Olubowale Victor Akintimehin (born September 21, 1984), better known by his stage name Wale (/ˈwɔːleɪ/ WAH-lay), is an American rapper and songwriter. He first rose to prominence in 2006, when his song "Dig Dug (Shake It)" became popular in his hometown. Wale became locally recognized and continued recording music for the regional audience. Wale met English DJ-producer Mark Ronson in 2006 and joined his label, Allido Records in 2007. While signed to that label, Wale released several mixtapes and appeared in national media including MTV and various Black American-focused magazines. A song called "Ridin' in That Black Joint" was featured in the popular video game Saints Row 2's soundtrack in 2008.
In 2008, a three-label bidding war resulted in Wale signing with Interscope Records for $1.3 million, and his debut album Attention Deficit was released in 2009 with the singles "Chillin" (featuring Lady Gaga), "Pretty Girls" (featuring Gucci Mane), and "World Tour" (featuring Jazmine Sullivan). The album, although under-shipped, was met with positive reception from critics. In early 2011, Wale signed with Florida rapper Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, where members of the label released a compilation album, Self Made Vol. 1 on May 23, 2011. His second studio album, Ambition was released November 1, 2011, with mixed reviews. His third studio album, The Gifted, was released on June 25, 2013, to mainly positive reviews; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. His second Billboard number one album The Album About Nothing was released on March 31, 2015.
In 2018, Wale released three EPs titled It's Complicated, Self-Promotion and Free Lunch. In 2019, Wale released his sixth studio album Wow... That's Crazy, with the album's lead single "On Chill" (featuring Jeremih) was released on July 12, 2019. The song was met with positive reviews and spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 22.