Wale Spars With Critic Anthony Fantano After He Bashes "Shine"

Noted YouTube music critic Anthony Fantano did not enjoy Wale's new album, Shine. Fantano referred to "Scarface Rozay Gotti" as "one of the worst rap songs I've heard so far in 2017," but it was his commentary on the song "My Love" that earned him a heated response from Wale. 

"And here we have one of the ugliest attempts at capitalizing on the Caribbean craze," Fantano tweeted about "My Love," the Shine song that features Major Lazer, WizKid, and Dua Lipa. Wale clapped back by telling Fantano that "My Love" is an Afrobeat -- and not a Caribbean -- song.

Wale, whose parents are both from Nigeria, also told Fantano, "that's my naija culture. I was born into this sound. This is OUR sound." That prompted a video response from Fantano, who explained to Wale that "My Love" clearly has a Caribbean vibe, as the song features Major Lazer. 

"On this song, you featured and credited Diplo by way of Major Lazer, a trio known for fusing Western pop music and house music with Caribbean music, with dancehall, with reggae," said Fantano. "And that vibe comes through on this track, and I'm not sure why you're not hearing that." 

Wale went on to vent about how a white critic shouldn't be able to instruct him on the African music he grew up with. He also noted that WizKid, who sings on "My Love," is "one of the most successful Nigerian artists on the planet." 

Upon seeing the rapper-critic dispute on his Twitter feed, Vince Staples got himself involved by demanding that Wale and Fantano face off in an actual fight. Wale consented, but Fantano apparently turned down the "fade." 

Listen to "My Love" below, and read HNHH's recent review of Shine here.