Olubowale Victor Akintimehin Folarin (born September 21, 1984 in Washington… Read Full Bio ↴Olubowale Victor Akintimehin Folarin (born September 21, 1984 in Washington, D.C.), better known by his stage name Wale, is an American rapper and producer. Fusing DC's homegrown go-go genre with a streetwise Northern hip-hop sensibility, he takes samples from all genres and blends them together with lyrical dexterity. In 2005 he released his debut mixtape, Paint a Picture, and has since released four more. His debut album, released by Interscope, Attention Deficit, was released November 10, 2009. He has since then released three more albums, with Rick Ross's MMG label, Ambition (2011), The Gifted (2013), and The Album About Nothing (2015), based on his 2008 mixtape, The Mixtape About Nothing.

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

Cool Off
Wale Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Intro: Wale]
Sometimes you gotta give a nigga a little bit of space you know
Gotta cool off you know
And all I’m saying is like, spoil me with your consistency
Always remain the same you and you won’t have to worry about a different me
Let’s get it

[Verse 1: Wale]

I ain’t your boyfriend, we got a understandin’
Titles for soap operas, why is you so dramatic
Why is you over-exaggerating with all the chatter
Slappin’ me on my back, hoping that something happen
Give me a second or two, that’s why I ain’t messin’ with you
Hangin’ me on so you can holler domestic abuse
See it’s time that a nigga rode
Things have gone awry and you tryna change a nigga road
Never trust a bitch just tryna be a side bitch
They just fly enough to out-connive the prior one
And it be fine to just get high and let the time run
But all that bullshit cryin’ got me tryna tell you I’m done

[Bridge: Wale]
Just give me a second to cool off
If you respect me then take a second and cool off
Sit and reflect, these imperfections is with us all
Wrap up a blunt and we wrap it up when it’s – hol’ up
Give me a second to cool off
If you respect me then take a second and cool off
Sit and reflect, these imperfections is with us all
Light up another and we discuss when it’s all gone

[Hook: Jhene Aiko]
Oh baby
Keep it cool cuz I’mma lose it, you gon’ lose on my love
Oh baby
Keep it cool cuz I’mma lose it, you gon’ lose on my love

[Verse 2: Wale]
Nah this ain’t no deep shit, this ain’t no we shit
This is that honesty, that’s how it’s gotta be shit
Gotta say peace to you when you on that weak shit
I’m on that see you out in public and don’t speak shit
You ain’t my main joant. We got a understandin”
She catchin’ feelings and now them feelings is hard to manage
She broke up with her man, threw me all in the middle
Let’s keep it real doe, you probably thinkin’ I’d be your pillow
Thinkin’ I’d be your shoulder, you tell me what’s on your temple
In turn you givin’ me lip our bodies is inconsistent
So pardon my starin’ but see your body is so prolific
A body magnificent make designer she worth expenses
And every woman over 20 want a perfect man
And 20 something women just want someone understand
But as you live and learn, and you love and lose
By 40 somethin’ you lucky if someone give a damn
So we can just enjoy the company of one another
And I only answer the phone if it’s Warner Brothers
Rozay and some others, that mean it’s numbers comin’
See money talkin’ that little box, end of discussion

[Bridge:]

[Hook:]

Overall Meaning

In "Cool Off," Wale laments the lack of consistency in relationships while emphasizing the importance of space and reflection. He asserts that he is not interested in being in a committed relationship, and he is frustrated by an individual who is trying to change him. Wale specifically criticizes the tendency for people to over-dramatize issues and generate excessive chatter. He concludes that he needs time apart to "cool off" from the situation.

The chorus is sung by Jhene Aiko, who contributes to the song's laid-back feel. In the bridge, Wale underscores the importance of recognizing that imperfections exist in everyone and implores his partner to take the time to reflect on their relationship. He also highlights the role that drugs, such as marijuana, play in facilitating personal reflection and communication.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes you gotta give a nigga a little bit of space you know
There are times when one needs their own space and time.

