After getting dropped from Interscope Records following the less-than-anticipated sales of his debut Attention Deficit, Wale turned to Jay-Z for guidance on his follow-up effort Ambition. In a cover story for Billboard magazine, the Maybach Music Group signee recalled how Hov told him what he was missing with his debut and how he could turn his sophomore album into a success.
“Jay-Z, essentially, is my business adviser,” Wale says. “Him, [my manager] Rich [Kleinman] and [Roc Nation’s] John Meneilly. I know Jay has a personal place in his heart for Ambition. I remember one time I was on the phone with Jay, asking him, ‘What did I do [wrong]? What can I do differently?’ He was like, ‘Maybe you just didn’t come with that single. You made a solid first album. But you didn’t come up with that single.’ That just added fuel to my fire.”
He also spoke on his relentless grind and how Ambition, which bowed at number two on the charts, has inspired him to work even harder.
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“[Rappers] used to take pride in being the best or becoming the best. Now they just talk about who has the most swag. But who wants to be the best?” he said. “Come to the table with your albums. I nailed it this time. I’ll keep busting my ass until . . . you’re going to have to respect me. I love hip-hop so much, and I’m really a humble dude. We’re all cocky inside our records-because that’s how rap is.”
