Complex Addresses Wale’s Threats & Criticism

    On Friday (December 13), Complex released a recording of Wale threatening to knock members of its staff out. Today (December 16), Complex addressed criticism it has received due to the release of the recording.

    “The decision to publish Wale’s irate phone call to a Complex Media editor last week was not made lightly,” Complex Senior Editor Rob Kenner writes. “In the 24 hours following the D.C. rapper’s Wednesday afternoon rant multiple meetings took place during which serious debate ensued amongst Complex’s music department and senior staff. Some felt that we should work to resolve the dispute behind the scenes. Leaving aside the particulars of which lists he made and which lists he missed this year, Wale is an important artist with a loyal following and—despite his mistaken belief that Complex editors harbor some sort of grudge against him—we recognize the value in maintaining a healthy working relationship with him and the rest of his MMG affiliates.

    “Others, myself included, maintained that any time anyone threatens violence against any member of our staff, that threat must be taken seriously and addressed,” Kenner continues. “Our intention was not to retaliate or sensationalize but simply to document a credible threat against not just one reporter but our entire team—from accounting to ad sales, IT, HR, even college interns. Moreover, from a journalistic point of view, this was a legitimate story: a public figure making threats against anyone, let alone a major media company, and as such, it’s news.

    “It was argued that publishing the call might exacerbate the situation,” Kenner adds. “So Complex senior staff finally settled on a fair and sensible course of action: reaching out to Wale’s label and management and offering him the chance to clarify his remarks in hopes of having, as Complex News correspondent Jinx put it, ‘a more constructive conversation.’ Complex’s offer was declined, leaving us no recourse but to post the audio.” 

    Kenner’s Mad Rappers: Wale, Complex and the History of Violence in Hip-Hop Journalism also addresses other instances where rappers have been upset with publications and media members. 

    Wale’s phone call included accusations of a Complex grudge against him.

    “Do you think y’all being a responsible publication by continuously to fuckin’ like…do all that petty shit?” Wale says in a phone recording of the conversation, which can be heard below. “At this point, you know it’s got to be personal. You tellin’ me it’s not personal is like a bold face lie. To be omitted from every type of list that y’all do or be at the bottom of it or every type of way that y’all can omit me, y’all will.” 

    During the phone call, Wale said he felt disrespected by the publication.

    “Fuck you, dog,” he says. “You know it’s disrespect. I swear to God I’ll come to that office and start knocking niggas the fuck out. Y’all wanna see some ghetto ignorant shit? That’s what y’all promote. That’s the only thing y’all promote from niggas.

    “I’ll see y’all tomorrow,” Wale adds. “How about that? Get the security ready.” 

    Insanul Ahmed, the associate editor who was on the call with Wale, spoke with HipHopDX after the incident. 

    “Complex has no grudge against Wale or any other artist,” Ahmed said in an interview with DX. “Wale is an active, relevant artist and someone we have always covered and will continue to cover. He’s made many of our lists in the past. On a more personal note, I have advocated for his music many times in the office and outside. Funny thing is, Wale made this accusation before and back in 2011, I sat down with Wale and talked to him for several hours. I felt like we had worked out whatever issues it was back then.” 

    RELATED: Wale Threatens Complex Staff

    157 thoughts on “Complex Addresses Wale’s Threats & Criticism

    1. There aint one muthafucka in the industry who crowns hisself for more accomplishments that he never actually accomplished than ya boy Olubowale be doin nahmean. To be honest tho…son aint even trash like that…he jus emotionally delicate n he got the personality of a 7 year old white kid from Bel Air namsayin.

      If you aint never seen the nigga throw a tantrum you either dont got access to the internets or you jus dont actually kno who the fuck son is at all son. But son is mad protective over his image b. Like.. more than normal niggas usually is namsayin. This the type of dude who updates his own wikipedia page b.

      WHY this nigga always beefin wit video models n retaliatin back at muthafuckas on twitter who only got like 27 followers tho? Why this nigga gotta make a youtube video eytime he gets his feelings hurt b? Cmon sonthat emotionally fragile shit aint whats poppin at all bruh bruh.

      1. Quit typing like some ghetto piece of shit. You know damn well how to spell. Daddy’s going to get the belt if you keep this shit up son.

    2. “In the end, the whole Wale incident seems to have worked out reasonably well for all concerned parties. Wale got his first headlines in months, sparking arguments among fans over the merits of The Gifted (not to mention Juicy Js remarkable Stay Trippy).”

      Wale Lost. Complex is still sneak dissing him on the low saying he got his first news headlines in months LMAO

      1. Wale just appeared on Saturday Night Live, he’s been touring with J. Cole, he doesn’t need daily headlines to stay relevant but his last headline was earlier last month when his single went Platinum.

      2. “his single”

        LOL

        you mean the one that girl wrote for him that he got butthurt about when she signed to someone elses label? LOL cant blame a bitch for not wanting to sign your life away to Wale’s bitch ass

      3. LOL @ a rapper appearing on Saturday Night Live but not getting to perform

        they didnt want Wale estrogen anthems to put the audience to sleep and destroy their ratings….

      4. ^. The single that had his name on it for the publishing? Ignorant hateful wench, when was the last time a rapper wrote the f*ckin singers hook on a song?

    3. Remember when Wale’s boss Officer Rozay had DJ Vlad assaulted by his body guards at the Ozone awards for doing a story questing the former correctional officer’s street credentials?

      LOL These MMG niggas is all bitches afraid of the truth getting out!

    4. I saw Wale yesterday in a drug store with a basket full of Sanitary Pads Face Wipes and some funny colour Lipsticks looking real shady. Didn’t think it was him at first but he had a guy with him with a MMG top on.

      1. “We put together a list of our 50 favorite albumsthe best, according to our admittedly subjective tasteand our crime? Enjoying 50 other albums more than Wales. It should be noted that plenty of other notable artists with well received LPs, like Justin Timberlake, Prodigy, and even The Weeknd (who graced our cover), didn’t make the cut either. ”

        Prodigy and Alchemist was better than both of them

    5. Others questioned why Wale would single out Complex when several other organizations Rolling Stone, Spin, Noisey, the Grammys omitted him from their year-end honors as well. (In that sense, Wales outrage was strangely flattering.)

      1. I would surmise that it’s an ongoing omission or issue because all the other entities you named have given Wale praise for his projects.

      2. consensus all across the board is THe Gifted was underwhelming and extremely forgettable compared to everything else that was released in 2013

    6. I used to think Whale and Lupe were wrongfully stereotyped by there dreads and places of origin and that maybe they were level-headed, normal people. But it turns out that both of them are just as Ghetto as the next rapper to crawl out of their respective slums.

    7. Let’s keep it a hundred.

      If Complex was concerned about the threats they would have gone to the police, they leaked the convo/video to draw attention to their list which most people could care less about but upon the controversy actually read their list and added traffic to the their website. Is this still a story or do people really care that a rapper slated on some nerds?

      1. ^^ Complex rolls with Nas, they’re safe! lol
        Nas been in the game (industry & streets) alot longer than Wale. I’m sure Nas has more connects.

      2. ?? Great sarcasm, a a staff of hippie writers with bifocals and pocket protesters rolling around Queens with Nas and Jungle.

    8. Wu Tang used to beat up rap critics on a weekly basis and nobody even batted an eye but now in this fa9 loving society if you even scream at somebody all the bullied little beyatches scream foul.

    9. Society has gotten soft and everybody sides with the geeks and girlyboys while the wolves and the bullies are the bad guys. If this was Marshall Mathers yelling at a critic everybody would be saying F*ck Complex.

    10. Complex needs to milk this story, i cant think of any other reason why people would be talking about Complex when this is the season of Beyonce, Bowl games Boxes with gifts in em.

      1. Wale needs to milk this story, I cant think of any other reason why people would be talking about Wale when this is the season of Beyonce, Bowl games Boxes with gifts in em.

    11. Wale is a pussy and Complex are pussys, 50 was the first genius to record conversations without the persons knowledge.

      1. El-P was first bro. 1999 on a song called Linda Tripp. He destroyed Sole’s career with that track. Young Buck is at least still making music. No one knows where Sole went.

    12. Complex gets web traffic, Wale gets people to check out his album….the only losers are the people that will be discussing this tomorrow.

