Wale is an African-American Rapper. He gained initial fame with his 2006 track “Dig Dug (Shake It)” in Washington D.C. He garnered local recognition with subsequent releases before signing with Mark Ronson’s Allido Records in 2007.
Following a competitive bidding process, he secured a joint venture with Interscope Records for $1.3 million in 2008. Wale’s mixtapes and singles gained nationwide attention, featuring on MTV and in various African American-focused publications.
Early life and Education 
Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, born on September 21, 1984, in Northwest Washington, D.C., hails from a Yoruba background, with parents who immigrated from Austria to the United States in 1979. Growing up, his family moved from Brightwood, D.C., to Montgomery County, Maryland, when he was 10 years old. He graduated from Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg in 2002 before relocating to Largo, Prince George’s County. Initially attending Robert Morris University and Virginia State University on football scholarships, he later transferred to Bowie State University but dropped out due to academic reasons. Known for his love of football and his support for the Washington Redskins, Wale has been rumored to have a tattoo of tight end Chris Cooley. He is also the cousin of actor Gbenga Akinnagbe, famous for his role as Chris Partlow on HBO’s The Wire.
Career
Wale’s musical journey began with his first recorded track, “Rhyme of the Century,” which gained airplay on local radio stations. He rose to prominence in 2006 when he was featured in The Source magazine’s “Unsigned Hype” column and subsequently signed with Studio 43, a local label. His breakout track, “Dig Dug (Shake It),” paid homage to Ronald “Dig Dug” Dixon, a percussionist for the go-go band Northeast Groovers. The song became a sensation in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, making history as the most requested song by a local artist on D.C. radio and earning Wale significant recognition.
In July 2006, Wale was discovered by Daniel Weisman, a former club DJ and promoter with no prior management experience, who learned about him through a friend in Washington, D.C., and connected via Myspace. By September 2006, Wale had released another go-go influenced single, “Breakdown,” which garnered attention from The Washington Post. Following this, he dropped his first non-go-go original single, “Uptown Roamers,” which premiered on XM Radio Channel 66 on September 14, 2006, receiving two plays in one day. Both tracks were featured on Wale’s second mixtape, “Hate Is the New Love.” “Breakdown” even made it onto the soundtrack of the video game Madden NFL 09. Wale’s early success earned him the title of “D.C. Metro Breakthrough Artist of the Year” at WKYS’s Go-Go Awards in November 2006. Additionally, in December, The Fader magazine featured him in an interview and photo shoot, which Manager Weisman highlighted as pivotal in establishing Wale’s image as a “cool, smart, up-and-coming hip-hop artist who might actually be Drake,” given the magazine’s focus on music, culture, and fashion.
In January 2007, Wale dropped a new single titled “Good Girls,” produced by Gerard Thomas and Demario Bridges for TeamMusicGroup (LeTroy Davis). Following this release, he featured on Mark Ronson’s remix of Lily Allen’s “Smile” and headlined Ronson’s UK tour in support of Ronson’s second album, Version. By June 2007, Wale had inked a production deal with Ronson’s Allido Records. His third mixtape, “100 Miles & Running,” was released on July 11 as a free download on Myspace, featuring collaborations with Mark Ronson, Daniel Merriweather, Amy Winehouse, and Lily Allen. On the same day, he performed at the Highline Ballroom in Manhattan to promote the US launch of Mark Ronson’s album, with notable attendees like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Kanye West. Wale’s first national TV feature aired on MTV News on August 16, following an interview by J. D. Tuminski at the Highline show. At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, Wale performed “W. A. L. E. D. A. N. C. E.,” a remix of Justice’s “D.A.N.C.E.” The Washington Post profiled him on the front page of the Sunday Style section on October 21, 2007, and he graced the cover of URB’s 150th issue alongside French electro group Justice. In March 2008, Wale signed a joint venture deal with Mark Ronson’s Allido Records and Interscope, amidst competition from Epic Records, Atlantic Records, and Def Jam. He released his fourth mixtape, “The Mixtape About Nothing,” on May 30, inspired by the TV show Seinfeld. Following his signing with Interscope, Wale began work on his major label debut, recording tracks like “Shades” with Chrisette Michele, addressing inter-black racism. He also collaborated with DJ Greg Street on the single “Dope Boys,” alongside Lupe Fiasco and Kardinal Offishall, and planned a mixtape collaboration with rapper Young Chris of Young Gunz.
