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
Rehab
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They tried to make me go to rehab
I said, "no, no, no"
Yes, I been black
But when I come back, you'll know, know, know
I ain't got the time
And if my daddy thinks I'm fine
He's tried to make me go to rehab
I'd rather be at home with a Ray
I ain't got seventy days
'Cause there's nothing, there's nothing you can teach me
That I can't learn from Mr. Hathaway
I didn't get a lot in class
But I know we don't come in a shot glass
[Chorus]
The man said, "why do you think you here?"
I said, "I got no idea."
I'm gonna, I'm gonna lose my baby
So I always keep a bottle near
He said, "I just think you're depressed."
This, me, yeah, baby, and the rest
They tried to make me go to rehab
But I said, "no, no, no"
Yes, I been black
But when I come back, you'll know, know, know
I don't ever want to drink again
I just, oh, I just need a friend
I'm not gonna spend ten weeks
Have everyone think I'm on the mend
And it's not just my pride
It's just till these tears have dried
[Chorus]
In Wale's song Rehab, he talks about his refusal to go to rehab despite being asked by his father and a man who thinks he's depressed. He says no repeatedly to rehab, preferring to stay at home with a Ray (a type of alcohol) and not wanting to spend seventy days in rehab. He believes that there's nothing they can teach him that he can't learn from Mr. Hathaway, who is assumed to be Donny Hathaway, an American soul singer known for his rich voice and emotional expression. Wale opens up about his struggles, saying that he didn't do well in class, but he understands that alcohol doesn't solve any problem, and he doesn't need to learn that in rehab. Wale is conscious of his situation and knows that there's a lot more to him than just the color of his skin; hence he wants to be judged by his abilities rather than his race.
In the second verse, Wale expresses his exasperation with his situation, saying that he doesn't know why he's there, referring to rehab. He's afraid of losing his baby and thus always keeps a bottle near. Wale admits that he's depressed, but his current situation is not the solution. He refuses to go to rehab, knowing that he doesn't need to spend ten weeks proving everyone wrong. Wale is resolute to complete his healing process in his own time and doesn't want to be governed by a timeline created by someone else.
Overall, this song is not just about alcoholism or addiction but touches on issues such as identity, societal expectations, and freedom of choice. Wale's lyrics are a reminder that we can't judge someone based on their skin color or the challenges they face in life. Everyone is different and has their way of dealing with their struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
They tried to make me go to rehab
People attempted to force me to get treatment for my issues
I said, "no, no, no"
I refused to comply with their request
Yes, I been black
I have struggled with adversity
But when I come back, you'll know, know, know
I will emerge from this experience a changed person
I ain't got the time
I cannot commit to treatment at the moment
And if my daddy thinks I'm fine
Even if my father believes I am okay
He's tried to make me go to rehab
He has still tried to pressure me into treatment
I won't go, go, go
I still refuse to comply with their request
I'd rather be at home with a Ray
I would prefer to be at home drinking a particular type of alcohol
I ain't got seventy days
I don't have the time or patience to commit to rehab
'Cause there's nothing, there's nothing you can teach me
I don't believe treatment will be useful
That I can't learn from Mr. Hathaway
I can learn everything I need from a musician I admire
I didn't get a lot in class
I struggled with formal education
But I know we don't come in a shot glass
I am aware that alcohol will not solve my problems
The man said, "why do you think you here?"
The person in charge of my treatment asked me why I was attending
I said, "I got no idea."
I don't know why I am here
I'm gonna, I'm gonna lose my baby
I am going to lose my significant other
So I always keep a bottle near
I use alcohol as a coping mechanism for my relationship problems
He said, "I just think you're depressed."
The treatment professional thinks I am suffering from depression
This, me, yeah, baby, and the rest
Me and others are struggling with these issues
I don't ever want to drink again
I want to overcome my addiction
I just, oh, I just need a friend
I just want someone to support me
I'm not gonna spend ten weeks
I don't want to commit to that much time in rehab
Have everyone think I'm on the mend
I don't want to pretend that I am recovering when I am not
And it's not just my pride
It's not just a matter of ego for me
It's just till these tears have dried
It's just a matter of time until I am emotionally stable again
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AMY WINEHOUSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
albert seline
R.I.P Amy Winehouse u will be missed!
Mike Smith
"My name's Wale and I'm a hip hop a holic!" -- I just watched "AMY" documentary and couldn't stand to hear this without Wale's "guest" spot!
Tommy Williamson
Dope.
killtheba$$
r.i.p.