The Album About Nothing

The Album About Nothing is the fourth studio album by American rapper Wale. It was released on March 31, 2015, by Allido Records, Maybach Music Group and Atlantic Records. The album serves as a continuation of Wale's Seinfeld-themed mixtape series. Recording sessions took place between 2013 and 2015. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Frank Dukes, Jake One, Sonny Digital, DJ Dahi, Pro Reese and DJ Khalil among others. The album also features guest appearances by J. Cole, Jeremih, Usher and SZA.

The Album About Nothing
Studio album by Wale
Released	March 31, 2015
Recorded	2013–2015
Genre	Hip hop
Length	60:04
Label	Allido Maybach Atlantic
Producer	No Credit Rex Kudo J Gramm Jake One DJ Khalil Soundz Osinachi Nwaneri Pro Reese AyyDot Marcè Reazon DJ Dahi Best Kept Secret Sonny Digital Dave Glass Animals Stokley Williams Frank Dukes
Wale chronology
The Gifted (2013) The Album About Nothing (2015) Summer on Sunset (2016)
Alternative cover
Alternate cover
Alternative cover
Physical cover
Singles from The Album About Nothing
"The Body" Released: September 9, 2014 "The Matrimony" Released: March 2, 2015

The Album About Nothing was supported by two singles: "The Body" featuring Jeremih, and "The Matrimony" featuring Usher. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 100,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.^[1]

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."^[2]

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."^[3]

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."^[4] 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."^[4]

Singles

"The Body" featuring Jeremih, was released as the album's lead single on September 9, 2014.^[5] On December 28, 2014, the music video was released for "The Body".^[6] "The Matrimony" featuring Usher, was released as the album's second single on March 2, 2015.^[7] The music video for "The Matrimony" premiered on June 8, 2015.^[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	67/100[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[10]
Billboard	[11]
Complex	[12]
Consequence of Sound	C[13]
Exclaim!	8/10[14]
HipHopDX	[15]
Pitchfork	5.4/10[16]
Rolling Stone	[17]
XXL	4/5 (XL)[18]

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 67, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 10 reviews.^[9]

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."^[11] 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."^[14] 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."^[18]

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."^[15]

Commercial performance

The Album About Nothing debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 100,000 album-equivalent units, (including 88,000 copies in pure album sales) in its first week, according to Nielsen Music.^[1] This became Wale's second US number one debut on the chart.^[1] The album also accumulated a total of 6,888,472 on-demand streams of its songs.^[19] In its second week, the album dropped to number 11 on the chart, earning an additional 33,000 units.^[20] In its third week, the album dropped to number 21 on the chart, earning 20,000 more units.^[21] In its fourth week, the album dropped to number 32 on the chart, earning 15,000 units.^[22] As of May 2015, the album has sold 138,000 copies in the United States.^[23]

Track listing

The Album About Nothing track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"The Intro About Nothing"	Olubowale Akintimehin Brittany Hazzard Julian Gramma Masamune Kudo	J Gramm Rex Kudo	4:20
2.	"The Helium Balloon"	Akintimehin Dacoury Natche Adam Feeney Sonny Uwaezouke	DJ Dahi Sonny Digital Frank Dukes[a]	4:47
3.	"The White Shoes"	Akintimehin Reese Cummings Maurice Barnett-Fenderson R.L. Altman III Andwele Gardner Titus Glover Jason Powers Emmanuel Riggins	Pro Reese	4:30
4.	"The Pessimist" (featuring J. Cole)	Akintimehin Osinachi Nwaneri Jermaine Cole	Nwaneri	4:32
5.	"The Middle Finger"	Akintimehin Natche Dave Bayley	DJ Dahi Dave Glass Animals	4:00
6.	"The One Time in Houston"	Akintimehin Cummings Barnett-Fenderson James Harris Terry Lewis	Pro Reese	5:47
7.	"The Girls on Drugs"	Akintimehin Harris Lewis Kevin Spencer Janet Jackson	No Credit	4:09
8.	"The God Smile"	Akintimehin Natche	DJ Dahi	5:16
9.	"The Need to Know" (featuring SZA)	Akintimehin Hazzard Gramma Solana Rowe Carvin Haggins Robert Hebb Taalib Johnson	J Gramm	3:36
10.	"The Success"	Akintimehin Warren Lankford Jacob Dutton Samuel Barnes Nasir Jones Annie Lennox Jean-Claude Olivier David Stewart	Jake One	2:57
11.	"The Glass Egg"	Akintimehin Alex Fonseca Darryl Brown Burt Bacharach Hal David Amel Larrieux Bryce Wilson	Ayy Dot	4:47
12.	"The Bloom (AG3)"	Akintimehin Roy Hammond Stokley Williams Julian Nixon Craig Balmoris	Best Kept Secret Williams[a]	5:22
13.	"The Matrimony" (featuring Usher)	Akintimehin Dutton Marce Ayala Kahlil Abdul-Rahman Usher Raymond IV Sam Dew	Jake One DJ Khalil Marcè Reazon	6:35
14.	"The Body" (featuring Jeremih)	Akintimehin Cartier Grand Jeremih Felton Kenneth Coby Robert Kelly	Soundz	3:52

