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
Mirrors
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since all these other niggas g-g-gimmicks l-l-lyrics
Its all gun bustin, its such a lack of the subject.
C-could I be that nigga rejuvinatin' l-lovers
D-d-d-did I stutter the missing piece of the puzzle
Feel like the only rapper that look at you with no trouble
Its easy on TV make them believe what they be seeing
M-mirrors never lie so they keep eyes up on they re-runs
Real recognize real, you need some IV's to be noticed tho
One of the coldest to mix pro-tools with your vocals
What the fans can't see that mm-mirror gon' notice back
Mirror mirror on the wall, who the realest of them all
That ain't hard, swear to God. These niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, Is it right, is it wrong?
It ain't hard, swear to God, these niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, who the realest of them all
That ain't hard, swear to God, these niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, Is it right, is it wrong?
It ain't hard, swear to God. These niggas ain't real at all
Say there Mr. Mirror, put yourself up to yourself and in
Just take a look at the reflection that's reflectin' in
Your own physical, superficial not spiritual
All the possessions you possess, and they can't keep your spirit full
You need to hear it fool, but you dont want to listen 'cause
You so f-full of your-s-self and you just sit and judge
You point em out, and call em up, and then s-sit em down
Then you put fertilizer, lyin', spread the shit around
But if you took a second Mr. Mirror, you would see
That you just mad at you man, you aint really mad at me
You took the hatred of yourself and just projected out
No disrespect, you can't respect yourself then just get out
For real, you need to go away just like the rain song
'Cause you f-frontin' and f-fakin' its just plain wrong
So Mr. Mirror, man I'm just gon' keep it G
If you can't look up at yourself,
How the fuck you lookin' at me, mane.
Mirror mirror on the wall, who the realest of them all
That ain't hard, swear to God, these niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, Is it right, is it wrong?
It is not hard, swear to God. These niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, who the realest of them all
That ain't hard, swear to God, these niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, Is it right, is it wrong?
It ain't hard, swear to God. These niggas ain't real at all
M-m-mirror, t-t-tell me she the realest.
I met her in the club and she wouldn't let me in it
S-seen her in a video, seen her in a magazine
See me I ain't frontin', we ain't see them titties last week
So far you nasty, ff-fuck you call that?
I call that insecure, sh-sh-shawty think she all that.
Ff-fuck outta here, that's how they gettin' gas
'09 Gold Diggers, walkin' with a different path
Find a dummy, wrap him up, let him fuck, suck him up
Gettin' good graces, take his money, aa-another one
No longer (Caffera?), Surgery and maskera
Looking at your money,
But c-can't look up in that mirror
Fearin' what it show you, reality is gold
Real recognize real, real women don't know you
One of the coldest, the gracing On that pole
What them tempers don't see,
I bet that mirror gon' show you.
Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the realest of them all
That ain't hard, swear to God, these niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, Is it right, is it wrong?
It ain't hard, swear to God. These niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the realest of them all
That ain't hard, swear to God, these niggas ain't real at all
Mirror mirror on the wall, Is it right, is it wrong?
It ain't hard, swear to God. These niggas ain't real at all
In Wale's song Mirrors, the rapper talks about how he is the realest among all other rappers who are just gimmicks with lackluster lyrics. He feels like he's the missing puzzle piece and one of the few rappers that look at things without trouble. Wale talks about how mirrors never lie and people keep their eyes on re-runs because they fear reality. He says that real people recognize real, but sometimes you need some sort of validation to be noticed. In the second verse, Wale talks to the mirror and tells it to take a look at itself, reflecting on its physical and superficial possessions that can't keep its spirit full. He calls out the mirror for projecting hatred and disrespect, but at the end of the day, it's just mad at itself. Wale tells the mirror that if it can't look at itself, then how can it look at him?
The overall meaning of the song is that Wale thinks he is the realist and most authentic rapper out there. He is calling out others in the industry who use gimmicks, fake personas, and superficial possessions to gain fame. Wale uses the metaphor of a mirror to show how people project their insecurities onto others and how society values the surface-level rather than deeper truths. The song encourages listeners to reflect and question themselves, calling for introspection and authenticity.
Line by Line Meaning
Mm-mirror tell me I'm the realest
Wale is asking the mirror if he is the realest artist he knows.
Since all these other niggas g-g-gimmicks l-l-lyrics
Wale thinks that other artists are fake and use gimmicks, unlike him.
Its all gun bustin, its such a lack of the subject.
Other artists only rap about guns and violence, which makes their lyrics lacking in substance.
C-could I be that nigga rejuvinatin' l-lovers
Wale is questioning if he is the artist that can bring back love songs in rap music.
D-d-d-did I stutter the missing piece of the puzzle
Wale is saying that he is the missing piece of the puzzle, as he can bring love songs back to rap music.
Feel like the only rapper that look at you with no trouble
Wale thinks that he is the only artist who can look at the mirror without feeling any trouble or guilt.
Its easy on TV make them believe what they be seeing
Artists can easily manipulate their image on television to make people believe what they want them to see.
M-mirrors never lie so they keep eyes up on they re-runs
Mirrors always show the truth, so people avoid looking at them, especially on reruns.
