In light of recent events, Wale released a surprise EP, titled The Imperfect Storm, to add his voice to the conversation. Fittingly, the politically charged, six song EP, was released on Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the ending of slavery in the United States. If the intentions of this EP weren’t made clear by the title and release date, the cover art featuring fire and protests in the street illustrate what Wale’s aim is with this release.
The Imperfect Storm ⛈🔥 pic.twitter.com/6vxZ383C9i
— Wale (@Wale) June 18, 2020
Wale’s pairing of old school lyrics with an irresistible energy has set him apart from other rappers since he first emerged in 2006. While The Imperfect Storm may not be the typical Wale release, it serves as strong call to action and response to the hip-hop community and beyond.
The EP begins with the track “MOVIN DIFFERENT”, an upbeat song that cites the progress being made, but calls to keep the momentum of change going. Wale raps “some rich black n***** ain’t donate nothin’, I won’t say nothin, but bro, do better”. This is likely a reference to fashion icon and founder of the Off-White brand, Virgil Abloh, who faced backlash for donating only $50 towards Miami’s bail fund, despite the high prices of many of his products.
Wale’s signature bounce makes an appearance around halfway through with the song “BLUE YELLOW GREEN PINK WHITE”. This track, whose references the colors in which XANAX comes in, address Wale’s use of the drug as a vice in recent times. The slick flow coupled with a beat which samples “Cha Cha Slide” gives listeners a bit of an escape from the heavy themes explored by other tracks in this EP.
“JUNE 5th / QueenZnGodz” delves into several relevant topics, such as the importance and influence of black culture, police brutality and racism. Lines such as, “Thinkin’ the badge is better than havin’ some heart” call for empathy over violence with the police. In the second half of this track Wale expresses his appreciation for the black women in his life, who have been there for him.
After the brief interlude “SHIT DON’T STOP”, which features some fantastic vocals from Eric Bellinger, who appears on other songs in this EP, Wale closes it out with “MAAJO”. The bounce from “BLUE YELLOW GREEN PINK WHITE” returns with this track, which essentially is a summation of the struggles faced by black American’s, such as the high unemployment caused by the pandemic, the ongoing issue of police brutality. Wale’s second verse outlines the message of this track as he raps“Jobs gettin’ slimmer, blocks gettin’ thicker, the cops ain’t vigilant, let’s see if you payin’ attention, obituary full of innocent black n*****, habitual serial killers in a badge”.
As we find ourselves in the midst of an imperfect storm, Wale offers insight, provides calls to action, and even sneaks in a classic Wale hit in this concisely crafted EP.
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