He eventually signed to a local label, Studio 43, for his 2006 mixtape Hate Is the New Love. The success of that first effort led to Wale being featured in The Source’s “Unsigned Hype” column, which upped his buzz and led to more music (including a popular tribute to a local go-go hero). The tune quickly got a ton of attention and airplay around the D.C. Wale’s very first song, “Rhyme of the Century,” came out sometime around 2004 (reports differ, with some placing it a year earlier, and some a year later). He’s also seen the other side: poor sales, label issues, feuds, and bad press. The one constant is Wale, who, as he'd admit, can be his own enemy.īut he started out strong. He’s known the heights of success: gold albums, hit singles, critical love, and affiliation with the rap game’s biggest names. Shine's less-than-stellar showing is just the latest bump in a long road for the D.C. I put it on me, I don't put it on Atlantic.' He also shouldered responsibility for Shine 's first week sales, saying, 'I didn't create enough awareness like I should have. During Wale's appearance on Everyday Struggle Monday, he addressed his career-long commercial ups and down, acknowledging that he's been 'bitter' in the past, citing his angry phone call with Complex in December 2013. But Folarin’s excitement did not translate commercially, as the record moved just north of 25,000 units in its first week.

Wale the gifted interview