D.C.’s Finest

Once a local star in Washington—a city that was struggling to make it onto the hip-hop map—Wale became an Internet favorite when his mixtapes for Fool’s Gold guru Nick Catchdubs (most notably, his breakout 100 Miles and Running) circulated across the hipper neighborhoods in cities across the country. Today, he’s a national star, two seats away from the throne of Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group imprint, finding radio success with the Miguel-assisted slow jam “Lotus Flower Bomb” and flavoring songs like Ross’s “Diced Pineapples” with spoken-word intros. After the cancellation of Maybach’s small-arenas tour (due to “scheduling conflicts”), Wale comes to the Bowery Ballroom for a more intimate solo show.

Mon., Jan. 7, 8 p.m., 2013