Wale

Wale has come a long way from the enthusiastic bounce-rap style that introduced him to the masses. A determined new signee to Maybach Music Group, the Washington, D.C., native sharpened his vernacular and defined his appeal with the release of his widely respected 2011 album, Ambition. He struck gold with the single “Lotus Flower Bomb,” with R&B crooner-of-the-moment Miguel, and has inspired a new class of rap to rise from the underground. Wale’s lyrics, combined with a keen ear for proper beats, set him apart from everyone else in the game. Ambitious, indeed.