Guests of the NYC's Hudson Hotel were treated to some first-rate background music from outside their windows on Wednesday, as up-and-comer Wale performed for the first in a series of concerts dubbed the 'Svedka Vodka Sessions,' a collaboration between Morgans Hotel Group and music marketing company Giant Step.It was a beautiful night under the ivy at the terrace of the swanky hotel, and the D.C.-based MC got the crowd moving with previews from his upcoming studio album 'Attention: Deficit' as well as some fan favorites from his various mixtapes.
Backed by a full band, Wale called out the Roots early in the set, thanking them for giving him his "first little alley oop" by featuring the then-unknown rapper on the track 'Rising Up.' The band then dove into said song, with Wale's sideman filling in (surprisingly well) for Chrisette Michele on the hook.
Other songs in the set included 'Sexy Lady,' 'Breakdown,' and 'W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.,' which made a clever transition from a Justice sample to a rendition of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit.' Before performing his new song 'Pretty Girl,' Wale quipped to the crowd about giving away one of the drummers sticks. "You know, an OG once told me, 'You got a stick, you give it a to a pretty girl.'"
The impeccably dressed Mark Ronson was present also, supporting his label signee by warming up the crowd with a DJ set leaning heavily on soul music from the '60s and '70s. Overall, it was a night of quality music and real hip hop for everyone in attendance.
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