Wale
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Biography
Wale (born September 21, 1984) is an American rapper from Germantown, Maryland. He gained local fame with his 2006 hit "Dig Dug (Shake It)" before signing with Mark Ronson's Allido Records in 2007 and later joining Interscope.
His debut album, Attention Deficit (2009), was well-received but underperformed commercially. He gained wider recognition with "No Hands" (2010) alongside Waka Flocka Flame. In 2011, he signed with Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group and released Ambition, featuring the Grammy-nominated hit "Lotus Flower Bomb."
Wale's next two albums, The Gifted (2013) and The Album About Nothing (2015), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. His single "Bad" (2013), featuring Tiara Thomas or Rihanna, remains his highest-charting track as a lead artist.
His later projects, Shine (2017), Wow... That's Crazy (2019), and Folarin II (2021), produced hits like "On Chill" with Jeremih. These albums reflected a shift towards a more mainstream and R&B-influenced sound.
After releasing Folarin II, Wale left Maybach Music Group and signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2022, marking a new phase in his career.