Wale became a Twitter trend recently after Complex Magazine released audio of a voicemail of the DC rapper threatening the magazine’s staff for not listing his The Gifted album as one of the best of 2013. During an interview with a New York radio station, Wale explains why he spazzed, why he believes the magazine doesn’t like him and why he believes he rubs people the wrong way, mainly attributing it to his go-go culture upbringing:
On being socially awkward outside of DC: “It was different though. I’m coming from a city were we didn’t have nobody. When you come to NY, I imagine you see a Fab[olous] in public and you might see people. There was none of that, I act like all the go-go band dudes, when you see them, I can’t just walk up to Big G in the streets like “Yo”, he’s going to be like “Oh?” That’s what my mentality was. Then I come here and I’d have a friend with me that I grew up with and we’d be just like talking and whispering to each other and when somebody would come up to me and I’d be like ‘What?’”
On his Complex Blow Up: "That’s rage, to be honest if he was in front of me at that time I would have went at him. Like I said, I’m not perfect man, nobody perfect. Everybody tell you what they would do or could’ve done if they were me but you don’t know what you would’ve done in that situation. You’re just coming off a monumental Grammy snub, Spin and all these other people; they not appreciated what you and your fans stand for. I work hard and I’m around a lot of these artist that they are promoting. They don’t care about the game as much as I do. I’m not for the money, I love to do this for my fans…If there’s certain scales that you’re judging people on let that be consist. If it’s club records or record sales let that be the thing." -wkys