Wale never fails to add a creative touch to his musical talents, reflected perfectly through his recent album artwork. Having already brought us a full length tracklist and arranged features, we were currently awaiting the third cover for the The Album About Nothing. Well, luckily for fans, we don’t need to search any further, as the new design is everything the Ambition artist imagined it to be:

“This third cover was all my idea. This is essentially what the album is to me, a moment of clarity and a moment of expression. This cover is me staring blankly into nowhere. Jerry [Seinfeld] is not there, he’s in my mind. This album is of Jerry speaking as my conscious. The evil voice and the positive voice, he is both of them. Maybe I’m talking to myself. Maybe I’ve lost my mind. There lies a story. My story. And in a few days the world will know it. Illuminate.”

The follow up to The Gifted drops March 31st so be ready to fall into the world of Wale, as he brings a unique story, as only he can tell it.

Take a look at the additional collection of cover art designs presented below:

The post Wale Drops Cover Art #3 For The Album About Nothing appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

RESPECT.is presented to you as a smooth, faceless entity, but in reality, it’s operated by over a dozen dedicated and dangerous hip-hop fans and aficionados. With this new feature, RESPECT. Roundtable, we hope to give you a brief glimpse into the minds of the individual voices behind RESPECT.‘s familiar resonant roar.

The first topic is Trillectro, the Washington D.C.-based music festival that explicitly encourages the ever-increasing collisions between hip-hop and what is now known as EDM. Most of the RESPECT. team will not make it to Trillectro, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have interesting thoughts on the festival’s lineup. Read below as we pick apart our hivemind just for you. The specific question everyone responded to was, “What two acts would you HAVE to see at Trillectro?”

Kevin Ahmadi – Writer

“Summer festivals are about two things: food and dancing next to half-naked women. These conditions require a fun party climate that is best achieved with big, hard-hitting beats. DJ Slink and Alex Young both meet that criteria without falling into annoying dubstep territory. While Wale may be the main attraction, the best atmosphere will be at Slink and Young’s shows. You could probably also score some molly if that’s still cool.“

Ali Holdridge -Writer

“It’s the heat of music festival season and Trillectro will no doubt go hard. Travi$ Scott and A$AP FERG top my itinerary list. Scott’s debut mixtape Owl Pharaoh, was extremely well-done. Seeing his new single “Upper Echelon” live would be insane.  Admittedly, I’m a huge fan of A$AP FERG’s remix to “Work.”  With Trap Lord set to drop Aug. 20, I’d jump on the opportunity to see the track performed in person. “

Veronica Slabicki – Writer

“Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom are Nadastrom, and their DJ set is a living legend. The duo is known for pioneering moombahton, a genre that splices the pulsing rhythms of reggaeton with the energizing kicks of dutch house, for a combination that wreaks havoc on the dancefloor. Nadastrom will have you popping, jumping, and flailing, among other things. I wouldn’t miss that for anything. Venus X is also someone I wouldn’t miss. She came into the public eye through a weekly party called “Ghetto Gothic” which features a range of styles and aims to break the segregation of genres in the New York music scene. Unlike other artists who may premix their sets, Venus X takes a unique approach to deejaying, and she mixes sounds on the spot based on her own emotions, experiences, and the vibe of the crowd. That’s pretty rare these days.”

Sheldon Pearce – Writer

“As a DC native, when the full Trillectro lineup was released, my eyes immediately lit up when I saw Shy Glizzy would be gracing one of the biggest stages in the metropolitan area (figuratively speaking). But all regional biases aside, I’d have to say my two must see acts on a performance basis would be Travi$ Scott and A$AP FERG. I must have a thing for the whole dollar-sign-replacing-the-s shtick. I’m a big rap guy. The EDM/IDM/Dance records don’t really sway me (although they can be great for festivals like *cough* *cough* this one, so I don’t know I guess we’ll see). Hip-hop shows are incredible when done right, though, and I think both Travi$ and Ferg have the charisma and the catalogs necessary to put on a great show. Not to mention, FERG’s Trap Lord is due out a few days later so there’s some huge debut potential there (fingers crossed).”

