Wale Explains Why He Left Roc Nation In 2014

BYCole Blake6.7K Views
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Wale, Roc Nation
Wale recently discussed his decision to leave Roc Nation.

Wale detailed his decision to leave Roc Nation earlier in his career, during a recent interview for the podcast Drink Champs. The Folarin 2 rapper explained that finances played a major role in his choice.

“I was in the Hov cypher for a long time, and there was a time that I was on tour with J. Cole and at this point, I was opening for him,” Wale said. “And somebody in my circle was like, ‘You’re losing like 5 grand every time you go on stage. You’re losing money.’ I couldn’t make sense of it. I just really had a meltdown. And I remember, I just quit the tour. It’s been all love since. … I learned a lot from them. And Jay is still my idol.”

At the time, Wale had said that the company's decision to move into sports management played a role in his decision-making as well.

Mike Coppola / Getty Images

Later in his Drink Champs interview, Wale spoke about his relationship with Young Thug. The DMV rapper revealed that he attempted to sign Thug after they first met, knowing that he was someone special right away.

“I knew what he was going to be,” Wale said. “Some n***as you just can’t afford. That n***a knew what he was going to do. He already knew [his value]. But one thing I’ve always said about him is he’s really a loyal person. No matter what, he always shows love. That’s why my appreciation for him as a friend and an artist is immense.”

Check out Wale's appearance on Drink Champs below.

[Via]


About The Author
Cole Blake is a current staff writer at HotNewHipHop based out of New York City. He began writing for the site as an intern back in 2018 while finishing his B.A. in Journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s covered a number of breaking stories for HNHH. These include the ongoing YSL RICO trial, the allegations surrounding Diddy, and much more. His work also extends outside of hip-hop, having written extensively about a myriad of topics including politics, sports, and pop culture. He’s attended several music festivals to provide coverage for the site as well, such as Rolling Loud and Governors Ball.
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