Gotta cool off you know
One needs to calm and relax before dealing with a situation.

And all I’m saying is like, spoil me with your consistency
Stability and consistency in a relationship is valued and appreciated.

Always remain the same you and you won’t have to worry about a different me
If someone remains true to themselves, they can avoid changes in others around them.

I ain’t your boyfriend, we got a understandin’
There is an agreement in place where they are not in a romantic relationship.

Titles for soap operas, why is you so dramatic
The other person is being overly dramatic and needs to calm down.

Why is you over-exaggerating with all the chatter
The other person is talking too much and blowing things out of proportion.

Slappin’ me on my back, hoping that something happen
The other person is trying to provoke a reaction from Wale.

Give me a second or two, that’s why I ain’t messin’ with you
Wale needs some space and time away from the other person.

Hangin’ me on so you can holler domestic abuse
The other person is using the threat of domestic abuse to control and manipulate Wale.

See it’s time that a nigga rode
It's time for Wale to move on from this situation.

Things have gone awry and you tryna change a nigga road
The other person is trying to change Wale's path and direction in life.

Never trust a bitch just tryna be a side bitch
Wale doesn't trust women who are just trying to be someone's side piece or affair partner.

They just fly enough to out-connive the prior one
These women are cunning enough to deceive and manipulate their way into someone's life.

And it be fine to just get high and let the time run
Sometimes it's okay to just relax and enjoy the present moment.

But all that bullshit cryin’ got me tryna tell you I’m done
The other person's constant crying and drama has made Wale want to end things.

Just give me a second to cool off
Wale needs some time and space to calm down and relax.

If you respect me then take a second and cool off
The other person needs to respect Wale's need for space and time before they interact again.

Sit and reflect, these imperfections is with us all
Everyone has flaws and it's important to reflect on them and grow from them.

Wrap up a blunt and we wrap it up when it’s – hol’ up
Take some time to smoke and relax before discussing things further.

Nah this ain’t no deep shit, this ain’t no we shit
This situation is not a deep or serious relationship.

This is that honesty, that’s how it’s gotta be shit
Honesty is important in any relationship, no matter how casual or serious it is.

Gotta say peace to you when you on that weak shit
Wale needs to say goodbye to the other person when they are acting in a weak or negative manner.

I’m on that see you out in public and don’t speak shit
Wale doesn't want to interact or talk to the other person in public.

She catchin’ feelings and now them feelings is hard to manage
The other person is developing feelings for Wale, which complicates things.

Let’s keep it real doe, you probably thinkin’ I’d be your pillow
The other person is hoping that Wale will be there for them emotionally and physically.

Thinkin’ I’d be your shoulder, you tell me what’s on your temple
The other person wants Wale to support and comfort them.

In turn you givin’ me lip our bodies is inconsistent
The other person is talking back to Wale and their physical relationship is unsteady.

So pardon my starin’ but see your body is so prolific
Wale is admiring the other person's attractive body.

A body magnificent make designer she worth expenses
The other person has a beautiful body that is worth investing in with designer clothing, etc.

And every woman over 20 want a perfect man
Many women over 20 years old are looking for a perfect man.

And 20 something women just want someone understand
Women in their 20s just want someone who understands and supports them.

But as you live and learn, and you love and lose
As one goes through life and experiences love and loss, they learn and grow.

By 40 somethin’ you lucky if someone give a damn
By the time one reaches their 40s, it's lucky to find someone who cares about them.

So we can just enjoy the company of one another
Wale and the other person can just enjoy spending time together without any expectations.

And I only answer the phone if it’s Warner Brothers
Wale is only interested in answering the phone for business purposes.

Rozay and some others, that mean it’s numbers comin’
If someone like Rick Ross is calling, it means there is money and business opportunities involved.

See money talkin’ that little box, end of discussion
When money is involved, there's no need for further discussion or explanation.

Keep it cool cuz I’mma lose it, you gon’ lose on my love
The other person needs to stay calm and act reasonably, or they may lose Wale's love and affection.

Contributed by Ella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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