Wale

Olubowale Victor Akintimehin (born September 21, 1984), known professionally as Wale ( WAH-lay), is an American rapper. He first became known for his 2006 song “Dig Dug (Shake It)”, which became popular in his hometown of Germantown, Maryland and led Wale to gain further local recognition as he amassed a number of follow-up releases.

He signed a recording contract with English DJ-producer Mark Ronson’s Allido Records in 2007, which, after a three-label bidding war, entered a joint venture with Interscope Records for US$1.3 million the following year. During this time, Wale’s mixtapes and singles saw considerable attention as he appeared on MTV and various Black America-focused magazines.

Wale’s debut studio album, Attention Deficit (2009) was under-shipped and thus underperformed commercially, but saw positive critical reception and spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with its lead single, “Chillin” (featuring Lady Gaga). He continued gaining mainstream recognition with his guest appearance alongside Roscoe Dash on Waka Flocka Flame’s 2010 single “No Hands”, which peaked at number 13 on the chart and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).