zune.net/wale

Video podcasts are free and fans can subscribe to the podcast series for automatic downloads during syncs. In addition to the video podcasts, Zune has also produced a limited number of special Wale-etched Zune 8GB devices. These devices will not be available for sale, but will be available for Wale fans through a number of special promotions yet to be announced. Wale is also curating his own Guestlist on the Zune Marketplace, which features tracks hand-picked by Wale that include his own "Chillin" featuring Lady Gaga, as well as personal favorites from Jay Z, Pharrell, Kid Cudi, and long time friend and collaborator Mark Ronson.