For fear of what you show them, reality is golden
People fear facing the truth because it could ruin their illusions, but in reality, it is always better to know the truth.
Real recognize real, you need some IV's to be noticed tho
Real people can recognize other real people, but it takes some effort to stand out and make a name for oneself in the music industry.
One of the coldest to mix pro-tools with your vocals
Wale is one of the best at mixing pro-tools with his vocals, which makes his music sound better.
What the fans can't see that mm-mirror gon' notice back
Fans cannot see the truth behind an artist's image, but the mirror will always reveal it.
Mirror mirror on the wall, who the realest of them all
Wale is asking the mirror who the realest artist is.
That ain't hard, swear to God. These niggas ain't real at all
The mirror reveals that other artists are not real and do not deserve to be called the realest.
Is it right, is it wrong?
Wale is questioning if his perception of other artists being fake is right or wrong.
Say there Mr. Mirror, put yourself up to yourself and in
Wale is asking the mirror to look at itself and see its true reflection.
Just take a look at the reflection that's reflectin' in
Wale is asking the mirror to see what it reflects.
Your own physical, superficial not spiritual
Wale is saying that the mirror only reflects a physical and superficial image, not a spiritual one.
All the possessions you possess, and they can't keep your spirit full
Wale is saying that material possessions cannot fulfill the spirit and soul of a person.
You need to hear it fool, but you dont want to listen 'cause
Wale is saying that people need to hear the truth, but they do not want to listen because it may go against what they believe.
You so f-full of your-s-self and you just sit and judge
Wale is calling out people who are full of themselves and constantly judge others.
You point em out, and call em up, and then s-sit em down
Wale is saying that people point out the mistakes of others and bring them down.
Then you put fertilizer, lyin', spread the shit around
Wale is saying that people spread lies and gossip, which only leads to a toxic environment.
But if you took a second Mr. Mirror, you would see
Wale is saying that if people took a second to look at themselves in the mirror, they would see their mistakes and flaws.
That you just mad at you man, you aint really mad at me
Wale is saying that people project their anger and hate on others when, in reality, they are just upset with themselves.
You took the hatred of yourself and just projected out
Wale is saying that people take their own self-hatred and project it onto others.
No disrespect, you can't respect yourself then just get out
Wale is saying that people who do not respect themselves should not be in his life.
For real, you need to go away just like the rain song
Wale is saying that people who do not respect themselves should leave his life, just like how the rain disappears after a storm.
'Cause you f-frontin' and f-fakin' its just plain wrong
Wale is saying that people who are fake and pretend to be someone they are not are doing something morally wrong.
So Mr. Mirror, man I'm just gon' keep it G
Wale is saying that he will always be himself, even when faced with reality.
If you can't look up at yourself, How the fuck you lookin' at me, mane.
Wale is saying that people who cannot face themselves should not judge him or anyone else.
M-m-mirror, t-t-tell me she the realest.
Wale is asking the mirror if a girl he met is genuine or fake.
I met her in the club and she wouldn't let me in it
Wale is saying that the girl he met at the club was too exclusive and did not let him in.
S-seen her in a video, seen her in a magazine
Wale is saying that he has seen this girl on video and in magazines, but he still questions her authenticity.
See me I ain't frontin', we ain't see them titties last week
Wale is saying that he is not lying and faking like this girl he met. He jokes that they did not see her breasts last week, meaning they have not been together that long.
So far you nasty, ff-fuck you call that?
Wale is saying that this girl is promiscuous and asking what she calls that behavior.
I call that insecure, sh-sh-shawty think she all that.
Wale is saying that he thinks the girl is insecure and only acts promiscuous because she thinks highly of herself.
Ff-fuck outta here, that's how they gettin' gas
Wale is saying that people who act like the girl get fame and attention, which only feeds their egos.
'09 Gold Diggers, walkin' with a different path
Wale is saying that girls like this are only after money and are walking a different path than genuine people.
Find a dummy, wrap him up, let him fuck, suck him up
Wale is saying that girls like this only find and use men who are gullible enough to fall for their tricks.
Gettin' good graces, take his money, aa-another one
Wale is saying that girls like this only get into men's good graces to take their money and then move on to the next one.
No longer (Caffera?), Surgery and maskera
Wale is saying that girls like this no longer have to use physical surgeries or masks to hide their true selves.
Looking at your money, But c-can't look up in that mirror
Wale is saying that girls like this only care about the money they make, but cannot face their own true selves in the mirror.
Fearin' what it show you, reality is gold
Wale is saying that people fear facing the truth about themselves, but in reality, it is more important to be real and honest with oneself.
Real recognize real, real women don't know you
Wale is saying that genuine and real people can recognize other genuine and real people, but the girl he met is not genuine and real.
One of the coldest, the gracing On that pole
Wale is saying that the girl is one of the best and most talented at pole dancing.
What them tempers don't see, I bet that mirror gon' show you.
Wale is saying that people cannot always see the truth about themselves, but the mirror will always reveal it to them.
It ain't hard, swear to God. These niggas ain't real at all
Wale is saying that it is not hard to see that other artists are fake and not real at all.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERNARD FREEMAN, BERNARD JAMES FREEMAN, MARK D. RONSON, OLUBOWALE VICTOR AKINTIMEHIN, VICTOR AXELROD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind