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
The Breakup Song
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not you, it's me
You're giving me the it's not you, it's me routine
I invented it's not you, it's me
Nobody tells me it's them, not me, if it's anybody, it's me
Alright, George, it's you
You're damn right it's me
Look I was just trying to, you know
I'm sure you do it very well
Yes well, unfortunately you'll never get the chance to find out
Yeah
See, breaking up is hard to move along is even harder
It's over she got colder now can't locate where her heart is
And I'm just being honest, since we not even talking
My mind won't let you go
Shit even considered stalking now
You know I be teasin' though
You know that my ego won't
Thought this was forever love
Guess that was just seasonal
She got back with old boy
She's probably had a reason though
Although thought that we would grow
Guess that wasn't feasible
But we ain't gonna be beefin' though
I missed you at my recent show
I speak to CJ Often and
Sometimes I just wanna speak you up
Yeah, hit you up, or call you up, or send a text
Your new man got my respect
So if I do call it's just to check
Heard that you alright though
My nigga for life though
It's funny how this life go
We love for a while then a light goes
Took me a while just to write those
Pride I had a fight so imma stop right here
And I know you don't care
But I hope you got that bite boo
Aye
Yea tell me bout the love of ours
Contemplate I wrote about it
We no longer close or nuttin'
That's why she ignore my flowers
And my call and my text
Spendin' her time wit him I guess
I regret some shit I did
But darling is yall intimate
Who was better I know I was
Don't you lie don't blow my buzz
You ask me who I'm strokin' now
I said that the pool is closed
Can we stay broken up
And all these pages close 'em up
I hope we both do learn from this
So my next don't don't gotta be so rough, huh
Gotta get better wit time
Relationships should never rewind
Better leave it all behind
Guess that mean you could never be mine
Well umm there's a but
Without your love it's cold as fuck
Life is a movie we both say cut
But most times darlin the sequel sucks
Uh
More About Nothing, man, uh
This is part two, man
Uh, man, just been grinding, man, just you know? Feel good, man
I got to meet a lot of my fans and I, I didn't know how diverse my fan base was
I'm just a kid that likes to talk about reality, to be honest like
I could break down a relationship in a lot of different ways
And I could break down what I seen, you know? My time on this planet, uh
But you know when niggas talk that rap shit, like I
I consider my self one of the best, you know, new young rappers
As, as well as the best out active rappers right now, man, so
You know, I'm on my no days off shit, hm
They some workers
We some workaholics
Wale's "The Breakup Song" is a track that details the difficulties of moving on from a failed relationship. The song opens up with a conversation between Wale and his lover where they try to discuss what went wrong in their relationship, and Wale is unwilling to accept that it's his fault. He raps about how it's hard to move on from a breakup, especially when you're still in love with the person, and how he's struggled to accept that it's over. He acknowledges that he made mistakes in the relationship but still hopes that they can learn from their experience and move forward.
The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, as Wale sings about how difficult it is to let go of someone you are still in love with. He admits that he sometimes feels like he wants to reach out to his ex-girlfriend but knows it's not the right thing to do. He acknowledges that they have both moved on and that he needs to let go of the past and move on with his life.
Overall, "The Breakup Song" is a poignant track that speaks to anyone who has struggled to move on from a relationship. Wale's lyrics are introspective and relatable, and the emotional depth he brings to the song makes it one of his best-known tracks.
