The Rundown: Wale, The Album About Nothing

A play-by-by look at Mr. Folarin's fourth outing.

The Rundown:  Wale, The Album About Nothing - Wale connects with Jerry Seinfield to host a few skits and clips from his hit series as they glue together the DMV spitter's fourth release. Peep the track-by track look as Mr. Folarin takes us on another Black conscious ride during his pursuit of love.—Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photos: Maybach Music Group/Atlantic)

1 / 15

The Rundown:  Wale, The Album About Nothing - Wale connects with Jerry Seinfield to host a few skits and clips from his hit series as they glue together the DMV spitter's fourth release. Peep the track-by track look as Mr. Folarin takes us on another Black conscious ride during his pursuit of love.—Michael Harris (@IceBlueVA)(Photos: Maybach Music Group/Atlantic)

'The Intro About Nothing'   - The DMV rhymer sets the tone giving the people an album about nothing, since people don't respect albums anymore. With Jerry Seinfield providing an open monologue, Wale spits about keeping his circle tight with close family and friends with, "So I keep my circle small, you need reduction/ Never too much friends, what is your circumference?"(Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

2 / 15

'The Intro About Nothing'   - The DMV rhymer sets the tone giving the people an album about nothing, since people don't respect albums anymore. With Jerry Seinfield providing an open monologue, Wale spits about keeping his circle tight with close family and friends with, "So I keep my circle small, you need reduction/ Never too much friends, what is your circumference?"(Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

'The Helium Balloon' - Wale's goal is to inspire with his music and his rhymes are the helium to lift you higher. Shutting down haters who thought he would change once he joined MMG, Wale explains, "Came through with Ross, writing bangers for y'all/ But I ain't lose my content, f**k all that nonsense/ Diverse with rapping, I'm a writer with passion."(Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for the 2014 Tribeca Film Center)

3 / 15

'The Helium Balloon' - Wale's goal is to inspire with his music and his rhymes are the helium to lift you higher. Shutting down haters who thought he would change once he joined MMG, Wale explains, "Came through with Ross, writing bangers for y'all/ But I ain't lose my content, f**k all that nonsense/ Diverse with rapping, I'm a writer with passion."(Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for the 2014 Tribeca Film Center)

'The White Shoes' - Wale shows off his singing vocals here as he takes a look at the pros and cons of sneaker culture and explains no life is worth a pair of kicks. A few jewels sprinkled include, "'Cause out come them n**s with pistols, telling you give 'em up/ Now out come the moms with tissues 'cause you ain't give a f**k."(Photo: Vallery Jean/WireImage)

4 / 15

'The White Shoes' - Wale shows off his singing vocals here as he takes a look at the pros and cons of sneaker culture and explains no life is worth a pair of kicks. A few jewels sprinkled include, "'Cause out come them n**s with pistols, telling you give 'em up/ Now out come the moms with tissues 'cause you ain't give a f**k."(Photo: Vallery Jean/WireImage)

'The Need to Know,' Featuring SZA - SZA comes through with her seductive harmonies putting a female spin on Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends." With Wale turning up the heat and getting out the friend zone, he still keeps the relationship on the low as he rhymes, "Keep 'em on that need to know/ Tell everybody that we're just friends/ But to be honest that platonic s**t's for TV shows." (Photos from Left: Johnny Louis/WENN.com, Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch)

5 / 15

'The Need to Know,' Featuring SZA - SZA comes through with her seductive harmonies putting a female spin on Musiq Soulchild's "Just Friends." With Wale turning up the heat and getting out the friend zone, he still keeps the relationship on the low as he rhymes, "Keep 'em on that need to know/ Tell everybody that we're just friends/ But to be honest that platonic s**t's for TV shows." (Photos from Left: Johnny Louis/WENN.com, Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch)

ADVERTISEMENT
'The Pessimist,' Featuring J. Cole   - J. Cole and Wale prove that the truth hurts as they hold a mirror to Black America's face. Over this mid-tempo grove Cole sings about hopelessness while Wale asks," If a killer was a n***a would n***s still really care?/ 'Cause n***s worser than Zimmerman living life everywhere."(Photos from Left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images For BET, Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for American Eagle)

6 / 15

'The Pessimist,' Featuring J. Cole   - J. Cole and Wale prove that the truth hurts as they hold a mirror to Black America's face. Over this mid-tempo grove Cole sings about hopelessness while Wale asks," If a killer was a n***a would n***s still really care?/ 'Cause n***s worser than Zimmerman living life everywhere."(Photos from Left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images For BET, Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for American Eagle)

'The Middle Finger' - DJ Dahi provides the sonic up-tempo backdrop as Wale spazzes out and lets us know he's created his own lane. "Fightin' for my respect, receive it or nothing else/ Preaching and geeking, I kinda think that I'm Malcolm X."(Photo: Johnny Louis/WENN.com)

7 / 15

'The Middle Finger' - DJ Dahi provides the sonic up-tempo backdrop as Wale spazzes out and lets us know he's created his own lane. "Fightin' for my respect, receive it or nothing else/ Preaching and geeking, I kinda think that I'm Malcolm X."(Photo: Johnny Louis/WENN.com)

