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The final days before the release of Wale’s The Album About Nothing, and an update on Yung Gleesh’s arrest: These are the Breaks.
Wale’s 25th Hour
This final week before the release of Wale’s The Album About Nothing has been an eventful one: It opened with the official release of the song with Kanye
West that he previously teased. “The Summer League”, featuring Los Angeles crooner Ty Dolla $ign, in addition to the D.C. rapper (Wale) and one of the biggest artists in music today (Kanye), has the recipe for greatness. Unfortunately, despite the potential, it fails to deliver.
The beat has a clear summertime swing to it, but this celebration of warm weather and a nod to the famed Goodman basketball league feels lethargic. Kanye West is clearly a source of inspiration for Wale, who naturally seized an opportunity to work with him, but “The Summer League” screams “throwaway track.” It’s a good push for the last stretch of The Album About Nothing’s promotion, but this trio is capable of so much more.
Wale also released the third and final cover for the album. He describes the minimalist approach taken to this one as “what the album is to [him], a moment of clarity and a moment of expression.” Hopefully (and most likely), fans will express their gratitude come Tuesday when TAAN finally hits stores.
His interview with the quirky Nardwuar also surfaced today: they caught up at SXSW last week to discuss go-go music and vintage D.C. rappers like Nonchalant (listen to “Five o Clock in the Morning” if you never have). The restaurant Baby Wale even got a mention. However, things got a bit uncomfortable when Wale accused Nardwuar of taking a patronizing tone with him. (For the record, he didn’t.) Although Wale remained curt with Nardwuar moving forward, everything remained civil.
Yung Gleesh Arrested for Sexual Assault
Earlier this week, news broke that D.C. rapper Yung Gleesh was sought on sexual assault charges stemming from an incident that took place during in Austin, Texas during SXSW. A few days later, the 25-year-old rapper, born Asa Asuncion, was arrested. The Fader posted the affidavit detailing what happened that night. Be advised that it’s graphic.