After a string of consistent project releases, Wale has formally found himself a new home at Warner Bros.
“I felt their passion, commitment, and enthusiasm from day one,” he said in an exclusive statement to Complex. The signing comes just months after he — from what is known — amicably split from Atlantic, with whom he’d spent six years.
He alluded to the situation on a song titled “Negotiations,” which appeared on his second of two 2018 EPs, Self Promotion. “Yeah, mind racin’/Negotiatin’ my situation/I burned bridges I can’t repair, so been fly lately,” he rapped.
On the same song, he also references what may have been parting words between himself and the label. “I’m I’m bad business, the rap industry thinks I’m crazy … the gatekeepers, they hate me say I’m militant,” he raps.
His fallout with Atlantic seemed to be written on the wall, amid poor/declining album sales — with Shine moving just a little more than 25k units in its first week.
For a label that counts acts streaming behemoths like Bhad Bhabie to its roster, numbers like that spell flop in capital letters. Combine that with beef and what many have seen as a poor attitude, and the rapper began to look like a liability.
Still, Wale has been able to keep his sales consistent and live dates in support of the album remained packed.
With two extremely promising EPs thus far in 2018 and a very respectable catalog in his name, Warner Bros. clearly sees the vision. Label co-chairman Tom Corson proclaimed Wale to be a “pillar in the hip-hop community and beyond,” in a statement. “Wale is truly a force to be reckoned with, and we look forward to a successful partnership for years to come,” he added.
“They believed in my vision wholeheartedly, and I am ready to show and prove,” Wale says. He joins like DVSN, Mac Miller, PartyNextDoor, and recent Warner Bros. signee Lil Pump.
A new album is expected later this year.
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Who givezz a Fucc.. Wale is Trash ..
If Wale is trash,you HATE or don’t know HIP HOP. He’s been a top 10 rapper since he arrived on the scene,popularity doesn’t determine SKILL,only idiots,bias,& ignorant people think that.
Top 10 rapper*lmfao…This guy
Yeah while calling him ‘trash’ may be a stretch, calling him a top 10 rapper is also one too lololololol
There aren’t even 10 good/great mc’s charting/not underground in the game right now so apparently folks are just hating or delusional. Bias & emotion ruins EVERY argument or point folks make online.
Ehhh, Warner Bros. signing Lil Pump was wack, but Wale is alright, so I’m cool with this.
i thought he was with MMG? is Officer Ricky not really as much of a boss like he claims?? why do all his artists gotta find they own deals? why is he in the picture isn’t he dying or some shit? he should be with his family. Stalley was smart to jump ship.
This the rudest shit someone can say. You will probably drop dead before he does.
give it up brah you never gonna be loved like cole, kendrick or drake.
What u talking bout? Ross resurrected Wale career after he got dropped from Interscope. His first 2 albums under MMG debuted at #1 and both albums went gold,plus he had a couple platinum singles. Being to cocky hurt Wale the most!!
Wale is somehow an even more bland and less interesting version of J. Cole.