Alyse Howard – Writer

“I would definitely HAVE TO SEE Nodastrom – I can tell they are very musically savvy.  Those conversational synths and hooky drum rhythms would provide the perfect atmosphere for me to dance and just dream. I would also definitely have to see  Phil Ade.  His rhymes are poignant and the accompanying videos add subtle touches of realness without overdoing it, you know?”

Fatima Johnson – Writer

“For me, music festival is synonymous with dance party, so I am going to Trillectro specifically to shake my tailfeather. Moombahton music is a new fusion of house/hip hop/reggaeton/dancehall that has been leaving divas and dancequeens breathless on the dance floor for the last three years. Moombahton beats are the hottest they’ve ever been right now, and there’s no better stage for the genre to shine than in its birthplace, Washington D.C. If you like to dance, like listening to dance music, like laughing at other people dancing, or all the above, definitely watch the Moombahton originator, Dave Nada, and his producer friend, Matt Nordstrom, performing as their DJ group, Nadastrom.”

Emmanuel Wallace – Writer

“This entire lineup looks interesting as hell. The first act I’d check out is King Chip. I’m a bit partial since he’s from my hometown and all, but I’ve been following the guy since he was Chip Tha Ripper and his devoted fanbase always make his shows fun. The second act is Phil Ade, I think he’s been overlooked by many over the past few years but he’s definitely been bubbling under the surface.”

Nina Long – Writer

“The two performances I would have to see at Trillectro would be Nadastrom and A$AP FERG. Nadastrom brings a ton of energy, and definitely knows how to get the party stated. Being that they are performing in their hometown, I’d expect their performance to be epic.  The trap lord himself, A$AP FERG, is definitely a must-see at the festival. His album is dropping in a few weeks so he’s definitely gong to be bringing it. Plus the A$AP Mob is totally unpredictable so you never know what they might have up their sleeve.”

Ryan Lyons – Writer

“I can only expect greater things to come out of Trillectro since I attended the first festival last summer. Beautiful people came out from as far as the West Coast to join in on a localized movement brought forth by the good folks at DC to BC.

Historically, Washington D.C has always had open doors to whatever emcee or group came down for the Howard Homecomings or whatever. Many rappers reference it in song. However, the city possesses it’s own slang and it’s own style that will be embedded in this show featuring emcees like Wale, Phil Ade and Shy Glizzy. I’m hoping Fat Trel makes an appearance as well.I’m most excited to see Wale perform some hits from The Gifted in his hometown because because this latest album sounds so much like D.C. ( i.e. congos, melody, live instrumentation). I’m hoping to see that in person and reminisce on the days when I witnessed him as a young pup covering gogo songs in the same area.

Other than Wale, I’m really looking forward to seeing Fergenstein [A$AP FERG]. His “Work” single and it’s remix are some of those tracks that made this summer more fun. How could we even have Trillectro without one of the main songs people turn up too? After witnessing A$AP FERG tear it down at SOB’s in NYC during the fall, I’m waiting to see how D.C. reacts to him.”

 

Ben Sherak – Online Editor

This festival is going to be an strange experience for everyone involved. From the fan-to-fan interactions, which are sure to be a confused intermingling of ravers, trendy hip-hop fans and diehards for individual acts, to the artists’ ability to engage a crowd that might not have shown up for their genre, let alone their individual music, Trillectro could go one of two ways. It could be an awkward but still energetic gathering, or a straight up amazing party. At good parties, you rock out, regardless of lyrics, regardless of anything. At amazing parties, you experience something new. It should almost offend your tastes at first, and it should be reshaping your tastes by the end. Your world should expand and your head should throb.

Standing in the way of Trillectro‘s ability to do that are a few things. Choosing a particularly organic sounding headliner, Wale, for a majorly electronic festival will probably wind up a bad call. If Salva or Nadastrom fans listen to any un-remixed hip-hop, it’s probably not Wale. Even though that album with the unused Wale Chia pet on the cover premiered at #1, it was a quiet #1. Even more importantly: it’s just uncool to love Wale, probably because of his lack of distinguishing traits and the fact that, according to those unearthed tweets, the rest of the cool kids of rap think (or used to think) he’s a joke. (LINK http://highbrowhiphop.com/old-tweets-of-rappers-talking-reckless-surface/). Regardless, his album is accessible to fans of music in general, so there’s certainly hope.

One rap act who’s far more fit for Trillectro and is more respected by the game’s current cool kids is Casey Veggies. Casey‘s “Everything Wavy” and “Faces” are synthesized and current enough to lure more than a few non-hip-hop heads toward his set. He’s also got the co-signs to backup his almost-man-of-the-hour style. Both ScHoolboy Q and Logic, current XXL Freshmen, named Casey as their pick for the main man missing from this year’s list. Add all of that to Casey‘s clear knack for style and the end result is one of the festival’s likely all-around successes.

Overall, it will prove hard to consolidate the two umbrella terms–trill and electro–that comprise the festival’s name until the music leads it there. Trillectro is doing a great service of creating an inhabitable melting pot, which will guaranteed be a good party. Time, and the direction of the music, will tell if it was great.

Stephen Kearse – Online editor

“The Trillectro lineup is a strange beast for me. On one hand, there are tons of amazing DJs with the proven ability to use largely un-instrumental music as marionette strings. On the other hand, there are rappers, but not rappers that I would necessarily qualify as “trill.” I’m from Atlanta, but I hadn’t heard the term “trill” since a DJ at a party back in 2010 surprised us with a spin of “Some Cut” by Trillville. If “trill” is back, how does Casey Veggies embody it? How does King Chip embody it? I don’t know, but those questions (and a preexisting interest in those specific rappers) alone would draw me out to the festival.

With that in mind, from a slightly less subjective perspective, I’d have to say that the sets to see would be Casey Veggie‘s and DJ Slink‘s. Slink is one of the few DJs out there who spins trap that I find tolerable. I hate to sound lame, but seeing someone twerk to a Rick Ross song about shooting people is just bizarre. I don’t think that would happen during a Slink set. He doesn’t seem to treat all trap equally. He makes a discernible distinction between songs to get rowdy to and songs to get nasty to. I appreciate that. As far as Casey Veggies, I just want to see how he approaches this set. He’s a solid rapper and a cool dude, but can he bring out the inner Miley Cyrus in that quiet girl from your English class? Or will he just play it cool? There’s only one way to find out.”

And there you have it. Expect more RESPECT. Roundtable discussions in the future and check out our review of Trillectro from last year.

The post RESPECT. Roundtable #1: Trillectro appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The term “legend” is thrown around far too often. Rihanna tweets a picture of her nearly-naked behind, it’s “legendary”. Justin Bieber takes a leak in a mop bucket, and according to his 41 million Twitter followers, he’s a “legend”. But Stokley Williams has undoubtedly earned his status, worked for his remembrance. He’s one of the few breathing musicians who truly deserve the sobriquet. The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and front man of multi-platinum R&B group Mint Condition, boasts a massively impressive catalog; he has worked with Prince, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Usher and Luther Vandross.

In fact, he is no stranger to the Billboard Charts. His latest production credits include Wale‘s chart-topping album, The Gifted, on which he co-produced a plethora of tracks. From the ‘70s soul throwbacks to the skilfully constructed hooks, Wale truly delivered one of the most memorable gifts of 2013. In an effort to shed some light on the making of this critically acclaimed LP, RESPECT. spoke with the hitmaker about working with Wale, and the amount of time it takes him to compose a hit.

RESPECT:. I am curious as to how you’ve managed to co-produce one of the biggest hip hop albums of 2013. How does an R&B/Soul veteran put himself into the mind of a 28-year-old rapper?

The common denominator is the word “soul”. That’s what Wale was looking for, he’s from a place that embodies that sensibility. Having said that, it was a natural progression and fit for everybody in the room.

In your wildest dreams, did you ever think The Gifted would sell 151,871 units in its first week and land Wale his first ever number one album?

We just did what we felt was dope! That feeling resonated through all the sessions we did together.

You have long been composing music that almost everyone likes. Do you have a way in knowing if a song is going to be a hit?

You know it gets kind of tricky because yes, you feel something is good but sometimes it will be the opposite song on a CD that everybody is feeling. So you think you know sometimes. Again though, you do what you feel and hope it resonates with everybody the same as you feel it.

I’m assuming you probably had a feeling “LoveHate Thing” was going to be a hit?

