Bio
Grammy-nominated rhyme maker Wale (aka Ralph Victor Folarin) is the newest member of the Skullcandy family. Wale’s bringing a new style to the rap genre’s constant evolution of sound. His style blends hip-hop, house, funk and go-go which makes for a refreshing sound that’s sure to embed itself into the music world. Skullcandy is stoked to welcome such a diverse talent to our crew.
The self-proclaimed “Ambassador of Rap for the Capital” and Maybach Music Group’s “poetic genius” has been on the long road to success since the early 2000’s. Wale first got airplay in 2003 with the track “Ryhme of the Century”, thanks to a local radio DJ who saw his potential. Many of his initial records sampled ‘80s go-go - a more raw, percussion-driven offshoot of disco that originated in D.C. In 2006, he was signed to local label Studio 43 where his single, “Dig Dug” (Shake It), a tribute to Ronald “Dig-Dug” Dixon of go-go band The Northeast Groovers, gained popularity in his hometown of Washington D.C. It quickly became the most requested song by a local artist in D.C. radio history.
Utilizing the music-sharing hub of the universe that is the Internet as well as social networks such as MySpace, Wale made his voice heard and caught the attention of uber-producer and DJ, Mark Ronson in 2007. After striking a deal with Ronson’s own imprint Allido, he released the “100 Miles and Running” mixtape that summer. After a bidding war with the likes of Epic, Atlantic and Def Jam records, Wale signed with Interscope in early 2008 and was later taken under Rick Ross’s wing at Maybach Music Group.
His go-go-influenced style has been invading sound waves internationally as well. And with two studio albums (“Attention Deficit” debuted in the 21st spot on the Billboard 200 and his second album, “Ambition”, debuted in the 2nd spot), numerous acclaimed mixtapes and the influence of high profile producers such as 9th Wonder and Mark Ronson, Wale is set to make asses shake in 2013. Our man has already partnered with mega-stars such as Lady Gaga, Lilly Allen, Kid Cudi, Estelle, Rick Ross, Big Sean and more - quickly building his reputation as the king of collabs.
Wale’s dance beats, “W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E”, “Don’t Upset the Rhythm” and “Do Your Dance” have been filling dance floors and have become signature crowd pleasers. And he has gained positive recognition from The New York Times, Nylon, Vibe and XXL Magazine. The first verse to his track, “Legendary”, is a small indicator of the enormous amounts of ambition he has:
“Only fear is mediocrity / So every time I got a beat I feel like I don’t got to sleep / Keep praying on your break, I hope you got a sling / Shot for all them shots coming out them beaks / I’m sort of like Socrates in a Prada tee / You can’t kick it, your pockets thinner than soccer teams / People fuckin’ with me, they ain’t fuckin’ with you / Lyrically top hmm, being generous too.”
