Ambition
Wale 
Warner Bros./Mayback Music
release date October 28, 2011
RecklessRockstar review
If you’re unfamiliar with Wale, he is an aspiring hip-hop artist from Washington D.C. Who was on the up-and-up with hip-hop artists like Drake and Kid Cudi. The only problem is he hasn’t gotten the same recognition as Drake and Kid Cudi while being the more promising lyricist of the three. After his first album, Attention Deficit, didn’t fare well with the mainstream community, everybody thought he would fall of the map. Expressing his feelings over twitter with his fans about how disappointed he was with how the album performed on the charts, it was pretty obvious that maybe he was going to hang up the lyrical gloves. To everyone’s surprise the Teflon Don himself invited him to join the Maybach Music lineup and thus we have the workings of Ambition.
Regardless of this album being pretty well done with high production and notable guest appearances, it will be overlooked and criticized because it does seem that he is trying to be a little egotistical but really what hip-hop artist doesn’t talk about themselves in a positive manner? With that being said, it is a bit overwhelming how he expresses himself being the best, having money and mountains of woman on almost every song seeing as Wale was on his way out. On Ambition you can really feel the influence of Rick Ross from the lyrics, right down to the production which isn’t a terrible thing but with the lyricism of Wale this album just seems fabricated most of the time.
The album holds fifteens tracks leading off with “Don’t Hold Your Applause” which is a song about how angry he is with his past effort not doing as well as he would’ve liked. The album doesn’t really kick off until track four entitled “Legendary” which is where his lyrics and flow really shine. You really get a freestyle feel with this song and it is probably his best song on the album although the hook is questionable at best. Next up we have Lotus Flower Bomb which is a love song featuring Miguel and Chain Music, a song about coming up from the ghetto and being signed with Rick Ross. Both songs are well done but I wouldn’t recommend them if you’re not into the mainstream feel of songs.
Splitting this album into two parts the best tracks are as followed: “Don’t Hold Your Applause”, “Double M Genius”, “Miami Nights”, “Legendary”, “Lotus Flower Bomb”, “Chain Music, Sabotage”, “White Linen (Coolin)”, “Ambition”, “No Days Off”, “DC or Nothing”, and finally “That Way.” The tracks that fall short from the rest of the album are “Focused”, “Slight Work” and “Illest Bitch”. Overall Ambition is enjoyable and recommended to anyone who really enjoys hip-hop or Wale. But be warned: the Mayback Music influence is strong which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
RATING
out of 10
8.5 Production
7.0 Creativity
6.0 Content
8.0 Lasting Appeal
| Overall 7.5 (out of 10) | Groovy |
Wale – Ambition Track list
1. Don’t Hold Your Applause (Produced By Tone P)
2. Double M Genius (Produced By Mark Henry For Terror Squad Productions)
3. Miami Nights (Produced By Mark Henry For Terror Squad Productions)
4. Legendary (Produced By Toomp For Zone Boy Productions)
5. Lotus Flower Bomb (feat. Miguel) (Produced By Jerrin Howard)
6. Chain Music (Produced By Tone P)
7. Focused (feat. Kid Cudi) (Produced By Kore)
8. Sabotage (feat. Lloyd) (Produced By. Cloud Eater)
9. White Linen (Coolin) (feat. Ne-Yo) (Produced By. Deputy)
10. Slight Work (feat. Big Sean) (Produced By. Diplo)
11. Ambition (feat. Meek Mill & Rick Ross) (Produced By T-Minus)
12. Illest Bitch (Produced By Tha Bizness)
13. No Days Off (Produced By Toomp For Zone Boy Productions )
14. DC or Nothing (Produced By Tone P)
15. That Way (feat. Jeremih & Rick Ross) (Produced By Lex Luger)