Wale was born to Nigerian immigrant parents in Washington, DC. He grew up on Peabody Street in Northwest DC and moved to Largo, Maryland as a teenager. He attended seven different high schools in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, finally graduating from Quince Orchard High School in 2001. He went to Robert Morris College and Virginia State University on football scholarships, and then Bowie State University but dropped out in 2004 to pursue music full-time. Before music started paying the bills, Wale worked day jobs at Sprint, Up Against The Wall and Downtown Locker Room.
Wale emerged onto the local DC hip hop scene with the help of WKYS-FM's DJ Alizay. Wale began getting radio play in 2004 with a single called "Rhyme of the Century" which got Wale in the June 2005 "Unsigned Hype" section of Source magazine and his buzz started growing.
In November 2006, a feature ran on AllHipHop.com's Breeding Ground about Wale. The day before Thanksgiving, Wale took the stage between Lil Wayne and T.I. during the Southern Invasion tour at the Verizon Center.
In early December 2006, Wale won the award for "D.C. Metro Breakthrough Artist of the Year" at WKYS' Go-Go Awards. On December 15, The Fader magazine associate editor Nick "Catchdubs" Barat visited Wale for an interview and photo shoot which appeared in the March 2007 issue of The Fader.
Wale has an upcoming promotional campaign with Remy Martin and XXL Magazine. He has also been linked to boutique streetwear brands The Hundreds, 10 Deep and Good Bully, as well as lifestyle brands Stussy and LRG.
In January 2007, Wale released a new single to radio called "Good Girls." Daniel Weisman gave the song to Mark Ronson and on February 23, 2007, Ronson began playing the song on his East Village Radio show. A week later, at Ronson's studio, Wale recorded a freestyle for Ronson and in exchange, Ronson put Wale on an unreleased remix of Lily Allen's "Smile" which appeared on a number of music blogs around the world on March 13th, 2007. In April of 2007, Ronson asked Wale to join him on a UK tour to promote the release of his newest album. In June of 2007, Wale signed to a production deal with Ronson's Allido Records.
On June 24, 2007, Wale's "Ice Cream Girl" with TCB, was featured on the show Entourage, on HBO.
Wale performed "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.", from his 100 Miles mixtape, at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV.
Wale was also featured in the October 2007 issues of XXL and Rolling Stone. The Washington Post profiled Wale on the front page of the Sunday Style section in the October 21st, 2007 edition. Wale is featured on the cover of URB Magazine's 150th issue along with French electro group, Justice.
iTunes released "Nike Boots" as a free download on November 13th, 2007 as its "Single of the Week." On Christmas Day 2007, Wale debuted the "Nike Boots Remix" featuring Lil Wayne and Green Lantern on his myspace page. Wale and Lil Wayne played a Nike Boots event called DC Stand Up at Ibiza Nightclub in DC on January 15, 2008 which was sponsored by Nike and Footaction.
In the November 30th, 2007 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Wale is featured as one of 8 people to watch in 2008 along with actors Simon Pegg and Rachel McAdams.
On March 12, 2008, Wale announced on 93.9 WKYS that he had signed with Interscope.
On April 29, 2008, the new Roots album entitled Rising Down was released, featuring Wale on the final track. Wale's relationship with the Roots began when Black Thought heard a song recorded as a tribute to himself on Wale's 2007 mixtape 100 Miles & Running and contacted Wale.
In the June issue of the German Hip-Hop magazine JUICE Wale announced that his upcoming debut-album will feature production credits from Mark Ronson, Kanye West, Just Blaze, 9th Wonder and the French electronic music duo Justice.
