PLLRS Profile: Wale Speaks On Sneakers, Sound,…
Brooklyn’s latest PLLRS speaker sequence featured Grammy-nominated rapper Wale, who spotlighted his story, touching on his hip-hop heritage, his sneakerhead standing, and the sonic shifts guiding his soon-to-be-released set.
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
Moderated by veteran tradition journalist Keith Nelson Jr., the Little Engine Media event was hosted at Soho Works in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood. The intimate dialog paired Wale with longtime supervisor Kazz Laidlaw for a candid dialogue about his profession, sneaker affect, and evolving sound.
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
The night introduced out tastemakers, press, and industry insiders, offering a uncommon glimpse into the artist–supervisor dynamic and the business methods shaping Wale’s next chapter.
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
Quit Your Day Job set the scene by reworking the venue into the “Quit Your Day Job Country Club,” full with curated presents, PLUSH Vodka cocktails, and bites from Lagos TSQ, one of Wale’s favourite eating places, creating a mix of tradition, dialog, and group for the night introduced in partnership with Soho Works, Quit Your Day Job and PLUSH Vodka.
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
When Nelson referred to Wale as hip-hop’s greatest sneaker ambassador, the rapper responded with a cheeky remark.
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
“There’s a company in Oregon that would possibly beg to differ, but I respect that,” he said, referring to Nike.
His love for footwear, however, is also shaping future alternatives.
“We’re going to have to draw a line at some level,” he teased. “Hopefully it goes one way, but if it goes the other way, then it’s going to go the other way. Something good is going to happen. I’m leaving here with something.”
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
Laidlaw chimed in with a behind-the-scenes story about Wale’s current “Damage Control” collaboration with NBA star Anthony Edwards, recalling how a sneaker partnership sparked the musical connection.
“Last year, after the AE’s, I think we caused a little bit of a storm for them,” Laidlaw said. “Ant was super appreciative of it, so he and his A&R approached me at the beginning of the year, like, ‘We have to get him on this album.’”
The dialog also turned to hip-hop’s greats, with Wale dismissing the standard “Mount Rushmore” framework as “racist” before naming his personal favorites: Jay-Z, Black Thought, Lil Wayne, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, AZ, and Ma$e.
As for Wale’s new album, the artist described it as unpredictable and deeply personal.
“If you ask ten people who’ve heard it, they’re going to provide you with 10 different responses,” he said. “It’s honest. It’s a roller coaster.”
He went on to describe his obsessive course of:
“I don’t have hobbies. I don’t have any friends. I just stay in the studio every day. That’s all I do. If someone wants to meet, they have to meet me in the studio. I’ll be there in my socks, with a bottle of champagne, pacing and writing. This is all I do. The past four years that I haven’t dropped, I’ve just been in the studio.”
The project, he revealed, will also introduce a new sound he and Laidlaw are calling “Diaspora Folk.”
“We’re fairly global on this [album]. We acquired moments. I wouldn’t call something Afrobeats. This is more of a hybrid of hip-hop and sounds from Africa,” Wale said.
Laidlaw added that the label displays Wale’s broader imaginative and prescient:
Source: David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
“Diaspora Folk is the genre tag we’re using. Rap music is one of the last folk genres in the industry as far as singer-songwriters who dramatize their experiences in music. Wale is someone who’s always created with a global lens. It’s reflected in this album.”
The installment continued PLLRS’ mission of spotlighting not only artists but also the groups guiding them, following past conversations with SAINt JHN & Simone King, Naturi Naughton-Lewis & Two Lewis, and Fridayy alongside Eddie Fourcell and Edgar Cutino. With plans already underway to broaden into a podcast, the sequence is carving out a distinct lane for documenting the untold tales of success behind the music.
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
David Choute 1139Views for Little Engine Media
The post PLLRS Profile: Wale Speaks On Sneakers, Sound, & Sustaining His Legacy With Hip-Hop & African Influence appeared first on GWN.