The day we put it together was just magic! What was funny was when I first met with Wale, he kept talking about Mint Condition and the feel that he wanted playing some of our stuff in the meetings we had. Talking about the sounds, the mixes, the titles, etc…I knew what he was talking about. It all had to do with soul, that organic approach to music you know? It’s no wonder that it has a Marvin Gaye feel to it. That whole era was all about soul.

The song has made a speedy impact on urban radio as the No. 1 most added record to playlists. The 70s-soul throwback vibe you’ve incorporated on there. It sounds like something that wouldn’t work on paper.

Yeah, but we ain’t talking bout paper, we talking bout’ music! Unless you write it down, you can’t see it but when it hits you, you feel it’s infinite power. Now having said that, this song is a vehicle to make some paper!

How did you and Wale hook up?

Through my management, I was in Los Angeles and Wale wanted to have a meeting with me and the team he was putting together. That ended up being me, Sam Dew, and ToneP. There were other folks in the room that contributed in other ways as well.  Again he spoke about old music and the way it has influenced the generations after, played much Mint music as well as others…just conceptual stuff. Then we set the dates for the first sessions in Atlanta.

Does there need to be good chemistry between you and an artist when working together?

Absolutely, it’s all about vibe to me. We all got electricity running through us so we all gotta be connected. As a producer, it’s up to me to try and bring the best out of an artist, or inspire them to want to do better reach higher, dig deeper and wider.

How did you go about finding that gifted atmosphere with Wale?

I believe that something about me resonated with him, and that same thing was in him too. Gift recognized gift!

Is there a range in how long it takes you to produce a song?

It’s different all the time. Some songs take 10 minutes…literally, they kind of write themselves. Others you might want to massage for a while so you don’t miss anything. Generally, in hip-hop, things move pretty quickly. I guess I can say that about a few different genres though. It really depends on the artist.

Were you selective about having exactly the right beats and sounds to work with when you started building, “Gullible” featuring Cee Lo Green?

Absolutely. I listened to Wale‘s earlier stuff. I wanted to hear what worked and what I thought didn’t from a production standpoint. The thing is he was much more on his game than his previous CD’s which really helps my job. The clearer the artist is, the better for me. We just had to have the right sounds and textures for everything.

You provide the background vocals on the introductory song, “The Curse of The Gifted” and “Sunshine”. Does singing and producing come from the same creative place for you?

They are two different lanes for me most times. Sometimes they merge.

Two other standout tracks are “Heaven’s Afternoon” and “Black Heroes / Outro About Nothing”.  Did you already have a master plan in mind for these two tracks?

Well on those songs, the basic parts were already done. What Wale wanted me to do was to help create some dynamics…more peaks and valleys. In a lot of hip-hop, there’s only one section all the way through. We just created different doors for him to walk through and paint the room up.

What song took the longest?

Well overall, we massaged this whole project for about a year and a half. Wale‘s live show dates, my show dates, and  Sam‘s show’s had to all be scheduled. Also, Wale wasn’t gonna’ release it until it was ready. He really wanted to perfect everything, record with other producers and see how everything stacked up.

Based on the success of this album, will you also be working on Wale’s next album, The Album About Nothing?

Not sure, if he wants that then cool. Although I think that may be a more mixtape vibe, something he started out doing in the beginning that was maybe grittier.

Aside from producing, you’re currently on tour, right?

Yes, check the MintConditionMusic.com site to find dates.

The post Exclusive Interview: Stokley Williams Speaks On Producing Wale’s “The Gifted” LP appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

As if Born Sinner and The Gifted weren’t enough, Cole and Wale treat fans again with a new cut. This one is produced by Jake One. Enjoy the boys in matching flannel.

The post New Music: J.Cole feat. Wale – “Winter Schemes” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Prior to releasing his third LP, The Gifted, Wale sat down with Elliott Wilson in DC to discuss a myriad of topics. Check out all four parts of his #CRWN interview below, in which Folarin talks about his new album, his relationship with J. Cole, Interscope and more.

Also, peep our review of The Gifted here. 

The post Watch Wale’s Full #CRWN Interview with Elliott Wilson appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Wale is a name that comes with serious levels of ambivalence.  Since making the transition from a mixtape artist to a mainstream artist, it seems as if public opinion on him has oscillated between acclaim and vitriol with not much of anything else in between.  Part of this unstable reception can be attributed to Wale himself.

