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
Slow Down
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Searching a lifetime for nothing wouldn't seem fair
Bored by the overdone drama of it all
Puzzled by the thin antique face there on the wall
Following something that someone said must be there
Pull back the reins and slow this mother down I'm falling off
The faster you move the closer to the end and there's a lot that I haven't done
and with the speed that they pick up something must be there
So I pull back the reigns...
It's so simple when it's all brand new
Somehow it all catches up with you
Just don't let it slice you up and pass you around
I will pull back the reins...
The lyrics of Wale's song "Slow Down" talk about the dangers of moving too fast in life and the importance of knowing when to pull back and slow down. The lyrics suggest that although it's important to chase one's dreams and strive for greatness, it's equally important to take a moment to reflect and appreciate the journey before it's too late. The first verse of the song talks about the limits of endurance and how after a certain point, something must give way. It emphasizes the importance of seeking out something meaningful in life and avoiding chasing after things that wouldn't seem fair for a lifetime of searching. The second verse of the song talks about how things can pick up speed and the importance of taking control and slowing down to avoid falling off.
The chorus of the song echoes the same idea of slowing down and taking a moment to appreciate the simple things in life. It talks about how life can be beautiful when it's all brand new, but eventually, it can catch up with you and slice you up if you're not careful. The lyrics repeatedly mention pulling back the reins, which could be interpreted as taking control and pausing before continuing with the journey.
Overall, the song "Slow Down" is a reminder to slow down and appreciate the journey of life, rather than simply rushing towards the destination. It's important to take a step back and reflect on our choices, as we cannot keep up pace forever.
Line by Line Meaning
I can carry this so far and then something must give way
I can only handle so much before I begin to break down.
Searching a lifetime for nothing wouldn't seem fair
It doesn't seem fair to spend your whole life searching for something that doesn't exist.
Bored by the overdone drama of it all
I'm tired of all the over-the-top drama in life.
Puzzled by the thin antique face there on the wall
I'm confused by the old and worn out things on display around me.
Following something that someone said must be there
I'm chasing after something that others tell me is out there, but I'm not sure of its existence.
Pull back the reins and slow this mother down I'm falling off
I need to slow down and take control before I lose my grip and fall off.
The faster you move the closer to the end and there's a lot that I haven't done
The faster I move, the closer I am to the end, and I still have so much left to accomplish.
It's so simple when it's all brand new
Things are easy to understand when they're new and exciting.
Somehow it all catches up with you
Eventually, everything that you've been avoiding will catch up to you.
Just don't let it slice you up and pass you around
Don't let life tear you apart and use you up.
I will pull back the reins...
I'm going to slow down and take control before it's too late.
Writer(s): Skip Black, George Wyle, Sherwood Schwartz, Christopher Wade Thayer Copyright: 401 Kye Music, Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, Emi U Catalog Inc., Benair Churchill
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Freeform Thoughts
I really dont think it's possible for me to get tired of this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Glenda Davis
👂🏽👂🏽TwICE A dAY
eVeRY Day 🍓🥂🍒
Alyssa J1
100% agree
James Johnson
It's definitely impossible
DoesntMatter851
I'm so proud of you and thankful for you Skip. Continuing the legacy and making such valuable music. Thanks!
notthatVashti
This song just gives me the FEELS!!
Wale on the remix...what fire!! Love it!!
TEE JAY
This is song is full of so much vibes .. it’s a Mood all by it self . Love it . The world needs to slow down and embrace love and praise.
DARLENE SUTTON
TEE JAY AMEN.+
DARLENE SUTTON(56)
SEPTEMBER11-30,2020
FRIDAY;7:55PM.PUTTA*
darleneapril440@gmail.com
SKIP MARLEY, MAHOGANY.
Angela
An American, a Nigerian, and a Jamaican . . .one love
Glenda Davis
@Eneri Samaniego
YES 🥂🍒🍾🍓🥂👋🏽🦋