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 Need To Know
Wale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, there always a few
I mean, if anything happened and we couldn't be friends the way we are now
That would really be bad
Devastating
Because this is very good
And that would be good
That would be good too
Mm, tryna keep it low
Keep 'em on the need to know
Tell e'rybody that we're just friends
But to be honest that plutonic shit's for TV shows
Same place, we were with different folks
Case closed if they crack the code
Is it me, or is you cold?
'Cause the feelings you ain't showin' pokin' out your clothes
Go put a sweater on or get a room
Forbidden fruit, swim in your juice
Lot of ways I can get to you
But my train of thought is tryna get you out your ch-ch-choo
Still we keep it low
Keep 'em on that need to know
Cause somebody tell somebody
And somebody then sorry but somebody gon' need to go
I'm not tryna pressure you
Just can't stop thinkin' 'bout you
You ain't even really gotta be my boyfriend
I just wanna know your name
And maybe some time
We can hook up
We can hang out, we could just chill
Mm, so tryna keep it low
Keep 'em all on the need to know
Tell 'em all that we're just cool
As far as me and you, we got a simple code
Spendin' nights, well that's optional
No telephones in the afternoon
I know that overthinkin' only leads to subtweetin'
Every time your ass in the mood
Mm, sharin' thoughts when we share a room
Though we barely talk when we share a room
Mm, in the dark, still see your curves
Body like what, swear to God you a miracle
Mm, so we keep it low
Keep 'em on the need to know
Mm, 'cause somebody tell somebody
And somebody then sorry but somebody gon' need to go, mm
I'm not tryna pressure you
Just can't stop thinkin' 'bout you
You ain't even really gotta be my boyfriend
I just wanna know your name
And maybe some time
We can hook up
We can hang out, we could just chill
(I mean let's say what if we did
What if
Is that like the end of the world or something
Certainly not
Why shouldn't we be able to do that once in a while if we want to
I know
I mean really what is the big deal we go in there
We're in there for a while and then we come back out here
It's not complicated
It's almost stupid if we didn't
It's moronic
Absurd)
I'm not tryna pressure you
Just can't stop thinkin' 'bout you
You ain't even really got to be my boyfriend
I just wanna know your name
And maybe some time
We can hook up
We can hang out, we could just chill, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
The Need To Know by Wale is a song about two people who are attracted to each other and trying to keep their casual relationship private. The lyrics showcase the desire to keep their connection a secret from others and the fear that if they were to be caught, things would go awry. The opening line suggests some reservations about the situation despite the obvious attraction between the two. Wale sings "I guess maybe some little problems could arise, well there always a few. I mean, if anything happened and we couldn't be friends the way we are now, that would really be bad, devastating because this is very good, and that would be good, that would be good too. The idea is to combine the this and that." This emphasizes that the two characters want to keep the good thing they have going, but they're afraid of things going wrong if they change their situation.
The song's chorus repeats throughout the song, emphasizes that they only want to keep the relationship between the two of them, and hide it from others. They don't want to complicate things, and want to keep it simple. Even though they both like each other, they don't want to rush into anything and just want to take things slow. The lyrics suggest that they're both interested in starting something more serious, but they don't want to pressure each other or ruin what they have.
Overall, the song portrays the complexity of relationships and how hard it can be to navigate our feelings. We want to be seen as cool and collected, but emotions often complicate things. The Need To Know is a relatable and heartfelt track that captures the thoughts and feelings of many people who are in a similar situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Mm, tryna keep it low
I am trying to keep our relationship low-key
Keep 'em on the need to know
We need to keep others in the dark about us
Tell e'rybody that we're just friends
We are publicly pretending to be just friends
But to be honest that plutonic shit's for TV shows
Our platonic facade is only for show, not reality
Same place, we were with different folks
We were both at the same place but with other people
Case closed if they crack the code
We do not want others to find out the truth about us
Is it me, or is you cold?
Are you distant towards me or is it just my imagination?
'Cause the feelings you ain't showin' pokin' out your clothes
I can see that you have hidden feelings for me
Go put a sweater on or get a room
Either express your feelings or stop sending mixed signals
Forbidden fruit, swim in your juice
I am attracted to you and I want to indulge in that attraction
Lot of ways I can get to you
I have multiple options to pursue you
But my train of thought is tryna get you out your ch-ch-choo
I am trying to coax you out of your shell and into a romantic relationship
Still we keep it low
We are still keeping our relationship low-key
Cause somebody tell somebody
If our secret gets out, it will cause trouble
And somebody then sorry but somebody gon' need to go
If someone breaks our trust, they will have to face the consequences
I'm not tryna pressure you
I do not want to force you into anything you are not comfortable with
Just can't stop thinkin' 'bout you
I am constantly thinking about you and our potential relationship
You ain't even really gotta be my boyfriend
I am open to a casual relationship with you
I just wanna know your name
I want to get to know you on a deeper level
And maybe some time
I am open to taking our relationship slow
We can hook up
I am open to a casual physical relationship with you
We can hang out, we could just chill
We can spend time together and enjoy each other's company without any pressure
Mm, so tryna keep it low
I am still trying to keep our relationship low-key
Tell 'em all that we're just cool
We are still pretending to have a strictly platonic relationship
As far as me and you, we got a simple code
We have an unspoken understanding between us
Spendin' nights, well that's optional
We do not have to spend every night together
No telephones in the afternoon
We do not want any interruptions during our time together
I know that overthinkin' only leads to subtweetin'
I understand that overthinking can lead to sharing our relationship online
Every time your ass in the mood
Whenever you are in the mood for something more, I am too
Mm, sharin' thoughts when we share a room
Even though we do not talk much, we have a strong connection
Though we barely talk when we share a room
Our connection is not based on constant communication
Mm, in the dark, still see your curves
Even when it is dark, I can still see your beauty and am attracted to you
Body like what, swear to God you a miracle
Your body is a wonder and I am in awe of it
Mm, so we keep it low
We are still keeping our relationship a secret
Mm, 'cause somebody tell somebody
If anyone finds out, it will cause complications
And somebody then sorry but somebody gon' need to go, mm
If someone breaks our trust, there will be consequences for them
Hey, hey, hey
Closing refrain
I mean let's say what if we did
Let us entertain the possibility of taking our relationship to the next level
What if
Hypothetically speaking
Is that like the end of the world or something
Would it be so bad if we took a chance on each other?
Certainly not
It would not be the end of the world
Why shouldn't we be able to do that once in a while if we want to
Why not explore our attraction for each other if we both want to?
I mean really what is the big deal we go in there
What is the harm in trying to pursue a romantic relationship?
We're in there for a while and then we come back out here
We could try out a relationship and if it does not work out, we can go back to being friends
It's not complicated
It does not have to be a complex situation
It's almost stupid if we didn't
It would be foolish to not explore our feelings for each other
It's moronic
It would be idiotic to not take a chance on each other
Absurd
It would be ridiculous to not pursue a romantic relationship between us
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bobby Hebb, Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, Julian Gramma, Carvin Haggins, Taalib Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind