Wale

Why he matters

Olubowale Akintimehin was born in Northwest Washington, D.C., in 1984 to Nigerian parents. The family lived in Brightwood before moving to Montgomery County, Maryland, when he was ten. His 2006 song “Dig Dug (Shake It),” a tribute to a percussionist from the go-go band Northeast Groovers, became the most requested song by a local artist in DC radio history. “Breakdown” kept the go-go connection going. The Source put him in its Unsigned Hype column the same year.

Mark Ronson signed him to Allido in 2007, and the free mixtapes kept coming. The Mixtape About Nothing in 2008 sampled Seinfeld throughout and titled every track like an episode, with “The” in front. A three-label bidding war ended in a joint venture with Interscope, and his debut, Attention Deficit, came out in November 2009 to good reviews and a weak first week; his manager said Interscope hadn’t shipped enough copies.

He moved to Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group in 2011 and released Ambition, which debuted at No. 2 and carried the Grammy-nominated “Lotus Flower Bomb.” The Gifted and The Album About Nothing both debuted at No. 1. He also turned up on the Roots’ Rising Down. Among rappers who came up on blogs, Wale is one of the few whose early tapes still hold up as well as his albums.

What a working rapper can take from it

Start with the sound your city already loves. Wale’s early singles leaned on go-go, DC’s own percussion-heavy music, and local radio responded. Before chasing a national sound, find out what your area dances to and build a record people at home will request.

Make a concept into a series. The Mixtape About Nothing, More About Nothing, then The Album About Nothing. One idea, carried for seven years, gave fans a thread to follow and gave press an easy hook. If you have a strong premise, plan the sequel before you drop the first one. The verse-writing guide covers building a theme without making every bar about it.

A bad first week is not the verdict. Attention Deficit stumbled out of the gate, and Wale’s next album opened at No. 2. Keep releasing and keep the audience close. The streaming release guide covers planning a rollout you control.