During a recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, Nigerian-American rapper, Wale, touched on his past relationship with singer Solange Knowles and whether they once dated.
Per Complex, Wale, born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, touched on that topic when he was talking about his rookie period as a rapper and creative influences. The Everything Is A Lot rapper emphasized that his relationship with Solange, 39, had nothing to do with romance, as it was mainly based on friendship, mutual respect, and artistic support.
“No, we was real good friends,” Wale, 41, said. He also gave credit to the Cranes in the Sky singer for being a fan of his music when he was primarily an underground artist, adding that she was among the first popular celebrities to do so during that period. Wale further reflected on collaborating with Solange at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Outside of music, Wale commended Solange for opening his eyes in areas such as fashion and culture. He said that the 39-year-old introduced him to fashion lines such as Givenchy and perfumes like Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb. That was probably the inspiration behind his 2011 hit single, Lotus Flower Bomb, which features singer Miguel. It was also speculated that the song was about Solange.
Wale additionally praised Solange for always being ahead of time. “If anybody knows Solo, they know that she’s always ahead,” he said, per Complex.
READ ALSO: From teen mom to becoming USC Thornton’s first scholar-in-residence, Solange makes history
In May, Wale similarly denied a rumor about Sean “Diddy” Combs dangling him over a balcony because of an incident involving the convicted music executive’s ex-girlfriend Cassie, Face2Face Africa reported at the time.
“I never got in an altercation with that man,” Wale stated, per HotNewHipHop. “I never been in an altercation with nobody in the industry. I’ve had close calls, but not him. It was made up by somebody who’s just trolling.”
The Ambition rapper also called the rumor “preposterous.” That was also not the first time Wale had shut down that rumor.
His representatives, in a 2023 statement to TMZ, said the rapper had “never met Cassie or the author and was never involved in any type of altercation.” The statement added: “He wishes peace for everyone involved in the settlement.”
Wale, in a post on X, also said the circulation of that rumor stemmed from “the slow demise of authentic journalism.”
