But if he wants to go down as one of the GOATs, he still needs that classic album, that Ready to Die, that GKMC. If Wale goes down in hip-hop history as a gifted emcee who also made some hit songs, there are a million rappers who would kill for those stats. Wale 'The Gifted' (Album Cover) Wale drops off the official artwork. The Gifted is a collection of tracks from an unarguably talented emcee, but the point at which a collection of music becomes an album, a singular work with a focus and unity strong enough to truly make an impact, Wale still hasn't reached that point. Review: Wales 'The Gifted' By Iva Anthony Iva Anthony divaldy. But the cost of that versatility is focus. When you’re dope enough to sound dope rhyming on everything, you end up rhyming over everything. Call it the blessing and curse of true talent. Cole, Kendrick, etc.-Wale doesn't have a distinctive sound. Ultimately though, as much as I try to focus on the present and forget about the past, listening to The Gifted sounds like listening to an artist who still doesn't really know who they are as an artist. But the truth is bangers just aren't his strength, and what’s wrong with wanting to hear someone at their strongest? The Gifted is an attempt to recapture his one-time greatness without sacrificing his commercial gains.
His critically lauded, Seinfeld-cribbing 2008 release The Mixtape About. If he can make a booty-shaking anthem as good as "Pop That," I’ll take it. Outside of his obvious talents as a lyricist, Wale has come close to hip-hop’s A-list but never quite made the leap. It might be the best we can hope for from Wale in 2013. For the record, I’m not interested in something as cliché as wanting Wale to only make “conscious” records. The Gifted is an attempt to recapture his one-time greatness without sacrificing his commercial gains.