DMV native and hip-hop artist Wale, alongside his management company EQT, has announced Gifted Week, a series of free community events running from November 10-17, 2024, celebrating DMV culture. The week-long initiative wraps up Wale’s 32-city Every Blue Moon Tour and leads into his sold-out show at MGM in Maryland on November 15. Gifted Week aligns with “Wale Day” in D.C., a proclamation by Mayor Muriel Bowser during the 10th anniversary of his album The Gifted last year.
Gifted Week highlights include a Sneaker Design Workshop with Nike, a Youth Football Clinic with the Washington Commanders, an open mic poetry night, and a music and sports panel. Coinciding with D.C.’s GoGo Appreciation Week, the event honors the region’s signature music genre and is sponsored by major brands like Nike, Monumental Sports, and more.
All events are free; RSVP tickets are available at gifted-dmv.com starting November 1, 2024, at 10 a.m. PST.
SCHEDULE Nov 10 – Wale Day / Commanders Game vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, @ Northwest Stadium Nov 11 – Sneaker Design Workshop with Nike Nov 12 – Youth Football Clinic with Washington Commanders Nov 13 – DC Poetry Jam + Open Mic @ Culture DC Nov 14 – Intersection of Music and Sports Panel @ The Gathering Spot DC Nov 15 – Wale Live @ The Theater at MGM, Fort Washington, MD Nov 16 – MGM Afterparty @ Felt Lounge, Fort Washington, MD Nov 17 – Washington Wizards vs. Detroit Pistons @ Capital One Arena
Leon Thomas is an imperfect man in an equally imperfect world. His sophomore album Mutt, out now, depicts him surveying the damage and debris left behind over the last year due to both life and love.
“Mutt is an example of me really perfecting that sound and just continuing to tell these stories as I’m a single guy doing my thing, trying to figure it out, trying to find love in a very interesting dating circus that we have right now,” Thomas tells Uproxx over a Zoom call.
Though this “very interesting dating circus” serves as entertainment in the form of an album, it brought forth important life lessons for Thomas thanks to his new dog. “As I started working on the album in my new home, I began to notice similarities between my dog’s behavior and my own,” Thomas noted in a press release for Mutt. “It made me think about the give and take in relationships, and the struggle for obedience.”
He added, “Even though my dog may sometimes make a mess in the house or bark loudly at the neighbors, I know he means well. This became a metaphor for not being a perfect partner but having good intentions.”
On Mutt, Thomas flips through moments of this past relationship to recall the flawed behaviors and moments by both him and his ex-partner. “Safe Place” kicks in gear with a steady drum that pedals Thomas’ infatuation with the fast life and how it may not be appealing for a companion. Thomas uses soul-stirring ballads to navigate the imbalances of love caused by either him (“I Do”) or his partner (“Yes It Is”). Then, with help from Masego (“Lucid Dreams”) and Wale (“Feelings On Silent”), comes the struggle to silence the noise and move forward.
Before the release of Mutt, Uproxx caught up with Leon Thomas to discuss his sophomore album, finding love in his current home of Los Angeles, and how fame and success affect his pursuit of love.
We’re a little over a year removed from the release of Electric Dusk. What in that time gave you the confidence and confirmation to get right back to it and craft another project?
I knew going into my deal with Motown that they wanted two albums in my first cycle with them. So, even prior to dropping Electric Dusk, I was in the studio really trying to figure out what the sound palette was going to be and how I was going to progress from the first album to the second. Touring and seeing the response to my first album really gave me a jolt of energy towards the tail end of this creative process. I went through some breakups and some turbulence that really turned into some amazing songs. It was cool to live life and express myself through music on this new project. It’s definitely a labor of love and I feel like I really found an amazing pocket to live in for this new album.
Your new album Mutt is inspired by the similarities you saw between you and your dog’s behavior and how you both make mistakes despite having the best intentions. What was the exact moment you made this realization?
This is kind of trippy, I don’t know how this works with you guys, but listen, I was doing some shrooms for a lot of this album, right? I was staring at this new painting I have in my house. I’m on the floor Indian style looking at this new painting [and] I’m kind of tripping. My cat and my dog are fighting. My cat, she’s older than my dog, so she makes sure he’s in pocket, and they were going at it. She hit him with a paw, he whimpered, and he had this face. I think because I was tripping a little bit, I just saw the similarities between the two of us just living life, [and] trying to figure things out. He had the best intention, all he wanted to do was play. It was interesting to see him in that moment.
There’s such a connection between dogs and music from Elvis to Snoop Dogg. We’ve seen this metaphor [with] Parliament-Funkadelic. It’s been a common theme because I think there’s a real element of control that we have as human beings and that dog correlation definitely makes a lot of sense. I wanted to play into it and see what happens.
There’s a lot of hip-hop-inspired production on this album. For example, you have a beat from Conductor Williams on here. For a breakup R&B album, why did you feel like that was the soundscape to have for your story?
That’s a really interesting question. After I got out of my long-term relationship, there were times when I was super inspired by everything that Alchemist was doing [and] all the Madlib tapes he did with Freddie Gibbs and a bunch of other cats. That was a huge source of inspiration for me. There was this light bulb moment of, man, I haven’t really heard a lot of R&B artists sing on tracks that have that lo-fi production. I know for a fact that as a musician, I can make some of these sample-based ideas come to life with my band and I just wanted to attack it.
I’m a huge fan of hip-hop from A Tribe Called Quest up to Pharrell, and you know, with Pharrell being a really big inspiration for me, and even Kanye [West], I see how that can turn into really classic moments. Conductor, to me, has this J Dilla sound that I’m a huge fan of. I’m just glad I was able to pair that up with my vocals and turn it into something special.
You start off the album with “How Fast,” which is, contextually, a complete change of pace from “Slow Down,” the intro to Electric Dusk. What in the past year has brought on this new perspective, and have your thoughts on the woman on “Slow Down” changed?
What’s interesting is that I just feel like [with] being on tours, moving pretty crazy, it’s so easy to move too fast and miss very important things. “How Fast” is just an example of me understanding myself more and just asking the question, “How fast till it all comes crashes down?” You want to find balance on this journey, but you gotta keep it moving. “How Fast” was me expressing myself and just talking that talk, talking my sh*t. I feel like I’m getting more confident, I’m popping out more, I’m doing my thing, and I wanted to show people on this album that I’m not afraid of the man I’m becoming. I’m just more confident these days, so I wanted to show that on a lot of these songs.
On “Feelings On Silent,” you repeat this one line multiple times throughout the song: “Don’t tell me what they say about me.” There’s a certain desire to be numb to the outside that you display here, especially with that line. Where does that come from and how did it come about?
We live in a world of communication through social media and I think it’s really just me just trying to, like you said, quiet the noise. People love to talk, they love to gossip, and all this other sh*t. For me, I’m just focused on my dreams and focused on my inner circle and my inner self. I feel like “Feelings On Silent” is just a ballad talking about how numb you have to be in order to be an artist.
One thing I love about this album is you do a great job keeping the balance of blame in the aftermath of this breakup. From the male perspective, a lot of these breakup albums are either “she did me dirty” or “I f*cked up and now I gotta win her back.” There’s a nice balance there, was it intentional for you to keep this balance?
I wish I was super intentional about that, but I think it’s just me expressing myself. I’m growing man, I’m learning [and] getting into my spiritual walk and prayer, and just knowing myself more. Accountability is a huge part of growth, so I’m just expressing that through the music without even explaining myself, just expressing myself. That comes with a little bit of a back-and-forth. There are times when people have done me wrong and there are times when I’ve done the same. I just wanted to express both sides of it because that’s the real sign of growth when you can do both.
After going through the breakup that inspired the album, as well as creating the project, what is your stance on being the perfect partner? Is it possible to be perfect?
I feel like fools chase perfection. I think it’s really important to be constantly growing and honest with yourself. You can have a partner that fits you right now, but you’re both going to evolve. So it’s just about just genuinely finding ways to grow with each other. That’s why, for me, I’m big on friendships and trying to build and cultivate them because that lasts longer than the physical attraction. A lot of that comes from just knowing yourself, but the perfect partner? I don’t think [it] exists. I think the partner that’s gonna be the best for you over time, that’s the real piece, and that’s something I’m still looking for to this day.
What would you say are your biggest frustrations with love? Songs like “Far Fetched” point to the frustrations of a materialistic woman (something I think appears in your music a lot). And despite these frustrations, what makes you keep trying at it?
I think we all deserve it, man. I think it’s an important thing to have. It’s the thing that grows the family tree. It keeps you balanced. There’s no powerful man without a powerful woman behind him — or beside him, I should say. It’s just been a journey living in LA. I feel like it’s a place where you can travel to houses with Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis and flashing lights and makeup and surgeries, and then you go like a short 10-minute trip down to Skid Row and it’s literally hell, it’s just insane, you know?
