With news of his recent split from Roc Nation released in August, Wale spoke with Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club about moving over to 77 North Management—the same team responsible for the management of LeBron James—and feeling like Jay Z’s company is “going in another direction.” While on the show, Wale also spoke about plans for his next album, a soured business relationship with Mark Ronson, his recent spat with Meek Mill, and more.
Asked about the decision to join 77 North Management, a company known for its representation of James and NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel, Wale said he’ll be getting a different type of insight and direction.
“Couple things about brands and stuff like that,” he said. “I mean, I don’t really need no help on the music side. It’s like the brand stuff is what I’m on right now…I have a job with the Washington Wizards. Can we go into that now? [I’m a] brand ambassador. One of the magnificent things that I do with my free time.”
On the decision to leave Roc Nation after five years at the company, Wale cited the company’s recent focus on sports management.
“It was hard because I was there when that jawn was S. Dot Enterprises,” he said. “That jawn was brand spankin’ new…It was hard for me. But to me personally they’re going in another direction. They’re sports. My day-to-day person was Rich Kleiman. You know, he’s with Victor Cruz and [Kevin Durant] and I believe Hakeem Nicks. He’s got his own thing going on. I wish those guys the best. I introduced Victor Cruz to Rich as well as K.D.”
Speaking on his upcoming Album About Nothing tentatively scheduled for a fall release, Wale described trying to replicate the essence of his early career highlights.
“I’m kind of letting my core fans A&R the project,” he said. “I’m zeroing in on things that made them grow to love me early in my career like when I was doing The Mixtape About Nothing and More About Nothing. I’m trying to focus on those things sonically. I’m not running away from those things no more. I’m a little bit more brave now as far as my music selection on this project.”
Breaking down his early signing with Mark Ronson and Rich Kleiman’s Allido, a sub-division of Interscope, Wale hinted that he’d be open to reuniting with Ronson before explaining the politics behind being dropped from the larger platform.
“I wish,” he said of making music with Ronson again. “Mark don’t need nothin’ so he’s hard to reach…Anyway I word it it’d be like, ‘Aw, he’s whining.’ So, I just encourage people to just kind of like read between the lines. I ain’t trying to say nothing ‘cause I’m not trying to do that.”
Addressing Ronson’s impact on his career, Wale clarified, “he didn’t discover me.”
“To be honest, what happened was, that’s just something that sounds cool when you sign,” he added. “But now we big boys now we could tell the real story. What happened was I was doing the local circuit, go-go’s and street stuff rapping on U Street…back home. He had found one of my songs and it passed from one person to one person and he played it on the show. He asked me to come and do a freestyle for him. I did it. I came in. I’m a hungry rapper from DC so I’m like, ‘What’s up? I’m trying to get a record deal.’ He kinda like, ‘We’ll see.’
“So what happened was I think her name was Leah Rose, XXL. She called Rich Kleiman I believe and told Rich, ‘Yo, you gotta sign this kid. He’s hot.’ So Rich Kleiman brought me back in and said, ‘Mark, sign him.’ Mark was kind of, ‘Eh.’ But when he started hearing the buzz, Mark starting hearing the buzz and then things blew up. Lil Wayne did that ‘Nike Boots Remix’ and then it blew up. So, he’s like, ‘Oh, alright.’ So that’s why me and Rich was always like this. I made a lot of sacrifices. I did all these tours with Mark. I had a crazy buzz back here from my main deal, from my distribution deal and I just followed Mark…At that point I wanted to sign with Def Jam or Capitol who was saying all these things they were gonna do for me. But it was like, ‘Sign with Mark. Do Interscope.’ That went left because when Mark signed the deal, Mark was hot as fish grease at that point. There was promises, he’s producer of the year. He did Amy Winehouse’s project so Jimmy Iovine is assuming that he gon’ come in and make hits for their artists. Read between the lines. So, who gotta suffer because of that?”
RELATED: Wale Speaks On “Album About Nothing,” Resolving Meek Mill Beef
This dude has been doing nothing but bitch since he came out. He keeps telling us how he is “about nothing.” It sure seems that way. Peace out.
i agreed with you, he never stops complaining about not getting the recognition he deserves while never really doing anything worthy of the recognition he thinks he deserves.
