Marcus Dowling’s 2010 TGRIOnline Year End Awards – DC Single of the Year

Yes, it’s that time of the year again, where true to our name, True Genius Requires Insanity starts crowning the best of the year about 30 days before everyone else starts thinking about such things. The point is, in thinking about these things so early, we want to a) beat people to the punch, b) we have some opinions we’d like to get off our chest and c) we’d like to not have them get lost in the shuffle. Enjoy, comment and begin thinking about what you enjoyed most in 2010.

DC Single of the Year: Waka Flocka Flame feat. Roscoe Dash and Wale – “No Hands”

http://www.youtube.com/v/skhxizRYxps?fs=1&hl=en_US

Other Nominees:

Fat Trel – “Trappin Like a Fool”

Will Eastman and Micahvellian – “No Sleep”

Steve Starks – “Git Em”

MIA – Boyz (Cam Jus Che Flute Moombahton Remix)

Fugative – Crush (Nadastrom Remix)

This was a giant year for DC in terms of electronic dance music. Dave Nada invented moombahton, the chopped and screwed cousin of Dutch house and reggaeton that spurred an entire subset of underground producers (like Cam Jus and Obeyah from DC) to come out of the closet as secret fans of cumbia, dub and a plethora of Latin and Carribean rhythms. Steve Starks from DC’s Nouveau Riche crew began to develop his own style, a blend of tribal sounds, deep soulful house and Baltimore club, which, once the Netherlands’ Munchi got his hands on and turned up to 20, became one of the most significant early warnings of the genius of a dance producer in ages. Will Eastman continued his explorations into the soulful and sexy sounds of disco, his brief time on Stretch Armstrong’s Plant Music imprint really emboldening his productions and with the assistance of the quiet genius of Micahvellian, he’s starting to put together the pieces of what feels like a constantly evolving and much larger fuller and richer disco concept. Nadastrom’s remix of 17 year old British wunderkind Fugative’s “Crush” started off 2010 beautifully for our favorite native sons Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom, who as a duo are able to create a delicate balance between dance music that embraces mainstream tendencies and trends but at the same point is deeply entrenched in traditional dance music norms. As a duo, Nadastrom are the standard of complete sonic domination that all other underground production duos attempt to emulate.

But the winner of this award is Wale, and it’s not even on a track fully his own. Wale as an inwardly confident yet outwardly emo emcee filled with hopeful false bravado killed the underground and backpacker game. When compared to other fly emcees living concert to concert and building a cache by perpetually engaging in social marketing and building an entire empire of other emo kids who are socially maladjusted because computers have whittled down the human ability to communicate, he’s the king. However, as the nerdy kid with a million Facebook friends who builds a fence around himself in public because of the clear fragility of his own ego, being a mainstream emcee has been a difficult grind. You can’t run and hide behind Twitter when you’re front and center on MTV. 

Waka Flocka’s “No Hands” is incredible. It’s a stuntastic anthem that everyone can get behind. Getting lap dances in the club while sipping Moscato? It’s a good life, and likely is one of the trappings of success that Mr. Folarin can enjoy to de-stress and get away from the world of constant touring, label pressures and intense self doubt. When he performs it live and it’s hip hop’s next and best Nate Dogg, Tre (of Wale’s backing go go band UCB), on the hook instead of Roscoe Dash? The track becomes powerful, unique and resplendent, a celebration of relative opulence wrapped in three stars and two bars.

“No Hands” will go down as the most important track of Wale’s career. Roc Nation became perfectly aware that an emo kid with an adlib flow and a ton of witticisms about everyday life was not a financially successful move. However, Wale at this latest stage of his life, as the DC everyman who hangs out on the streets and keeps things real, but is a baller superstar when the lights go down is perfect. He bridges both the ignorant hood creations of Drumma Boy, the more highbrow with lowbrow effects creations of Best Kept Secret, and is learning how to take his particular adlib flow and compare it to the giants of the game.

In appropriating “No Hands” as his own? Wale has saved himself, and saved his place as the leading emcee of DC’s evolving push towards mainstream credibility.

THE DROP: Before Tuesday’s big DC show, get familiar with Fat Trel and Black Cobain!

