Style Weekly
Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
Wale at the National
click to enlarge
Despite his declining to put out a proper album — focusing instead on producing numerous singles and mix-tapes since 2006 — Washington rapper Wale — pronounced WAH-lay and born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin — has become a rising anomaly in a genre that's been content to sit on its image-heavy laurels for a number of years. Using go-go-inspired samples with percussive threads normally found in disco, this protAcgAc of British producer and disc jockey Mark Ronson is riding the momentum of unfamiliar territory in hip-hop. Promoting the upcoming release of his full-length debut, “Attention: Deficit,” you can catch the self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Rap for the Capital” when he performs at the National with UCB on Thursday, April 9, at 8 p.m., $15-$20. 612-1900 or www.thenationalva.com. — Mike Hilleary
Other Publications
