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TSS: Now, at the end it seemed like the game kind of changed him though. Like it seemed like he was going off the deep end. What are you doing to make sure you’re not running up on people with a double barrel-

Wale: What do you think is going off the deep end?

TSS: Well what do you think is going off the deep end? I mean Michael almost lost his way.

Wale: I don’t know if he lost his way, though. He took the route that he though he deemed necessary. I think I’m doing the same thing. I’m trying my best to connect with the people. I’m trying my best. I’m trying to make it work anyway that I can. I mean, it’s a struggle. It’s an inner struggle. And it’s an outer struggle. And I’m trying to do it the best I can. Like Michael was, you have a lot of people saying “do that” and “do this.” “I want you to work with me” and all that. And he kind of did his own thing towards the end.

TSS: Yea, you’ve kind of embraced the loner personality, but you have to collaborate in Hip-Hop.

Wale: Yea, obviously I collaborate a lot. But as far as major co-signs, those are my people. The Bun B’s, the Jay’s. From Kanye to Pharrell, everyone that’s co-signed those are my people but I don’t really have any guy that’s pulling my coat.

I embrace it because there isn’t anything given but my buzz and my fanbase is because I have a body of work they can appreciate. It’s not because of a song or a major co-sign. Not me being signed to this or that person. It’s because of the work I’ve been putting in for four years.

TSS: I saw a quote from this track “Triumph” from the album where you say “I reached out to Kanye for help/ but us niggas gotta do it for ourselves.” What, if anything, happened with there?

Wale: It’s more of like a broad statement. I’ve known Kanye for like three years now. It’s like you listen to somebody, you enjoy their records and the music they produce. You think that once you get signed it’s as simple as calling their A&R or their label and getting it in. But it’s not that easy. There’s a lot of things that have happened that have shown me it’s not that easy. That’s basically what I’m trying to say; it’s not easy to get that collaboration.

TSS: Were you always this kind of loner, though? Even growing up?

Wale: Yeah, man. I got kicked off the football team when I was in school for doing my own thing.

TSS: (Laughs) What did you do?

Wale: Stubborn. I was just in tune with my own thing. I wasn’t in to following the crowd for better or for worse.

TSS: Are you still kind of like that? Are you still stubborn when it comes to working with people in the studio?

Wale: Naw, not really. I work well with 90 percent of the people I collab with. It’s always going to be creative differences.

TSS: With this Back To The Feature mixtape, what was it like working with all those personalities? You’ve got many good artists making appearances on there.

Wale: I love building from the ground up, unless schedules are just completely retarded and you just have to get it.

TSS: Off the top of your head, who had the craziest guest verse on that tape? Who just blew you away with a crazy sixteen?

Wale: K’Naan. Me and K’Naan’s record is crazy. Me and Joe Budden were really competitive with it. Bun B. We were real competitive. Me, J. Cole and Curren$y got a joint on there. We were real competitive.

TSS: What’s that like? How does that competition work out?

Wale: Sometimes we just give each other a line (Laughs). The people will know but we just go at it. Not personally going at it, but it’s like “nigga look, my line is hotter than yours.”

TSS: Aight, man. I know you got a shoot coming up. Anything else you wanna say before you go?

Wale: Naw, man, that’s pretty much everything. Thanks for the time you took to interview me.

TSS: Thanks a lot, man.

Wale: Peace, brotha.

Watch — Wale – “Family Affair” Video | Wale Feat. Lady Gaga – “Chillin’” Video

Listen — LRG Presents Wale & 9th Wonder – Back To The Feature Mixtape