MIXTAPE REVIEW: Wale – More About Nothing

http://www.youtube.com/v/p5WUOnTxwPw&hl=en_US&fs=1

Wale had no other choice. The DC emcee whose entire career has existed as a perpetually public referendum of his skills and worth as an emcee was shamed by the sales of his debut album Attention Deficit. Signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint, the rapper was a mixtape messiah, prophetic adlibs spewing forth at the turn of every phrase, and when 2009’s Seinfeld checking Mixtape About Nothing dropped, it appeared a matter of when, not if the emcee would become the king of hip hop, and the seat of the industry would finally be Washington, DC. Of course, that never happened, and the publicity craving, extremely personally accountable emcee was shamed in a most visible manner. Gone were his rapid fire adlibs, top notch production and unique take on the universe instead replaced by stale tracks, a listless flow and a very boring and completely underwhelming release. However, before the light fell on the man who seems to be perched on the Washington Monument as DC’s highest ranking mainstream hope, the More About Nothing mixtape occurred.

http://www.youtube.com/v/q57qB6Kwroo&hl=en_US&fs=1

This may be 2010’s best rap release. He completely outdistances every developing emcee at doing everything. This is not a mixtape. Repeat after me. This is not a mixtape. This release was downloaded over 100,000 times in a single afternoon. It features 21 tracks, with productions by Cool and Dre, Best Kept Secret and newcomers DJ Omega and Kosmik. As well, with guest appearances by Waka Flocka, Wiz Khalifa and NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, it doesn’t even feel like the average mixtape. The Seinfeld drops are still here and frame Wale’s thoughts beautifully. It’s as if the “show about nothing” in running the gamut of human emotions about all issues mirrors the thought path of the emcee. If a fan of raw, gripping emotional honesty, this isn’t Drake singing in autotune about a broken home. Instead, Wale is a man in danger of fading into obscurity, a man, to borrow from Wale’s adoration of sports analogies, who is walking the fine line between Darko Milicic and LeBron James. If a fan of marijuana rap, Wale outdistances Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y here, as between being a superior artist on “The Cool” with Wiz, and the Tiara Thomas pop acoustic guitar strummer “The Coud,” He shows that when focused and unencumbered by label politics, he is a superior rhymer. These are not the only examples, but a mere sample of what is a dominant performance.

http://www.youtube.com/v/8PBvOxicz-0&hl=en_US&fs=1

Running the gamut from the excellent flip of Sam Sparro’s “Black and Gold” with the break from Two Hype Brothers’ and a Dog’s “Dew Doo Brown” over the chorus, and “The Break Up Song” slowing down Stevie Wonder’s synthesized disco funk of “All I Do” to allow for Wale’s commentary about the nature of relationships, and his excellent societal commentary of the Tiger Woods fiasco “Eye of the Tiger,” there are a plethora of superstar moments on this release. Sampling Northeast Groovers’ go go cover of Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly Away ” is his commonplace “Pretty Girls” moment where we lets the three stars and two bars fly, and as always hearing Tre from UCB on a hook makes you realize that he is the Nate Dogg of the 21st century in waiting. 

Wale, when the chips were down, came through huge. Even if he stumbles again on his sophmore album release, this mixtape will stand the test of rap history as a magnificent example of an artist when faced with a mountain to climb, stepped on it like an anthill.

http://www.youtube.com/v/ZbzdH7BLHgw&hl=en_US&fs=1

COP/DON’T COP THIS MIXTAPE

Dear Wale: Leave DC.

 
As another day goes by, seemingly there goes another completely absurd public gaffe in the burgeoning hip hop career of Wale Folarin. This time, it’s not proclaiming that Pharrell was “crying over the phone” trying to submit last second beats for debut Attention: Deficit, nor was it the incessant public redressing of his haters on Twitter. Nor was it being cold, standoffish, or otherwise odd. It’s something far far far worse, and the final straw between me as a supporter of Washington, DC, and as well, of hip hop. After being scheduled to play at a Black Pride event as part of DC’s African-American lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered celebration weekend, the artist backed out, citing concerns over playing at an all gay event. For better or worse, Wale is DC’s international hip hop representative. Not the ultra-talented Tabi Bonney, nor the backpacker superheroes the Diamond District. Instead it’s Wale, the world’s most hypersensitive emcee. Clearly concerned after less than spectacular sales for his debut album, the artist is clearly over thinking each and every move he makes, and when you assume you are doing things correctly, you do what everyone that assumes does, as the old saying goes, “making an ass out of u and me.” Now, outside of being hated as an emcee in his hometown for “leaving the city behind,” he’s now an emo homophobe. All that being said, it might be time for Wale to leave DC behind. In being DC’s hip hop representative, he’s opened doors and people extending from Diamond District to Don Juan have benefited tremendously. However, in doing so, he’s now clearly developed into a moron, capable of making the most pedantic of moves into a debacle of epic proportions. DC doesn’t need Wale, but Wale needs hip hop. Therefore, it’s time for Wale to turn in his Gilbert Arenas jersey, hand over his Redskins cap, disavow ever referring to himself as “Wale Ovechkin,” and turn in his Barra Brava membership card. DC is united now, and all divisive forces are an unnecessary blemish. Wale is a good rapper with great adlibs. Maybe it’s time for him to relocate. New York. LA. Miami. Atlanta. But this one is a NIMBY case now. Not In My Back Yard. Like I said when I read of his homophobia allegations, “aw hell no, Wale’s gotta go!”

