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.
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The Middle Finger
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I can't move with too many rap dudes
I respect dudes from my double M crew
But I'm just not that dude hanging on to who's who's and such
Cash rule for some, got room for none
Can't fool with niggas who put the rumors up
Wanted to quit, rap music sucks
But couldn't run a 4.2, so with you I'm stuck
And that's sayin' a lot, cause Pro Tools be stuck
You grindin' hot, they wanna be cool with yah
They're like consignment shops, they're old news to us
Society, I trip 'em
Aye well look now
I got to be the realest
Aye well look now
Society, I trip 'em
Aye well look now
Should follow no nigga
Just the god inside of my mirror
Fuck you, leave me alone (aye well look now)
Fuck you, leave me alone
Fightin' for my respect, receive it or nothin' else
Preachin' and geekin', I kinda think that I'm Malcolm X
MDMA in my juice, jaws tired and thru
Now I'm sweatin' cause the bitches, they perspired me to
Are you judgin' me now? Do you fuck with me now?
Miscarried my first child, ain't finna come out
Fuck the therapy route, where the syrup and loud?
Blue 30 come around, there's the smile
Opiated, could show up later with more elation
All my bitches say, "Take it easy, enjoy the paper"
Try to be with the people, see what I'm fightin'
Them inner demons, and how it was eatin' me while I be in Vegas
Yeah, life a gamble anyway jo
Pop a perc, I could merk through the pain though
Mind bills pilin' up, drop a single
Thrill's all gone when that mothafuckin' fame go
Ever seen a mix J Cole and Django?
Educated, shit, but he whip like he ain't though
Black bitches say my shit is so graceful
White bitches barely know me up in Graystone
Society, I trip 'em
Aye well look now
I got to be the realest
Aye well look now
Society, I trip 'em
Aye well look now
Should follow no nigga
Just the god inside of my mirror
Fuck you, leave me alone
In the lyrics to Wale's song "The Middle Finger," the artist expresses his frustration with the rap community, particularly those who put on false pretenses and spread rumors. While he respects and is loyal to his own crew, he cannot align himself with those who are solely motivated by cash and who try to be cool with anyone who is grinding hot. Instead, Wale identifies with those who seek to tell the truth, even when it's uncomfortable; he trusts only his own voice, as opposed to the editing software of Pro Tools. He also struggles with personal demons, including drug use and the miscarriage of his first child, but refuses to follow others blindly. Ultimately, he asserts his independence and tells his detractors to leave him alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Hate to be the bearer of bad news
I don't want to be the one to bring negativity, but...
But I can't move with too many rap dudes
I can't associate with too many rappers as it will restrain me from growth.
I respect dudes from my double M crew
I have high admiration for people from my organization, Maybach Music Group (MMG.)
But I'm just not that dude hanging on to who's who's and such
But I am not the type of person that needs to cling to others for popularity or status.
Cash rule for some, got room for none
Money is the priority for some people, but I have no place for them in my life.
Can't fool with niggas who put the rumors up
I can't spend time with people who spread rumors and lies.
Wanted to quit, rap music sucks
I almost gave up on my music career due to its negative aspects and challenges.
But couldn't run a 4.2, so with you I'm stuck
But since I can't run as fast as other people, I have to continue staying by and sticking with you.
Went in the booth, truth? the only tool I trust
I rely only on telling the truth, especially when creating music in the recording studio.
And that's sayin' a lot, cause Pro Tools be stuck
This speaks volumes because even the recording studio technology Pro Tools fails, yet I trust in the truth always.
You grindin' hot, they wanna be cool with yah
People will gravitate towards someone who's successful or winning at the time.
They're like consignment shops, they're old news to us
But they're nothing new to me, like how thrift stores aren't unique anymore.
Are you judgin' me now? Do you fuck with me now?
Are you now disapproving or do you still support or like me after hearing my music?
Miscarried my first child, ain't finna come out
I had a miscarriage with my first baby, and nothing will come out of it.
Fuck the therapy route, where the syrup and loud?
I don't believe in the benefits of therapy, but I want to take drugs and drink syrup and loud.
Blue 30 come around, there's the smile
When I take blue oxycodone pills, it makes me smile since it's euphoric.
Ever seen a mix J Cole and Django?
Have you ever seen anyone like me who's a combination of J. Cole and Django (fictional character)?
Educated, shit, but he whip like he ain't though
I may be educated, but I still hustle and move like someone who's not.
Black bitches say my shit is so graceful
Black women compliment my music as being smooth or elegant.
White bitches barely know me up in Graystone
White women barely recognize me when I'm at Graystone, a wealthy neighborhood.
Should follow no nigga, just the god inside of my mirror
I shouldn't follow anyone else but myself and listen to the voice within me that's a reflection of a higher power.
Fuck you, leave me alone
I don't care about what you think, so just leave me alone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: DACOURY NATCHE, DAVID BAYLEY, OLUBOWALE AKINTIMEHIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind