Seinfeld's been off the air for a while now, but it certainly hasn't disappeared thanks to syndication. I don't have cable television or anything of that nature and yet, Seinfeld is rerun twice with back-to-back episodes on one of the seven channels I actually do receive.
When I'm out with friends, I often find myself relating something to a particular episode of the show. I often quote the show, as well. It doesn't even bother me that I keep watching said reruns despite the fact that I've seen the episodes multiple times. The jokes no longer make me laugh (at least out loud), and yet I still enjoy watching the show.
So why am I writing about Seinfeld on a music-oriented blog? Well, believe it or not, D.C.'s own Wale has crafted a mixtape inspired by the show entitled "A Mixtape About Nothing." A fitting title (a reference to Jerry's and George's pitch for a sitcom to NBC), and even though the subject matter of the lyrics may not actually have much to do with the content of Seinfeld, it works because it really seems to be a mixtape about nothing. Or is it about nothing? Jerry and George pitched a show about "nothing" but in reality it was about life in general. I love mixtapes (if you didn't get that already) and I certainly enjoy the idea of this particular one.
The mixtape is laced with Seinfeld references and audio. Many of the tracks, such as "The Artistic Integrity" and "The Hype," open with audio ripped from episodes of the show. In "The Opening Title Sequence," Wale uses Jerry's signature line "What's the deal with..." Wale even got Julia Louis-Dreyfus to record a drop (or skit) on the tail end of "The Vacation From Ourselves."
Wale apparently told Entertainment Weekly that he has seen each episode at least 30 times. What's even more remarkable is his use of Michael Richards's notorious outburst in a comedy club. "The Kramer" opens with the audio of Richard's tirade and fades into a angelic choir as Wale passionately raps about the much talked about issue. It's an interesting track not just because of his use of the incident as a platform for presentation but also for what he says in the track.
Like the show itself, the tape seems to be about various aspects of life. Seinfeld was so successful because it discussed common, everyday things that viewers could relate to and Wale's incorporation of the show helps to underscore the subject matter of his lyrics. I agree that the tape is probably more a statement on the current state of the hip-hop market, as Adam Daniels of Paste magazine suggests, but I also feel like it could stand as an outlook on life. One thing is for sure, Wale will certainly garner much more attention thanks to "A Mixtape About Nothing."
"If you love substance, then you love Wale, but most love nothing so I made this tape."
-Wale
-Wale
Wale:
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