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Home > News > Wale Reveals Inspiration Behind "Ambition" Album, Addresses Lazy Listeners

Wale Reveals Inspiration Behind "Ambition" Album, Addresses Lazy Listeners

b y NADINE GRAHAM

posted August 01, 2011 at 2:17PM EDT

39 comments

Exclusive: Wale speaks about what he has to prove to you, and why today's youth are lazy in their pursuits, so he's giving them ambition to be the best and have the best.
Say what you will about Wale Folarin; he claims that he can take whatever you dish out. In fact the greater Washington DC native is hoping that you do your best to take him down. There appears to be a fire in Wale's belly

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this year that cant be calmed and naysayers seem to only increase its intensity. A little more than four years ago, Wale dropped the critically acclaimed mixtape 100 Miles & Running with Nick Catchdubs. According to a recent conversation with HipHopDX at an Atlanta listening event, he is trying to get people to listen and understand that hes still that same Wale - just now with an improved label situation and a 600 Mercedes Benz. In this pinnacle year for Wale, the emcee is getting known not only for his lyrical abilities, but also an arrogant demeanor at times - something Wale's recently justified. Since jumping the Interscope ship and landing in Rozays Maybach, Wale is back on his grind to show and prove to the doubtful that hes well-aware of what hes doing. His stellar performance on this springs Maybach Music Group compilation Self-Made was a taste of what he has in store for his second studio album due in November, entitled, - what else? - Ambition. DX had a moment to catch up with Wale to talk about the LP, his dedication to culture, and lazy listeners. HipHopDX: How far along are you on Ambition? Wale: It been done. I just keep chopping the records. DX: Really? Wale: Im putting out 10 new songs when I get up to a million follower on Twitter - [songs not from] the album. And I got a lot of freestyles, some classic shit, not playing no more. Its been too I feel like Im one of the best, you know? And I wanna give my fans a reason to brag now like, "Yo, this is what I like Wale the most." A lot of niggas is nice, Im just tryin' to take it up a notch like, we is working. Im working vigorously. Im mentally getting right. Working out, getting physically right. Reading more, Im back to the old me. The vigor that I had with 100 Miles & Running is like, all over the album, its the best music Ive ever made in my life and I mean that. DX: Youve been doing this for a while now. But it seems your city is still pretty much on your shoulders. What kind of pressure you feel coming out of DC nowadays? Wale: I love it. I love it. I want everybody to watch this time. If youve ever heard my name, whatever, everybody, please, you dont have to do it ever again in my career but watch this time.

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MOST DISCUSSED NEWS DX: Man, Wale, DC natives even say its a city full of haters. Wale: We get nothing but love back home. I just like to play around. Its just like, on Twitter, everybody is all like, "Why Wale" I love it, I just like everybody to talk. Im not stupid. We sold out two shows on New Years Eve in like, 15 minutes. DX: Why do you think it is that youre the one rapper out of DC that made it? Wale: Gods work. Its all Gods work man. DX: What was the culture like for you out there around the time you started writing? Wale: Theres a lot of talented guys out of DC man. We work with a lot of em, like Black Cobain and Fatz Da Big Fella, Boobie, Garvey, the OG Big Wax. I got an OG in DC! I grew up listening to him! To me [he] was [like] Jay-Z and all that So I look at a guy like Big Wax like, "Okay," you know? Hes somebody I felt like couldve been a Bun [B], or a Styles P, or anybody thats been around but its just... The time wasnt right you know? So you know thats why we work with niggas like that. Ima help Wax put out his project when the album is done. Thats how I feel. DCs got a lot of talent. DX: Whats your mindset on Ambition? Wale: End all, be all. You. I want to have this conversation with everybody who asks me that question. You. A lot of people would kill to be where you at, right? But you would kill seven motherfuckers to get to where you wanna go in your mind. Its a stepping stone. Young niggas really gotta get on they shit, for real. Whether you in the league, you playing basketball, whether you selling dope, whether you in school We gotta get on our shit! Our parents aint have no m'fuckin' e-mail, m'fuckers had to memorize numbers and The least we can do is grind! How many young Lyor Cohens you see? How many young Diddys you see? None! A lot of young niggas is in it right now as if they only wanna be in it temporarily, I want it forever! Fuck the money, fuck the fame, I want niggas to say, "You know what? Wale make that Psssh Man For real. For years. I love this nigga's music." Young niggas dont aspire to be legendary no more. They dont. Niggas our age are so consumed in the now. Thats why they follow trends. Thats why they do little akee shit, weirdo shitknow what Im saying? Young niggas dont want shit but "now." The temporary
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29

