Joining DC’s own at the top of the class is Cleveland’s own—and Kanye-co-signed—KiD CuDi, who rocked the stage prior to Wale. Both have been singled out for their ability to infuse rap with fresh sounds—Wale bringing DC’s go-go into the fray and CuDi combining grungy alt-rock and pop sensibilities. And last night, that versatility was front and center. CuDi started his set with his feature from Kanye’s “Welcome To Heartbreak” before breaking into the soul-tinged “Is There Any Love?” from his expansive A Kid Named Cudi mixtape. Before wrapping up with his trademark single “Day N Nite,” Jim Jones hopped onstage for his own rendition, to everyone’s surprise.
“A new breed of diverse rappers is being ushered in and I’d like to think I’m one of the people spearheading that class,” said Wale on Tuesday December 9, prior to his show. A packed house for his hour-long headlining set at the Highline Ballroom—with the likes of Drake and The Cool Kids looking on—provided him with ample confirmation of his burgeoning rep.
After bouncing from his remake of Justice’s electronica anthem “D.A.N.C.E,” Wale went into choice cuts from his The Mixtape About Nothing, with Pusha T of the Clipse popping up for the remix of “Back In The Go Go.” Ryan Leslie also made a cameo, performing his R&B hit “Addiction.” Apparently, though, Wale’s top priority was reuniting the Roc. With Freeway coming out for “What We Do” and Young Chris for “No Better Love,” the diamonds were in the sky by the time Wale closed it out with “Roc Boys.”
Prior to the show, CuDi spoke of the ambitions of hip-hop’s new wave, saying, “Nobody wants to just be another artist taking up Billboard numbers. Everyone wants to have an impact.” Needless to say, both he and the Wale did just that on Tuesday.
Jim Jones joins KiD CuDi onstage for his rendition of "Day N Nite"
Pusha T onstage for his verse on Wale's "Back In The Go Go"
Freeway and Wale roc'ing the mic
Jay-Z
