Olubowale Victor Akintimehin Folarin (born September 21, 1984 in Washington… Read Full Bio ↴Olubowale Victor Akintimehin Folarin (born September 21, 1984 in Washington, D.C.), better known by his stage name Wale, is an American rapper and producer. Fusing DC's homegrown go-go genre with a streetwise Northern hip-hop sensibility, he takes samples from all genres and blends them together with lyrical dexterity. In 2005 he released his debut mixtape, Paint a Picture, and has since released four more. His debut album, released by Interscope, Attention Deficit, was released November 10, 2009. He has since then released three more albums, with Rick Ross's MMG label, Ambition (2011), The Gifted (2013), and The Album About Nothing (2015), based on his 2008 mixtape, The Mixtape About Nothing.

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 friends n strangers
Wale Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Verse 1)
I keep my friends close
Enemies on a leash like,
Me and my haters is literally Siamese
I can define me but if I let my friends do it
They'll tell you I'm some bipolar, hard drug user
The J gets smaller, I'm up in my zone
Though surrounded by an entourage, I feel like I'm alone

A long way from normal, I try to keep it cordial
I made some new friends, meet recorder and touring
Shout out to my nigga
Its now for a nigga
Know some niggas back home, ain't proud of a nigga
They don't see my vision, grown man mission
They all see my life from a childish position
I'm the mouth of the District, nobody work harder
My heart is in the monuments, the life is in the harbor
So tell me all my followers, am I wrong for barking?
Am I wrong for thinking I was better off in college?
At least I'll be stable, Yea slightly less popular
But wouldn't be the topic of my few friends talking
A few niggas talk but they do without knowledge
I do self evaluate, Yea I know I've got some problems
Can't change who I am, I just try to get better
So in the mean time keep it moving on accept that
And you all will respect that

Seinfeld Skit

(Verse 2)
Yea,
You always say you wasn't ready for no man
But I wasn't having that, I gave you errything I had
No errything I had, or the very things you have
Tricking, king of the court, small forward, Cavs
Where your whereabouts baby? I care about you lady

And I left you all them letters in your mailbox waiting
And I ain't never plan to be famous
So I'm a take that rubber off, I wouldn't mind having babies
With a home girl best friend lover all that
Ex-boyfriend was wack, she had enough of all that
Look me in my eyes, say if you take it I'm a give it
And if I give it to you, don't you treat me like them bitches
Please Wale,
She used to call me late
One day she called me early, to tell me that she late
Fuck you mean? See my hands start to shake
I ain't looking in her eyes but her face
Cuz tears falling down make me ache
We should just ignore it, you know we can't afford it
She said I cannot believe that you say we should abort it
I will not support it, what happened to you courting
And I ain't want no nigga from the jump, you ignored it
You just had to force it, you had to keep going
Now that lil pre cum gone be having me swollen
As we go forward, I came back from touring
The DNA result, congrats ex-boyfriend

Smiles and handshakes
Everywhere I go
Girlfriends, groupies, then I'm all alone
So confused, these strange relationships
I think I've got some enemies disguised as friends

Smiles and handshakes
Everywhere I go
Girlfriends, groupies, then I'm all alone

So confused, these strange relationships
I think I've got some enemies disguised as friends

Overall Meaning

In "Friends N Strangers" by Wale featuring Tre, the lyrics speak to the complexities of relationships and trust. In the first verse, Wale expresses his need to keep his friends close and his enemies even closer. He alludes to the fact that his friends might define him as a hard drug user or a bipolar person. Though he is surrounded by an entourage, he still feels alone and longs for stability. He questions if he made the right choices in pursuing fame and if his few friends truly know him at all. He acknowledges that he has some problems, but is constantly striving to better himself. In the second verse, Tre speaks of a past lover who he cared deeply for, but she left him for someone else. He regrets not holding onto her and thinks about what could have been different. He blames himself for forcing their relationship and not listening to her warnings.

The song overall conveys the message that relationships, whether they be platonic or romantic, can be complicated and sometimes disguised. The artists express a sense of loneliness and vulnerability, but also a determination to work on themselves and find meaningful connections. The lyrics also touch on themes of regret and longing for stability.

Line by Line Meaning

I keep my friends close
I value my friendships and maintain strong relationships with those I care about

Enemies on a leash like,
I keep my enemies close and under control, but still at a safe distance

Me and my haters is literally Siamese
My haters are always attached to me and intertwined in my life, unable to fully detach

I can define me but if I let my friends do it
I have a clear understanding of who I am, but am aware that others may have their own perceptions of me

They'll tell you I'm some bipolar, hard drug user
My friends may exaggerate certain aspects of my personality or habits when describing me to others

The J gets smaller, I'm up in my zone
As I smoke marijuana, I become more focused and productive

Though surrounded by an entourage, I feel like I'm alone
Despite having many people around me, I often feel isolated and disconnected

A long way from normal, I try to keep it cordial
I acknowledge that my life is not typical and strive to maintain positive relationships with those around me