That dichotomy of intense poverty and intense wealth all in the same place really focuses a lot of people’s energy and intentions on financial gain and that bleeds into trying to find a partner and it’s tough and very frustrating. Being a black man and trying to figure things out in a world that doesn’t always cater to my growth, it can be tough to kind of trust in somebody who really just wants a check.
When you look back at this album — all the moments and just creating the music for it — what’s one memory that sticks out the most for you?
I set up my house like a musical playground. I had my living room constantly playing loads of anime at that time – the Studio Ghibli films, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and just vibes like that. I was kind of getting my infant child together. I had a whole studio room in the back with a live drum set and I would constantly just make music and then watch movies and kick it. It was a time where I was spending a lot of time by myself, but it’s where I came up with the concept for the album [and] finished a bunch of songs for it. I think another very important part of this creative process was meeting Rob and D. Phelps, they’re a production duo called The Doctors. They brought such an element of live musicianship, that’s how we made “Mutt” [and] we made “I Used To” working with Baby Rose and having a live band playing with us while we were recording like the old time days. [It] just brought a whole new level of musicianship to the body of music that I’m making right now.
I like to look at albums as little puzzle pieces that, in time, come together to tell a story about a musician’s artistry. How do you hope the Leon Thomas–Mutt era is remembered a year or so from now?
I don’t think much about that, but, I genuinely want people to feel like they know me better. I want them to just understand my musical palette. I explore a couple of different subgenres throughout this album and I just want to be seen as more than just a straight up-and-down R&B artist. That’s why there are hip-hop and rock themes because I feel like it’s very important for them to understand that I’m a creative who works with other artists for a reason. I am a melting pot and I’m just really looking forward for people to see me for exactly who I am – just a creative mind. I hope that they accept the fact that I create with no boundaries.
Mutt is out now via EZMNY Records/Motown Records. Find out more information here.
HBCU institutions have a rich music culture. Over the last few decades, its various schools across the country have helped boost the careers of numerous artists by providing a space for their music to thrive. The shortlist of artists who have seen this effect include Jeezy, Lil Boosie, Rich Homie Quan, Migos, Young Thug, Young Dolph, and more. Additionally, the importance of music can be seen through HBCU bands that are extremely important to the fabric of school life. It comes to life through big displays like the annual Battle Of The Bands competitions and smaller instances like the infamous Grambling vs. Southern rivalry football games.
With all this being said, it’s no surprise that HBCUs have also produced some of the music’s most famous artists. From legends like Lionel Richie and Common and present day stars like Megan Thee Stallion, SZA, and Metro Boomin, the spirit of HBCUs runs through a number of artists — even if their tenure at the institution was short.
Ahead of homecoming season, we decided to spotlight ten artists who have connections to an HBCU. Scroll down for the list of artists and the institutions they attended.
Megan The Stallion (Texas Southern University)
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In 2021, the same year that she went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for her “Savage” remix with Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion graduated from Texas Southern University with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration. During an interview with Rolling Stone in 2021, Megan spoke about being in school “for so long” and how she balanced her rap career after deciding to ramp up her semester load to finish sooner. “Every time I had an assignment or something due, one of my managers would just pull me to the side and be like, ‘Hey Megan, you know you got to do this presentation today.’ Or ‘Hey Megan, you know you got to turn this assignment in today,’” she said. “I would have not been successful this semester without my team.”
SZA (Delaware State University)
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SZA attended Delaware Statue University after graduating from high school in 2008. The singer majored in marine biology and earned straight As for her first two semesters before losing interest. In a 2023 interview with Elle, SZA opened up about her experience in college. “I’m like, ‘I told you I was smart and I proved my point. I have to leave now,’” SZA said, recalling a conversation with her mother. A few years later, the singer met TDE president Terrence “Punch” Henderson Jr., signed to the label, and the rest is history.
Metro Boomin (Morehouse College)
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Multi-platinum producer Metro Boomin spent just one semester at Atlanta’s Morehouse College before dropping out to pursue music. He spoke about the decisions that led to him leaving the school during a 2017 interview with GQ. “As grateful as I was to be there, I didn’t want to be there,” he said. “It was bittersweet, because I knew for a fact that I need to put all of my time into music. School is the same as producing: If you want to make it far, there are a million, trillion people trying to do the same thing. If you’re not in over-grind mode, it’s probably not going to work the way that you want it to.”