    13. he should have put out a better album…and if youre gunna start knocking niggas the fuck out dont call them and tell them youre coming…wale wasnt gunna do shit

      1. i heard he slapped one of the dudes when he was getting beat up and robbed in dc in 2010…you could keep that chain you got slapped the fuck up patna

    14. Ayo whattup Wale! Ayo first off I jus wanna say congratulations n shityou know. You be doin ya thingkeepin niggas confused n shit nahmean. You been makin ya little moves n shit. Ayo I seen the nigga J.Coles was tryin to get at you yesterday on twitter n shit. Son was callin ya new verse meannn n shit n he wants to jump on that track wit you n shit. You should probably let him do that before he go n write another bitter verse n shit. Son be talkin bout how he had overcame a lot of shit to get to where he at now.on like 40 different songs n shit. The nigga even wrote verses for Puff bout how hard it was to overcome shit. Ayo that nigga Puff been had a pretty struggle-free life for a minute now b. I dont kno what the fuck he was thinkin when he wrote that shit. I dont even kno if the nigga Puff used all that shit. Ayo but anyhow a nigga gettin off topic namsayin. Son these niggas is tellin me that you upset n shit so Imma jus try n iron out that shit wit you nahmean. Its like I was tellin that nigga Wiz. Its all love g. Even that nigga Wiz probably be thinkin ayo that nigga Big Ghost be makin some sense namsayinmaybe I do be lookin like a tatted up Jar Jar Binks..maybe I do be makin songs thats so soft that baby powder be blowin out the speakers while my songs is playin n shit. Yaseewumsayinyou need to do how that nigga be doin n jus accept those constructive criticisms b. A nigga tryin to help ya career nahmean. You kno cos that video you made wit like that shit where you countin all the days you was wit that broad n then she breakin up wit you n you cryin n shit was crazy soft son. Ayo you made niggas uncomfortable wit that shit. That shit was like watchin two niggas hug for 4 minutes nahmean. They was showin clips of you as a little nigga n you playin wit dolls makin em kiss n shit n you gigglin on the phone in the next sceneayo son that shit was disrespectful namsayin. You should been had ya manhood revoked for all that shit son. But niggas gave you a pass. Niggas aint even forgave you for the Lady Gaga joint n you there tryin to rub salt in the wounds n shit. Niggas is like ayo is this Wale muthafucka even a dude son? I think he a lesbian or some shit. Niggas was confused bout how to address you n shit. Niggas wasnt sure if you was a him or a her so they was callin you a herm n shit when they was talkin bout you. Ayo I dont kno son. Sometimes it jus be seemin like you got ya shit set on autofail namsayin. A nigga cant relate to all that. Son Staten Island niggas dont be playin that soft shit. You in the presence of a gladiator nigga right now g. The god was born wit that fire in his veins namsayin. Son I had lava in the placenta sack wit me nahmean. Wasnt no amnionic fluids or nothin like that. A nigga ate lava lava n more lava for the first year of his life nahmean. Yalls niggas was on some breast milk shit. Thats why yall niggas is so moist nahmean. Ayo straight up ya music be like aromatherapy son. Niggas is givin in to all this spa bullshit n forgettin bout the grimey shit namsayin. Word bond niggas is gettin too cozy wit all this teacup rap son. Niggas is throwin doilies on the furniture g. They throwin doilies on the arm rests n on the tables n on the shelves n all that shit. Ayo you contributin to the softness g. The nigga Aubrey been lactatin all over the game n you followin in his tracks son. That nigga walkin round throwin sliced cucumbers over niggas eyes n shit. He be straight deceivin niggas g. You be listenin to the niggas songs n shit n nex thing you kno you look in the mirror n you got a mud mask on ya face nahmean. He bringin the spa to a nigga house. The nigga b.o. be smellin like roses. Why you wanna copy that niggas moves g? You niggas is havin picnics together plottin ya moves n shit. The nigga Aubrey be havin womanly hips n all that. He be havin good birthing hips namsayin. How much progesterone can this nigga produce son? You cant trust a bottom heavy nigga b. That nigga Aubrey skin is 80% cotton n 20% rayon namsayin. You cant trust that nigga. But you rollin wit BMF now which dont make no sense either. But I aint gon say nothin bout all that. You might need to find that gray area tho g. Cos you goin too extreme in either direction nahmean. That maybach n rozay shit aint you b. You need to slow down pa. But thats whatever whatever namsayin. Hopefully this cleared some shit up nahmean.
      Aight peace.