On June 19, 2009, Wale dropped his fifth mixtape, “Back to the Feature,” featuring eleven tracks produced by 9th Wonder, with contributions from Mark Ronson and others. The title, a nod to the movie “Back to the Future,” reflected the extensive lineup of rappers joining Wale on the tracks, including K’naan, Tamere Guess, Talib Kweli, Joell Ortiz, Beanie Sigel, Curren$y, J. Cole, and Bun B. While the mixtape garnered praise from Vibe magazine and Pitchfork Media, Colin McGowan of Cokemachineglow remarked that it didn’t represent a significant progression for Wale, likening it to “shouting-in-place.” During this time, Wale also made a guest appearance on “Change,” a track by Australian singer-songwriter Daniel Merriweather, produced by Mark Ronson. This collaboration was released in the US and Canada on January 30, 2009, and in the UK on February 2, 2009, reaching number 8 on the UK charts. Additionally, on September 13, 2009, Wale and the DC-based musicians of UCB (Uncalled 4 Band), The Board Administration artists, served as the official house band for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
Released on November 10, 2009, Wale’s debut album, “Attention Deficit,” received primarily positive reviews, earning a Metacritic score of 77 based on 21 reviews. Despite its critical acclaim, it debuted at number 21 on the Billboard 200, selling 28,000 copies in its first week. Interscope claimed the album was undershipped, while Wale’s manager, Daniel Weisman, alleged that Interscope failed to distribute enough copies. The album featured singles like “Chillin” (featuring Lady Gaga), “Pretty Girls” (featuring Gucci Mane and Weensey), and “World Tour” (featuring Jazmine Sullivan), with guest appearances from Pharrell Williams, Bun B, Chrisette Michele, K’Naan, Marsha Ambrosius, J. Cole, and Melanie Fiona. In March 2010, Wale announced a co-headlining tour with K’Naan across the US East Coast. During this period, he collaborated with artists like Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flame, Roscoe Dash, Sean Garrett, and Drumma Boy in the studio.
In May 2010, Wale canceled a scheduled performance at DC Black Pride, claiming his manager was unaware it was a gay event when they agreed to perform. However, he later announced he would perform for free alongside the headliner.
On August 3, 2010, Wale released his sixth mixtape, “More About Nothing,” hosted by DJ Omega, a sequel to his critically acclaimed “The Mixtape About Nothing.” This mixtape gained significant attention, garnering over 100,000 downloads in just 90 minutes. “More About Nothing” creatively blended sitcom material with Wale’s lyrical prowess, highlighting his frustrations in pursuing mainstream success. Featured artists included Wiz Khalifa, Waka Flocka, Daniel Merriweather, UCB, Tiara Thomas, Black Cobain, Fat Trel, and NBA player Kevin Durant, among others. Additionally, inspired by Kanye West’s “GOOD Fridays” project, Wale initiated “Throwback Thursday,” re-releasing tracks from his previous mixtapes for free download every Thursday on his website, featuring guests like Bun B, Pusha T, John Mayer, Lil Wayne, and K’Naan.
On February 5, 2011, amidst Super Bowl XLV festivities, Wale announced his signing to Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group, emphasizing his continued ability to produce music aligned with his vision, now with the support of Rick Ross. In 2009, Wale also joined Jay-Z’s Roc Nation for management, alongside artists like J. Cole, Mark Ronson, Melanie Fiona, and Rihanna. On May 6, 2011, Wale discussed plans for potentially releasing two albums in 2011 with MTV Networks. Later that month, he confirmed pre-production efforts for his second album, “Ambition,” slated for a fall 2011 release under Maybach and Warner Music Groups. Production for “Ambition” occurred at ZAC Recording in Atlanta, Georgia, with The Board Administration Producer Tone P. The anticipation for “Ambition” was built through the release and extensive viral promotion of the mixtape “The Eleven One Eleven Theory,” launched on August 17, 2011, in celebration of Wale reaching one million Twitter followers. This strategy, devised by The Board Administration CEO Le’Greg O. Harrison, utilized social media integration, resulting in the temporary shutdown of file-sharing site Hulkshare within seconds of posting the link, making Wale the first mainstream artist to achieve this feat.
On September 7, 2011, Wale announced plans for a 32-city domestic tour titled “The Ambition Tour,” commencing on October 2, 2011, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and running through December 2011. The tour featured The Board Administration Artist Black Cobain as the opening act, with a rotation of various artists in select markets, including Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Pusha T, J. Cole, Big Sean, and Miguel. The album’s completion was announced on September 28, 2011, with the release of the single “Lotus Flower Bomb,” featuring Miguel, followed by “Tats on my Arms,” featuring Rick Ross, debuted by Funk Master Flex on September 29. The album cover for “Ambition” was unveiled the next day. Further singles like “Focused,” featuring Kid Cudi, were released on October 14, 2011. The promotional campaign for “Ambition” was extensive, incorporating social media strategies, daily music and video releases, merchandise sales through Warner Music Group and Maybach Music Group, and televised “making of” episodes on networks like MTV. A notable element of the promotional blitz involved a partnership with file-sharing site Hulkshare, leveraging its massive user base for promotional activities.
On October 27, 2011, Wale released an Ambition snippet sampler on YouTube, allowing fans to preview the album. The same day, a private listening event for Ambition took place at the Gansevoort Hotel in Chelsea, New York, attended by music executives, bloggers, artists, and hip-hop enthusiasts. On November 2, 2011, Myspace and Hot 97 hosted a complimentary midnight release show for Wale and friends at The Highline Ballroom in New York City. The event, hosted by Miss Info and featuring special guest DJ Funkmaster Flex, was a celebration of the album’s launch. Ambition debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 162,600 copies in its first week. While the album initially received mixed reviews, including a negative one from Wale’s local Washington City Paper, it holds a Metacritic score of 69/100, indicating “generally favorable reviews.”
Wale wasted no time after the release of “Ambition,” announcing on November 25, 2011, via Twitter, that he had already begun working on his third album. In January 2012, he confirmed the third album in an interview with UpVenue, emphasizing that it would focus on his personal growth. Throughout the year, he stayed busy, being featured on Maybach Music Group’s second studio album, “Self Made II” in June and releasing a trailer for his mixtape “Folarin” on December 6. “Folarin,” hosted by DJ Clark Kent, dropped on December 24, featuring guest appearances from Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Scarface, and more, with production from Hit-Boy, Jake One, and others.
During this period, Wale also began working on his third studio album, describing it as having a “very, very soulful” sound, with the first single, “Bad,” giving a glimpse of the project’s direction. He announced the album’s release date as June 25, 2013, with plans for his fourth album to follow shortly after. Additionally, Wale revealed collaborations with Jerry Seinfeld for his fourth studio album, “The Album About Nothing,” and producer No I.D. He also confirmed a collaboration mixtape with Meek Mill for 2013.
In December 2012, Wale announced plans for a Go-go album, expressing his desire to create an authentic Go-go sound. To build anticipation for “The Gifted,” Wale released a remix of the Fun. song “Sight of the Sun” and dropped the mixtape “Festivus” on December 24, 2014, featuring Chance The Rapper and A$AP Ferg, among others.
On March 31, 2015, Wale released “The Album About Nothing,” featuring Jerry Seinfeld, J. Cole, and others, which became his second No. 1 album in the United States. He continued to stay active, serving as the Executive Producer for Maybach Music Group’s “Self Made 4” and recording the original music theme for ESPN’s “First Take.” Finally, on April 28, 2017, Wale’s fifth studio album, “Shine,” hit the shelves, selling 28,000 units in its first week.
After parting ways with Atlantic Records in February, Wale surprised fans with a four-track EP titled “It’s Complicated” on March 13, 2018, followed by a second EP titled “Self Promotion” on May 8, 2018. The latter featured a guest appearance from R&B singer Jacquees. In May 2018, Wale signed with Warner Records, and on September 14, he dropped his third EP, “Free Lunch,” featuring guest appearances from J. Cole and Eric Bellinger. Later that year, in December, he released two tracks, “Winter Wars” and “Poledancer.” His sixth album, “Wow… That’s Crazy,” arrived on October 11, 2019, featuring the single “On Chill.” On June 19, 2020, Wale released an EP titled “The Imperfect Storm.”
Continuing his prolific output, Wale released “Folarin II” on October 22, 2021, serving as a follow-up to his 2012 mixtape “Folarin.”
Personal life
Wale’s diverse interests include being a fan of the Washington Commanders and professional wrestling. He often incorporates wrestling references into his songs and hosts the annual WaleMania event during WrestleMania weekend. His love for wrestling extends to appearances on WWE television, where he hosted a rap battle between The New Day and The Usos and served as a guest commentator during matches. Wale has escorted wrestlers like The Street Profits and Big E to the ring for their matches, even performing Big E’s new theme song as a singles competitor at WrestleMania 37.
He also has daughter named Zyla Moon Oluwakemi.
Collaborations with Nigeria
Wale, with his Nigerian heritage, has shown a keen interest in collaborating with Nigerian artists and incorporating elements of Nigerian culture into his music. He has collaborated with Nigerian artists such as Wizkid, Davido, Olamide, and Burna Boy, Odumodublvck among others. These collaborations often blend Wale’s signature style with the sounds and rhythms of Nigerian music, creating a fusion that appeals to audiences both in the United States and Nigeria. Wale’s collaborations with Nigerian artists have helped to bridge cultural gaps and showcase the richness of Nigerian music to a global audience.
Net Worth
Estimated to be over 5 million dollars