Rick Ross (Albany State University)
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Grammy-nominated rapper Rick Ross attended Albany State University on a football scholarship, but dropped out of school soon after. Ross’ pursuit of a music career kicked into gear at the turn of the century, and in the decades after, Ross’ ties to Albany State University have remained strong. In 2022, he spoke to students at the school for the homecoming convocation ceremony, where he told students that “the greatest job you will ever have is being CEO of your life.”
2 Chainz (Alabama State University)
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Just like Rick Ross, 2 Chainz also attended an HBCU off an athletic scholarship. His, however, was a basketball scholarship to Alabama State University. In a 2017 interview with The Daily Beast, 2 Chainz said that he left ASU after his freshman year after he “got into some trouble.” He later returned to the school to complete his degree. In another conversation, this time with Rolling Stone, 2 Chainz addressed rumors that he graduated with a 4.0 GPA. “Don’t believe anything on Wack-ipedia,” he said. “There’s a lot of false stuff on there, to the point that every time I try to fix one thing, something else comes out.”
Wale (Virginia State University & Bowie State University)
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Our collection of HBCU scholarship athletes continues with Wale. The DMV rapper initially attended Robert Morris University on a football scholarship before transferring to Virginia State University. His football career would come to an end when he transferred to another HBCU, Bowie State University, but Wale would later drop out to pursue a music career. It was at VSU that Wale discovered his musical talents. In a 2021 conversation with The Ringer, Wale recalled spitting freestyles art the school’s Foster Hall. “The guy that was across the hall from me in my dorm was like, ‘Keep going, keep going. You tight,’” he said. “People really started f*cking with me at Virginia State.”
Killer Mike (Morehouse College)
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Earlier this year, Killer Mike won his first Grammys as a lead artist for Best Rap Album with Michael and Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song with “Scientists.” Those awards came more than 20 years after Mike won his first Grammy thanks to a feature on Outkast’s “The Whole World.” That song was the result of Mike and Big Boi’s friendship which came about through Mike’s attendance of Morehouse College in the 1990s. “The deciding factor for me getting into Morehouse was probably my homeroom teacher,” Killer Mike told the Seattle Times. “He was a Morehouse man. His name was Mister Lee-Roy Arnold.”
He added, “I think [Mr. Arnold] saw something in me, because he pushed me and messed with me for five years, to the point where he bet me all my book money for the first year that I would not get into Morehouse.”
Common (Florida A&M University)
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Before Common achieved his dreams of being a successful rapper, the Chicago native was enrolled at Florida A&M University under an academic scholarship as a business administration major. Common would only stay at the school for two years before dropping out to pursue rap. In 2019, nearly 30 years after he attended, Common would be honored with a doctorate degree in fine arts and invited him to speak at that year’s commencement ceremony. In his speech, Common said that his activism, which went on to be ever-present in his music, began right at FAMU where he says his experience was unlike anything he went through in hometown of Chicago.
Erykah Badu (Grambling State University)
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Erykah Badu nearly graduated from Grambling State University with a major in theater, but she left the school in 1993 to focus on her music career. Four years later, she delivered her debut album Baduizm, a masterclass in neo-soul that’s still heralded as a classic today. In an interview with the school’s newspaper The Gramblinite, Badu recalled her time at the university. “I auditioned for several plays while at GSU at the Floyd L. Sandle Theatre,” she said. “I danced with the Orchesis and was involved in a rap group called ‘CP Posse,’ which stands for Cultural Production.”
Lionel Richie (Tuskegee Institute)
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While all the artists on this list did not experience the HBCU life until their adult years, Lionel Richie’s time at an HBCU dates back to his childhood. The legendary singer grew up on Tuskegee Institute’s campus before attending the school and earning a Bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in accounting. “In my world growing up on campus, we were surrounded by gospel music because of the choir,” Richie said of his experience to The Austin Chronicle. “R&B music was the music they played on the college campus.”
Wale is on the horizon of dropping a new album and although we don’t know anything else yet, that’s enough to get us excited. The Washington D.C. rapper has been inching his way back into the limelight as of late with his biggest step being a new tour. In just five days, he will be embarking on a 33-day trek across North America and it’s called Every Blue Moon. The Tour. There’s a chance we could be getting the project within the next couple of months, but no one really knows yet. For now though, Wale has been treating his starving fans with a few singles over the last week and “What’s The Play” is the latest one.
