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.
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Double M Genius
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, I'mma let the chips fall
Niggas is Kemba Walker tryna see me pitfall
Niggas is starring like a synagogue, think about it
Centerfold bitches prolly couldn't get a drink up out me
They say I need some guidance
But I think they need a stylist
This bitch gonna need Pilate's
And you can't see Folarin
What the fuck are you, retarded?
I ain't hugging the corner, but I hustle so enormous
A modern day Goodfella, I'm Ray Liotta
Loud smoking so pass the L like a semicolon
The Bentley is rented but I got many chauffers
Foamposites if you ain't got em then you penny-loafing!
Under-rated that's temporarily for the moment
Only marry your woman if mama cold as Willona
See, I'm second to no one
I'm the messenger-poet
They slowly showin they colors
They music good but they bogus
Wale
They talkin
Talkin bout Folarin
They talkin
Talkin bout Folarin
They talkin
Talkin bout Folarin
Verse two gon be fuckin with verse one
Especially when you're writing shit that can never be done, Joe!
That Kevin Love flow
Bored of the shooters
My women be in the newest
Yo bitches should buy a loofah
Where I'm from they is ruthless
Babies turn into shooters
Crazy talking and foolish
You catch a shell like a Koopa
And I don't give a fuck, see my bitches is Kama Sutra
One of them bitches is cute, the rest of them congruent
Why you talking my nigga? Just go and do it
Niggas awful at dressing, they just aight at music
I'm trend-setting, despite of a awful debut
Still got me another deal because any nigga in music
The remedy is get your hustle on
Fuck a broad unless you love a broad
Well in that case, brother, then love her hard
Put my trust in my dog
Put my trust in my God
'Less you Stabler and Benson, I don't fuck with the law
They talkin
Talkin bout Folarin
They talkin
Talkin bout Folarin
They talkin
Talkin bout Folarin
In "Double M Genius," Wale showcases his lyrical prowess and boasts about being one of the best thinkers in his class. He dismisses the competition, likening them to Kemba Walker, a basketball player who's trying to see him "pitfall." Wale also expresses his disdain for those who judge him and claims that he needs no guidance. He is confident in his abilities and refuses to be held back by anyone. Wale continues to showcase his immense wealth, stating that the women who couldn't get a drink out of him before now need Pilates to even handle his wallet. He compares himself to Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, proclaiming himself a modern-day interpretation of the infamous character. Wale also talks about his sneaker game, highlighting the importance of Foamposites in the sneaker community, adding that if "you ain't got em, then you penny-loafing." In the second verse, the rapper brings a different energy, rapping about the ruthless environment he grew up in, where babies become shooters and people speak foolishly. He's critical of other artists in the industry, who may be good at making music but lack fashion sensibilities. Wale asserts that he's always ahead of the curve and trendsetting despite his less impressive debut. He advises listeners to prioritize their hustle, not just focus on relationships or love interests, and ultimately implies he has no interest in interacting with law enforcement.
Line by Line Meaning
I try to tell them I'm one of the best thinkers of this class, I mean, I feel like
He believes he is one of the smartest people in the room.
Yeah, I'mma let the chips fall
He'll let everything play out and see what happens.
Niggas is Kemba Walker tryna see me pitfall
He feels like people are just waiting for him to fail.
Niggas is starring like a synagogue, think about it
People are looking at him intently like they're in a religious service.
Centerfold bitches prolly couldn't get a drink up out me
Even attractive women won't be able to get anything out of him easily.
They say I need some guidance
Others think he needs help or guidance.
But I think they need a stylist
He thinks those who criticize him need to fix their own style or approach.
Bitch you should see my wallet
He has a lot of money.
This bitch gonna need Pilate's
Someone who is with him will need to exercise.
And you can't see Folarin
Nobody can see him as himself.
What the fuck are you, retarded?
He's insultingly questioning someone's intelligence.
I ain't hugging the corner, but I hustle so enormous
He doesn't hang out on the street corner, but he's still a successful hustler.
A modern day Goodfella, I'm Ray Liotta
He's like the main character of the movie Goodfellas.
Loud smoking so pass the L like a semicolon
He's smoking weed so loudly that it's like a pause in conversation.
The Bentley is rented but I got many chauffers
He's renting a Bentley but has many drivers.
Foamposites if you ain't got em then you penny-loafing!
If you don't have the latest shoes, you're cheap.
Under-rated that's temporarily for the moment
He's underrated right now but not for long.
Only marry your woman if mama cold as Willona
A man should only marry a woman if her mother is strong and independent.
See, I'm second to no one
He believes he's one of a kind and better than anyone else.
I'm the messenger-poet
He's a messenger delivering messages through music and lyrics.
They slowly showin they colors
People are revealing their true selves.
They music good but they bogus
Other people have good music but are fake.
Wale
Referring to himself in the third person.
They talkin
People are talking about him.
Talkin bout Folarin
People are talking about him using his real name.
Verse two gon be fuckin with verse one
His second verse is going to be just as good as the first.
Especially when you're writing shit that can never be done, Joe!
He's writing hard material that other people wouldn't be able to do.
That Kevin Love flow
He has a good rapping flow like a basketball player (Kevin Love).
Bored of the shooters
He's tired of people who are aggressive.
My women be in the newest
His women always have the latest fashion.
Yo bitches should buy a loofah
His women aren't clean enough and should scrub themselves with a loofah.
Where I'm from they is ruthless
People from his hometown are unforgiving and dangerous.
Babies turn into shooters
Even young children are violent and dangerous.
Crazy talking and foolish
People talk and act crazy without thinking it through.
You catch a shell like a Koopa
You'll get shot like a character from Super Mario Bros. (Koopa Troopa).
And I don't give a fuck, see my bitches is Kama Sutra
He doesn't care what people think because he has great sex with his women.
One of them bitches is cute, the rest of them congruent
One of his women is attractive, but the others are similar in appearance.
Why you talking my nigga? Just go and do it
Stop talking and just take action.
Niggas awful at dressing, they just aight at music
People dress poorly and only make decent music.
I'm trend-setting, despite of a awful debut
Despite a bad start, he's still creating new trends and styles.
Still got me another deal because any nigga in music
Even with a bad debut, he still managed to get another recording deal.
The remedy is get your hustle on
The solution to any problem is to work hard and hustle.
Fuck a broad unless you love a broad
Don't have sex with someone unless you really care about them.
Well in that case, brother, then love her hard
If you do love her, love her strongly and passionately.
Put my trust in my dog
He trusts his close friends like they're his dogs (loyal and dependable).
Put my trust in my God
In addition to his friends, he trusts in a higher power.
'Less you Stabler and Benson, I don't fuck with the law
He doesn't trust or like law enforcement, except for two TV detectives (from Law & Order).
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: A. PARKER, AUTHOR UNKNOWN COMPOSER, MARK HENRY, OLUBOWALE VICTOR AKINTIMEHIN, TREY WALKER JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind