01. Triumph (prod. Dave Sitek)
02. Mamma Told Me
03. Mirrors f. Bun B (prod. Mark Ronson)
04. Pretty Girls f. Gucci Mane & Weensey (of Backyard Band) (prod. Best Kept Secret)
05. World Tour f Jazmine Sullivan (prod.Cool & Dre)
06. Let It Loose (Inhibitions) f. Pharrell Williams (prod. The Neptunes)
07. 90210 (prod. Mark Ronson)
08. Shades f. Chrisette Michele (prod. 9th Wonder)
09. Chillin’ f. Lady Gaga (prod. Cool & Dre)
10. TV In The Radio f. K’Naan (prod. Dave Sitek)
11. Contemplate (prod. Syience)
12. Diary f. Marsha Ambrosius
13. Beautiful Bliss f. Melanie Fiona & J.Cole (prod. DJ Green Lantern & Mark Ronson)
14. Prescription
Wale has been on his grind for some time, so if this your first time hearing about him… slap yourself for me. Thank you. This DMV native has made quite a name for him in the mixtape scene, aligning himself with Mark Ronson, creating 100 Miles and Running and A Mixtape About Nothing. He was also featured at the VMAs, The Hip-Hop Honors, and many times on BET. I don’t watch BET, so you know how that goes. In my opinion, A Mixtape About Nothing is one of the best mixtapes I’ve ever heard. With his influence from hip-hop and a bit of go-go flavor, it was a breath a fresh air. Unfortunately, A Mixtape About Nothing also set the bar for Wale. Let’s see if he exceeds expectation on Attention: Deficit.
Lyrics 9- Wale’s lyrics have always been well thought out. I kind of believe he dumbed down a bit for the album, but his lines are still formidable. I didn’t like the lyrics for Mirror, Mirror even though Bun does his thing. I just didn’t feel it much. I’ve also told people that Wale’s hooks are and always been week. I don’t know who wrote World Tour, but taking the ATCQ hook especially when you Jazmine on the track is not a very good thing. I do think he is improving on that category. Talking about features, all of them were brilliant *cough* except Gucci. I finally heard the song, and I have to say his verse wasn’t that bad, but I still don’t like it. Pharrell, Marsha, and the others all do their thing. That dude J.Cole renegaded Wale, even though that capital line at the end of the song was too dope.
Beats 8- I thought the beats were good, but average when you talk about the producers. Pretty much an all star cast of producers, but nothing was spectacular. I honestly think the Neptunes beat sucked. Honestly, I’d rather have Wale just do an album with Mark and BKS with help from UCB. In house producing is way better than having a bunch of producers together. It sounds like a compilation of music instead of an album. I mean, there was only two tracks with the guy who help make A Mixtape About Nothing a classic. Contemplate and Mama Told Me hold my favorite beat on the album. Mirrors is probably my lease favorite.
Concept 7- I don’t know the concept of this album. Like I have said in the Beats section, it feels like a compilation of songs instead of an album. Honestly, besides the last song, the album doesn’t have much to do with ADD or whatever they were trying to accomplish with this title. You see the album name and the album cover and expect something sporadic, but it’s like a regular commercial album with better beats in better lyrics. Nothing more and nothing less. I bet you they came up with the title Attention: Deficit because the name sounded cool.
Dope Tracks
World Tour (feat. Jazmine Sullivan)- I love Jazmine Sullivan. I hope to work with her somehow, someday. I don’t appreciate how they got her on the track to do sound effects. She should have had the chorus, but it’s still a good song. Everytime I load up NBA Live and here this, I feel good.
90210- It’s the song you’d hate to love, but Wale steps up his hook game with some help from Autotune. I can hear it! Lol, but it’s all good. Wale gets into his inner Lindsay Lohan.
TV in the Radio (feat. K’naan)- Hip Hop. That’s what it is. Does Wale have to say Wale after his verses though? You’re name is on the cover of the album. K’naan gets off. “if you had more street credit, than you’d be dead”
Beautiful Bliss (feat. J.Cole & Melanie Fiona)- Feel good music and J.Cole is a beast. “Like socks we on your heels”
Not-So-Much Tracks
Let it Loose (feat. Pharrell)- I don’t like the beat much. I don’t think it compliments Wale.
Verdict 8/10
Conclusion
That means you need to cop it. A solid rookie showing by Wale.
I agree for the most part except Mirrors is one of my favorite tracks on the album. TV on the Radio... definitely my least favorite. K'Naan comes off as straight annoying on this track.
answered your own question about the title of this album when you said that, and i quote, "this album sounds like a compilation of tracks instead of an album". Hence Attention: Deficit. Its doesnt follow any specific formula, so IMO i actually think that name is pretty clever.
I totally agree with the above comment...
Great piece of art, I could also do without the pharrell track as well as triumph
An "OK" album,but no one will still be listening to it in one year. All the guest artists featured outshined him and it seems as though he rode their coat tails to actually make a complete album... He sounds like a watered down Kanye and I wasn't impressed
How can no one mention Prescription. He murdered that song.
I liked Prescription too. It was definitely a good way to end the album but probably my favorite track on the album is Mama Say.
As for the concept, yeah I thought it was kinda a given. It has ADD it goes from anorexic white girls to him being mad about being dark skin. There is no central theme but the title says that clearly.