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
Effortless
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, can we create something?
Don't leave me wondering, 'cause you're so
Effortless, girl, the way you glow
So effortless, yeah, that's why I love you
You got me shook up, shook up, shook up, shook up off your lovin'
So effortless, so effortless
Folarin, hol' up
Never trust a big butt and a smile
I been sippin' poison that's brown
I've been here, but I've been low key
Can't nobody say they've seen me around
I got circumstances that got my circumference workin' backwards
My circle's small as a barber shop in a Rasta mansion
Lockin' with you as I unravel the possibilities
When not with you I just miss your body, I got your energy
Gucci startin' to bore you ain't it
You rather patience and conversation
She mature, but she still a baby
'Cause she get a check but still check my pages
'Cause you're so effortless, girl, the way you glow
So effortless, yeah, that's why I love you
You got me shook up, shook up, shook up, shook up off your lovin'
So effortless, so effortless
Would you rather me put in work or be shy, baby?
Would you rather me say you're perfect and lie, baby?
Write my name up in cursive between your thighs baby
Would you rather me thirsty and you dehydrated?
I got the feelin' I'm catchin' feelings I can't fade 'em
Casual love is innocent but to care is fatal, uh
It's embarrassing carin' for some people
The heart you wear that's on your sleeve is there to mislead 'em, uh
I know I'm petty and immature and I know
I've been hurt before shouldn't be the source of my cold heart
Maybe shawty could be the first
To show me how to love on a level where effort doesn't work
'Cause you're so effortless, girl, the way you glow
So effortless, yeah, that's why I love you
You got me shook up, shook up, shook up, shook up off your lovin'
So effortless, so effortless
I wanted to see it, your natural beauty
Are you even real?
Are you doin' this to me?
You're my favorite thrill
And there is no rush
But I think the universe is speaking to us
'Cause you're so effortless, girl, the way you glow
So effortless, yeah, that's why I love you
You got me shook up, shook up, shook up, shook up off your lovin'
So effortless, so effortless
In Wale's song "Effortless," he expresses his love and admiration for a woman who seems to effortlessly capture his heart. He acknowledges her beauty and how it effortlessly affects him. He mentions how he has been low-key and out of sight, but that her presence has reinvigorated him. He also admits how he struggles with vulnerability and caring for others due to past hurt. Additionally, he questions whether he should put in more effort or hold back and let things flow naturally.
As the song continues, Wale sings about the woman's natural beauty and how it fascinates him. He acknowledges that they have a mutual attraction and seems to be waiting for the universe to confirm it. The chorus continuously repeats its theme of the woman's effortless charm, and how it captures his heart.
This song showcases Wale's vulnerability in love, and how meeting the right woman can inspire personal growth. It highlights how simple yet meaningful moments can affect someone deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
Effortlessly so stunning
Your beauty is natural and effortless.
Baby, can we create something?
Can we do something together?
Don't leave me wondering, 'cause you're so
Don't leave me guessing.
Effortless, girl, the way you glow
Your shine is natural and effortless.
So effortless, yeah, that's why I love you
Your effortless beauty is what makes me love you.
You got me shook up, shook up, shook up, shook up off your lovin'
Your love has shaken me to my core.
Folarin, hol' up
Wait a minute, listen up.
Never trust a big butt and a smile
Don't trust someone based on looks alone.
I been sippin' poison that's brown
I've been drinking alcohol.
I've been here, but I've been low key
I've been around, but not drawing attention to myself.
Can't nobody say they've seen me around
No one can confirm seeing me around.
I got circumstances that got my circumference workin' backwards
My problems have got me going in circles.
My circle's small as a barber shop in a Rasta mansion
I only have a few close friends.
Lockin' with you as I unravel the possibilities
Being with you has opened up new possibilities.
When not with you I just miss your body, I got your energy
When you're not around, I miss your physical presence and your positive energy.
Gucci startin' to bore you ain't it
Designer clothes are getting boring for you, right?
You rather patience and conversation
You prefer taking time to have meaningful conversations.
She mature, but she still a baby
You're mature, but still young and learning.
'Cause she get a check but still check my pages
Even though she has her own money, she still checks up on me.
Would you rather me put in work or be shy, baby?
Do you want me to work to win you over or be reserved?
Would you rather me say you're perfect and lie, baby?
Do you want me to flatter you with lies?
Write my name up in cursive between your thighs baby
Can I write my name on your body?
Would you rather me thirsty and you dehydrated?
Do you want me to be too eager while you're not as interested?
I got the feelin' I'm catchin' feelings I can't fade 'em
I'm starting to fall for you and can't control my feelings.
Casual love is innocent but to care is fatal, uh
Being in a casual relationship can be harmless, but caring for someone can lead to heartbreak.
It's embarrassing carin' for some people
It can be embarrassing to show your feelings for certain people.
The heart you wear that's on your sleeve is there to mislead 'em, uh
Showing your emotions can sometimes mislead people into thinking you're more invested than you are.
I know I'm petty and immature and I know
I'm aware that I can be childish.
I've been hurt before shouldn't be the source of my cold heart
My past hurts shouldn't make me emotionally unavailable.
Maybe shawty could be the first
Maybe you could be the one to change that.
To show me how to love on a level where effort doesn't work
To teach me how to love without trying too hard.
I wanted to see it, your natural beauty
I wanted to see your beauty without enhancements.
Are you even real?
Is your beauty even real?
Are you doin' this to me?
Are you purposely being attractive to me?
You're my favorite thrill
Being with you is my favorite excitement.
And there is no rush
There's no need to hurry.
But I think the universe is speaking to us
I feel like we're meant to be together.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O CAPASSO, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, Julian Kenneth Nixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Faith Watters
Wale is so slept on it's ridiculous!!!!
Rj Pati
MOST UNDERRATED ARTIST EVER!
9jaFanx
I LOVE WALE
OfficialMNIB
Effortless with the laid back flow - Good morning Wale fans - It's 05:41am here in Manchester, U.K & wherever you are in the world, good morning/afternoon/night - Peace - β
OfficialMNIB
You damn right - I used to live in Old Trafford too - Peace.
Hollywood Extra!
YOU BETTER BE A MAN UTD FAN BOY HAHAHA... S/O FROM KENYA G
Joe Coreano
Peace & love from the Westside!!!
south of Seattle & north of Portland...
Dukathole Brickworks Queenstown Gatehouse
Queenstown South africa evening fellasπ
b dp
OfficialMNIB US... Near Washington DC
TheDirtyBird_ 11
Wale is so unappreciated. Ahead of our time.