I made some new friends, meet recorder and touring
I have formed new relationships with inanimate objects and experiences related to my music career

Shout out to my nigga
I want to give a shoutout to my close friend

Its now for a nigga
My friend is doing well currently

Know some niggas back home, ain't proud of a nigga
Some people from my hometown are not supportive or proud of my success

They don't see my vision, grown man mission
These individuals fail to understand my goals and aspirations as an adult

They all see my life from a childish position
These people have an immature and limited view of my life and career

I'm the mouth of the District, nobody works harder
I am an influential figure in my hometown and am dedicated to my music career

My heart is in the monuments, the life is in the harbor
I have a strong emotional connection to the historical monuments in my city, and find inspiration and meaning in the harbor

So tell me all my followers, am I wrong for barking?
I am asking my fans if they believe I am wrong for speaking out about my beliefs and opinions

Am I wrong for thinking I was better off in college?
I am questioning whether or not I made the right decision by pursuing a music career instead of continuing my education

At least I'll be stable, Yea slightly less popular
I may have had a more secure future if I had pursued a traditional career path, but it would have come at the cost of less fame and success

But wouldn't be the topic of my few friends talking
If I had not become a successful musician, my friends would not have as much to brag about or discuss

A few niggas talk but they do without knowledge
Certain individuals speak about me without understanding or possessing accurate information

I do self evaluate, Yea I know I've got some problems
I take time to reflect on my life and recognize that I have areas for personal growth and improvement

Can't change who I am, I just try to get better
While I cannot completely transform myself, I am committed to making progress and evolving as a person

So in the mean time keep it moving on accept that
In the meantime, I will continue to work on myself and hope that others can accept and respect me as I am

And you all will respect that
I expect that others will acknowledge and appreciate my efforts to better myself

You always say you wasn't ready for no man
You have expressed that you are not emotionally or mentally prepared for a serious relationship

But I wasn't having that, I gave you errything I had
Despite knowing that you were not interested in a serious relationship, I still gave you my all

No errything I had, or the very things you have
I gave you everything I had to offer, and sometimes it feels like you are taking that for granted

Tricking, king of the court, small forward, Cavs
I often go to great lengths to impress you and be the best version of myself, much like LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers

Where your whereabouts baby? I care about you lady
I am concerned about your current location and wellbeing, as I care deeply about you

And I left you all them letters in your mailbox waiting
I have previously sent you letters expressing my feelings and intentions, which remain unreturned

And I ain't never plan to be famous
I never intended or expected to become a celebrity

So I'm a take that rubber off, I wouldn't mind having babies
Now that I am successful and financially stable, I am comfortable with the idea of having children

With a home girl best friend lover all that
I desire a romantic and intimate relationship with a woman who I also consider my close friend and confidante

Ex-boyfriend was wack, she had enough of all that
Your previous boyfriend was not good enough for you and did not treat you well

Look me in my eyes, say if you take it I'm a give it
I want you to be honest with me about your feelings and intentions, and to communicate openly and directly

And if I give it to you, don't you treat me like them bitches
If we enter into a romantic and sexual relationship, I expect to be treated with respect and dignity, not objectified or manipulated

She used to call me late
You used to call me late at night to talk and catch up

One day she called me early, to tell me that she late
One morning, you called me to inform me that you are most likely pregnant

Fuck you mean? See my hands start to shake
I am overwhelmed and anxious upon hearing the news of your possible pregnancy

I ain't looking in her eyes but her face
I am avoiding eye contact but can see the worry and concern on your face

Cuz tears falling down make me ache
Seeing you cry and upset is painful and difficult for me

We should just ignore it, you know we can't afford it
We are both aware that having a child would have significant financial and logistical challenges, and may not be the best decision for us at this time

She said I cannot believe that you say we should abort it
You express disbelief and disappointment that I would suggest having an abortion

I will not support it, what happened to you courting
You refuse to consider the option of an abortion, and criticize me for not showing enough dedication and commitment to our relationship

And I ain't want no nigga from the jump, you ignored it
You were initially hesitant and resistant to the idea of being in a relationship with me, but I persisted and pursued you anyway

You just had to force it, you had to keep going
I was so determined to be in a relationship with you that I may have disregarded your wishes and feelings at times

Now that lil pre cum gone be having me swollen
Now that we may be having a child together, I feel overwhelmed and unprepared for the responsibility and implications of parenthood

As we go forward, I came back from touring
As time passes and we face the reality of the situation, I return to my normal routine of performing and touring

The DNA result, congrats ex-boyfriend
The DNA test confirmed that your ex-boyfriend is the father of your child, not me

Girlfriends, groupies, then I'm all alone
I am often surrounded by female admirers and hangers-on, but still feel lonely and disconnected

So confused, these strange relationships
I struggle to navigate the complex and often superficial connections I have with others in the music industry

I think I've got some enemies disguised as friends
I suspect that some of the people who appear to be my friends may secretly harbor negative feelings or intentions toward me

Contributed by Leah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS