“ ‘Man, I swear, if you’ve never seen twitter.com/WaleDC perform live, you’d better get on it! It was the best live performance I’ve seen in ‘09,’ ” Wale says, reading an update from a fan who had just witnessed the show.
The Washington, D.C., native, who’s been heralded as one of the industry’s most promising lyrical talents, remains grounded despite the praise.
“You’ve got to understand, I played sports and I’m kind of accustomed to what it’s like when you have four touchdowns in a game … it’s essentially the same thing,” says Wale. “I try to treat every day like I’m still working downtown at Sprint.”
The Allido/Interscope Records signee, who’s consistently sold out shows on his current Attention Deficit Tour, recently inked an endorsement deal with LRG Clothing.
Praised by fans and critics for his effortless flow and penchant for pulling lyrics from a seemingly endless supply of pop culture references, Wale says moving from the inner city to a middle-class setting in Maryland made him the artist he is today.
“Through a lot of hard work … [my family] got to live like middle-class people,” he recalls. “I got to see a lot — a lot of different types of girls, different types of people … teachers.”
As fans anticipate the arrival of his first release, Attention Deficit, Wale is ready for the big payoff that comes with years of hard work.
“I think my best quality is a certain level of humility I carry with myself,” he says. “Guys like myself, [KiD] CuDi and [Young] Chris, we understand what it means to pay your dues.” –gavin philip godfrey
