From his humble beginnings in the mid-aughts as a rising rapper from Washington, I’ve been on the Wale bandwagon and for full disclosure (and an interesting piece of history for those of you who care about these things), I did my first artist interview him just as he was on the precipice of breaking through, which was a treat for a young writer. Between his successful mixtapes (100 Miles and Running, The Mixtape About Nothing), I knew I was witnessing the rise of hip-hop’s next megastar. With clever lyrics, great production and a strong team around him, I’d  predicted he’d have a 2007 New England Patriots type romp to the top of the music world. But a funny thing happened on the way to playing arenas on a consistent basis.

When his first proper LP, Attention Deficit, was released on Interscope in late 2009, I wasn’t only disappointed with the inadequate promotion, but the lack of definable material from the Washington DC-based rapper that made him standout from his peers at the time (Drake, Kid Cudi. One would think that a lead single featuring Lady Gaga would explode up the charts, but that didn’t happen. Instead I surmised, an inconsistent album of middling tracks said more about what the label wanted from him rather than giving Wale the creative freedom to do what he did best.

Not surprisingly, Wale and Interscope parted ways and then not so surprisingly, he released several more mixtapes and got his groove back. That’s what makes his sophomore effort, Ambition, well, ambitious. The rapper goes back to what him unique and garnered a cult following in the first place, though it may be difficult to say that about someone who has over 1 million followers on Twitter. Ambition is the rapper’s first album released under Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group and provides a resounding answer to where he stands now.

Singles like “Lotus Flower Bomb” featuring Miguel and the dance-y, clubby “Focused” with Kid Cudi showcase the back-to-basics approach of the album. The beats are ambitious and fresh, while not feeling forced. Yes, there are too many guests on the record, who take up valuable song space, but hey, it’s hip-hop so you have to deal with it I suppose. Wale takes control of each track, not allowing for the beat or guest to steal the spotlight from his clever rhymes and terrific flow.

Not to harp, but Ambition is everything Attention Deficit should have been. It’s sharp, focused and true to the core of Wale’s sound, which is based in go-go music (a sound synonymous with DC). Though this isn’t to say that he didn’t experiment at all. “White Linen (Coolin)” with Ne-Yo, has a Puffy in his prime-era feel to it and will appeal to fans across the board.

By going back to what works, yet moving forward with a new outlook and experimentation, Wale reaffirmed, at least to me, why he was so good to begin with. After what seemed like he would be another mixtape rapper who couldn’t crossover into the big leagues, it’s great to see that he rediscovered his bravado and swagger.