Passion for your craft, most rappers just want the money but some want the recognition.
thats great and all but he wants the recognition without earning it, stfu about how underrated you are and let your art speak for itself.
if you truly are as great as you seem to think the people will notice eventually and give you your props
LMFAO well so for Bruthadee’s crackpot theory about Wale leaving Roc Nation
“Wale been with Roc Nation since he was on Interscope but being a sports/wrestling head the move makes sense for his career. Roc Nation management seem to be going more into the POP direction with acts like Grimes, Haim, and Fiona. I see a lot more cross marketing into sports for Wale’s career. LOL, the boy J. Cole is on ROC/Columbia managed by Bystorm and got his own label on Interscope! The game is crazy when you get behind the scenes of the machine.”
“He’s separating himself from the MMG goon squad and “cross marketing” into sports, expanding his brand instead of MMG’s profile. Like how although Cole was signed by Jay, but he doesn’t have to stand next to Jay for attention, he’s a separate entity.”
“@anonymous #2 Bron got top grade management on that side, hes on his way to be a Billionaire plus I think Wale is trying to get into the sports arena duke is a former highly recruited HS athlete and he has family in athletics so it makes sense.”
hahaha he basically claimed Wale was leaving Roc to go in a more sports oriented direction but his reasoning was he left because Roc Nation was going into a more sports oriented direction.
what an out of touch groupie.
dis negro is wack
Wale is one if the best rappers in the game can’t wait for the album to drop
wale used to be a super tight rapper til he sold out
Wale aint sold out yet that was the Gaga stage when he was with Ronson, you wont see
Amber Coffman or Anna Wise on a Wale album so the sellout label wont apply.
LMFAO shots @ Kendrick Lamar
Nigga got songs with Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga and you’re talking about not being labeled a sell out?
So pop stars is all cool but some unknown indie singers doing backup vocals makes Lamar a sellout now? In who’s mind?
Kendrick’s album was way more hip-hop than anything this over emotional clown has ever done. Including his corny Jerry Seinfeld sellout album here.
Needing Seinfeld to push your album is the ultimate sell out move.
Wale made a song with Iggy in 2013 so he’s a sellout for sure. She wasn’t even hot then. He probably helped that culture culture get some more cred in this industry before she took over.
People have different ideas of what “selling out” is but in HipHop it’s always been traditionally known that selling out is when you try to go POP or try to cross over into the POP crowd.
Yeah early in Wale’s career he was with Ronson and Iovine and he was selling out, he even said in the intakes that he dressed the way they told him to dress and did whatever they told him to do musically because he was green in the game and didn’t want to be a trouble maker.
Fast forward to the present and yeah Wale has done some R&B features with Rihanna for “Bad” and a rap feature with Nicki for “Clappers” a strip club anthem and a slutty girl anthem, neither of them POP.
What sound are you going for? What audience are you trying to reach?
Clappers is a GoGo song, most people unfamiliar with D.C. music and Black music in general don’t even know what GoGo is but it damn sure aint POP.
What sound are you going for? Who’s ears are you trying to entice with your sonic mosaic? Are you going to have a white chick yodeling on 5 of your tracks? Who is this white chicks audience and who does her “sound” appeal to? Think about that because trust me the A&Rs at these labels do.
Jerry Seinfeld is corny as fuck and I wouldnt let that bagel-eater near my album but I guess its good marketing and may get the hipsters to love Wale again like they did before he became succesful.
“he even said in the intakes that he dressed the way they told him to dress and did whatever they told him to do musically because he was green in the game and didn’t want to be a trouble maker”
Hahaha he was a puppet desperate for fame and money, what a loser, no wonder he signed to Ross and and progressively got worse and worse
waleyyy doee????
I fucks wit the kid…
Faggot ass cock blower
well we dont care you wackass.
Lol this nigga is such a clown…another NBA groupie like drake. What a faggot. This dude swears he’s nice, not the case at all. Dude is pure trash wish he would sstfu and go away. Nigga has the nerve to say he don’t need help w the music part gtfoh u clown
Nigga been talking bout that bullshit album for so long…net its pushed back then we have to hear this faggot cry the rest of the year…meek mill should a whooped this down syndrome w dreads looking faggot..break this niggas jaw so he could stfu
Wale just dropped albums in ’12 and ’13 and J Cole dropped in ’11 and ’13 so they will both drop in ’15 most likely, their careers seem to be closely aligned even with different management now. Meek will be on Wales album, how does that make you feel inside?
How is it pushed back if it never had a release date? Your mother put too much sugar in your oatmeal this morning, calm down kid.
Why would Meek beat up Wale if Meek was the one who was completely in the wrong and 100% out of line?
I think Wale could take Meek anyway though, he’s a wrestling fan and we never heard of Meek touching anyone… Wale on the other hand tries to beat up hecklers and magazine editors for not putting him on their lists.
