American rapper Wale is opening up about a hidden part of his music journey. Born Olubowale Akintimehin, the hip-hop star shared that record labels once tried to keep his Nigerian roots away from the public eye. Wale, who was born in Washington, D.C. to Nigerian parents, said this during a recent interview.

He explained that the labels didn’t want him to connect his music with Afrobeats. “Record labels tried to hide my Nigerian roots. They said no to Afrobeats,” he revealed. Despite their efforts, Wale said he has always stayed true to where he comes from. He believes that his Nigerian heritage is an important part of his identity and wants to keep representing it in his music.

Wale also spoke about how the rise of Afrobeats has changed the way people see African music globally. According to him, the success of artistes like Wizkid and Burna Boy has given Africa a new image in the world. For Wale, this global rise of Afrobeats proves that African music deserves its place on the world stage.

Throughout his career, Wale has worked with several top record labels. These include Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, Def Jam, Warner, Atlantic, and Interscope. Even with such big names behind him, he said his journey hasn’t always been easy because of how labels wanted him to hide parts of who he is.

However, some wonder why Wale is only now speaking up about this experience, especially at a time when Afrobeats is gaining massive global recognition. It raises questions about whether his revelation is driven by a desire to connect with his roots or by the business opportunities that come with aligning with Afrobeats today. If it had truly been a burden for him in the past, perhaps he would have shared this part of his story earlier, just as he has now.

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