The Gifted
Wale cuts a lone figure on his third long-player. The only features here come from a few R&B vocalists who match the production\'s soulful bent: Tiara Thomas assists on the melancholic, acoustic guitar–infused \"Bad,\" while the lead single \"LoveHate Thing\" fuses a slinky Marvin Gaye sample with Sam Dew\'s trilling on the hook.
Wale's third official album is his most sonically daring yet, pushing a classic soul and gospel sound inspired by the likes of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. What he doesn't have, however, is their knack for writing lyrics to rattle anyone's whole worldview.
Even during Wale’s brighter days, The Gifted would have been a stretch for a Wale album title. The Sufficient? Sure. The Better Than Average? Possibly. The Fortunate? Definitely. But Gifted? That’s the last word anybody would use to describe a rapper who, since Rick Ross tossed him the Maybach keys in 2011, has…