Wale (rapper) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wale
Wale performing at FedExField in 2021
Background information
Birth name	Olubowale Victor Akintimehin
Also known as	Ralph Folarin
Born	(1984-09-21) September 21, 1984 (age 40) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper singer songwriter
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Def Jam Every Blue Moon Maybach Music Warner Atlantic Roc Nation Interscope Allido The Board Administration

Olubowale Victor Akintimehin (born September 21, 1984), known as Wale (pronounced WAH-lay), is an American rapper. He first became famous in 2006 with his song "Dig Dug (Shake It)". This song was very popular in his hometown of Washington, D.C..

In 2007, Wale signed with Mark Ronson's Allido Records. The next year, he joined forces with Interscope Records. During this time, his mixtapes and songs started getting national attention. He even appeared on MTV and in magazines.

Wale's first album, Attention Deficit (2008), was praised by critics. It included his first song to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Chillin" (featuring Lady Gaga). He became even more well-known with his part in Waka Flocka Flame's 2010 song "No Hands". This song reached number 13 on the chart and sold millions of copies.

He then signed with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group in 2011. His second album, Ambition (2011), was a big success. It featured the popular song "Lotus Flower Bomb" (with Miguel). This album reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart. His next two albums, The Gifted (2013) and The Album About Nothing (2015), both reached number one. "Bad" (featuring Tiara Thomas or Rihanna) from The Gifted was his highest-charting song as a main artist.

Later albums like Shine (2017), Wow... That's Crazy (2019), and Folarin II (2021) also had popular songs. Folarin II was his last album with Maybach Music Group. In 2022, he signed with Def Jam Recordings.

Wale: The Rapper's Journey

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Olubowale Victor Akintimehin was born on September 21, 1984, in Washington, D.C.. His parents came from the Yoruba group in Nigeria. They moved to the United States from Austria in 1979. Wale's family lived in Washington, D.C., then moved to Montgomery County, Maryland, when he was 10.

He graduated from Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg in 2002. He then moved to Largo. Wale went to Robert Morris University and Virginia State University on football scholarships. He later transferred to Bowie State University but left for academic reasons.

Wale loves football and the team now known as the Washington Commanders. His first song, "Rhyme of the Century," was played on local radio. In 2006, he was featured in The Source magazine. He then signed with a local label, Studio 43. His song "Dig Dug (Shake It)" became very popular in the Washington, D.C. area. It was a tribute to Ronald "Dig Dug" Dixon, a percussion player for the go-go band Northeast Groovers. This song was the most requested local song in D.C. radio history.

In July 2006, Wale started working with manager Daniel Weisman. Weisman learned about Wale from a friend and connected with him on Myspace. Wale's songs "Uptown Roamers" and "Breakdown" were on his second mixtape, Hate Is the New Love. "Breakdown" was even featured in the video game Madden NFL 2009. Wale won "D. C. Metro Breakthrough Artist of the Year" in November 2006.

Rising to National Fame

In January 2007, Wale released "Good Girls." He also appeared on Mark Ronson's remix of Lily Allen's "Smile." Wale toured the UK with Ronson that year. In June 2007, Wale signed a production deal with Ronson's Allido Records.

Wale released his third mixtape, 100 Miles & Running, in July 2007. It was a free download on his Myspace page. This mixtape included songs with Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, and Lily Allen. Wale performed at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards with Mark Ronson. He was also featured on the cover of URB magazine.

In March 2008, Wale signed a deal with Mark Ronson's Allido Records and Interscope Records. Other major labels also wanted to sign him. In May 2008, Wale released his fourth mixtape, The Mixtape About Nothing. He said the TV show Seinfeld inspired it. He felt the show's "honest dialogue" was like his own lyrics. His songs often talk about pop culture and politics.

Wale and fellow rapper Big Sean in 2009

In June 2009, Wale released his fifth mixtape, Back to the Feature. Many other rappers joined him on this mixtape, including Talib Kweli, J. Cole, and Bun B. The mixtape received good reviews. Wale also performed on "Change" by Australian singer Daniel Merriweather. In September 2009, Wale and his band were the official house band for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Major Albums and Success

Wale's first album, Attention Deficit, came out on November 10, 2009. It received mostly positive reviews. The album sold 28,000 copies in its first week. The first song from the album was "Chillin" with Lady Gaga. Other popular songs included "Pretty Girls" and "World Tour".

