Wale: fashion and hip hop

Think of this as the portrait of the artist about to blow up.

For the better part of the last year, the most important thing that came out of Washington, D.C. was the interminable run-up to the 2008 election. But for those with keen ears, the most exciting thing (all due respect to Barack Obama) has been an MC named Wale.

Lately, it's been 0-60 for the rapper (right). He’s gone from a budding artist spitting complex, fascinating rhymes on free mixtapes (check out his collaboration with DJ Nick Catchdubs 100 Miles & Running here) to touring with producer Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen) and getting signed to Interscope Records (via Ronson’s Allido imprint). He also did a guest rhyme on The Roots’ “Rising Up.”

But before the deal Wale began working on a little passion project called The Mixtape About Nothing, inspired by –- you guessed it –- Seinfeld. No kidding. No homilies to champagne, rims and drug dealing or bragging about sexual conquests. (OK, maybe some.) Just deft, rapid wordplay about Jerry, Larry David, Kramer and George (“My Costanzas stand like phantoms”). Oh, and then there’s that guest spot by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

The Mixtape About Nothing, also produced by Catchdubs, is out Friday (download it for free here) and is likely just the beginning of the crazy awesomeness Wale has in store. If you want proof, check out the video for his take on Justice's “D.A.N.C.E.” after the jump.

To find out more, Listening Post chatted with Wale (pronounced “wah-lay”) awhile back about the importance of giving away music, working the Web, working with Pharrell Williams and making friends with Lindsay Lohan.