The last time we saw Usher Raymond, IV, he was in a strange place. A living legend who had sold close to 50 million albums worldwide by the age of 25, Usher's fifth studio album Here I Stand was considered a flop despite selling over 5...
Three years and five mixtapes into his career, Wale's debut album, Attention Deficit isn't offered as an introduction to Olubowale 'Wale' Folarin – instead, it seems to be announcing that he's always been here and you've only just caught up.
Named one of XXL Magazine's Hip Hop Freshmen of '09, Wale's over-confidence in his position as a leader in contemporary Hip Hop's new movement isn't baseless. “I asked Mr West for a little bit of help...” Wale raps on the energetic opening track, “Triumph”. Of course, Kanye West isn't the only musical powerhouse behind Wale; he is in company with Jay-Z, Pharrell Williams and label-boss Mark Ronson. However, on “Triumph” and closing cut “Prescription,” Wale seeks respect from his audience based off of his own merit.