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
Limitless
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And real niggas gon see your end fore they see your limit
Don't be with too many
I never came in this business to provide me with friendship
I'd probably trade in some millions if I could make a difference
Swear to y'all it's hard to shake this feeling
Naked women at the venue in here for tuition
With the rhyming I'm more MacGyver than all my rivals
I made something out of nothing I'm nada just like you
You damn roight this rap roids Jose Canseco
I meet a wholesome girl I fuck her and turn her out psycho
Psycho killer M Bison psycho crush driller
Isn't it amazing how I do it though
Africa to capital and pop up with a crew of zoles
My diversity certainly why I'm recommended
I prolly triple my gross by every September
Music got me feeling like heaven is secular
Cause all the girls that I be with look like angel but thicker
Without Lola we out Garfield goin' Odie
With rap performance of Forbes got me catching up Oprah
Passionate poet can adapt to the camera
You see rapping is showbiz they some talented actors
It be childish to diss 'em I just fuck all they bitches
Most niggas set up a war just to ask for forgiveness
Look only way that we gon ever speaking
Even in on everything I'm bout as loud as middle finger
Nah nigga we won't ever speak
Cause niggas telling everywhere they deadly with that trigger finger
You'll never fall when you null and void to their opinions
And real niggas gon see your end fore they see your limit
Don't be with too many
I never came in this business to provide me with friendship
I'd probably trade in some millions if I could make a difference
Swear to y'all it's hard to shake this feeling
Weed smoking on the tour bus
Daydreaming looking out the window just the two of us
Another city look at outer space
Traveling in dreams while the stars seem to pass away
I never knew a love like this one
Cell phone ringing and I'm wondering what this bitch wants
I take another hit and she gets voicemail
I get lost inside of me as I exhale
All my niggas in the front see
And shit they never see get any bit they could ever want
The money's hella cool I miss my family doe
The loneliness this Hennessy's the only antidote
It's on to the good turn some jams on
Funkadelic bumping through the speakers on my headphones
Not just knee deep hearing it through Dre Beats
Mesmerize the G as the bassline invades me
You'll never fall when you null and void to their opinions
And real niggas gon see your end fore they see your limit
Don't be with too many
I never came in this business to provide me with friendship
I'd probably trade in some millions if I could make a difference
Swear to y'all it's hard to shake this feeling
In "Limitless", Wale talks about success and the downsides that come with it. He suggests that in order to truly succeed, one must ignore the opinions of others and remain true to oneself. He also touches on the loneliness that comes with success and how it can be challenging even with all the trappings of fame. Wale also touches on the dark side of the industry where women sell themselves for tuition and people use their vices to escape their problems. He mentions the hardships of feeling helpless when wanting to create positive change and how hard it is to shake those feelings.
Overall, "Limitless" speaks to the challenges of succeeding in the music industry and how to navigate through those obstacles. The song compels the listener to think beyond the bright lights and highlights the real cost of success.
Line by Line Meaning
You'll never fall when you null and void to their opinions
If you don't let other people's opinions affect you, you won't fail.
And real niggas gon see your end fore they see your limit
True friends will support you forever and see your potential before your limits.
Don't be with too many
It's important to have a close-knit circle of friends.
I never came in this business to provide me with friendship
Wale didn't start his music career to make friends.
I'd probably trade in some millions if I could make a difference
Money isn't everything, and Wale would give up some of his wealth to make an impact.
Swear to y'all it's hard to shake this feeling
Wale is struggling to overcome a certain emotion or situation.
Weed smoking on the tour bus
Wale and his crew are smoking weed on their tour bus.
Daydreaming looking out the window just the two of us
Wale is lost in thought, gazing out the window with someone.
Another city look at outer space
Wale is in a new city and feels like he's in outer space.
Traveling in dreams while the stars seem to pass away
As Wale travels, he's lost in his own thoughts and dreams.
I never knew a love like this one
Wale is experiencing a new kind of love.
Cell phone ringing and I'm wondering what this bitch wants
Wale is annoyed by a woman calling him.
I take another hit and she gets voicemail
Wale ignores the call and takes another hit of weed.
I get lost inside of me as I exhale
Smoking weed allows Wale to escape his reality and enter his own mind.
All my niggas in the front see
Wale's friends see everything he's going through.
And shit they never see get any bit they could ever want
Wale and his friends are getting everything they want, even if it's unexpected.
The money's hella cool I miss my family doe
Although Wale enjoys the money he's making, he misses his family.
The loneliness this Hennessy's the only antidote
Wale uses alcohol to cope with his feelings of loneliness.
It's on to the good turn some jams on
Wale puts on some music to lift his spirits.
Funkadelic bumping through the speakers on my headphones
Wale is listening to Funkadelic on his headphones.
Not just knee deep hearing it through Dre Beats
Wale is really into the music, even listening to it on high-quality headphones.
Mesmerize the G as the bassline invades me
The music is so good that it captivates and moves Wale.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lionbeard09
Such an underrated song...classic
GRVMBINO SCOTT
Wale is really gifted when it come to them sly puns and stanzas .
Dutty Boukman
Face is a down south slept on legend... str8 making a track bleed.... another life dude would’ve been a blues singer
DeSean Gardner
Scarface really snapped
Chris Cothron
Scarface snapped
Adonis Downey
gives us Goosebumps
David Maddox
id prolly trade in some millions if i can make a difference! #Wale classic
Dutty Boukman
Dope track... FaceMob a str8 legend ... Wale nice wit it 2
John Doe
Still bumpin this jam
ickyshuffleonem
Still lyrically great...Facemooooob!!!