Wale Says Pop Artists Don't Work With Rappers Unless They're Charting Or White

BY Erika Marie 18.3K Views
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Wale
A fan asked Wale to work with Lady Gaga again, but said pop artists don't like rappers unless they're topping the charts.

In music, fans love to hear a good crossover. When artists from differing genres come together to make hits, it can be a chart-topper or a dumpster fire. Either way, fans seem to enjoy hearing genres collide like when Christina Aguilera and Redman did “Dirrty," Brad Paisley and LL Cool J gave us “Accidental Racist," and Nelly and Tim McGraw had everyone singing "Over & Over."

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Back in 2009, Wale released his debut album Attention Deficit along with his lead single, "Chillin," featuring none other than pop princess Lady Gaga. The Cool & Dre-produced track came about because the two artists were introduced to one another by Mark Ronson, Wale's friend and mentor. A fan took to Twitter recently with a quick message to Wale: "work with @ladygaga again." Others liked and agreed, but the rapper said that things behind the scenes make collaborations more complicated for some artists.

"Y’all got to understand these fantasy features work two ways," Wale responded. "Pop people don’t wanna work wit us unless we sittin in that top 40 or unless it’s a white rapper .. prove me wrong." Can you prove him wrong? Let us know what your favorite unlikely collaboration has been over the years and who else you'd like to see link up.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming the Co-Head of Original Content. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, and Amy Luciani—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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