It was more like all the signs were around me”. That is rapper Wale’s response when asked what made him pursue rap. The D.C. rapper already has the attention of celebrities from Lindsey Lohan to Travis Barker to Lil Wayne. With such a diverse audience it’s no wonder that Wale’s style cannot be classified.
When you hear “Uptown Roamers” you might assume that Wale is the typical thugged out rapper waiting for a stranger to step on the wrong side of D.C. However, you turn the dial and he flips the script on “Wale Dance” with an almost Kanyesque vibe to his rhymes. Even after speaking to him you know that you just can’t peg this man. Now backed by Interscope and Mark Ronson, Wale wants to give the Internet message boards something to talk about
AllHipHop.com: Do you think it was harder for you to get on because you are from D.C. as opposed to New York or L.A., Texas?
Wale: Yeah. One hundred percent. There are so many people doing they thing and they aren’t even getting the recognition. Sometimes I get too much recognition. Well I won’t say too much but sometimes I get the recognition that they could be giving to someone else. Like there could be a magazine that wants a third interview from me. I’m like what about the other people doing they thing where I’m from.
Sometimes people would say something stupid like I’m selfish like I’m going to magazines saying please come interview me again please! I would much rather have some of the other people get they shine too. But sometimes that’s the way the cookie crumbles. I might be the one to get stoned because I’m getting so much attention.
Read more of Wale's takes on everything from working with Mark Ronson and Just Blaze to signing with Interscope and mixtapes about nothing...for ALL THAT and MORE go to all hip hop.com at
http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2008/05/30/19975911.aspx