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
Flat Out
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What’s your set bout’
Me and my niggas, we flat out x4
[Verse 1: Wale]
Told you niggas, “Do not fuck with us”
Hope you niggas do not fuck with us
You caught feelings cause I caught her attention,
Shoutout to my brothers, doe
Quote me too
You goin’ make some haters when you love a ho
Heart is the line, God bless my soul
Profit of my infectious flow
Pardon if my vocab ain’t good
But the school I was in ain’t have no books
These rap niggas never had me shook
I ain’t from a town that is ran by crooks
Get the work from out of town for the money and the power
Niggas steppin’ on the powder like it’s athlete foot
Know y’all got, come get at me first
Little nigga better act your worth
Understand niggas got to be heard
Why the fuck niggas got to be heard
[Hook:]
[Verse 2 - Trinidad James]
I usually don’t do freestyles
My style ain’t free, nigga
Fresh from head to toe
I said fly from the feet up
I said, you’re looking for a real nigga
Bitch, look up and you’ll see us
You lookin’ for your bitch, nigga
Don’t look up, she with Jesus
I said hallelujah, bitch pop the pussy
So she raise her hands and pop the pussy
I’m with Wale, that’s mmg
Now Molly make her go woo
And that money make me show out
My grind wasn’t blacked out
Real nigga, don’t do handouts
My mama crib my stashhouse
In the Yeezy box, nigga oh Lawd
Nigga Ziploc and my Concordes
Tell the Feds I don’t give a fuck
I’m the man now, I’m the man now
And that’s dc to the A town
I said dc to the A town
And when I fuck, niggas, that’s hands down
But in dc, they say flat out
[Hook:]
The lyrics to Wale's "Flat Out" are a combination of braggadocio and insight into the rapper's life. The hook is performed by Trinidad James, repeating the phrase "What's your set bout' / Me and my niggas, we flat out" multiple times. The term "flat out" refers to going all out, with no reservations or holding back. In the first verse, Wale warns his rivals not to mess with him and his crew. He boasts about catching the attention of a woman and making her leave on a flight after a sexual encounter. He gives a shoutout to his "brothers" and acknowledges that loving a woman can bring haters. He talks about his heart being on the line and acknowledges his infectious flow, even if his vocabulary is not up to par. This is followed by a reference to his upbringing in a school without books and an assertion of his fearlessness when it comes to other rappers. Wale then raps about being from a town that is not controlled by criminals and his experiences in acquiring money and power. He also leaves a message to young rappers to act their worth while also understanding that everyone needs to be heard.
Line by Line Meaning
Told you niggas, 'Do not fuck with us'
I warned you not to mess with us
Hope you niggas do not fuck with us
I sincerely hope you won't make the mistake of messing with us
You caught feelings cause I caught her attention,
You got jealous because I got the attention of the woman you were interested in
She caught a flight after I caught a nut (whoa!)
She left town after we had sex
Shoutout to my brothers, doe
Shoutout to my close friends
Quote me too
I agree with what I just said
You goin’ make some haters when you love a ho
People will criticize you if you love someone they consider immoral
Heart is the line, God bless my soul
My heart is my foundation, may God protect me
Profit of my infectious flow
I make money from my captivating rap style
Pardon if my vocab ain’t good
I apologize if my vocabulary is not impressive
But the school I was in ain’t have no books
The school I attended didn't have enough resources for proper education
These rap niggas never had me shook
I'm not intimidated by other rappers
I ain’t from a town that is ran by crooks
I come from a place with a trustworthy community
Get the work from out of town for the money and the power
I go out of my town to do business for the sake of profit and influence
Niggas steppin’ on the powder like it’s athlete foot
People are casually walking over illegal drugs like it's no big deal
Know y’all got, come get at me
If you have a problem with me, come confront me directly
Little nigga better act your worth
Young man, you should behave according to your actual value
Understand niggas got to be heard
I recognize the need of some people to express themselves
I usually don’t do freestyles
I typically don't perform improvisational rap
My style ain’t free, nigga
My unique rap style is not for anyone to copy
Fresh from head to toe
I am well-dressed and groomed
I said fly from the feet up
My shoes make me look good from head to toe
You lookin’ for your bitch, nigga, Don’t look up, she with Jesus
If you're searching for your woman, don't bother, she's not with me, she's dead
I’m with Wale, that’s mmg, Now Molly make her go woo
I am affiliated with Wale's music group, and drugs make the woman I'm with feel good
And that money make me show out
I flaunt my wealth to make a statement
My grind wasn’t blacked out
I worked hard and never gave up despite difficult times
Real nigga, don’t do handouts
A truly authentic person doesn't give away handouts to others
My mama crib my stashhouse, In the Yeezy box, nigga oh Lawd
I keep my valuables at my mom's house, including my stash of drugs, which is hidden in a box for Kanye West's shoes
Nigga Ziploc and my Concordes
I store my drugs in a plastic bag and I love my Air Jordan 11 sneakers
Tell the Feds I don’t give a fuck
I don't care if law enforcement authorities find out about my illegal activities
I’m the man now, I’m the man now
I am a dominant and respected figure in my community
And that’s dc to the A town, I said dc to the A town
I represent Washington DC and Atlanta, Georgia in my music and lifestyle
And when I fuck, niggas, that’s hands down
I am very skilled in the act of sex, no one can compete with me
But in dc, they say flat out
In Washington DC, they express agreement by saying 'flat out'
Contributed by Eva G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.