Line by Line Meaning
What happened? Something must've happened
The singer is trying to understand what went wrong in the relationship
It's not you, it's me
The singer is using the classic excuse to break up with their partner
You're giving me the it's not you, it's me routine
The singer is recognizing that they are using a common excuse to break up
I invented it's not you, it's me
The artist is jokingly taking credit for creating the classic breakup excuse
Nobody tells me it's them, not me, if it's anybody, it's me
The artist never wants to hear that they are the problem in the relationship
Alright, George, it's you
You're damn right it's me
The singer acknowledges that their partner is not to blame for the breakup
Look I was just trying to, you know
The singer is trying to justify their actions that led to the breakup
I know what you were trying to do, nobody does it better than me
The artist is trying to show off and make their partner jealous
I'm sure you do it very well
The partner is not swayed by the artist's attempt to make them jealous
Yes well, unfortunately you'll never get the chance to find out
The artist acknowledges that the relationship is over and the partner will not have the chance to find out if they are better at something
See, breaking up is hard to move along is even harder
The singer is acknowledging that breaking up is difficult and moving on is even harder
It's over she got colder now can't locate where her heart is
The artist's partner has become distant and they don't know why
And I'm just being honest, since we not even talking
The singer feels like they need to be honest since they are no longer in communication with their partner
My mind won't let you go
The singer cannot stop thinking about their former partner
Shit even considered stalking now
The singer is admitting to having a creepy thought
You know I be teasin' though
You know that my ego won't
The artist's teasing is a result of their egoism
Thought this was forever love
Guess that was just seasonal
The artist once thought their love was forever, but realizes now it was only temporary
She got back with old boy
She's probably had a reason though
The singer's partner got back together with her ex and there may be a good reason for it
Although thought that we would grow
Guess that wasn't feasible
The singer had higher hopes for their relationship, but it didn't work out
But we ain't gonna be beefin' though
I missed you at my recent show
The artist wants to make it clear that they don't want to have any bad blood with their former partner and they miss them
I speak to CJ Often and
Sometimes I just wanna speak you up
The artist communicates with their friend CJ often and sometimes wishes they could communicate with their former partner
Yeah, hit you up, or call you up, or send a text
The artist lists ways they might try to communicate with their former partner
Your new man got my respect
So if I do call it's just to check
The singer respects their former partner's new man and would only call to check up on how they are doing
Heard that you alright though
My nigga for life though
The artist has heard that their former partner is doing okay and still considers them a friend
It's funny how this life go
We love for a while then a light goes
The singer reflects on the fleeting nature of love
Took me a while just to write those
Pride I had a fight so imma stop right here
The singer struggled to put their feelings into words and stops writing because of their pride
And I know you don't care
But I hope you got that bite boo
The singer doesn't think their former partner cares, but hopes they heard the message in the song
Tell me bout the love of ours
Contemplate I wrote about it
The artist is reflecting on their past love and wrote a song about it
We no longer close or nuttin'
That's why she ignore my flowers
The artist and their former partner are no longer close and their gestures of affection are ignored
And my call and my text
Spendin' her time wit him I guess
The singer's calls and texts are ignored because their former partner is spending time with someone else
I regret some shit I did
But darling is yall intimate
The singer regrets some things they did, but wonders if their former partner still thinks about their intimate moments together
Who was better I know I was
Don't you lie don't blow my buzz
The artist has pride in their performance in intimate moments and doesn't want their former partner to lie
You ask me who I'm strokin' now
I said that the pool is closed
The artist's former partner is asking who they are being intimate with now, and the artist responds that they are not interested anymore
Can we stay broken up
And all these pages close 'em up
The artist wants to keep the breakup as is and move on
I hope we both do learn from this
So my next don't don't gotta be so rough, huh
The singer hopes they and their former partner can learn from this breakup so that their next relationship won't be as difficult
Gotta get better wit time
Relationships should never rewind
Better leave it all behind
The artist thinks time will help them get over this breakup and believes that moving on is the best choice
Guess that mean you could never be mine
Well umm there's a but