http://www.myspace.com/wale202
Am I Dreaming
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I swear these rap motherfuckers
They all dreamin' they all gangsters
Everybody's a drug lord
Everybody's fucking Ron O'Neal or some shit, right
Most of y'all not as hard as you say you is
You soft as cotton swabs, so get up out my ear
I'd rather have wax build up
Talkin' 'bout shit that they don't even know about
All the keys of coke they got
All the whips they drove and the hoes they be going at
Blowing out substances, so much irrelevant
I ain't tryin' to preach, but at least try to relish this
You're hotdogging it, you're feeling yourself
The movie of your life, you gonna film with yourself
Co-wrote and co-produced by you and only you
Embellished and re-edited and this is nothing new
And I ain't tryin' to discipline
But this is something you all don't realize
Most rappers just sly
A sight for sore eyes, I'm the brightest upcoming
These other niggas dreamin' if they thinkin' that they thuggin'
I told you, like everybody's a thug
I seen this nigga, man
Yo, I seen you at the bus stop, dawg
You don't have a Maybach
You ain't got no Benz
You can have a bucket and do what you do, dawg
It ain't really all that, you know
It's cool if you think your flow the hottest 'round
But you're not Kanye, so go an put your collar down
And you ain't gotta frown, dawg
You can be a thug, but please keep your pants on
Cause all this saggin' is bad to see
They say the ones that try the hardest be the fags indeed
You're watching too much television
Dipset could tell you, listen
Your whole flow, I can spot it like leopard skin
You're not Juelz, Jim Jones, or Cam
hell, you're just fakincense
Jeezy dropped, everybody a snowman
Say you got pounds, I ain't seen you with an old Gat
What's so bad is that your flow is all fixated
Over street dreams, your dream, you can't illustrate it
You're not innovative, you're just an imitator
Take your Visine and caffeine and wake up
The ban man want to talk like
You know who I'm talking about too, but
The bad man want to talk about
He got money, he got jewelry
Man, I seen you, youngin'
You got motherfuckin' Pumas on, dawg
My name Wale, last name irrelevant
Drive an 89 Cam', I'm really tryin' to sell that shit
Used to sell crack, wasn't sellin' big weight
Did the low here and there to get my sneaker game straight
Sold weed, though, but no kilos of coke
Used to go in niggas' whips for C notes and roll
And I'm not a thug but I do got a temper
My right hand symbolizes what I must remember
And yes, I've shot pistols
My intentions were to never take another life
Unless mine dangled in the trenches
Sprinkle them with flow until they souls all drenched
And drown with my style, cause I'm brighter than they is
I hope to make them smile while enlighten all the kids
Hip-hop, that's my art, real life is what it is
I is real like that sentence of Jacob
Symbolize greatness, Spike Lee, wake up
And if you rap and you got, like, a problem with me
First of all, you can come see me
Second of all, you, you don't gotta tell us about all these items that you claim to have
You got your guns, sure, you know
And another thing, back on the other shit
The bad man told me he had his Glebe with dimes
The whole time, he in the mall buying shoes for the girls
She tryin' to look like Star Jones a little bit
Like, before the surgery or the lipo
But anyway, I'm jive, whatever
My nigga told me he fresh
He got dissed down at Third
The nigga got like an 85 Corolla or some shit
My point is, these rap niggas is jive
Dreamin', but it's alright
I ain't gonna knock your hustle
I'mma let that hook ride out, cause that was jive
In his song “Am I Dreaming,” Wale speaks about the rap game and how many rappers present an image that is not entirely true. He highlights that many rappers pretend to be drug dealers or gangsters and talk about things that they do not know about. He believes that many rappers are just imitators who lack originality and only try to copy what is popular. Wale suggests that these rappers should focus more on being true to themselves instead of trying so hard to fit in. He also implies that these rappers are just dreaming and that their portrayals of themselves may not be entirely true.
Wale emphasizes that he is not trying to be preachy, but his message is simple: be yourself. He talks about his own experiences in life, including selling drugs and having a tough upbringing. However, he also emphasizes that he has learned from his mistakes and has always tried to be genuine in his music. He believes that the most important thing is to be true to yourself and not try to be someone you are not.
Throughout the song, Wale emphasizes that many rappers are fake and are just trying to fit in. He implies that these rappers are just dreamers, and their exaggerations of their lives may not be entirely true. Wale suggests that being true to oneself is more important than trying to portray an image that is not genuine.