http://www.youtube.com/v/s-AZ1x24CGE&hl=en_US&fs=1&

In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, this would’ve never happened. Wale is a special artist. He’s highly entertaining and is an exemplary wordsmith. If he were signed to say, Motown, he would’ve been schooled in all aspects of artist development and would know how to comport himself like a gentleman of grace and honor. The death of artist development on record labels is another column for another day. But for a guy who runs around and throws his diamond in the sky more than Kanye West did almost a decade ago, maybe Wale should take a cue from the general of the Roc Nation team and shut up and embrace any fans he can find in his hometown. Yes, I know. It’s hip hop. The very nature of the genre is couched entirely in homophobia. Wale’s struggling. Identifying with the gay community certainly won’t help him appeal to the hip hop masses. But hell. It’s also 2010, AND, the hip hop masses didn’t exactly shut iTunes down for the day buying his debut. Wale himself often mentions how hard of a sell he is because he appeals to such a wide spectrum of fans. Maybe it’s time for Wale to realize he’s not going to be Rakim. He’s not going to be Will Smith, either, but maybe a happy medium. Playing a gay pride event? Not the worst idea ever. Even if not the case, it shows him to be forward thinking individual, and possibly someone worthy of mainstream acceptance.

DC’s on fire. Say what you will, but Barack Obama’s election made the Capital City extremely sexy. The New York Times can’t stop ranting and raving about us, the Real World was just here, and people worldwide are starting to take note of DC for more than being the city where the guy smoked crack and got his job back. The U Street Music Hall though smaller provides comparable entertainment options to Pacha, Fabric, Body English or any other top international club spot in the universe. Restaurants and commercial development are on the rise as spots like Nando’s Peri Peri and Ping Pong Dim Sum, which would have NEVER considered DC real estate, are now entrenching themselves in the “capital of the free world.” The Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft Lottery, and the already filled to the brim Verizon Center for the wildly successful Washington Capitals hockey franchise looks to be full for 40 more nights in the winter as well. On a governmental note, though somewhat controversial, mayor Adrian Fenty has spearheaded the passing of gay marriage legislation as well as attempting to make medicinal marijuana a possibility. A rapper with mainstream potential who won’t rap in front of gay people because he doesn’t want NahRight.com or The Smoking Section blog commenters to make jokes? That just doesn’t fit here anymore. We’re off that. On to the next one, and it damned sure isn’t Wale.

http://www.youtube.com/v/vmmAzVAaKPY&hl=en_US&fs=1&

In final, I wish he would’ve said this and immediately been punched in the face by a gay male, akin to Charles Hamilton’s career getting floored after he insinuated he impregnated his ex-girlfriend. At least that would’ve had an element of humor and would’ve eased the sting of this revelation. When blatant ignorance goes without comeuppance, it’s truly a sad day. However, I can’t front. I love me some Wale tracks. “Sweatin’ Out Weaves” with UCB, “Pretty Girls,” “Chillin’ (namely Skratch Bastid’s edit) and “My Sweetie” will always get spins. But this guy just can’t share my air anymore. I apologize if he listens to my advice and fills yours, but hopefully by then he’d have learned a lesson and shuts up and tries to gain a fanbase. I don’t care if you spit rhymes like Papoose and have the mainstream appeal of Drake. If you’re signed to a major label and don’t exercise a modicum of self control and media savvy, you’re kinda worthless to me. Tabi, Diamond District, the spotlight’s on you. No fumbles. All touchdowns. The city needs you now more than ever. Shameful.

THE DROP: On Wale, real talk on his new videos and the nature of his career

WALE – "LIFE AND RHYMES" ATTENTION DEFICIT RELEASE CONCERT @ IBIZA 11/11/09

I’ve learned in covering music to never say never. However, I never thought I’d advocate hearing less of an artist whose voice I feel is important to a movement. This was the case until the “Words and Rhymes” Wale album release party at Ibiza Nightclub for his Attention: Deficit debut on November 11th. If unaware that DC area native Wale Folarin was releasing an album on November 10th, you clearly were living under a multitude of rocks, and were walking through the universe with blinders. The success of his debut will not just be a success for Wale as an artist apparently, but through his success, the entire DC Metropolitan area will have the access and ability to ascend to the realm of international superstardom because of the path he made. This story sounds wonderful until you have to regard and witness certain aspects of its execution.

The premise of the event was for Wale to present the songs of his first album in a VH1 Storytellers fashion whilst backed by touring band and local go go powerhouses UCB. The event was being taped for HBO, which opener WPGC DJ Alizay (who threw down thunder and lightning in an opening set that ran the gamut of classic 90s, New York hip hop to highlights of Wale’s mixtapes and album) constantly made the attendees aware of. If this was an idea posited by the label, artist or promoter, it was a failure. Unlike Kanye West, whose VH1 Storytellers in which he spoke extremely frankly about his life, his thoughts (“OJ Simpson is amazing!” “I wish sometimes that I could step back and watch myself perform!”) and his aspirations was a fantastic idea, Wale waxing poetic was not. Wale has one album, five mixtapes, two tours, and 30,000 albums likely sold as of press time. Kanye West, whose Storytellers this event was clearly mimicking? Four albums, production credits on some of the illest tracks in the history of hip hop, tens of millions of sold albums, a concert tour that featured a stage configuration that cost in the high seven figures and a history of being outspoken, having stood up to and spoken his mind with direct arrogance to Simian Mobile Disco, Taylor Swift, and former President George W. Bush. Linking Wale on any level to Kanye West is either a case of the label or promoter trying entirely too hard to create Wale as an earnest and gigantic superstar based on smoke and mirrors, or, Wale’s just surrounded by a cadre of sympathetic yes men who don‘t realize that such a presupposition this early in a man‘s career is futile and ignorant, doing more ultimate harm than good. Yes, he empties his soul for the universe on Twitter, but to do that live, in content not limited to 140 characters or less? Just not as entertaining. Less, as we’ll see, is always more.

Allowing the artist, who stated that he was “high as hell,” to have a microphone to perform his retinue of singles that his fans know, love and appreciate would have been gift enough. However, in not holding to that aim, this became not Wale’s finest night. Allowed to ramble, he was a fountain of ridiculous quotes, from stating “All the Africans you see workin’ at KFC, lookin’ crazy….that’s my family!,” to telling a five minute story about driving down to a Macy’s in midtown Manhattan in “Nike slippers, an old t-shirt and Solbiato sweatpants” to sneak up on and surprise vocalist Chrisette Michelle who was running late for a session to put the hook on fantastic album rap ballad “Shades,” he came off as self absorbed and arrogant than confident rhyme spitter. The winning tale was that of talking to N.E.R.D.’s Pharrell Williams on the phone and Pharrell “sounding like he was about to cry” when he didn’t get the track for album duet “Let it Loose” to Interscope Records on time. Wale, as an industry rookie came off more like a name dropping jerk than an industry veteran or prodigal talent on Pharrell’s level politely needling him when he made such a statement.

In the face of such bizarre behavior though, the live performances of Attention: Deficit’s tracks made the evening an overall success for the paltry number of fans in attendance. UCB’s lead singer Tre, as always, shone brightly, as the young man possesses a high falsetto not unlike Earth, Wind and Fire’s Philip Bailey, which allows him to vocally match everything from Chrisette Michelle’s throaty octaves to Pharrell’s falsetto, Jasmine Sullivan’s elegant tone on the hook of “Award Tour,” and Lady Gaga’s “Chillin’” hook as well. Wale, easily well acquainted with the material, performed more than admirably as well, the live representation of the album injecting into each track the liveliness and human personality that many, author included, felt was lacking on the album taking it from fantastic and ultimately defining look for the city to, well, another solid hip hop release of 2009.

