Before many people deemed DC as a place notorious for Nike Boots, and Mambo Sauce. Now, the District of Columbia has become synonymous with the ardent lyricist named Wale. Dubbed as one of XXL's top freshmen to break out in 09, Wale has been on the verge of toppling his adversary with his cogent wordplay, and innate flow. With praises from people like Jay-Z and Kanye West, Wale is footsteps away from breaking and entering the game like a smooth criminal. In an interview with Ballerstatus, Wale talks about his early successes, his love/hate relationship with his hometown, and why the Redskins won't make the Super Bowl.
BS: I remember you telling me you were on tour with Q-Tip & Statik Selektah in Australia. How was that whole experience?
Wale: Yeah. I mean it was a lot of fun. It's far away. It's probably the farthest you can get from the United States. But, it was good you know? I got a lot of opportunities to talk to different artists from other places and stuff.
BS: I was reading an interview that came out with Statik for HipHopGame. What's this I hear about you and him possibly working together?
Wale: Yeah man. I didn't even know he mentioned that, but he's going to start sending me records, and we're going to work on some stuff together. I really like his stuff.
BS: Is this going to be on an album, or a new mixtape?
Wale: I mean you never know--it's going to come out though, you know what I'm saying? Whichever way we can do it. We might do it for the mixtape, we might do it for the album. You know, I just think he's one of the hottest dudes out.
BS: It's rare for newcomers like yourself to have opportunities without an album even out. What do you accredit your early success to?
Wale: Just non-stop promoting and try to create awareness.
BS: I was reading an article in Smooth about how your childhood consisted of Seinfeld, sneakers, and porn. How does that contribute to your rap skills?
Wale: (laughs) I mean I just take light of everything I see. You know it's good to be descriptive when you write or when you're making songs or whatever. That's what I do. I mean it comes from all those different things.
BS: You're from DC. What do you want to showcase to the audience who are unaware of the DMV (DC, MD, VA)?
Wale: I mean I could just paint my picture of it. Everybody who lives in DC has a different view of it. I could just give you mine, and hope a lot of people have the same views or understand mine.
BS: A lot of people are familiar with DC being a place for Go-Go music. How important is it for you to showcase people DC from a rap's perspective?
Wale: I mean it's just important to show anything new to the world that they don't know. It's a genre that's been around for so many years. So it's just important that--you know it's just like history. You gotta know those kinds of things other than what you are already familiar with.
BS: Last year, I heard the Mambo Sauce record with you and Tabi Bonney. On your album can we expect any Go-Go tracks?
Wale: You're going to get some hints of it here, and there, but It's not going to be a full-on Go-Go project, because I'm doing a UCB project after that's going to be more Go-Go or pretty much all Go-Go.
BS: I noticed a lot of people normally get support from their hometown, but I recall that you said in an interview that it's been hard trying to win the DC people over. Do you still consider yourself an underdog in your own hometown?
Wale: I think I'm an underdog everywhere, but that's just me. I mean it's kind of difficult to explain. I could go to any high school or middle school and it would be like a fight to get to me. At the same time, theirs a lot of heavyweights. Like whether they're on radio, or if they're influential in their communities, theirs just not any support in what I'm doing for whatever reason.
BS: The track "Nike Boots" was filmed here at Howard University. What was the concept about doing the video during their homecoming?
Wale: I think it was important to show DC. That's what a lot of people put together with Howard Homecoming. So I just put two and two together in terms of showing DC, and what they're familiar with, and show them what they're not familiar with.
BS: How did you guys do it? I know Chris Robinson was there. So did you guys just film the whole performance?
Wale: Yeah we filmed everything that weekend. All that was shot in the Howard Homecoming weekend--Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
BS: With you being on the cover of XXL with Charles, Corey, Curren$y, and the freshman class, do you feel this class could essentially bring back the essence of hip-hop which everybody has been crying for?
Wale: I don't know man because I don't know if the fans are ever going to be satisfied. They're always going to find somebody that they don't like or many people that they don't like. So I just think Hip-Hop, the fans in general will never be satisfied. I guess that's fine but there was a point in time where the general consensus would agree to be satisfied.
BS: Back to the "Nike Boots", your video has been getting play on MTV U. When you see the video on TV, do you ever think to yourself like "Damn."? Has it sunk in yet?
Wale: Nah. I mean, I'm more excited about having a record deal. Anybody could have a video. I see a lot of videos. Like I just think, "Damn, I have a record deal. I'm part of Interscope records, a historic label." So that's more of like taking a step back, and taking it in.
BS: Since you are part of Interscope, do you ever feel you have big shoes to fill because you have Eminem & 50 over there?
Wale: I mean I compete with those dudes. They don't know who I am probably, but I'm going to compete to catch up with them. I'm just going to do it my own way. Everybody has their own way, and I'm just going to try to do it my own way. I think my road is a little bit more challenging, but you know?
BS: So with your debut album, what are your expectations? Are you creatively in-sync with this album, or are you more concerned with the sales?
Wale: I just wanna make a great album. Sales, you can't control that. You know it's either they're going to buy it, or they're not going to buy it. If they're going to download it, they're going to download it. They're not going to do it, if they don't wanna do it. So I can't control that. I don't even try.
BS: Is a major label like Interscope cool with all the free mixtapes and songs you release?
Wale: I mean I don't over do it, you know what I’m saying? I don't over do it, or do it overboard.
BS: I know you're signed to Allido which is Mark Ronson's label. How big of an influence has he had on your mixtapes, and album so far?
Wale: I mean he opens your eyes to different things and whatever. I did the Nickel-eye. I did the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. stuff. I'm doing some other things.
BS: How about Cool & Dre. I know they helped out on the album. Did they do a good portion of the album?
Wale: Yeah they did a nice portion of the album. They did a couple things with the album, which I can't say because they didn't finalize yet. So I can't really say how much percentage wise, but we did a couple songs together. We did like five songs together.
BS: I've noticed you been getting some praise from people like Jay-Z, Kanye, The Roots, and 9th Wonder. How does it feel to be in a big circle like that?
Wale: I mean now it's more or less you feel like you gotta show everybody why. Now or less it's more like look you going to a high school where your brother is the starting quarterback and went onto Florida State, and you coming in from the 9th grade. So at some point, you gotta show them what you gotta do.
BS: How did you get Travis Barker on your album?
Wale: Some people are just fans of other people. Some people follow other people. It wasn't that hard. A lot of people appreciate what you do. He helped me on one track for the album.
BS: Is "Chillin'" still the first single, and if so, when can we expect the video?
Wale: Yeah "Chillin" is the first single, and the video will drop in May.
BS: So can we expect you to throw the Roc Sign up in the video?
Wale: (Laughs) Nah man cuz I mean it's something different. The relationship is a little different. It's just something--that's sacred. That's something else. You know that's like family though still. On my side, and their side, it's family. I talk to [Young] Chris sometimes, Free[Freeway], Beans[Beanie Sigel], and Jay. It's still family.
BS: The reason I asked is because I know you just signed a management deal with Roc Nation. How did that come about?
Wale: Yeah, you know just being on Allido you meet a lot of people and Rich Clement has been very influential in a lot of my moves. He kind of just took me around.
BS: I was listening to your "Mr. Carter" freestyle. Were you really pissed that all these rappers were jumping on "A Milli"
Wale: (Laughs) I wasn't really pissed but you know I was kind of like "Man is everybody going to do this." I found myself about to do it, but you know I was like Nah.
BS: Another thing I heard you say was that you said you wish it was 03. Why was that?
Wale: Yeah I think it was a lot more fun. Like I remember those times. The summers with the throwbacks, and it was just a great time. Everything was better. Like Black College Weekend at Kings Dominion, and all that. It was just better.
BS: I know you were a real football star back in the day. Being a DC native, with the Redskins just getting Albert Haynesworth, what do you think of their chances of winning the super bowl?
Wale: They don't significantly change. I have yet to see a defensive tackle come to a team and take from eight to eight to a Super Bowl. So I don't think that's going to happen this year. I mean as much as I would really want it to. I think theirs bigger issues on our team but we have a great defensive tackle, and a great linebacker with Marcus Washington.
BS: You know you guys lost Jason Taylor too right?
Wale: Yeah. (laughs) He wasn't doing nothing for me anyway.
BS: If Clinton Portis was done for the year, and they asked you to put the kleets on, would you be able to play?
Wale: Yeah in a heartbeart.
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