Line by Line Meaning
What up Emf, what up Jay
Greetings to Emf and Jay-Z
I swear these rap motherfuckers
I strongly believe that these rap artists
They all dreamin' they all gangsters
They are all fantasizing about being gangsters
Everybody's a drug lord
Everyone portrays themselves as powerful drug dealers
Everybody's fucking Ron O'Neal or some shit, right
Everyone imagines themselves as the character Ron O'Neal, a famous actor associated with gangster roles
Most of y'all not as hard as you say you is
Most of you are not as tough as you claim to be
You soft as cotton swabs, so get up out my ear
You are as weak as soft cotton swabs, so stop bothering me
I'd rather have wax build up
I prefer to have wax accumulation in my ears
Than whack images of rap niggas
Instead of false and unimpressive portrayals of rap artists
Talkin' 'bout shit that they don't even know about
Discussing things they have no real knowledge or experience of
All the keys of coke they got
Claiming to possess large quantities of cocaine
All the whips they drove and the hoes they be going at
Boasting about the luxury cars they drive and the women they pursue
Blowing out substances, so much irrelevant
Exaggerating their use of drugs, which is ultimately irrelevant
I ain't tryin' to preach, but at least try to relish this
I don't want to lecture, but at least appreciate this advice
You're hotdogging it, you're feeling yourself
You are showing off excessively and being overly confident
The movie of your life, you gonna film with yourself
You are the sole creator and protagonist in the movie version of your life
Co-wrote and co-produced by you and only you
You collaborated with no one else in writing and producing your life's story
Embellished and re-edited and this is nothing new
You exaggerated and revised events in your life story, which is a common occurrence
And I ain't tryin' to discipline
I'm not attempting to impose discipline or authority
But this is something you all don't realize
However, this is something all of you fail to understand
Most rappers just sly
The majority of rappers are deceitful or cunning
A sight for sore eyes, I'm the brightest upcoming
I'm a refreshing presence, standing out among the rest
These other niggas dreamin' if they thinkin' that they thuggin'
Other individuals are delusional if they believe they are living the thug life
I told you, like everybody's a thug
I already mentioned this, it seems like everyone claims to be a thug
I seen this nigga, man
I witnessed this person, man
Yo, I seen you at the bus stop, dawg
Hey, I saw you at the bus stop, man
You don't have a Maybach
You don't own a Maybach (luxury car)
You ain't got no Benz
You don't have a Mercedes-Benz
You can have a bucket and do what you do, dawg
You can have a cheap car and still do your thing
It ain't really all that, you know
It's not as important or impressive as you think
It's cool if you think your flow the hottest 'round
It's fine if you believe your rap style is the best
But you're not Kanye, so go an put your collar down
However, you are not as influential as Kanye West, so be humble
And you ain't gotta frown, dawg
And you don't have to be upset, man
You can be a thug, but please keep your pants on
You can still portray yourself as tough, but please stop sagging your pants
Cause all this saggin' is bad to see
Because this sagging trend looks unappealing
They say the ones that try the hardest be the fags indeed
People claim that those who excessively try to prove their masculinity are often insecure about their sexuality
You're watching too much television
You are consuming excessive amounts of television programming
Dipset could tell you, listen
The hip-hop group Dipset could advise you, pay attention
Your whole flow, I can spot it like leopard skin
I can easily recognize and identify your entire style, just like the pattern of leopard skin
You're not Juelz, Jim Jones, or Cam
You are not as skilled or successful as Juelz Santana, Jim Jones, or Cam'ron
Hell, you're just fakincense
In fact, you're just a fake or imitation
Jeezy dropped, everybody a snowman
When Jeezy released music, everyone suddenly portrayed themselves as drug dealers (snowman is a term for cocaine)
Say you got pounds, I ain't seen you with an old Gat
You claim to have a large amount of drugs, but I have never seen you with a firearm
What's so bad is that your flow is all fixated
What's even worse is that your rap style is completely fixated on material possessions and drug references
Over street dreams, your dream, you can't illustrate it
You are excessively focused on fictional street life, but you are unable to express your own dreams
You're not innovative, you're just an imitator
You lack originality, you simply copy others
Take your Visine and caffeine and wake up
