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
LoveHate Thing
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heal my heart, hurt my soul
Build me up, break me down
Make me smile, make me frown
Give me love, take it all away again
Give me love, take it all away again
Yea, ain't no love in the heart of city, that's what they told me
Son of a mother studying at UDC
Sitting in taxi cabs, where daddy roaming the streets
Seven hallelujahs, my sutana was clean
On everything I weared all the America's tees
This whole system the most prolific in the DMV
Listen when you get the keys to sell em you don't get the beef
Make a nigga wanna get the piece to get the peace
You gon' need more than Wikipedia to get to me
PG to Mo County bet they all know about me
Every hood, every 'burb, I got superb balance
From the city that made me love you forever for it
Hope you celebrate every moment forever ignore it
You made me what I am, you made me what I'm not
They gon' love you a little different when you at the top
Give me love, baby
Not enough, not enough, just a touch, baby
What the fuck, baby? It's just us, baby
This ain't right, this is life
This a love hate thing
Give me love, baby
Not enough, not enough, just a touch, baby
What the fuck, baby? It's just us, baby
This ain't right, this is life
This a love hate thing
Hold me tight, let me go
Heal my heart, hurt my soul
Build me up, break me down
Make me smile, make me frown
Give me love, take it all away again
Give me love, take it all away again
Yeah, my affinity grows as the city gets cold
As you reaching your goals, you gon' meet you some foes
Having dinner with Leonsis I'm dreaming to own
But for now me and my homies see the bottom floor
I'm trying to redefine the culture, and a bigger soul
Women in town but I manifestating every goal
I see potential in John, talk to him once a week
Media targeting our city in This Week
I lost a lot of friends, and they ain't even dead
When I was on my way up why you ain't see the stairs
Lord father if I opted to follow them
My heart would tear from my dreams let me know that you here
And it's rare when I'm anywhere with too many heads
Niggas jealous and never tell it until they stare?
How could you blame us envy
We do the same thing for a living
Know the same niggas but they all commend me
Champagne I'mma spill it until we all fill up
Maybe it stopped me from giving a fuck about opinions
Probably not but I'm temperorary out of fizucks
So tell the post to leave propaganda to politicians
Hold me tight, let me go
Heal my heart, hurt my soul
Build me up, break me down
Make me smile, make me frown
Give me love, take it all away again
Give me love, take it all away again
Wale's LoveHate Thing is a song that is both about love and hate. It's a song about a love-hate relationship and the complicated emotions that come with it. The song features lyrics that express the desire for love, but also the fear of losing it. The chorus repeats, "Give me love, baby. Not enough, not enough, just a touch, baby. What the fuck, baby? It's just us, baby. This ain't right, this is life. This a love-hate thing." This repeated phrase reflects the feelings of both desire and confusion that often come with a love-hate relationship.
The first verse tells a story of a man who is struggling to find his place in the world. He has been told that there is no love in the heart of the city, and he is beefing with people he doesn't even know. He is the son of a mother studying at UDC and spends his time in taxi cabs while his father roams the streets. Through it all, he wears American tees and is proud to be from the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area. He raps about trying to redefine the culture and manifesting his goals while dealing with jealousy and envy from others.
The second verse builds on the theme of ambition and overcoming obstacles in order to achieve success. Wale talks about his dreams of owning his own business and reaching the top of his industry. He acknowledges the challenges he faces in this journey, including losing friends and dealing with jealousy. Throughout the song, he expresses the highs and lows of his career, and the love-hate relationship he has with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold me tight, let me go
I want you to be close to me, but I also need my space.
Heal my heart, hurt my soul
You have the power to make me feel better, but you can also hurt me.
Build me up, break me down
You have the ability to lift me up and make me feel confident, but you can also tear me down and make me feel worthless.
Make me smile, make me frown
You have an effect on my emotions, making me happy or sad depending on how you treat me.
