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
Strings
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come to watch him fall?
Making arrows out of pointed words
Giant killers at the call?
Too much fuss and bother
Too much contradiction and confusion
Peel away the mystery
Here's a clue to some real motivation
And we both know why we've come along
Nothing to explain it's a part of us
To be found within a song
What happened to our innocence?
Did it go out of style?
Along with our naivety
No longer a child
Different eyes see different things
Different hearts beat on different strings
But there are times for you and me
When all such things agree
All there really is, the two of us
And we both know why we've come along
Nothing to explain it's a part of us
To be found within a song
The lyrics of Wale's song Strings delve into the complexities of human relationships and the underlying motivations that drive us towards them. Using vivid imagery, the first verse talks about individuals coming together to tackle a common enemy, much like dragon-slayers coming together to defeat a dragon. The next couple of lines use the metaphor of arrows made from pointed words, highlighting the power of language and how it can be used to either hurt or heal. The chorus reinforces the idea that nothing else matters except for the two people who are there, and that they both know why they have come together. It talks about how music can serve as a vessel for expressing and exploring the feelings and motivations that underly our relationships.
The second verse of the song delves into the idea that as we grow up and gain more life experience, we lose a certain amount of innocence and naivety. This loss of innocence can lead to different perspectives and attitudes towards life, but there are still moments when we can agree on certain fundamental aspects of existence. The chorus is repeated again to drive home the idea that the two people who are together have a connection that is beyond explanation, and that it can be best understood through a song.
Overall, Wale's Strings is a moving tribute to the intimate connections that people can form, and the complex motivations that drive us towards one another. The song is an ode to the power of music, and how it can help us dive deep into our emotions and articulate the feelings that are often hard to put into words.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's come to slay the dragon
Who has come to take down the obstacle in our path
Come to watch him fall?
Have you come to witness his defeat?
Making arrows out of pointed words
Using our words as weapons to fight our battles
Giant killers at the call?
Are we ready to take on the challenge of the giant?
Too much fuss and bother
There is too much unnecessary drama and trouble
Too much contradiction and confusion
The situation is filled with conflicting ideas and uncertainty
Peel away the mystery
Let's uncover the truth and reveal what's really happening
Here's a clue to some real motivation
This is a hint to what truly drives us
All there really is, the two of us
At the core, it's just the two of us
And we both know why we've come along
We understand the reason for our journey together
Nothing to explain it's a part of us
There's no need for words, it's just a natural part of who we are
To be found within a song
Our purpose and meaning can be discovered in music
What happened to our innocence?
Why have we lost our purity and naivety?
Did it go out of style?
Is being innocent and pure no longer trendy or fashionable?
Along with our naivety
Along with our lack of experience and wisdom
No longer a child
We have grown up and matured
Different eyes see different things
We all have a unique perspective on the world
Different hearts beat on different strings
We all have different desires and motivations
But there are times for you and me
However, there are moments when we are in sync
When all such things agree
When all our thoughts and emotions align
Contributed by Bailey D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
양성빈
Late night, my six on patron
I'm perusing the phone
She pick up and it's on
It's on me
The song is only
To paint a poem, boys that talk but lack 'g'
Back to the man, yee
Scripted, I read
Feeding them sweet nothing that a hungry broads to eat
Rugged or playful is not the problem Naw
It's how say it for they start scarfing
Yet you offer them nothing
Offer 'em a conference call with your partners
Got you showing off but the sky's that bark
Baby I'm a dawg but the broad never knew it
When it comes to the game I'm 2 moves sooner
Sooner enough to be an OU student
Ho you got caught
Joe you stupid
Never knew cupid
And even if I did know he not shooting
I'm too ruthless...
hydroids
Wale's flow on top of this beat really impresses me.
Great track
Sorry, its "Moops"
Every few years I remember this song exists and have a listen, and for a moment I'm transported to 2012; walking home from work, starting my journey of hip-hop discovery through 8Tracks.
Schama Noel
Same
AGiggy23
AMAZING. Wale is only matched by Lupe in terms of who can flow on a track like this. Straight up smooth. Untouchable. This is one of a kind its a shame he doesnt get heard
Jreece
probably the first time i ever heard of wale. still one of my favorite Rappers
Dylan Jones
Same. Came across this track when visiting for Obama's inauguration. Different times...
kanyeez1
Wale 's flow is authentic but at the same time, absolutely insane
jRandom85
this song stays on repeat....very nice
RedactedBoredom
when they start playing Wale on every mainstream radio station, be proud you knew him before he blew up. 100 Miles n Running!
obi was here
i was just getting ready to write that. no matter what the beat sounds like he kills it.