Use eye drops and consume caffeine to become alert or aware
The ban man want to talk like
A certain person wants to speak in a certain way
You know who I'm talking about too, but
You know exactly who I'm referring to as well, but
The bad man want to talk about
This individual wants to discuss
He got money, he got jewelry
He claims to possess wealth and expensive jewelry
Man, I seen you, youngin'
Man, I saw you, young man
You got motherfuckin' Pumas on, dawg
You are wearing Puma sneakers, man
My name Wale, last name irrelevant
My name is Wale, and my last name is unimportant
Drive an 89 Cam', I'm really tryin' to sell that shit
I drive an 1989 Camry, and I'm genuinely trying to sell it
Used to sell crack, wasn't sellin' big weight
I used to sell crack cocaine, but I wasn't involved in significant drug trafficking
Did the low here and there to get my sneaker game straight
I occasionally engaged in small drug deals to fund my purchase of expensive sneakers
Sold weed, though, but no kilos of coke
I did sell marijuana, but I didn't handle large amounts of cocaine
Used to go in niggas' whips for C notes and roll
I used to break into people's cars to steal money and then drive away
And I'm not a thug but I do got a temper
I don't consider myself a thug, but I do have a tendency to get angry
My right hand symbolizes what I must remember
My right hand serves as a reminder of something important to me
And yes, I've shot pistols
And yes, I have fired guns
My intentions were to never take another life
However, I never had the intention of causing harm to another person
Unless mine dangled in the trenches
Except if my own life was at risk
Sprinkle them with flow until they souls all drenched
I bless them with my lyrical skill until their spirits are fully immersed
And drown with my style, cause I'm brighter than they is
They are overwhelmed by my artistic style because I am more intelligent than they are
I hope to make them smile while enlighten all the kids
I aim to bring joy to them while enlightening young children
Hip-hop, that's my art, real life is what it is
Hip-hop is my form of artistic expression, while real life is simply what it is
I is real like that sentence of Jacob
I am authentic, just like the statement made by Jacob (a biblical figure)
Symbolize greatness, Spike Lee, wake up
I represent greatness, just like Spike Lee (an acclaimed filmmaker), so pay attention
And if you rap and you got, like, a problem with me
And if you are a rapper and you have an issue with me
First of all, you can come see me
Firstly, you can confront me in person
Second of all, you, you don't gotta tell us about all these items that you claim to have
Secondly, you don't have to constantly boast about the possessions you claim to own
You got your guns, sure, you know
You possess firearms, that's fine, you know
And another thing, back on the other shit
Furthermore, returning to the previous topic
The bad man told me he had his Glebe with dimes
The person I mentioned earlier claimed to have a luxurious lifestyle with attractive women
The whole time, he in the mall buying shoes for the girls
However, all this time he was actually shopping for shoes for the women he pursues
She tryin' to look like Star Jones a little bit
One of the women is attempting to resemble Star Jones, a celebrity known for her appearance
Like, before the surgery or the lipo
Specifically, they want to resemble Star Jones before her cosmetic surgery or liposuction
But anyway, I'm jive, whatever
But anyway, I'm just messing around, whatever
My nigga told me he fresh
My friend told me he is fashionable
He got dissed down at Third
However, he was insulted or disrespected at a certain location
The nigga got like an 85 Corolla or some shit
This person has a relatively old Toyota Corolla from 1985 or something similar
My point is, these rap niggas is jive
My point is that these rap artists are fake or phony
Dreamin', but it's alright
They are fantasizing, but it's okay
I ain't gonna knock your hustle
I'm not going to criticize your ambition or drive
I'mma let that hook ride out, cause that was jive
I'm going to let the chorus play until the end, because I find it fake or phony
Contributed by Emma V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
YN Fay
only real Wale fans remember this shit
robert capell
Paint A Picture was one of his best mixtapes for sure
lee parquet
Respect from the uk. Wale is massively underrated
kmankendall
his flow has changed. i like THIS age of wale better, his new stuff isnt AS good. either way... He still the best
Armani Kingin
One of wale's realest songs
CypriotVibez
This is THE Tune To Skate Too Dawrg
Stan Dupp
"real life is what it is-real" that was cold af
Marlxy G
He finally made it.Keep it going W A L E
Mark W.
Funny how he perfectly describes his MMG partners
Igetsitin89
Lmao