'The One Time in Houston'   - Pro Reese chops and screws this slowed down banger as Wale remembers a syrup-laced time he'll never forgot in H-Town. "I go to Texas for women, and no Timberland weather/ Mademoiselle, every n***a fetish for reals."(Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images for Moet Rose)

8 / 15

'The One Time in Houston'   - Pro Reese chops and screws this slowed down banger as Wale remembers a syrup-laced time he'll never forgot in H-Town. "I go to Texas for women, and no Timberland weather/ Mademoiselle, every n***a fetish for reals."(Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images for Moet Rose)

'The Girls on Drugs' - Mr. Folarin takes us down the road of a groupie who uses cutting and pills to escape. Wale sees through her soul and raps, "Told me nobody love her and so she cut her wrist/ Not enough for the hospital, but cut it close/ That's why she want to get high because she's feeling low."(Photo: CFI / Splash News)

9 / 15

'The Girls on Drugs' - Mr. Folarin takes us down the road of a groupie who uses cutting and pills to escape. Wale sees through her soul and raps, "Told me nobody love her and so she cut her wrist/ Not enough for the hospital, but cut it close/ That's why she want to get high because she's feeling low."(Photo: CFI / Splash News)

'The God Smile' - DJ Dahi has the African drums bumping as The Gifted MC reps hard for the DMV. Putting a spotlight on the city, he brags, "At 21, played running back/ 24, I had the city mad/ Slim Charles on The Wire now/ You could say me and him brought the city back."(Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for BET)

10 / 15

'The God Smile' - DJ Dahi has the African drums bumping as The Gifted MC reps hard for the DMV. Putting a spotlight on the city, he brags, "At 21, played running back/ 24, I had the city mad/ Slim Charles on The Wire now/ You could say me and him brought the city back."(Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for BET)

ADVERTISEMENT
'The Success' - Jake One's dirty cymbal-driven charge supplies the fire as Wale details his ambition. "So it's nothing when the income is nothing/ And the heat never be on so get that heat from the oven/ It's humility, still humanized by these memories."(Photo: WENN.com)

11 / 15

'The Success' - Jake One's dirty cymbal-driven charge supplies the fire as Wale details his ambition. "So it's nothing when the income is nothing/ And the heat never be on so get that heat from the oven/ It's humility, still humanized by these memories."(Photo: WENN.com)

'The Glass Egg' - On the road to success, it's inevitable that you'll lose some friends along the way and the DMV poet deals with that burden over this AyyDot cinematic groove. No longer knowing who to trust, Wale reveals, "'Cause who on your back and who got your back?/ I promise the line is this thin."(Photo: John Parra/Getty Images for Airbnb)

12 / 15

'The Glass Egg' - On the road to success, it's inevitable that you'll lose some friends along the way and the DMV poet deals with that burden over this AyyDot cinematic groove. No longer knowing who to trust, Wale reveals, "'Cause who on your back and who got your back?/ I promise the line is this thin."(Photo: John Parra/Getty Images for Airbnb)

'The Bloom (AG3)' - Wale is in his zone here as he continues to boost Black women up on pedestals with the third installment of "Ambitious Girls." Reconnecting with Mint Condition's Stokley Williams who supplies the soulful hook, Maybach Music's ladies man puts his cards on the table with, "My black mind dream big and follow through even bigger/ 15 years of slavery for you lady/ I put in work to be your n***a."(Photo: JLN Photography/WENN.com)

13 / 15

'The Bloom (AG3)' - Wale is in his zone here as he continues to boost Black women up on pedestals with the third installment of "Ambitious Girls." Reconnecting with Mint Condition's Stokley Williams who supplies the soulful hook, Maybach Music's ladies man puts his cards on the table with, "My black mind dream big and follow through even bigger/ 15 years of slavery for you lady/ I put in work to be your n***a."(Photo: JLN Photography/WENN.com)

'The Body,' Featuring Jeremih - Wale closes out his fourth book of proses with an assist from Jeremih as they rework R. Kelly's classic "You Remind Me." Setting the climactic candlelight mood, Wale's wordplay includes, "Sliding down, precipitating is straight/ Top down, let me kiss your physique."(Photos from Left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for GQ, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for ABC)

14 / 15

'The Body,' Featuring Jeremih - Wale closes out his fourth book of proses with an assist from Jeremih as they rework R. Kelly's classic "You Remind Me." Setting the climactic candlelight mood, Wale's wordplay includes, "Sliding down, precipitating is straight/ Top down, let me kiss your physique."(Photos from Left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for GQ, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for ABC)

'The Matrimony,' Featuring Usher - Wale's been hurt a few times so giving his heart isn't easy. He brings in Usher to help relay his feelings. Wanting to settle down but fearing commitment, he shares his soul with, "The idea of me finding love would run somebody off/ And true my wall could use some plaques, but still I gotta floss."(Photos from Left: JLN Photography/WENN.com, Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

15 / 15

'The Matrimony,' Featuring Usher - Wale's been hurt a few times so giving his heart isn't easy. He brings in Usher to help relay his feelings. Wanting to settle down but fearing commitment, he shares his soul with, "The idea of me finding love would run somebody off/ And true my wall could use some plaques, but still I gotta floss."(Photos from Left: JLN Photography/WENN.com, Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)