2014 was Wale’s year of redemption. 2013 brought both his first chart-topping album and his biggest meltdown, so late in the year, he retreated to a den of reflection. He resurfaced in January with a pledge to finally ignore detractors and focus on his fans and music. The most exciting result of this soul-searching was a promised return to the format that first brought him acclaim with 2008’s Seinfeld-inspired The Mixtape About Nothing. His eagerly anticipated next project, The Album About Nothing, set to feature Jerry Seinfeld himself, figures to be the D.C. rapper’s most important album to date. He’ll begin 2015 and set the tone for this crucial phase of his career with his annual New Year’s Day concert at the Fillmore Silver Spring, as his Simply Nothing tour begins where his story did. Shake off the hangover and get a preview of what the new year holds for the area’s biggest hip-hop star. Wale performs with Fat Trel and Slutty Boys at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $39.50. (301) 960-9999. fillmoresilverspring.com.