It’s been quite a week for Wale. The D.C. native saw the release of his third album, The Gifted, and hosted a special “black tie” event in his hometown to celebrate the affair on Wednesday (June 26) night. Kicking off the six-city “Moët Rosé Lounge” event series, the “Bad” rapper greeted fans and media alike.
Hip-Hop Wired was on the premises of the W Hotel’s POV terrace, a swanky rooftop venue in the heart of downtown Washington. Fresh after an appearance on The David Letterman Show earlier in the evening, Wale was gracious and humbled by the adoration. Decked out in a tailored grey suit jacket and black slacks, the Maybach Music Group artist answered our questions with his usual flair.
When asked about how far his career has gone, Wale took a time to appreciate the moment. “I’m blessed, man. To be on my third album and I’m not even 30 yet? To be one of the young guys pushing the culture, I’m blessed to be where I’m at,” said Wale.
We followed up on Wale’s “fame is evil” statement that he made last Sunday (June 23) at Elliott Wilson’s “#CRWN” interview event in D.C.
“Yeah I stand by saying that,” he said. “They take away your sanity little by little when you’re quote unquote famous.”
He added, “Fame is one of the necessary evils, though. In order to get your music out, you gotta be a part of it.”
Wale went on to say that working alongside Moët made perfect sense for him and admitted that he’s a longtime fan of the Rosé. The Moët Rosé Lounge event will appear in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Houston and Chicago.
Check out some photos of Wale hitting the red carpet at the W Hotel, and some of the sights from the Moët Rosé Lounge.
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Photos: Moet Rose Lounge, Hip-Hop Wired
