The Album About Nothing

Background

In January 2013, it was reported Wale was working on a new album, titled The Album About Nothing with Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld spoke about how the collaboration came to be, saying: "Wale called me, came to my show and we hung out a little bit. He wanted me to do something with him. I didn't understand it, but he did and then I kind of liked the guy, I dug the guy, and I listened to his music, I liked the music. So I said alright, I'll do it, even though I didn't know what I was going to do. So I said to my wife, 'I'm doing this thing with this guy Wale' and she said, 'Wale is my favorite Hip Hop artist. I have every single thing.' Somehow, she missed anything that had to do with me, but has every other cut, everything else he's done. I said just type in Wale and me and see what comes up."

In September 2014, Wale spoke about how Seinfeld inspired the album, saying:

"I was a big fan of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. I watched the show a lot. So I did a Mixtape About Nothing in 2007. I just poked a lot of fun at society and the industry ‘cause what was hot at the time was ‘snap your fingers’ and all that. So I had an interesting perspective on the industry. Basically I just ran with that, I did a Mixtape About Nothing and I used a lot of dialogue from Seinfeld. And then, 2010, you know, by this point I’m signed to Interscope and I have a different perspective on things and I did the More About Nothing mixtape. I used more dialogue from Seinfeld. Now, we’re here in 2014, I’m using a lot of personal things and things that are going on in my life now as well as exclusive content from Jerry Seinfeld and a little bit of the show."

In January 2015, Wale spoke about how it is his most personal album, saying: "It's super personal. It's like a journal that my whole lifestyle is based around. Before, with my music, I was like the point guard with all the handles. Now I'm just taking it straight to the cup. I'm not moon walking to get from point A to point B. I'm running from point A and through point B. You guys are going to hear what I'm saying. I'm going to be as transparent as I can be." He also spoke about Jerry Seinfeld's role on the album, saying: "He's the narrator. He's essentially like my conscience. You can look at him as kind of explaining what's happening if you get lost during the story. He'll come in and give you an update."

Singles

"The Body" featuring Jeremih, was released as the album's lead single on September 9, 2014. On December 28, 2014, the music video was released for "The Body". "The Matrimony" featuring Usher, was released as the album's second single on March 2, 2015. The music video for "The Matrimony" premiered on June 8, 2015.

Critical reception

The Album About Nothing has received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 66, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 9 reviews. Julian Kimble of Billboard said, "The Album About Nothing is his most personal piece of work to date, and also his best. That hair-trigger sensitivity can be off-putting, but it's also what makes him good at what he does. Wale will likely never find his sanity where he finds his glory, but he should at least find solace in knowing that, with all eyes on him, he delivered not only his strongest album, but the one which will define his career." Erin Lowers of Exclaim! wrote that the record is a "refreshing transparency of Wale's internal thoughts and future plans," further noting that "Wale's confidence shines through; rather than trying to live in his past or live up to his star-studded MMG cohorts, he's sincere and unapologetic here." Miranda J. of XXL gave the album an XL, saying "The Album About Nothing may be one of Wale’s best efforts to date. With mostly positive vibes built off a period negative experiences—Wale said in a recent interview he was depressed for much of the time he was crafting the album—it also causes one to wonder if Wale has to come into a new chapter along with the material. Seinfeld’s appearances are all appreciated and complement the material. Although there were some skepticism about the two joining together at first, after giving this album an invested living, it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Wale and Seinfeld were to hook up on a project once more."

Marcus Dowling of HipHopDX said, "On The Album About Nothing, Wale audaciously attempted to once again create poignant social commentary via combining his takes on his existence with those of Jerry Seinfeld doing the same. When Wale showcases his growth in being able to link his classic skillset with modern content, the album unequivocally succeeds. However, in attempting to placate current mainstream tastes, he falls short of the album being the unique and iconic success of the mixtape that truly launched his career to another level five years ago."

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, with 100,000 album-equivalent units; the album sold 88,000 copies in its first week. As of May 2015, the album has sold 138,000 copies domestically.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits for The Album About Nothing adapted from the liner notes.