Prior to this, the “Lotus Flower Bomb” artist put out a two-track EP called Ghetto Speak. It consisted of the title track and “Mission Statement”. Both brought some more conscious ideas to the table like the pros and cons of growing up in D.C. Now, with “What’s The Play”, which features Chaz French, Wale is asking himself how he should continue to move. He acknowledges his own absence on the chorus and wonders if he’s still got real supporters still out there. Again, there’s more to like here in terms of substance, but Wale also gives a dynamic vocal performance, too. Check out the single with the link below.
N****S DON’T WANT PROBLEMS LIKE WE WANT IT ANY DEEPER IN THE FIELD ID HAVE CLEATS ON ME YALL NEEDED YALL VILLAIN 13 SUMMERS BUT I BE STILL RUNNING S*** LIKE YALL IN DEEP COVERAGE I DONT NEED FRIENDS I NEED BROTHERS I DONT NEED A WOMAN I JUST NEED LUGGAGE
Wale has kind of been in the dark for a little bit now, but he seems to be ramping up production again with this new “Ghetto Speak” two-pack. This comes on the heels of his Every Blue Moon Tour announcement from a few weeks ago. It’s commemorating the release of his debut album, Attention Deficit, which is now over 15 years old already. The Every Blue Moon trek is going to be quite the journey across the U.S. despite it not being solely for a new release. Wale will begin on September 19 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Then, he will wrap things up on November 7 in Birmingham, AL. However, noticed how we said “not solely”. There is a great chance that the D.C. talent will promote some new tracks from his ninth album that’s in the works.
It’s possible that it could be named after the tour, and it would be an aptly titled LP given his recent track record. We don’t have a release date yet, but we did receive a snippet of song in the trailer announcement for the tour. Furthering the hype are these two new songs from Wale, “Ghetto Speak” and “Mission Statement”. Both cuts are extremely short with them averaging out to be a minute and a half apiece. However, they do present some descriptive and introspective lyricism, as well as solid beats. “Ghetto Speak” is rougher around the edges with dirty soul vibe. His bars reflect the good and the bad about his hometown. “Mission Statement”, more cleanly produced by T-Minus, sounds more upbeat on the surface, but it has a serious tone like the first. There are great ideas here and we cannot wait for more to come from Wale.
Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum hip-hop artist Wale is back with a fresh 2-pack release, featuring the tracks “Ghetto Speak” and “Mission Statement,” now available via Def Jam Recordings. “Ghetto Speak,” produced by T-Minus, is accompanied by an official music video, adding a visual element to Wale’s powerful lyrics and style.
The campaign is brought to life through a compelling video on Instagram, directed by Wale himself, where he traverses iconic locales across the DMV area. The video features the cherry blossoms that famously dot the landscape. The video weaves them into the narrative of the shoe’s design and the region’s beauty. This visual piece not only markets the sneakers but also tells the story of the area’s cultural landmarks. It enhances the launch with a personal touch that resonates with fans and residents.
Sneaker Bar Detroit reports that the Nike Air Foamposite One “DMV” will be released on August 23rd. Also, the retail price of the sneakers will be $240 when they are released. Further, make sure to let us know what you think about these kicks in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the most recent updates and news from the sneaker community. We’ll make sure to offer you the newest products from the most notable brands.
Maryland native Wale has long been one of hip-hop’s most well-known sneakerheads. His breakout 2007, “Nike Boots,” was an ode to one of his beloved DMV Area’s favorite footwear staples, he’s got one of the largest, most renowned sneaker collections of just about anyone in hip-hop, and he’s had a couple of high-profile collabs with athletic shoe brands like Asics and Saucony. But despite all this, somehow, he’s never actually gotten to do an official team-up with the biggest sneaker brand of all, Nike. Until now.
Wale and Nike just announced their first-ever collab, the Nike Air Foamposite One in a “DMV Cherry Blossom” colorway, with a poetic trailer narrated by Wale and showcasing some of the other hallmarks of Capital City culture such as mumbo sauce and streetball. The sneakers, which the DMV has wholeheartedly embraced since their debut in the late 1990s, will be available at select locations throughout the DC/Maryland/Virginia area beginning on August 23. They are the second pair of Foams to pay tribute to the region’s everlasting love of the silhouette popularized by Orlando Magic point guard Penny Hardaway.
Meanwhile, the former Uproxx cover star recently announced his next album, Every Blue Moon alongside, dates for its accompanying tour. See below for more info regarding the release of the DMV Cherry Blossom Nike Air Foamposite One.
