Wale Raps Over Soulful Grooves on 'NPR' Tiny Desk Concert
Opening with “Lotus Flower Bomb.”
Last month, Freddie Gibbs and Madlib performed on the set of NPR Tiny Desk Concert, delivering immaculate flows backed by vibrant beats. The performance was one show out of a long series of acoustically pared-down productions that deliver rawer, more intimate renditions of an artist’s songs. This time around, Wale takes his rounds to the set, offering a spread of tracks that have been tweaked with a soulful feel.
Wale and his backup band started with “Lotus Flower Bomb,” quietly kicking off the song with lush, buoyant keyboard chords, followed by a smooth vocal delivery by Tre. Next, Wale came in with the first verse, joined by palmed guitar licks and muted percussions. The next set of songs, “LoveHate Thing,” “CC White,” “Sexy Lady,” “Sue Me” and “On Chill” followed suit as Wale rapped seamlessly over delicate grooves. In a short conversation with NPR, the rapper mentioned that he reached out to J. Cole for some sound advice in preparation for Tiny Desk: “I was talking to J. Cole about me doing this,” adding “he told me to just do my thing, but I wish I had more time to work this set out.”
Scroll above to watch the Wale perform on the set of NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
In case you missed it, check out Roddy Ricch’s “Boom Boom Room” in His latest video.