Without your love it's cold as fuck
The singer knows their former partner can never be theirs again, but they are still longing for their love
Life is a movie we both say cut
But most times darlin the sequel sucks
The singer is acknowledging that life is like a movie, and while they and their former partner have cut the scene, the sequel to their relationship wouldn't be good
More About Nothing, man, uh
This is part two, man
Uh, man, just been grinding, man, just you know? Feel good, man
The singer is promoting his album and explaining that this song is part two of a previous song
I got to meet a lot of my fans and I, I didn't know how diverse my fan base was
I'm just a kid that likes to talk about reality, to be honest like
The artist is reflecting on the opportunity to meet fans and is surprised by how diverse they are. The artist enjoys rapping about real-life experiences
I could break down a relationship in a lot of different ways
And I could break down what I seen, you know? My time on this planet, uh
The artist is confident in his ability to analyze relationships and is willing to discuss his life experiences
But you know when niggas talk that rap shit, like I
I consider my self one of the best, you know, new young rappers
As, as well as the best out active rappers right now, man, so
You know, I'm on my no days off shit, hm
They some workers
We some workaholics
The singer believes he is one of the best young rappers and is showing off his work ethic. He feels he and his team work harder than others
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@loveefrmbrandy7446
What happened? Something must've happened
It's not you, it's me
You're giving me the it's not you, it's me routine
I invented it's not you, it's me
Nobody tells me it's them, not me, if it's anybody, it's me
Alright, George, it's you
You're damn right it's me
Look I was just trying to, you know—
I know what you were trying to do, nobody does it better than me
I'm sure you do it very well
Yes well, unfortunately you'll never get the chance to find out See, breaking up is hard
To move along, it's even harder
It's over, she got colder
Now can't locate where her heart is
And I'm just being honest
Since we not even talking
My mind won't let you go
Shit, even consider stalking now
You know I be teasing, though
You know that my ego won't
Thought this was forever love
Guess that was just seasonal
She got back with old boy
She probably had a reason though
Although thought that we would grow
Guess that wasn't feasible
But we ain't gonna be beefing, no
I miss you at my recent show
I speak to CJ often and sometimes I just want to speak you up
Yeah, hit you up or call you up, or send a text
Your new man got my respect
So if I do call it's just a check
Heard that you alright though
My nigga for life though
It's funny how this life go
We love for a while then a light goes
Took me a while just to write those
Pride, I had to fight so
I'ma stop right there and I know you don't care
But I hope you got that bite, boo, ayy Yeah, tell me about the love of ours
"Contemplate", I wrote about her
We no longer close or nothing
And that's why she ignore my flowers and my call and my text
Spending her time with him I guess
I regret some shit I did, but darling, is y'all intimate?
Who was better? I know I was
Don't you lie, don't blow my buzz
You ask me who I'm stroking now
I say that the pool is closed
Can we stay broken up?
And all these pages, close 'em up
I hope we both do learn from this, so my next joint don't got to be so rough
Huh, got to get better with time
Relationships should never rewind
Better leave it all behind
Guess that mean you can never be mine
Well, um, there's a but
Without you, love, it's cold as fuck
Life is a movie, we both say "cut"
But most times darling the sequel sucks
[Outro]
Uh
More About Nothing, man, uh
This is part two, man
Uh, man, just been grinding, man, just you know? Feel good, man
I got to meet a lot of my fans and I, I didn't know how diverse my fan base was
I'm just a kid that likes to talk about reality, to be honest like
I could break down a relationship in a lot of different ways
And I could break down what I seen, you know? My time on this planet, uh
But you know when niggas talk that rap shit, like I, I consider my self one of the best, you know, new young rappers
As, as well as the best out active rappers right now, man, so
You know, I'm on my no days off shit, hm
They some workers
We some workaholics
@anthonyramos9841
I first heard this song in 2011 getting ready to start freshman year. 11 years later, I finally understand how deep this song truly is.
@kingdre4233
Fr I was a kid I’m 20 now I understand how poetic it is
@juicegawdzavo194
2011 was my sophomore year & I understood this song to the fullest after my first heartbreak 😂😭🤧 he dropped this right on time
@domlitt9001
Exact same. Thought this was me for a second
@beautiful9997
Same ❤❤❤
@taylorgangchatt
People experience different shit at different times. This shit was everything I felt and wanted to say when it came out
@detroitrio8594
10 years later I’m still using this song as my break up song 😂
@bic262009
F@X!!!
@hotcarl3854
Breaking up is hard, shit hurts
@edgarallanyo616
Facts me to 😂😂