Wale and Jerry Seinfeld are an unusual pair but their chemistry is a main factor in Wale’s no. 1 album, The Album About Nothing.
In a recent interview, Seinfeld said that it was his wife that introduced him to his music and he ended up meeting him backstage at one his stand-up shows.
“I thought he was a very charming young man,” the 60-year-old told The New York Times. “And then I heard about the mixtape, and he came up with the idea of doing the whole album. It just felt so offbeat and that’s what appeals to me.”
Other artists have tried to merge the Seinfeld theme into their music but Wale is the first artist that received the support. Seinfeld said it’s because he admired Wale’s artistry and knew he wouldn’t toy around with the ideas.
“This guy’s a real artist and I thought he would be inventive and creative with it as opposed to just pilot fishing, as I call it.”
The D.C wordsmith has struggled with handling backlash on social media and not getting the respect he feels like he deserves. Seinfeld said he has tried to pass on gems about managing a public image and lessons about fame.
“That it’s irrelevant. It’s a fantastic byproduct of doing good work, but you have to keep it in its place. It’s like a dog — it’s gotta be trained. You can’t let this thing run all over the house.”
He also expressed about what he admires about “The Gifted” rapper, saying that he music drew him in because “he has a little bit of hypnotic sound in his voice.”
“There’s a richness to his emotion. When you listen to the music, you can feel what he’s feeling and I like that. Great singing always has that.”
Read the full interview over at the ArtsBeat section of the NYT.