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional producer
• "The Intro About Nothing" contains additional vocals performed by Rex Kudo, Sabrina Sanchez, Idan Kalai, Stokley Williams and Tony Williams
• "The Helium Balloon" contains additional vocals performed by Magazeen
• "The White Shoes" contains additional vocals performed by Dwele
• "The One Time In Houston" contains additional vocals performed by Phil Ade
• "The Glass Egg" contains additional vocals performed by Chrisette Michele^[24]
• "The Bloom (AG3)" contains additional vocals performed by Stokley Williams

Personnel

• Art direction and design: Mike Bully (Good Bully, LLC)
• Packaging production: Michelle Piza

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for The Album About Nothing Chart (2015) Peak position US Billboard 200[25] 1 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[26] 1 US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[27] 1

Year-end charts 2015 year-end chart performance for The Album About Nothing Chart (2015) Position US Billboard 200[28] 127 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[29] 19

Release history

Release history and formats for The Album About Nothing

Region	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
United States	March 31, 2015	CD, digital download	Maybach, Atlantic	[30][31]

References

1. Keith Caulfield (April 8, 2015). "Wale Rules With Second No. 1 Album, 'Furious 7' Soundtrack Drives to No. 2". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
2. Horowitz, Steven (January 18, 2013). "Wale Reportedly Working With Jerry Seinfeld On "The Album About Nothing"". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
3. Balfour, Jay (September 15, 2014). "Wale Speaks On "Album About Nothing," Resolving Meek Mill Beef". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
4. Smith, Troy L. (January 12, 2015). "Wale talks 'The Album About Nothing,' ties to Cleveland and his friendship with Jerry Seinfeld". cleveland.com. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
5. Submit Comment (September 9, 2014). "Wale f. Jeremih - The Body". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
6. Pratt, Sparkle (December 29, 2014). "Wale f. Jeremih - "The Body"". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
7. "The Matrimony (feat. Usher) - Single by Wale". iTunes (US). Apple. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
8. "Video: Wale feat. Usher – 'The Matrimony'". Rap-Up. June 8, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
9. "Reviews for The Album About Nothing by Wale". Metacritic. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
10. Jeffries, David. "Wale - The Album About Nothing". AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
11. Kimble, Julian (April 2, 2015). "Album Review: 'The Album About Nothing' Is Wale's Most Personal and Best Work". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
12. Ortiz, Edwin (March 31, 2015). "Review: Wale 'The Album About Nothing'". Complex. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
13. Freed, Nick (March 31, 2015). "Wale – The Album About Nothing". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
14. Lowers, Erin (March 31, 2015). "Wale The Album About Nothing". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
15. Dowling, Marcus (April 1, 2015). "Wale - The Album About Nothing". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
16. Lobenfeld, Claire (April 2, 2015). "Wale: The Album About Nothing". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
17. Murray, Nick (April 21, 2015). "Wale's New Album: The Album About Nothing". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
18. Miranda J. (April 3, 2015). "Wale Finds New Meaning in Old Material on 'The Album About Nothing'". XXL. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
19. Jay Balfour (April 8, 2015). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Wale, Ludacris & Kendrick Lamar". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
20. Jay Balfour (April 15, 2015). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Furious 7, Kendrick Lamar & Drake". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
21. Jay Balfour (April 22, 2015). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Tyler the Creator, Drake, Kendrick Lamar". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
22. Jay Balfour (April 29, 2015). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Yelawolf, Drake, Kendrick Lamar". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
23. Smith, Trevor (May 2, 2015). "Charts Don't Lie: May 2nd". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved May 2, 2015.
24. Chrisette Michelle [@ChrisetteM] (March 29, 2015). "chrisette michele on Twitter: "@Wale: Ms Chrisette Michele RT @KiingOcho: @wale that's Miss Heron on The Glass Egg?" Always a good time w/this guy. (U still owe me a tat)"" (Tweet). Retrieved March 2, 2016 – via Twitter.
25. "Wale Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
26. "Wale Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
27. "Wale Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
28. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
29. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
30. Ramirez, Erika (February 9, 2015). "Rick Ross Confirms Wale's 'The Album About Nothing' Will Be Released on March 31". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
31. "iTunes - Music - The Album About Nothing by Wale". iTunes (US). Apple. 31 March 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2015.