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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Let It Go
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I told you once but I know
You've got to let it go
I told you once baby
I told you once but I know
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
I already told you
Look, okay
Okay, my heart been cold
Okay, my watch is cold
But I know what time we on
'Cause only one of them broken
Hey love, they say all good things don't last
Hey love, how can I bang you for my past?
Situation got me thinking crazy
Maybe 'cause you've been too clingy lately
Maybe I should make my motto 'let somebody meet my flaws and teach me patience' I dunno
It's a thing I'm saying
'Cause we all got hurt, but we don't heal the same and I dunno
It's a thing I'm thinking
Would you rather heartbreak or not feel a thing
See I dunno
I told you once baby
I told you once but I know
You've got to let it go
I told you once baby
I told you once but I know
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
I already told you what I know
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
I already told you
Look shawty
Don't wait on me, or be lowkey
Girl either way I'ma be lonely
'Cause I know me
Sometimes I be
My own way when nobody love me
I got some big shows
I'm tryna figure out
I'm boutta get signed the fourth time in a row
Plus I'm heavily flawed, God designed me a little different
The ways of eyes with my mind and my heartache
And I hate to break your heart, or waste your time, for the time I'm sorry
But I think relationships should all be asked
We all get on and off in timely order
How many waves did you sail?
How many done rock your boat?
Nevermind that ain't my business
Lemme find out I'm insecure
I told you once baby
I told you once but I know
You've got to let it go
I told you once baby
I told you once but I know
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
I already told you what I know
You've got to let it go
You've got to let it go
I already told you
The lyrics to Wale's song Let It Go seem to talk about the need to let go of past hurts in order to move forward in a relationship. The opening repeated line urges the listener to let go of something they've been holding onto. The singer then goes on to talk about his own internal struggles and how he has been hurt in the past. He seems to be seeking a relationship that allows for imperfections and flaws, where each person can learn from one another. The verse about being heavily flawed suggests that the singer is aware that he is not perfect and perhaps needs someone who can accept him for who he is, rather than trying to change him.
The chorus repeats the same message, emphasizing the need to let things go and move on. The verse about getting signed the fourth time in a row shows that the singer is busy and focused on his career, which may make it difficult to maintain a relationship. However, he seems to be acknowledging that relationships can be messy and imperfect, and that both parties need to be willing to work on themselves and accept each other's flaws.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that in order to have a healthy relationship, one must be willing to let go of past hurts and be open to learning from each other's flaws and imperfections. The repeated chorus emphasizes the need to let go of the past and move forward in a relationship, suggesting that this is a key ingredient for success.
Line by Line Meaning
I told you once baby
I've expressed this to you before
I told you once but I know
I've mentioned it before, but I understand why you might still be holding on
You've got to let it go
It's time to move on from this situation
You've got to let it go
It bears repeating; you have to release this
I already told you what I know
The advice I provided is what I'm certain about
You've got to let it go
It's imperative that you release this
You've got to let it go
I know it's difficult, but you must move forward
I already told you
I've already provided guidance on this matter
Okay, my heart been cold
I've been emotionally distant and unresponsive
Okay, my watch is cold
Even my accessories lack warmth and feeling
But I know what time we on
Despite my detachment, I know what's going on and where we stand
'Cause only one of them broken
Out of the two of us, I'm the only one who's damaged
Hey love, they say all good things don't last
I've heard the adage that good things come to an end
Hey love, how can I bang you for my past?
How can I punish you for something that happened in my past and has nothing to do with you?
Situation got me thinking crazy
The situation is making me feel irrational and erratic
Maybe 'cause you've been too clingy lately
Perhaps it's because you've been too dependent on me recently
Maybe I should make my motto 'let somebody meet my flaws and teach me patience' I dunno
Perhaps my new approach should be to allow someone to see my imperfections and help me learn to be more patient
It's a thing I'm saying
I'm just putting this idea out there
'Cause we all got hurt, but we don't heal the same and I dunno
Everyone experiences pain, but we all recover differently and I'm not sure how this will end for us
It's a thing I'm thinking
This is just something on my mind
Would you rather heartbreak or not feel a thing
Do you prefer to go through the pain of a breakup or to never feel anything at all?
See I dunno
I don't have the answer
Look shawty
Hey, girl
Don't wait on me, or be lowkey
Don't expect too much from me, and don't be too quiet about your feelings
Girl either way I'ma be lonely
Regardless of what happens between us, I'll still feel alone
'Cause I know me
I'm familiar with my own tendencies and patterns
Sometimes I be
Occasionally, I am
My own way when nobody love me
I do things my way when I feel like no one cares about me
I got some big shows
I have some significant performances coming up
I'm tryna figure out
I'm attempting to sort out
I'm boutta get signed the fourth time in a row
I'm going to secure a record deal for the fourth time in a row
Plus I'm heavily flawed, God designed me a little different
Additionally, I have many imperfections, but I believe God created me uniquely
The ways of eyes with my mind and my heartache
The way I see things with my eyes differs from the way I process them emotionally and mentally
And I hate to break your heart, or waste your time, for the time I'm sorry
I don't want to hurt you or waste your time; I apologize for that
But I think relationships should all be asked
I believe that all romantic partnerships should come with questions and scrutiny
We all get on and off in timely order
We all enter and exit relationships at the right time for us
How many waves did you sail?
How many emotional ups and downs have you experienced?
How many done rock your boat?
How many of those have completely thrown you off course?
Nevermind that ain't my business
Actually, it's not my place to ask those questions
Lemme find out I'm insecure
I hope I'm not unintentionally revealing my own insecurities by asking those questions
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, Miles Franklin, Money
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brother
This been my shit since it dropped 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Matthew Bbounpraseuthh
I wanna know the vocalist for the hook . Wale something special. Often deep, sometimes more simple but his flow is easy to listen to, sometimes he wanna dance & pop it but most of all he is so accepting of how this generation is when it comes to love & relationships . Any young adult at some point can relate to situations or things he's rapped about. Wale my fav rapper hands down .
Torrence Williams
Nora Van Ellen I Told You
sterlyn lebron
I've been listening to wale for over 6 years and they still sleeping on him, wtf is wrong with people's ears. He's way better than all of the mumble rappers that have received more recognition than he have. He needs some and all the fucking credits because this is some real good story telling and rap art he makes but I guess he's just too good for people to get it. It just keeps going over their heads and I don't blame them for listening to the crappy rap they call "music" but it's just all scrambled words that you won't get or understand anything positive from it. Wale falorin, j Cole, Kendrick, and logic are the best conscious rappers in the game for the past 10 years and now Russ is coming up. #falorin #jcole #coleworld #logic #russ 🐐🐐🐐🐐 much love and peace for y'all.
Giovanni junior
stanley lebron It's because; Intelligence.
OfficialMNIB
Such a talented musician✌
Merlot The Great
“OK my heart been cold
Ok my watch is cold
But I know time we on
Cause only one of them’s broken”
🔥🔥🔥 wale I missed you
Yong Lightning
I'll never let go of this heat T.T
Lemesanjambi Sheba
It really shocks me how some people don't like this side of Wale... Like how can you not???
GrillFunkTV
Great song! Repeat non stop :)