    15. Complex are trying to convince us that they made this shit public NOT to sentionalize it ?

      “Our intention was not to retaliate or sensationalize but simply to document a credible threat against not just one reporter but our entire team”

      Really ? Wale a credible threat ? to your entire team ?

      Man they really think people are that dumb

      1. Some people are that stupid and some people have so much hate inside them that you can convince them of something that incredulous and they will believe it just so they can have an excuse to hate.

      2. They gave Wale the opportunity to explain himself and his bitch made actins and he declined so they published it

    16. Irrational hatred from bums and losers has never been more evident than when some dreg crawls out of the sewer and tells you that Wale didnt write the singing hook on his song “Bad” because we all know that rappers are supposed to sing their hooks.

      1. I listen to rap for the rhymes, Wale wrote the rhymes who gives a phuck if Tiara Thomas wrote the non rap parts?

    17. That is a crock of bull dung because we all know that Em wrote Rihannas hook and Wayne writes all the hooks and plays all the instruments which is why Cash Money are the #1 label.

    18. I know how media gets, but I ain’t forget how Wale caught feelings over nahright & 2dopeboy commenters, who are both New Music Cartel members under the Complex Media umbrella.

      He has a grudge too.

      1. or when he caught feelings over some old white sports announcers from Canada not knowing who he was LOL

        or when he caught feelings over the big Ghostfase blogger puttin him in the top 10 softest niggas in rap

    19. “I listen to rap for the rhymes, Wale wrote the rhymes who gives a phuck if Tiara Thomas wrote the non rap parts?”

      Thats why Drake is such a special rapper, he can write his hooks himself and doesnt need a nappy headed ho to write the hooks on his classic albums.

      1. Yeah Stanley it takes a lot of testosterone to write a singsongy hook for a female to sing, I bet Drake ghostwrites hooks for all of YMCMb

    20. Wale has a platinum single. Doesn’t matter if TIara Thomas appeared on it, Wale worked on the song himself. Never stole from anyone.

      1. LOL you can diss complex all you want but for Wale to get so mad at them they must have some credibility in his eyes

    21. Complex is so hit or miss. half their articles are good ideas, but the writing is terrible. its so manipulative, trying to get a rise for views. Sometimes its painfully obvious how little their writers know about what they’re talking about.

    22. Wale aint soft in the least bit, hes an African from DC that played ball and went to HBCUs.

      …I know plenty of artists who could care less about the awards, accolades and critical acclaim, they are only in the rap game to wash drug money and hustle the game solely for monetary gain.

      Wale takes his craft seriously and I respect his passion and the effort that he puts into his craft and while I dont condone his outbursts towards critics I appreciate an artist who wants to be on the best album list just as much as other rappers want to be on the Forbes list.

      If Wale is wise he will use these perceived or genuine slights and use it as motivation to make music from his heart that his fans can love and enjoy and not allow critics to force him to lose his artistic integrity just to be on some frivolous list or handed some award.

      1. Being black & playing ball doesn’t mean you aren’t soft, you mongoloid ass nigga. Wale soft as shit, he a fag straight up.

      2. groupie love

        ” they are only in the rap game to wash drug money ”

        like who nigga GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE BRUTHADEE

      3. “Wale aint soft in the least bit, hes an African from DC that played ball and went to HBCUs”

        So how exactly does that make him not soft? You’ve heard his songs… he one of the softest niggas in all of rap and hes more emotional than Drake! Drake would actually knock a nigga out but Wale wouldnt

      4. i saw him run up on a 40 year old white basketball announcer from canada for not knowing who he was at a wizards/raptors game.

        does that sound like some shit a soft nigga would do??

        he beefs with video hoes like rosa acosta on twitter… a soft nigga would never do some shit like dat wale is gangsta to the core

      5. real talk son these so called gangster rappers wouldnt have the balls to bitch and moan like wale does…real recognize real

    23. Wale is following in his mentor Rozay’s footsteps by threatening those who in the media who say something you don’t like. These niggas need to get some thicker skin.

      Ross got so mad when DJ Vlad questioned how real his street credentials were that had him assaulted. For Ross to get upset over that shit must mean that he really is a fraud and a liar cause if he was a real nigga that shit wouldnt have mattered to him cause he would know he the real deal!!

    24. Complex must be pretty legit in the hip-hop world for Wale to take that list so seriously and risk his freedom and career on some violent threats cause they didnt like his album enough to make it top 50 of the year!!!

    25. “Born in the District and raised by his Nigerian parents in suburban Maryland, Wale was said to have it all: He had attracted a local following by nodding to the go-go tradition, but also demonstrated significant hipster appeal by incorporating buzzy electronica and indie rock into his beats.”

      So this cry baby ain’t even from DC he from Maryland? LOL hipster appeal

      1. he’s from PG county a suburb of DC. he says it in his rhymes all day. Why do county niggas like Jadakiss and DMX rep NYC then? try again faggot.

    26. What Wale needs to understand is that he’s 1. Dark Skinned and 2. Mediocre. That’s not a combination that is going to work well for him. In order for a dark skinned black person to be successful in entertainment, they have to be the best of the best, or at least have that perception around them. J Cole is just as mediocre as Wale but his albums sell 2-3 times as much. He can be mediocre and still make these lists and sell records, because as J Cole said himself, “light skinnded so the house niggas feel me”. It’s sad that the world is like this, but my suggestion to Wale would be to keep working hard and trying to better himself, without worrying about these lists. Deal with the cards you were dealt and keep it moving. I’m not impressed

      1. j cole has also put out better hits n has a good relationship with his fanbase…he also doesnt carry himself like a diva…that might have something to do with why hes more successful than wale…

      2. being humble can go a long way. this nigga wale crowns himself for more accomplishments that he never actually accomplished than any other rapper in the game!!!

      3. U a pussy for always mentioning J Cole in your comments. And because he dark skinned??? Seriously??? U sound like a lame spewing BS like that. I can name thirty rappers darker than Wale who had a monster career. Go kill urself.

    27. Just heard from my sources at MMG that Wale has been offered a five figure deal to represent Kleenex tissues the next time he gets his feelsing hurt and has emotional breakdown or throws a tantrum.

      Get that money boyyyyy!!!!

    28. Remember when Wale got butthurt that Tiara Thomas didnt wanna sign to his non existent label LOL nigga thought she owed him that but the truth is he owes her for giving him the biggest hit of his career!

    29. Wales a lame. Why do rappers think that writers and r&b artists are soft just because they choose to sing and write articles as opposed to rapping lyrics?

      Half of these dudes rapping are SOFT but cats think because they talk about guns and shooting folks they’re gangsta. Hell, they even believe their own hype.

      I know an R&B dude you wouldn’t even know sang. Son looks like he’s straight out of jail and he doesn’t play games at all.

      I can’t wait to see one of these rappers get knocked out by a writer.. thinking they’re soft.

    30. Nigga should just be happy he sold as many copies of The Gifted as he did will get a chance to release a 4th album. Thank god for overweight females and homo poets!

    31. The only reason Officer Ricky signed Wale was because he’s so fucking soft he makes everyone else on MMG seem harder just by having him around!

    32. til I saw the draft ov $5580, I did not believe …that…my neighbour was actualie bringing in money part time at there labtop.. there brothers friend has done this 4 only twenty three months and by now took care of the debts on their cottage and got a great new Peugeot 205 GTi. Learn More… http://www.Fb39.com

      Beyonce article on a HipHop website? Can we get some Keisha Cole and Mary J too or are they not HipHop like Beyonce is?

    33. WALE & MAYCOCK MUSIC are lookin’ like CRYBABIES on this! HOW are you going TO TELL A CRITIC WHAT HE HAS TO LIKE?! That’s lika FAN tellin’ WALE what he HAS to RAP About or SOUND LIKE! That’s pitiful, NOW every critic in the Industry is GONNA HATE ON YOU & ALL YOUR CREW including the ‘kingpin’ William ‘Office Ricky – The Fake Rick Ross’ Roberts! ALL you guys are CLOWNS. Career OVER!