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riches, like, I want the forever, I want the forever glory. Temporary riches is nothing to forever glory. Thats what we striving for, thats what Ambition is. DX: Do you feel like that theme comes from your background? Wale: I applied it my life. Just sports, girls, whatever like, even dating a woman. If Im in love, I try to top the last nigga she dated. I try and top my last gesture. I try and top my last physical performance. Its just my nature. I wanna be great. I just want I obsess over being great. Not obsess over being famous. If I could write a million songs and never be heard, so be it, but if theyre considered great, I can go to sleep every night like, Im great. DX: Were you raised to think like that? Wale: Nah "They" turned me into this monster. "They" did. Cause when I did my first album [Attention : Deficit], "Aiight, cool," know what? Now I want all yall shit! Now I want all yall niggas to hear me! Cause yall thoughtyall not saying Im one of the best new niggas? I want everybody to motherfucking listen and I want you to compare this record to that record. I want you to compare this flow to that flow. I want you to compare these lines to those lines. Go! I want it all! Listen, everybody fucking listen now. I do this shit for the Hip Hop DXsin every profession, theres always somebody in front of you. Always somebody in front of you. I want them. I want that shit. Im working relentlessly. Im not stopping. I do this for the culture. How many niggas is doing this for the culture? The funny thing about it is, how bout lil Wale that had DC Chillin two years ago, how bout lil Wale is that smart to know that, "Let me rub shoulders with let me make songs to" Cause all yall gon listen to is the shit I been trying to do since 100 Miles & Running. My real fans - the real fans - they know my heart. I pray every night, "God please let these people know my heart, please" Cause Im not stupid. I know what Im doing. Trust a nigga. Trust a nigga young. Trust me. Like for real. All yall gotta do is trust me. Im aspiring, Im rapping, Self Made [Volume 1] , let me show yall niggas I can do whatever. DX: A lot of people think you shine on that album. Wale: Trust me, yall. When you allow yourself to listen to it, that's what youd say. But when you get caught up in, "Well, why is this backpack nigga rolling with some trap niggas?" Man, I grew up around trap niggas, that aint nothing to me, the nigga love Hip Hop music, I love Hip Hop music. Thats the underlying theme, thats the common denominator.

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DX: Youve known Rick Ross for a while anyway though. Hed been heralding your skills for a minute, so when the idea of MMG came about, was it a given that youd be on? Wale: There were a lot of things on the table and I dont wanna throw nobody under the bus, but a lot of niggas was talking I couldve went on Twitter like, "I just left Interscope [Records], whats up?" I let the industry talk, I let everybody do what they had to do. I had my situation I was signed to [Maybach Music Group/Warner Brothers Records] before niggas even knew I left Interscope. I had a situation on the table I should say. DX: What kind of pressure are you feeling even being affliated with Rick Ross? Wale: I want it! Listen: my first album, all they used to ask me was, "Do you feel pressure being from DC?" I was like, "Well, you know. Im used to it. I can handle it." I want it now! Because the music is that good, I promise you. For the first time in my life Imagine a nigga, for his whole life, wanting to paint and only being able to paint with black and red, thats all he knows and thats all he can paint with. And imagine you say, "Son, you 26 years old now. Ima give you infinite colors to paint with" You know how many pictures gon be painted? 26 years worth of painting in infinite colors. Thats how I feel. I wasnt doing this stuff for 26 years but I feel like I never got to share my emotions, my passion, my thoughts and my heartwith the world "over there" [at Allido/Interscope Records]. I mean Ross theorietically said, "Heres your budget money, heres your label. Make whatever music you want." Where as Interscope was "You stand with this person, you go there by yourself, you do that, and now you make my album. And hurry up too." This shit is like I got a blank canvas with a million colors. And its time to work. Theres people at my label that say, "Ive never seen a person do this" I had to go to the doctor, and he told me to stop. He said, "Stop." They gave me medicine like, "Yoslow down." No. I cant. Im too ambitious for that. DX: Can you name the producers on this LP? Wale: I dont want to. DX: No?