With his first two albums, debut LP Attention Deficit (Interscope) and sophomore LP Ambition (Maybach Music/Warner Brothers), listeners were introduced to two very different Wales. On his debut LP, Wale seemed a little timid and reserved. The album’s content featured his thoughts on skin tones, eating disorders and other idiosyncratic topics.  After signing with Maybach Music to release his sophomore album, Wale‘s songs began to sound like the lost tracks from Rick Ross’ Deeper Than Rap.  The rhymes were more narcissistic and boastful and the production was noticeably more club friendly.  And unlike his first album which was somewhat of a flop, Ambition, went Gold. Given these differing personas, it makes sense that Wale inspires such ambivalence.

With this third album, The Gifted, listeners are once again seeing another face of Wale. This time, however, it seems like he has somewhat found his lane. Somewhat.  The album comes complete with big production from Just Blaze, Lee Majors, Stokley Williams of Mint Condition and more, and features Wale being self-reflective, boastful, a little flirty and even unabashedly weird.

The album opens with “The Case of The Gifted,” which includes brief commentary and a graffiti spray can.  Rapping over a combination of dramatic keys and guitar strings, Wale use the track to explain the good and the bad that come with being “gifted.”  For “LoveHate Thing” Wale essentially continues with the same idea as the intro. Over a Marvin Gaye sample Wale raps, “Love you then they hate you/ then they love you again/ hate you then they love you/ then they hate you again.” Wale is clearly aware of his public reception.

On “Heaven’s Afternoon,” Wale recruits his Maybach Music comrade Meek Mill for a track that tells a rags-to- riches story. Interestingly, they shout out Pro Era frontman Joey Bada$$ and his now deceased friend Capital Steez.  The hook which says, “We ain’t supposed to never have nothing/ we ain’t supposed to never have shit,” shows some more self-awareness. Both Meek and Wale’s memberships in MMG truly made their careers.

For “Clappers,” Wale samples perhaps one of the greatest family reunion/parties tracks of all time (E.U.- “Da Butt”).  For the track, Wale hooks up with Nicki Minaj and Juicy J, the reigning rap royalty of twerk songs. Surprisingly, the song isn’t very compelling. It’s kind of boring, actually.  “Tired of Dreaming,” which features Rick Ross and Ne-Yo, is a pretty interesting effort. In the song he details his ideal woman, from her teeth to her feet.   It’s easy to group “Tired of Dreaming” along with “Lotus Flower Bomb” and “Ambition” and declare that these are “songs for the ladies,” but Wale actually has a talent for discussing romance without sounding unnatural. This talent is also showcased on radio single “Bad” which is featured two times on the album, one version with Rihanna and the original with Tiara Thomas. In other words, rather than “songs for the ladies,” Wale makes song for casual listeners. If casual listeners to rap just so happen to often be ladies, so be it. Not every rap song requires shouting and anger.

In the end, the album is a decent effort, but there’s still a feeling that Wale is in flux.  Even sonically, the overall sound of the album fluctuates quite a bit. Wale’s lyrics gets overshadowed by the production on tracks like “88” and “Bricks” while his lyrics are notably amped up on other songs.  Additionally, the length of the album also is a downfall. Since every track on the album is not necessarily a good or memorable effort, 16-tracks feels a little excessive and unnecessary.  If Wale made an album with perhaps  ten of the  tracks( including the bonus track “Hella”), the project would have been significantly better. Hopefully his next album, Album About Nothing, with Jerry Seinfeld, will show us a Wale who has somewhat crystallized into a solid artist.

That being said, having a stable image isn’t necessary for making good art. Rihanna changes every album. But then again, perhaps her stable trait is her ability to change. Whoa. Good luck, Wale.

The post Album Review: Wale – The Gifted appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Well who is sure? Who’s in charge of this?!”

For those who have heard Wale’s Gifted album (out tomorrow), there’s a pretty great outro with Jerry Seinfeld chastising Folarin about the delayed album. Now, we have a visual accompaniment for their exchange. Check it out below.

The post Video: Wale in the Studio with Jerry Seinfeld appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.