      1. “NOW every critic in the Industry is GONNA HATE ON YOU & ALL YOUR CREW including the ‘kingpin’ William ‘Office Ricky – ”

        they pretty much do apart from the select few on the MMG payroll.

    34. “A platinum single that he stole from Tiara Thomas.”

      You mean that disloyal bitch? Leaving wale’s label because rico love has a bigger cock to her? She has no hit singles by herself. Wale made the single hot. If anything, Rihanna helped more than Tiara.

      1. tiara definitely made the song, but she did do him dirty. nobody would know about her if it wasn’t for the cloud and his verses on bad. bad was out way before wale put a verse on it and blew it up. and plenty of people would love to sign with wale. he’s not tryna sign anybody back home. he just got trel a deal out in the city. it’s a sad day for real when anybody speaking anything real is now estrogen filled. you must have been some sort of 80s kingpin mafioso right? foh.

    35. My homegirl went on Wale’s tour bus after one of his shows looking for the D and he told her he just wanted to sit and talk and that he was saving himself for marriage.

    36. :
      00″Wale aint soft in the least bit, hes an African from DC that played ball and went to HBCUs”00

      “So how exactly does that make him not soft? You’ve heard his songs… he one of the softest niggas in all of rap and hes more emotional than Drake! Drake would actually knock a nigga out but Wale wouldnt”

      ^^^Let me elaborate.

      He ain’t no white boy or no white-bred Negro.

      He didn’t grow up with a white mother coddling him like J. Cole he wasn’t raised as a Jew like Drake or in an Ohio suburb with a Mexican father like Kid Cudi,….

      We talking about a dude with two African parents living in “Chocolate City” who played Division 1 football at a HBCU not some kiddie actor from Toronto or some Black hipster from Carson, we talking about somebody thats been in an environment where the soft don’t survive.
      So yeah you might hear threats of physical violence on private recordings or confrontations at sporting events, its just in him to show his ass every once in a while.

      1. what the fuck is a HBCU this old groupie keeps talking about?

        hes from the burbs of maryland!

        kendrick is 1000% times harder than Wale.. shit even Drake is harder than this estrogen filled pinata

      2. …none of those dudes talk tough like wale though at least theyre being themselves and not a diva who started acting like a street dude when he joined mmg

      3. Wale went to one of the richest public high schools in the nation. And how exactly does having two black parents immediately qualify you as tough? Not everyone who is black is some hood rat.

    37. Aye dis ya boii Gucci nahmsayin. Dis nigga Wale be a lil bitch nigga aye trap trap. I been trappin harder than dis nigga since muhfukkin ’94 n shit n now i gots me all da wawdamellun, grape soda, fried chikkin, and newports a nigga could want. #BURR #BRIKKSQUADD

    38. Yeah Tiara made the hook but I woulda never listened to it without Wale rapping bars, the only singer I even listen to is Frank Ocean and hes Golf Wang.

    39. Yah but he didnt write the hook or make the beat unlike Gucci Mane who makes his own beats and writes the hooks that his bitches sing.

      King Guwop!

    40. Wale shed more light into the situation and I see its more going on behind the scenes with associates and affiliates….industry politics. Complex will try to drag this out for extra pub the world has moved on to Beyonce, Chris Brown, and Xmas shit.

      1. naw not like that but whenever I see this niccas picture of hear one of his songs which never happens I will remember

        Lest we forget Wale bitch ass ness

    41. this nigga is the antithesis of everything big gucci represents. Big gucci is the blue print of a real nigga and niggas like wale put the rest of us niggas to shame.

    42. Wale threatens a man over the phone and people say he is soft, Gucci Mane throws a woman out of a car and people say he is hard.

    43. “J Coles last album sold more than Rick Ross last album that shit cray”

      Rick Ross could buy J. Cole 30 million times over. That shit cray.

    44. “Nas been in the game (industry & streets) alot longer than Wale. I’m sure Nas has more connects”

      Didn’t do shit in the streets, and is now an industry has been. As for his connects, Kelis owns them now.

    45. “J Cole got an education to fall back on. Ross got a career in law enforcement…. Cole won!”

      I’m sure J. Cole can’t wait to work inside a cubicle.

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