Give me love, take it all away again
You can show me affection and care, but then suddenly withdraw it and leave me feeling empty.
Yea, ain't no love in the heart of city, that's what they told me
People have warned me that the city is cold and unloving.
Beefing over 100 niggas, don't none of 'em know me
There are many people fighting and causing drama, even though they don't know me personally.
Son of a mother studying at UDC
I am the child of a mother who is studying at the University of the District of Columbia.
Sitting in taxi cabs, where daddy roaming the streets
While sitting in taxis, I see my father walking around the streets.
Seven hallelujahs, my sutana was clean
I have received praise, and my choir robe (sutana) is clean.
On everything I weared all the America's tees
I am proud to wear American t-shirts.
This whole system the most prolific in the DMV
The system in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) is highly productive.
Listen when you get the keys to sell em you don't get the beef
When you become successful, you also become a target for hate and criticism.
Make a nigga wanna get the piece to get the peace
The violence and conflict make me want to arm myself in order to find some peace.
You gon' need more than Wikipedia to get to me
You can't just look up information about me on Wikipedia - you'll need to get to know me on a personal level.
PG to Mo County bet they all know about me
From Prince George's County to Montgomery County, people know who I am.
Every hood, every 'burb, I got superb balance
I am respected in every neighborhood and suburb, and I maintain a good reputation.
From the city that made me love you forever for it
I love my hometown and will always be grateful for what it has given me.
Hope you celebrate every moment forever ignore it
I hope you enjoy and appreciate every moment, even if you don't realize it at the time.
You made me what I am, you made me what I'm not
My experiences in my hometown have shaped me into the person I am today, but there are also aspects of myself that I don't recognize or agree with.
They gon' love you a little different when you at the top
People's feelings towards you will change when you become successful and famous.
Give me love, baby
I want you to show me affection and care.
Not enough, not enough, just a touch, baby
The love you give me is not sufficient.
What the fuck, baby? It's just us, baby
Why are we fighting? It's just the two of us together.
This ain't right, this is life
This relationship is difficult, but that's just how life is sometimes.
This a love hate thing
Our relationship is full of both love and hate.
Yeah, my affinity grows as the city gets cold
The colder the city becomes, the more I am drawn to it and fall in love with it.
As you reaching your goals, you gon' meet you some foes
As you become more successful, you will encounter more enemies and people who want to bring you down.
Having dinner with Leonsis I'm dreaming to own
I am having dinner with Ted Leonsis, and I dream of one day owning what he does (likely a sports team, as Leonsis is a sports team owner).
But for now me and my homies see the bottom floor
Right now, I am still working my way up, and my friends and I are still at the bottom of the ladder.
I'm trying to redefine the culture, and a bigger soul
I am working to change the culture of my city, and I want to expand my own soul and become a better person.
Women in town but I manifestating every goal
There are many women in the city, but I am focused on achieving my goals.
I see potential in John, talk to him once a week
I see potential in my friend John, and we speak once a week to discuss his progress.
Media targeting our city in This Week
The media is focusing on our city in their coverage this week.
I lost a lot of friends, and they ain't even dead
I have lost friends because of the negative effects of success on our relationships, even though they are still alive and well.
When I was on my way up why you ain't see the stairs
When I was working hard to achieve my goals and become successful, why didn't you notice or support me?
Lord father if I opted to follow them
If I had chosen to follow my friends who have turned their backs on me, I would have been very unhappy.
My heart would tear from my dreams let me know that you here
I would feel devastated and crushed if I had to give up on my dreams and goals, but knowing that God is with me helps me to keep going.
And it's rare when I'm anywhere with too many heads
I don't like to be in large groups with too many people.
Niggas jealous and never tell it until they stare?
People are often jealous of me, but they won't admit it to my face - instead, they just give me dirty looks.
How could you blame us envy
I can't really blame people for being jealous of me.
We do the same thing for a living
We are both in the same line of work, so why can't we just support each other?