Somewhere – Navy Yard
A Ma Maniere – H Street
Major – Georgetown
Ward 9 – Silver Spring
City Beats – MLK – SE DC
City Gear Florida Ave – NE DC
Social Status – Baltimore
DTLR – Rhode Island Place – N
DTLR Iverson – Maryland DLR Senator Square – NE
DTLR Mondawmin Baltimore
House of Hoops (hoh) – Fashion Centre Mall, Arlington, VA
Mall @ PG – Hyattsville, MD
Today, Wale announced his 2024 Every Blue Moon Tour, set to kick off on September 19 at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. The tour, produced by Live Nation, will see Wale perform across 32 cities, including stops in Atlanta, New York, and Chicago, before concluding in Birmingham at Iron City on November 7.
Fans can look forward to a dynamic setlist featuring Wale’s classic hits alongside new material from his forthcoming eighth album, slated for release this fall on Def Jam Recordings. This tour coincides with the 15th anniversary of Wale’s debut album, Attention Deficit, which marked his emergence as one of music’s most exciting new stars.
Tickets for the tour will be available through a series of presales starting Tuesday, August 13. Artist presales will kick off first, followed by additional presales throughout the week. General sales will begin on Friday, August 16 at 10 am local time and can be purchased via LiveNation.com.
EVERY BLUE MOON TOUR 2024 DATES:
Thu Sep 19 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live
Fri Sep 20 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
Mon Sep 23 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
Wed Sep 25 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
Fri Sep 27 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Sat Sep 28 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
Sun Sep 29 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
Tue Oct 01 – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre
Thu Oct 03 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
Fri Oct 04 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
Sat Oct 05 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
Mon Oct 07 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Cleveland
Tue Oct 08 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
Thu Oct 10 – Detroit, MI – Saint Andrew’s Hall
Fri Oct 11 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues Chicago
Sat Oct 12 – Minneapolis, MN – Uptown Theater
Mon Oct 14 – Denver, CO – Summit
Tue Oct 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Fri Oct 18 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Sat Oct 19 – Seattle Washington – Neptune Theatre
Sun Oct 20 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
Wed Oct 23 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Fri Oct 25 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Sat Oct 26 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
Sun Oct 27 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
Tue Oct 29 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theatre
Thu Oct 31 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas
Fri Nov 01 – Austin, TX – Emo’s Austin
Sat Nov 02 – Houston, TX – House of Blues Houston
Tue Nov 05 – New Oreleans, LA – House of Blues New Orleans
Wale is back. The D.C. rapper has unveiled the Every Blue Moon Tour, which will launch in September and run throughout November. Wale made the announcement in style, dropping a video in which he stands in front of, you guessed it, a blue moon. The rapper also previewed an instrumental from a brand new song. No title is provided, and Wale doesn’t let us hear the chorus, but it’s safe to assume the song will land on his upcoming eighth album. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 16.
Wale’s tour announcement is a bigger deal than it might initially seem. The rapper has been out of the spotlight for quite some time. His last album was Folarin’ II in 2021, and he hasn’t dropped many guest verses in the years since. There were several reasons why. For one, Wale claimed to have suffered some lingering effects from his 2020 bout with COVID. “That sh*t is real,” he told the Breakfast Club. “It feels like you smoked too much. For me, because I have legitimate issues with anxiety and stuff, everything was heightened.” He also noted that his introverted nature led to him getting off social media for over a year.
The Every Blue Moon Tour is going to be a special one for both the rapper and his fans. Not only will it give Wale a chance to promote his upcoming album, but it will be a celebration of his 2009 debut album, Attention Deficit. Live Nation reported that the rapper will be performing select songs from the album as a means of commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of its release. Wale’s feelings toward the album has changed significantly over the years. Attention Deficit underperformed commercially, and the rapper felt as though his music suffered as a result of him trying to go “mainstream.” He eventually made peace with the album and its place in his catalog.
“I think the music business was in such a polarizing state at that point,” Wale told the Washington Post in 2019. He now considers Attention Deficit to be a better and bolder album than its reputation suggests. “Songs like ‘90210,’ ‘Pretty Girls’ — I was one of the first people to put Gucci Mane on an album at the time,” the rapper noted. “That was different, especially as a new artist coming with an actual go-go sample. Wale told the outlet that he was eventually able to separate the album’s quality from its poor sales. “I honestly don’t think about it that much anymore,” he noted. “I kind of just bury it.”