In final, maybe this event was overkill. Wale appeared four separate times in one night. In Ibiza’s 30,000 square foot main room which was reconfigured for significantly less square footage, 300 people saw him. At Cmonwealth on The Block over at 18th and U, a capacity crowd filled the store. Same goes for his record signing at Downtown Locker Room at The Mall at Prince George‘s, and for a late night soiree at nightspot Josephine’s gold room. Maybe a sole concert event , not unlike this summer’s starmaking bash achieving all of the aims of the various events would have been best. Yes, we’re all proud of Wale on some level. He’s opened doors and achieved fantastic success. But in celebrating his success, a city that needs to stand firm, solid and together as one behind a man was turned into pockets of many. While this certainly on a corporate level makes Wale look like a jet-setting big deal with screaming crowds all over a city, to a local populace just wanting to rejoice in the local boy doing great, well, something lacked in execution. Wale’s a big time star now in a small time city. On this night, his maturation and development past DC showed, to a mixed result. His music has never sounded better. But as a man, he’s clearly changed. He’s a much larger deal now than we all ever imagined. Kudos, for good or bad, are due.

ALBUM REVIEW – WALE "Attention: Deficit"

Washington, DC’s Wale was crowned a champion without even winning a fight. Sure, he’s survived battles, and has trained well, and definitely is in condition to be a top notch contributor in the hip hop community. However, the intense pressure surrounding his debut album Attention Deficit didn’t create a diamond out of coal, instead, it just crushed coal into, well, more coal, with a diamond hopeful to surface. This album is a success in that by its release, Wale ascends to the throne as the official representative of the nation’s capital in hip hop. This album doesn’t put DC on par with New York, or LA, or anywhere else for that matter. Instead, by being, well, terribly generic and expected in many places, has Wale being yet another voice in a filling fray of fresh new hip hop talent for the millennium and beyond. But at least the “DMV” is at the table, as this album eases open a door that had been slammed shut repeatedly on this city for the last 30 years.

Wale’s debut album could have easily been a “best of” mixtape. Five legendary creations, with guest features from everyone from Lil Wayne and Bun B to UCB’s local go go flavor, and productions that ranged from Justice’s electro winner of 2007 “D.A.N.C.E.” to an entire collection of mixes done by mid 90s legend 9th Wonder. Moving Wale’s career ahead to album and major recording deal with Roc Nation status may have been a necessary move, but in removing the creative freedoms of the mixtape, Wale becomes another in a line of lyrically talented and slightly reflective emcees, instead of a wunderkind that can infuse a track with levity and verbal superiority.

Attention Deficit clocks in at 54 minutes and 14 tracks that leave a listener a fan of Wale, his status as an extreme aficionado and lover of all things athletic, self-aggrandizing name dropping and constant proclamations of his own superstardom for sure, but not really quite aware of his direction or style as an artist. There’s the underwhelming radio lead single “Chillin,” a track that dominates the album as, well, upon listening to the other 13 tracks by comparison, it’s quite clear that a record company executive somewhere really felt quite positive that a track from Cool and Dre with a lush Steam sample from “(Na Na Hey Hey) Kiss Him Goodbye” and Lady Gaga on the hook would be the best way to introduce Wale to a mainstream audience on a single. The budget for this track in itself obviously trumps three or four other tracks combined, and “Chillin’,” instead of standing out on the album for being a hit single, stands out for being a cluster, a prepackaged attempt to re-image Wale that fails, and leaves Wale as an artist with a giant single of renown that in no way defines who and what he truly is as an artist.

This album’s success comes when Wale is himself. He’s an insecure suburbanite with the ability to create insightful and often witty takes on the universe. He’s quiet, measured and thoughtful, and the winners on his debut display that wonderfully. Mark Ronson, with whom Wale has collaborated with successfully so many times, gives Wale a boost toward mainstream credibility with “90210,” a tale of Wale’s take on the hollow existence of celebrity groupies, while material that has been tread upon before a million times, the quiet and hollow synths of Ronson’s production allow Wale’s wisdom to really stand out and take grasp of the soul. Other winners include “Mama Told Me,” “Diary” with the wondrous voice of ex-Floetry member Marsha Ambrosious, as well as the wonderful tale of colorstruck, dark brown skin angst, “Shades.” In both of these, namely “Shades” and “Mama Told Me,” which looses the genius of Craig B. and Tone P. (DC’s Best Kept Secret) and their go-go based productions on the world, the downtempo and less aggressive productions once again allow Wale to really shine as a master storyteller and wordsmith, crafting fully fleshed out and completely realized stories of his life, a suburban griot with a thought provoking story to tell.