Know the same niggas but they all commend me
We have mutual friends, but they all speak highly of me and my work.
Champagne I'mma spill it until we all fill up
I am going to celebrate and share my success with everyone around me.
Maybe it stopped me from giving a fuck about opinions
Focusing on my own success has helped me to stop caring about what other people think.
Probably not but I'm temperorary out of fizucks
I probably still care about other people's opinions, but for now I am trying to put those thoughts aside.
Lyrics Β© NUNG RIVER PUBLISHING
Written by: Ralph Victor Folarin, Sam Drew
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@katlynconley3186
Hold me tight, let me go
Heal my heart, hurt my soul
Build me up, break me down
Make me smile, make me frown
Give me love, take it all away again
Give me love, take it all away again
Yea, ain't no love in the heart of city, that's what they told me
Beefing over 100 niggas, don't none of 'em know me
Son of a mother studying at UDC
Sitting in taxi cabs, where daddy roaming the streets
Seven hallelujahs, my sutana was clean
On everything I weared all the America's tees
This whole system the most prolific in the DMV
Listen when you get the keys to sell em you don't get the beef
Make a nigga wanna get the piece to get the peace
You gon' need more than Wikipedia to get to me
PG to Mo County bet they all know about me
Every hood, every 'burb, I got superb balance
From the city that made me love you forever for it
Hope you celebrate every moment forever ignore it
You made me what I am, you made me what I'm not
They gon' love you a little different when you at the top
Give me love, baby
Not enough, not enough, just a touch, baby
What the fuck, baby? It's just us, baby
This ain't right, this is life
This a love hate thing
Give me love, baby
Not enough, not enough, just a touch, baby
What the fuck, baby? It's just us, baby
This ain't right, this is life
This a love hate thing
Hold me tight, let me go
Heal my heart, hurt my soul
Build me up, break me down
Make me smile, make me frown
Give me love, take it all away again
Give me love, take it all away again
Yeah, my affinity grows as the city gets cold
As you reaching your goals, you gon' meet you some foes
Having dinner with Leonsis I'm dreaming to own
But for now me and my homies see the bottom floor
I'm trying to redefine the culture, and a bigger soul
Women in town but I manifestating every goal
I see potential in John, talk to him once a week
Media targeting our city in This Week
I lost a lot of friends, and they ain't even dead
When I was on my way up why you ain't see the stairs
Lord father if I opted to follow them
My heart would tear from my dreams let me know that you here
And it's rare when I'm anywhere with too many heads
Niggas jealous and never tell it until they stare?
How could you blame us envy
We do the same thing for a living
Know the same niggas but they all commend me
Champagne I'mma spill it until we all fill up
Maybe it stopped me from giving a fuck about opinions
Probably not but I'm temperorary out of fizucks
So tell the post to leave propaganda to politicians
Hold me tight, let me go
Heal my heart, hurt my soul
Build me up, break me down
Make me smile, make me frown
Give me love, take it all away again
Give me love, take it all away again
@kendraathemuaa
Anybody still listening to this in 2023?
@leighjosias1180
Right here
@pegak.4552
"I lost a lot of friends and they ain't even dead" realest punchline
@amatullahmclaurin9116
Real talk
@phyllismceady5898
Yes dat part tho ππΏ
@mateaukalua4426
2 of my friends did pass away. π₯²One by suicide the other by homicide.
@RODERICKCalhoun
@@phyllismceady5898 deadddRdADae43Γ¨wwwe4es3 poo ok
@kimberlyt.2981
That's so real!!
@vikkivibes5257
It's that Marvin Gaye background for me coupled with Sam Dew's crooning, and the raw rap by Wale. This is, was and will ALWAYS BE A BONAFIDE CLASSIC, hands down! π
@idyllwind1443
Absolutely! I work with Teenagers for a living and this is one of the songs I often show them. Gotta teach them what masterpieces sound like! β€οΈ