The cold back halls of Hill Auditorium swarmed with security. A pathway of opening artists, crew members and photographers opened alongside the walk way to the right-stage entrance as I high-fived the man walking toward the double doors, Wale.
He was accompanied by all-star U of M quarterback Denard Robinson in his dressing room prior to performance. Robinson and a group of his friends later came on stage and danced with the rapper to end the show.
As he set foot on stage, the auditorium, packed with hundreds of waiting students, became the scene of a radiant performance.
The aisles were his stage. Exciting the crowd seemed top priority. Wale ran across the whole floor, microphone in hand going between and running on top of seats while singing with his fans.
When on stage, every part of the floor had his shoe prints. Songs like “Slight Work” and “Chain Music” from his new album “Ambition” kept the auditorium ringing.
Released in November 2011, “Ambition” sold 164,000 copies within the first week of release and has sold over 250,000 copies. This second album has been drastic improvement from his first album “Attention Deficit”, which sold only 28,000 copies within the first week.
The crowd was not prepared for the concert to end when he left stage. After they chanted “Wale” for about a minute, he returned on stage and ended the concert with a final performance.