But the album rests at a halt on the radio singles. Wale’s ability to create potent adlibs is his weakest calling card on a mainstream stage. When compared to other unsigned artists, Wale is a savant. When compared to the artists he has as guests on his own debut, he’s merely a cosigned little brother. On “Mirrors,” featuring Wale’s mentor Bun B, he’s clearly outclassed, as Wale, who worked his tail off on this album, throws 16 bars with beads of sweat on his forehead, while Bun B drops science as though he were taking out the garbage. Killer rhymes, dropped perfectly, another day at the office. And the same goes for every other guest appearance here as well. Wale seems to legitimately enjoy the fact that on his debut he got the chance to record with so many artists that inspired him and that he sees as legends. But where say, someone like Kanye West hopped on tracks with name brand artists and held his own and created himself as a hip hop staple, Wale gets stapled to the surface as creepin’ on a come up, but maybe a few albums away.

“World Tour” with Jasmine Sullivan, the current single, suffers by taking the hook from A Tribe Called Quest’s iconic “Award Tour,” and blending it with another laconic, expected Cool and Dre track that holds back pretty much anything the Philly diva and the DC rhyme spitter can do on it to elevate the single. “Let it Loose” a clear Neptunes banger with Pharrell on this hook is smartly executed, but nothing about Wale, or his multitudes of witty adlibs and quick rhyming can overcome the magic of Pharrell on the track.

The album’s true winner, “Pretty Girls,” featuring the ubiquitous Gucci Mane and vocalist Weensey from DC go go legends the Backyard Band is a success because of pretty much everything but Wale. Sure he’s exemplary as usual, but the song’s hook, “Pretty girls, I ask em do they smoke?/Ask em what do they know?/Ask em can we go?/ Pretty girls/Sunshine in the air/perfume everywhere/Girls are everywhere” is enormously fantastic, the type of hook that evokes a mood, a time, a place and feeling that we all know, and we all love. When Gucci jumps on the track, he feels completely at home with the subject matter, sadly moreso than Wale who’s been cultivating this track as his own for the last three years. And the handclap break? “Ugly girls be quiet (quiet), pretty girls clap like this/Ugly girls be quiet (quiet), pretty girls clap(clap) like this”? Well, that’s just fun. But again, as with most of this album, it puts Wale in the background, and the magic of music in the forefront.

In final, Attention Deficit in what is certain to be a long career for Wale, will be a bittersweet memory. Hamstrung and nerve wracked by the constraints and pressures of the music industry, he did not succeed. However, everything will succeed because of this album. DC, go go, DMV hip hop, Ben’s Chili Bowl, the whole gamut of what DC has to offer is now in play. The key now for Wale is to hopefully take the things that do succeed on an album bearing his name, and attempt to engender enough positive support to eventually assert the creative freedom he truly needs to be the artist he wants desperately to be.

THREE OUT OF FIVE STARS

DJ JONNY BLAZE presents…. WALE "Good Girls" (Bmore Club Remix)

So good friend to the site and good friend of club music worldwide, legendary Baltimore DJ Jonny Blaze is preparing an all out assault on the dance music universe. If you’re not aware, pretty much weekly he’s dropping new mixes here, and if you haven’t gotten your hands on his “20 Minute Meltdowns,” you’re missing out. However, Jonny’s onto bigger fish to fry as well, and has dropped a remix to DC rising star Wale’s follow up to “Chillin’,” “Good Girls.” Wale’s done some work within the sound before, with Unruly’s Scottie B on “Elevators,” and while this isn’t a direct collaboration, this IS a remix that should be an immediate add to every solid club DJs set and even to your iPODs, if you’re in the listening public and so inclined. Jonny doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, or desecrate the good name of his fellow contemporaries, he just takes Wale into the Paradox with solid results. Most importantly, this is an ACTUAL BALTIMORE DJ DOING AN ACTUAL BMORE CLUB REMIX. Straight, no chaser, no BS. Jonny just came through DC last Saturday night to play hypeman alongside Baltimore emcee TT the Artist at Bliss for Will Eastman, and something tells me this is only the scratching of the surface for Blaze and the Capital City.

Without further ado, DJ JONNY BLAZE – Wale – Good Girls (Bmore Club Remix)