In August 2010, Wale released his sixth mixtape, More About Nothing. This mixtape was a follow-up to The Mixtape About Nothing. It quickly got over 100,000 downloads in just 90 minutes. More About Nothing used sitcom ideas with rap to show Wale's feelings about trying to become a mainstream artist. It featured artists like Wiz Khalifa and Waka Flocka Flame.

Wale performs with Black Cobain in his hometown of Washington, D.C. in 2011.

On February 5, 2011, Wale announced he was signing with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group. He said he would still be able to make the music he believed in. Wale also signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation for management. In May 2011, he confirmed he was working on his second album, Ambition. This album was released in November 2011.

To build excitement for Ambition, Wale released the mixtape The Eleven One Eleven Theory. This mixtape was released on August 17, 2011, to celebrate Wale reaching one million followers on Twitter. This marketing plan helped create a lot of buzz for Ambition.

In September 2011, Wale announced his "Ambition Tour." It started in October 2011 and included 32 cities. On September 28, 2011, Wale released the song "Lotus Flower Bomb" featuring Miguel. The album Ambition had 15 songs. The team used a big social media campaign to promote it. This included a five-part "making of" documentary and a Twitter campaign.

Ambition debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold 162,600 copies in its first week. The album received good reviews overall.

New Music and Record Labels

After Ambition, Wale started working on his third album. He wanted it to be "very, very soulful." The first song, "Bad," showed the direction he was going. His third album, The Gifted, was released on June 25, 2013. He also planned to work with Jerry Seinfeld on his fourth album, The Album About Nothing.

In December 2012, Wale said he wanted to release a Go-go album. Go-go is a type of music from Washington, D.C. He wanted to bring this sound to a wider audience.

On September 9, 2014, Wale released "The Body" featuring Jeremih. This was the first song from The Album About Nothing. In December 2014, Wale released the mixtape Festivus. It was based on the Seinfeld holiday.

On March 31, 2015, Wale released his fourth album, The Album About Nothing. It featured Jerry Seinfeld, J. Cole, and Usher. This album became his second number one album in the United States. Wale also became an Executive Producer for Maybach Music Group's next album.

Wale created the theme music for the ESPN sports talk show First Take. His fifth album, Shine, came out on April 28, 2017.

After leaving Atlantic Records in February 2018, Wale released two surprise EPs: It's Complicated and Self Promotion. In May 2018, he signed with Warner Records. He then released a third EP, Free Lunch, in September. His sixth album, Wow... That's Crazy, was released in October 2019. It included the song "On Chill". In June 2020, he released the EP The Imperfect Storm.

On October 22, 2021, Wale released Folarin II. This album was a follow-up to his 2012 mixtape Folarin.

In October 2023, it was announced that Wale had left Maybach Music Group. He then signed with Def Jam Recordings. He released his first song for Def Jam, "Max Julien," on the same day.

His Unique Music Style

Wale has said that his music includes parts of go-go music. Go-go is a raw, percussion-driven style of music from the Washington, D.C. area. Wale's early songs often used samples from 1990s go-go records. Critics have described Wale's style as a mix of alternative and hardcore hip hop. His song "Chillin'" used a sample from the 1969 hit "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".

Beyond Music: Personal Interests

Wale and Maryland Governor Wes Moore at the Maryland Terrapins football training camp, 2024

Wale is a big fan of the Washington Commanders football team. He also loves professional wrestling. He often mentions wrestling in his songs. He hosts an event called WaleMania every year during WrestleMania weekend. He has appeared on WWE television several times. In 2017, he hosted a rap battle between The New Day and The Usos on Smackdown Live. He was also a guest commentator on 205 Live in 2018. Wale has walked wrestlers like The Street Profits and Big E to the ring. He also performs Big E's new theme song.

Studio Albums

• Attention Deficit (2009)
• Ambition (2011)
• The Gifted (2013)
• The Album About Nothing (2015)
• Shine (2017)
• Wow... That's Crazy (2019)
• Folarin II (2021)

Other Cool Projects

Wale has worked with companies on special products. In 2015, he teamed up with Philadelphia store Ruvilla and ASICS for "Bottle Rocket" Asics Gel Lyte III shoes. In 2016, he worked with ASICS again on another shoe design.

Wale also played the character Chango in season 3 of the TV show American Gods.

Awards and Nominations

Wale has been nominated for and won several awards for his music.

African Muzik Magazine Awards

BET Awards

BET Hip Hop Awards

Grammy Awards

MTV Video Music Awards

Nigeria Entertainment Awards

Soul Train Awards