Wale – The Torchbearer | DimepieceMagazine.net

September 9, 2009

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In this Hip Hop race, Washington DC’s own Wale is carrying the torch, so y’all up and coming artists better follow his lead and take notes.

In an error of hip-hop where veteran MCs are clinging on to the end of their stardom, where digital music sells more than retail, and where hip-hop publications are slowly shifting towards the graveyard, the new voices of the culture such as Interscope’s latest commodity, Wale are studying and adapting to the new-age of the business to lead the new school.

The, District of Columbia native has currently made an impact and generated a buzz stronger than any newcomer currently in the business excluding Lil Wayne’s latest protégé, Drake. With his own unique charismatic persona and rhyme scheme, the Wale is as best as it gets to the golden’s days of hip-hop and he contains enough versatility to please both the new listeners and veteran hip-hop heads.

Inked to the conglomerate of the record business- Interscope, his highly-anticipated debut, Attention: Deficit is slated to hit shelves in the mid-fall. The album’s single, “Chillin” featuring Lady Gaga continues to keep the newcomer’s name in the right people’s mouths, as Wale prepares to let fans, and listeners inside of his world.

Once again the freshest magazine in the business brings another exclusive, does it once, as we linked up with the leader of the new school to let you know why he’s ahead of his competition.

DPM: There’s a lot of talk, and hope on your movement, are you ready?

Oh Yeah it’s my time now you know.

DPM: Before we get started, you come from D.C. a place that hasn’t really been heard in the hip-hop world; can you touch a bit on the scene and district for our readers?

It’s bubbling, I mean everybody at each other’s neck rather than trying to unite, but it’s cool. You know I try to touch base with a lot of the artists her when I can, but the picture is bigger than D.C. in my mind right now, it’s kind of hard for me to go super-hard for the D.C. fan, but I can uplift it and show people that there is a way, I didn’t move to New York to get fans and famous.

D.C. is basically D.C. Maryland and Virginia, There’s a geographical D.C. which is northwest, southeast, to southeast south west, but there’s a suburban D.C. which is Montgomery county and Northern Virginia as well. Because D.C. is a district and the district was designed just to work in. A lot of us were born there and migrated out. My parents are both from Africa, Nigeria to be exact and they met in D.C. I was raised in D.C. till I was eleven and moved here [Maryland]. And that’s pretty much the story of a lot of people out here you know what I’m saying? 90 percent of my family is from D.C., they’re all African and moved to Maryland for a better life.

Well I had a good buzz and pretty much could have went with any label. I met with every label, I met with Diddy, I met with Jay when he was at Def Jam and you know I decided to go with Interscope because they understand brand. Everyone they have on there from 50 Cent, Eminem to Soulja Boy they each got brand and longevity.

DPM: Do you feel that the go-go MC label that’s being placed on you is affair one for you as an artist?

I mean I got a single with Lady gaga right now, I’m and I’m a fan of music so I adapt to whatever I like as opposed to whatever’s working For instance I’ve done stuff with Justice I’ve done stuff with Lil’ Wayne, I’ve done stuff with Beanie Sigel then I’ve done stuff with Lilly Allen you know what I mean so I really don’t put boundaries on My music. Go-Go is jus tone of those things that I was raised on and that I can understand but I’m not limited to that.

DPM: When listening to your music and watching your career you seem to be having fun with it and over all release positive product?

I’m from a hardcore place aint no reason for me to be like that. Where I’m from and where I grew up at- it’s hard core! If you’ve been to D.C. then you already know what’s up. There aint no for reason to be like that. I’m happy life is good. Man you could be somewhere washing cars…the fact that I don’t even know what minimum wage is anymore makes me happy and let’s me know that I’m at a pretty good place in my life.

DPM: For someone that never heard your music, or just checking Wale for the first time, how would you describe your music to them?

My music is real it aint like a fiction movie. It’s real situations man. A lot of people think that real is just shoot ‘em up bang bang, and that’s what’s real to them, but that’s the negative side of hip-hop if you meet someone on the street and you say ‘oh I’m a rapper,’ then they’re already gonna have a negative idea of the things you rap about.

DPM: Now shifting to your fans and followers, how does Attention: Deficit differ from any previous mixtape that you’ve released?

All of them have been a collection of thoughts bur t if you listen none of them too personal. It’s just y thoughts more so than my heart and soul. Like if you listen to Jay-Z – who’s probably the most successful rapper in history his first two albums are more personal, you can hear what’s going on. These mixtapes are just to let you know that I can rap and hey and I can make good songs, but an album is really, really what it’s all about. Your experiences in life and exact situations that made you the person who you are and that’s pretty much what I’m trying to do on my album.

DPM: So far, there is a lot of anticipation on your debut. Can you touch on the project for our readers?

I kept the rap features low, Bun B’s a mentor of mine so he’s on there and ROC Nation’s artist J Cole are on there s o I kept the rap feature low. But I got a lot of women on the album, and that’s because I feel that women have a lot of honesty, and emotion in their voices and they let it all out. I got Melanie Fiona, Chrisette Michele, Lady Gaga, Marsha Ambrosia, you know they all help me get the feeling that I’m trying to get across. I got production form Cool-N-Dre Mark Ronson, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, you know I tried to keep it short and sweet.

DPM: On another note, you seem to be really heavy into fashion. Since that’s a common interest that XPOZ’s audience share, can you cover on some of your favorite brands?

I wear a lot of different things not just street wear I like a lot of the high end stuff, but I think that street-wear is the most comfortable. It’s for the lifestyle of the18 year-olds to anyone under 33. I like Ice Cream because Pharell’s a good friend of mine and it’s dope line. I also like a lot of LRG. So if it just catches my eye- then I mess with it.

DPM: Can you touch on the Dope Couture collaboration shirts that have been released?

We did a couple of collabo t-shirts with Dope Couture and both of them sold out. I like t o link with a lot of brands that I’M feeling their stuff and just do stuff for the people.

DPM: When it comes to kicks what shoes stay in your feet?

You pretty much only gonna see me in Nike and Jordan. I obviously got a few Gucci sneakers and Prada, but overall its Jordans or Nikes.

DPM: Being that you reside in the nation’s capitol, will we find any political tracks on your up-coming album?

I leave the politics alone there are a lot of politics already in D.C. so [laughs] I’m already paranoid as it is so maybe when I get older.

DPM: There have been a lot of talk on the project with you and 9th Wonder, did that project ever drop?

Nah it didn’t drop, we waiting man I been on tours, doing interviews, doing in stores, I haven’t even been in the studio in like two months. I almost got tired of talking abut that mixtape because every where I’ go people would be ‘what’s up with that mixtape, what’s up with that tape.’ I can’t finch the mixtape though because it’s been hard, it’s frustrating trying to please everybody but you know.

DPM: Can you leave us with some last words before you head out?

Yeah just that the internet is the new wave, so up-coming MCs make sure to get your stuff and self out there. I hope that everybody supports the new school MCs because we’re all really different than each other and just listen to us more so, be a part of it, learn from the music, be one with the music as cliché as that may sound

Interview by Omar Marquez for Dimepiece Magazine

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