Makes sense, Wale got branding opportunities with the Washington Wizards and WWE so why not get with 77 North to help expand your brand? He already a staple on ESPN First Take.
It sound like a twist because he saying they going in a different direction with “sports” but then he’s signing with a sports related management company but the difference is at Roc he was with Klieman a white Jew who has V. Cruz and KD and now he’s with 77 North which is Rich Paul (a Black man) whohas Lebron and Manziel.
This is 2014 need to support our own and preserve the culture, salute to Folarin.
Wallace never talks about sales hes always talking about appreciation for his work, its refreshing to see that but Wallace will never be the crossover mullatto or the hipster darling, wo is too culturally centered.
LOL HIS NAME AINT WALLACE ITS OLUBOWALE
Okay clown but Fat Trel and Rozay call him Wallace, back up bitch.
only a groupie would know some shid like dat
HAH
Black biddnes 77 North Management
“LOL, the boy J. Cole is on ROC/Columbia managed by Bystorm and got his own label on Interscope! The game is crazy when you get behind the scenes of the machine.”
Jimmy gave Polo the Don a label situation over there too, the best vanity labels for a major are the ones headed by a producer and Cole can produce his ass off, its good to see the newer rappers bossin up.
Sorry but I got no respect for any grown man who still watches WWE
You are a grown man who watches pornography so I cant respect you either.
Oh shit. I thought everybody watched porn.
HAHAHA he compared watching porn to grown man fake wrestling in costumes to a soap opera like script
that beard lookin grey,
“Wale made a song with Iggy in 2013 so he’s a sellout for sure. She wasn’t even hot then. He probably helped that culture culture get some more cred in this industry before she took over.
That pale zombie bitch is putrid and Wale need to be slapped for jumping on that Remix, on the bright side at least the bitch put the original version on her album (The New Classic) and not the remix.
“on the bright side at least the bitch put the original version on her album (The New Classic) and not the remix.”
How is that a bright side? If you’re gonna sell the fuck out and make songs with white australian bitches you might as well get paid some of that album money.
nigga got a wack as song with Iggy in his catalog to go next to his Gaga track and he probably didn’t even get paid enough to get his dreads done
The Iggy song was a remix so he didnt get that much bread off it, the Gaga song was before she was popular so he didnt get that much bread off it either. Wale Interscope run was a disaster.
Talk about career fail.
MMG in this bitch!!! take dat take dat!!
rozay knows talent
rozay is da bawse and gunplay is a living legend
living legend with no release date after carrying ross bags for 10 years, even stalley got a date before GP
Why does Gunplay need a release date when he can tour off free mixtapes?
If you desire to express some negative emotions for Gunplay you should use something that makes more sense than a release date, most rappers dont even have a major label record deal and anybody on an Indie can get a release date as simple as tweeting a release date on there Twitter.
That new Gunplay song with Cormega is crazy.
Stalley is on Atlantic, GP is on Def Jam.
“Why does Gunplay need a release date when he can tour off free mixtapes?
Let’s be real. He’s not headlining any shows. He’s opening up in whole in the wall venues for chump change. Sometimes he even gets knocked out by the locals! Is he even allowed to leave the country?
“most rappers dont even have a major label record deal and anybody on an Indie can get a release date as simple as tweeting a release date on there Twitter.”
I thought the whole point of signing a major label record deal was to put out a major label record? Def Jam must know they will never recoup the budget if they put it out.
Maybe Gunplay should have went the indie route, he’s not really popular enough to sell on a major and at least that way he would making more from what he did sell.
“Stalley is on Atlantic, GP is on Def Jam.”
They’re both on MMG. And one of them has been with Ross and waiting a whole lot longer.
Gunplay dropped his first album in 2009, him Torch & Breed, it was called Custom Cars & Cycles.
biggest flop in def jam history if im not mistake
“Are you going to have a white chick yodeling on 5 of your tracks? Who is this white chicks audience and who does her “sound” appeal to? Think about that because trust me the A&Rs at these labels do.”