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Wale: Thats athats a dated question. DX: Is it? Wale: Yeah. Absolutely. DX: Oh okay. Anyway You had a tweet earlier this week where you said you may do an Ambitious Girls 2. Wale: Yeah. I got something even bigger than that called The Illest Bitch Alive. I got two songs on the album that I cant listen to, know what Im saying? Like if you write in your diary about something painful, you probably cant read it, you gotta skip it. The only thing you can do is reflect on it lightly but Thats what those two are. I did a show in Mississippi and there was a girl who came up to me after my show, I was leaving, and I dont really be paying attention, I just be tryin' to get out, but for some reason I stopped and said, "How you doing?" She says, "Wale, Im a big fan of you and I love your music. You helped me get through a lot of stuff in my life. But you make me feel unincluded with Ambitious Girl." I aint sleep that night. This black culture means so much to me. Both of my parents from Africa, they aint know no English, nothing when they came to this country. They grinded. This black culture? This all I know. Me and my brother, in DC and suburban Maryland, we fended for ourselves but we analyzed the wholebut this shit means the world to me. Know what Im saying, likesome niggas have the opportunity to say way more than theyre saying, thats not fair. Thats not fair and I love niggas music but you got an opportunity And then, its not even their fault because the environment that they were brought up in, it doesnt evoke that. Its all fun. Its all partying. But its niggas going through shit Its niggas that I know, my best friend, been in prison for two years, but he in and out. Every time I try to get him straight Im not rich nigga, but Im tryin' get him straight, he go back in. This is the shit I go through. I aint no drug nigga, I aint no trap nigga, but these are my friends, this is my environment. This is what I come from. I cant be at ease knowing that. Just like I cant be at ease overly stuntin. I got cousins in Nigeria that dont have anything, like, thats my story. So if I get my shit to my level where everybodys listening, Im gonna use it. Im gonna use it the way I deem necessary. Im not judging off how anybody else is using it. Im just letting it be known that, I feel you my nigga, if dont nobody else do I feel you my nigga. You might not know but Im a lot like you. I know what its like.

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I got friends who got parents on [drugs]. I talk about that. If I never do it again, this is gonna be the album right here where Im gonna you know, dig into My favorite rapper of all time is Jay-Z. His most intimate album was Volume 1: [In My Lifetime]. Those are the emotions. Im getting there now but by my next album I may be in a financially better place where I cant even dig down. All my niggas may be rich, God willin. Its gon be hard to get that pain. I aint rich, Ill tell you in my verse first. 600 Benz is aspiring to get the 600 [Mercedes] Benz. I been grinding / Cause I been saving / For that Benz Yall listening? When did they stop listening? When did they stop? Cause I promise you if I woulda said that on a Statik [Selektah] or a 9th Wonder beat, theyda been like, "Yo '600 Benz' isnt about a car. Its about ambition, its about drive." You dummy. You see me in the [WorldStarHipHop.com video] shit with the 600, yeah, I aint get it. Ross gave me the 600; but I got one. But thats not what its about, its about trying to get one. There were three 600 Benzes at the video shoot, but its about grinding to get one. People are so lazy now.

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ADD NEW COMMENT

Got an account with one of these? Log in here, or just enter your info and one moment... leave a comment b elow.

