Call A Plumber, Music Has Sprung A Leak

DC Chillin'

As I was surfing the blogosphere (as I am apt to do Friday nights. What? I do it for you!) I found that Attention: Deficit, the new Wale album I have been eagerly awaiting was “leaked onto the streets of binary code”(see: firstup.se). Just eleven days before its official release, Attention: Deficit fell victim to music’s H1N1 virus. After taking Blueprint 3 officially on August 31st, MH1N1 has been attacking artists of all genres, but rap in particular has taken a huge hit. Jockin’ Jay-Z, the aforementioned self-proclaimed “greatest rapper alive” took a lighthearted approach to the leak saying, “it’s a preview. I’m excited for people to hear the album. I’m very proud of the work I’ve done, so enjoy it.” However, not all artists can afford to give their listeners this free preview. But, seeing as Edward has recently explored the music industry’s trying times, I’ll move on to Attention: Deficit.

What separates Wale’s leak from Hova’s is that the Blueprint 3 was by and large a disappointment. “Empire State of Mind” may be the hottest Jigga track I have heard since “The Black Album,” (with the exception of “Brooklyn We Go Hard”) but other than that and possibly “Young Forever” the album was highly anticlimactic. Attention: Deficit, however, is a revelation. After the Back to the Feature bust, Wale brings us his first commercial record. And in the interest of full disclosure I have not listened to the whole thing (I’m waiting till the official release on November 10th), but “90210″ is the most promising hip-hop song I’ve heard since Cudi’s “Make Her Say” hit us this spring. The Mark Ronson-produced track features Wale’s classic one-liners, “word spread fast that your knees spread quick,” to accompany the Barney-sounding beat (definitely a compliment, impressive at least). Promise me you’ll support Wale; he’s great, and any guy that makes a whole mixtape about Seinfeld is my hero (sorry JFK, you shoulda made a Seinfeld mixtape). I’ll give you “90210,” which I have perpetually put on repeat, anotha hot track off of “Attention: Deficit,” the Neptunes’ produced “Inhibitions (Let It Loose) (feat. Pharrell),” and also an awesome “Chillin’” remix by Top Billin.

Editor’s Note: In the time between DFJ’s Friday night composition of this piece and my publishing it on Tuesday, the Hood Internet dropped a sick Black Moth Super Rainbow/Wale mash, which I’m appending to this. DFJacobs has not preapproved this track, but we all know how much he loves his Hood Internet.

90210 – Wale (YSI)

Inhibitions (Let It Loose) (featuring Pharrell) – Wale (YSI)

Chillin’ (Top Billin UK Mix) – Wale (YSI)

Sticky World Tour (Black Moth Super Rainbow vs. Wale) – The Hood Internet (YSI)