Most people don’t even realize there is some white chick in the background on some GKMC songs… I don’t see how getting some girls (that happen to white) that don’t sell any records on their own can somehow make a rapper more popular…
“if you truly are as great as you seem to think the people will notice eventually and give you your props”
Many people die before they get the props they deserve, Thoreau, Van Gogh, Poe, Big L, Basquiet, etc., Wale is underrated and under appreciated he aint a light-skinned metrosexual or a trapper, hes not
white-friendly enough to be a Kendrick and too black to be a J. Cole so he will never move units like they do but he’s not far behind.
getting props isnt all about moving units
the roots crew never went plat until last year and they are respected by everyone not only in hip-hop but in music as a whole
true artists (like Van Gogh, Basquiet, etc) did/do it for the love of the art and culture, not for the recognition and props.
wow, take off the chaps and stirrups b, smh
“he aint a light-skinned metrosexual or a trapper, hes not
white-friendly enough to be a Kendrick and too black to be a J. Cole so he will never move units like they do but he’s not far behind.”
Stop making excuses for him. Plenty of dark skinned artists have had great success in this game without having to compromise their craft.
Just admit that Wale is trash and isn’t anywhere close to as good as Cole or Kendrick.
Who cares of the Roots went Platinum? What does that have to do with respect? Does Chingy deserve respect because he went platinum? Most people think the Roots are Jimmy Fallonns house band and other people never heard of em. If you respect The Roots so much then go buy their albums.
Wale has a Gold album this era and Grammy nominations and awards from Soul Train, BET and NEA so he has the acheivements and accolades to put him at the top with his peers in that 30 and under class. He just wants more critical acclaim for his pen game but I say fuck a critic half them bastards aint from our community anyway and their opinion shouldnt mean a damn thing but this man loves his music so much he wants everyone to appreciate it.
wale is a total metrosexual, hes an emo wussy pillow biter
Nothing metrosexual about a Nigerian from DC with dreadlocks, Wale would get racially profiled and murdered of he walked down the wrong street, a nigga like J Cole would get offered milk and cookies.
milk and cookies? wtf is he Santa Clause?
somebody’s snowden-it up right now
is thatchu wale?
waley dough?
Is he Whoopi Goldbergs secret child?
“How is that a bright side? If you’re gonna sell the fuck out and make songs with white australian bitches you might as well get paid some of that album money.”
If I jumped on a remix with a pale skin white rap bitch she would have to suck me and my niggas dicks in the studio, I want the shit on ITunes and my publishing too…pimp that ho like my name was Clifford Harris.
“HAHAHA he compared watching porn to grown man fake wrestling in costumes to a soap opera like script”
Well yeah, you enjoy looking at naked men having sex and getting aroused and masterbating….other people watch shit like wrestling. *Shrugs*
Fans are fickle, they love you when you are struggling and then once you reach a certain level of success they say you changed. Wale has had a crazy career path, he went from being controlled by the industry to having complete artistic control and that type of freedom will make you fall in love with your music.
stop fronting nicca,
what kind of weak ass nigga would let the industry control him like that… you’re just making him look bad
Is it nigga or nicca? Make your mind up and it might sound almost believable.
You must not know what being signed to a record label means….you are a slave.
You have rappers that sold 13 million albums and the label boss drops their crew from the label and then drops them as soon as their popularity and sales drop, now they have 360 deals were they can get a chunk of your touring, merchandise and your publishing!
Bruthadee never misses a chance to take a shot at Fiddy and G-Unit. LOL most butthurt ni99er alive.
Interscope Wale? They almost ruined his career with that GaGa trash and that Ronson shit. MMG Wale? He got with his brothers and poof there go the platinum singles and Gold Albums. Creative control and artistic freedom can be the key to success.
Wale is dope but his IDGAF attitude rubs insecure people the wrong way.
IDGAF attitude? You gotta be kidding me.
He gives a huge fuck. Would someone who truly didn’t give a fuck call up Complex mag and spazz out on them and threaten their employees with violence over a stupid year end list?
He cares too much about what people think, that’s his real problem.
Yeah boy, Wale is one of the last rappers I would ever say has a don’t give a fuck tude.
You misunderstood.
He doesent give a fuck about public perception or how you feel about him, he could play the recluse like J. Cole or just hide his true feelings about shit like Kendrick but he just puts all his feelings and opinions out there with blatant disregard for how people will perceive him.
no its the opposite, he puts it all out there because he cares so much
Cater to your base and you will succeed, if Wale makes music for the HBCUs with a few Gogo joints, club joints, and poetic conscious joints then he will keep his fans happy, but you cant make everybody happy and they will criticize you for Clappers and No Hands but you gotta try.
remember when you said he left roc nation to go in a more sports oriented direction? LMFBAO!
Bruthadee loves to spend his Friday and Saturday nights on his moms computer defending MMG clowns
Sounds like a smart move for Roc Nation. You make make pennies off these lil rappers or you could make millions off real talent like sports superstars.