* required field COMMENTS Your Name * kljh:

39 POSTS

i love u and u doin good out there ... u look good on the top ... u better stay up there Your Email * love bumblebeee/kenn
Posted 2 Website Your months ago | Reply

kljh: i love u walee Your Comment:

Posted 2 months ago | Reply

Realniggashit: Wale keep pushing and stay focus on what you say when you make it to the top...Bro
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Lisa: Wale
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Facebook

Kashif Ilyas

Wale sounds really focused. After reading this interview, I am interested in the music he's gonna put out.
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

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Mr Flamboyant: What was that one mixtape he had? Much about nothing or something like that? Well damn...who thought he would carry that same title for the concept of this interview. I had to stop reading this mess. And I am mad at the time I can't get back. Eh... Gotta learn to live with regrets (jay-z version)
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Anonymous: Whats with rappers and pretty much everybody in hollywood throwing up that 666 hand sign Wale is doing with his right hand?
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

vj: your a dumbass enough said

Posted 6 months ago

s2dak: i'll second that. dumbass. you shouldn't be on this site. go back to nickelodeon.
Posted 5 months ago

Ayatollah: When he first came out, niggaz from the city hated on him, he stayed humble, kept grinding and now he's shitting on them. MARTYR
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

amp: this nigga sound like he off his head in the interview
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Anonymous: wale a problem for real cant wait for the album im for sure coppin it!
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

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Facebook

Coaster Geist

boy this man never cease to amaze me to be down w/ according to him "trap niggas" and stay lyrically above the planet is beyond Folarin keep it up God
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Anonymous: Does this dude ever stfu?

Posted 6 months ago | Reply

damn: i dont like the dude but that nigga is really deep, shit and yeah im high im very deep myself thats why i know he deep holla if u deep(and/or high) wtf?
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

bmoc: lol
Posted 6 months ago

Anonymous: the funniest comment ive heard on this site. period. i was feelin the exact same
Posted 6 months ago

Anonymous: wale is hungry and full of talent i llok forward to his album more than any other rapper in the game
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

FromDat202: Wale is hype and happy as shit. Can't yall tell? It's like Ocho Cinco going to the

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Wale is hype and happy as shit. Can't yall tell? It's like Ocho Cinco going to the Patriots.....he in a good position and REALLY has something to prove this go round. After Self Made, niggaz wanna hear what he got to say. And slim ain't gonna disappoint. Do ya thing Wale.....fuck da haters, the city ain't on ya back, the city is by ya side runnin' wit' you!! COP AMBITION WHEN IT DROPS!
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Facebook

Everett Da Amin Rucker

I can tell Wale is gonna be on fire this go around

Posted 6 months ago | Reply

WhatEvs: Whale... We'll see. That's all I can say. You're in the position you need to be in... Now all you gotta do is make good music. Which is hard. Be humble my guy. You'll either get praised beyond belief or slaughtered beyond recognition.
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Anonymous: Had to stop reading that interview. I felt like I was getting dumber by the sentence.
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Anonymous: I(TM)m not rich nigga, Wale. So why do you and your crew run around faking it.
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Anonymous: Now the Jay Z favorite rapper comment makes sense. The greatest fake it till you make it rapper since Biggie. Fake niggas love fake things. You can tell a lot about a person based on who they listen to.

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The Biggie, Jay Z, Rick Ross fans are your fake it till you make it homies.
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The Biggie, Jay Z, Rick Ross fans are your fake it till you make it homies. You know them.
Posted 6 months ago

Anonymous: Wale is not fake at all lmao he doesnt rock chains he doesnt flash his jewelry..Wale sends clothes and stuff to his family back in Nigeria. He is one of the few REAL artist in the game...
Posted 6 months ago

Anonymous: His favorite rapper is Jay Z. No wonder you suck.

Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Facebook

Edi Kajmolli

chillllll lazy listeners is the reason you got a fan base

Posted 6 months ago | Reply

vj: "Lazy Listeners is the reason you got fans" Shut the fuck up dude Have you even ever listened to a Wale song before because if you did you would Know how dumb of a comment that was on your part, fuckin dumbass people smh
Posted 6 months ago

Mo Betta: My n!gga is hungry, the passion and desire is exuding from Wale in this interview. Ambition on the way, DMV behind ya son. Im buying just as many as I did the last time giving 'em out for christmas or somethinglet's go. Im proud of ya man.
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Its Um: hoping that the next one is truely your best.

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Posted 6 months ago

| Reply

Oh J: Ambition on the way....cant wait!

Posted 6 months ago | Reply

Wale is too cocky: wow...such a boring interview wale is nice, but calm down, u aint THAT nice
Posted 6 months ago | Reply

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