How MMG is Taking Over the World With the Unlikeliest of Rappers

Before Wale was Wale, the well-dressed, self-confident creator of songs with names like “Ambition” and “Slight Work,” he was Wale, the insecure, issue conscious, Seinfeld-loving anomaly, who wrote songs like “The Kramer,” and “Shades.” His mixtapes (Mixtape About Nothing, 100 Miles and Running, Back to the Feature) were critically acclaimed, but did little to push Wale’s reputation past the streets of D.C., where go-go music and geographically specific slang shaped his style. He seemed unable to resist responding to any hate thrown his way over Twitter, responding with defiance, a seeming reflection of how badly he wanted to succeed and how terrified he was of failing. In December of 2008, he told XXL Magazine how the internet had a tendency to torment him.

My skin is not that thick. If I see somebody joning, I’m like, how the fuck do I get this nigga’s IP address?

It was Wale’s style and meager personality that made his signing to Maybach Music Group a mystifying one on the surface. The father figure of the group, Rick Ross, exudes nothing but confidence. His entire rap catalog is a lecture in bravado, something he never lost, even when photos surfaced of the teflon don’s days as a correctional officer.

But if you dig a little bit deeper, the partnership doesn’t seem so strange. When Wale’s debut album, Attention Deficit, flatlined because of poor sales and a lack of physical copies being shipped, it appeared as if Wale’s fears had been realized. There had never been a question about Wale’s lyrical prowess, but his marketing, brand, and lack of ego left something to be desired. Ross saw a business opportunity and pounced.

Stalley seemed like an even stranger candidate to join the MMG team. The blue-collar rapper with the spoken word influenced cadence and affinity for Ohio car culture didn’t seem to have the same problems Wale once did. He seemed fine in the confidence department. His mixtape Lincoln Way Nights increased in popularity the more time that passed since its release. But his name appeared to be missing from conversations that it should have been in. Ross saw a similar situation to the one that led him to Wale: A talented emcee that lacked the backing to reach his full potential. And while that “potential” could mean lyricism, it could also mean profits.

With a snap of his fingers, Ross has assembled a team of understudies, three gentlemen who alone could have only dreamed of the buzz they have created as a unit. Ross is the wizard in the Emerald City at the end of the yellow brick road, injecting Wale with confidence and giving Stalley a larger platform to distribute his talents. In turn, both emcees have found increasing success as Ross’ empire swells larger by the day.

“It’s just that Ross is someone that knows music and knows the game and watches the game close and he’s a lover of all music, whether he raps about the stuff he raps about or not, he understands my plight, my grind, my struggles, and you know, again, he wanted to help become a superstar and reach that full potential,” Stalley told us in an interview earlier this month. “I just seen the genuine liking and just how genuine he was to what I was doing and who I was and he didn’t want to change me, he just wanted me to continue to do what I’ve been doing, but just have that bigger platform to be able to speak and reach the people.”

Gifts like these come sacrifices, most of which can be found in Wale’s persona. With his newfound confidence, the content of Wale’s music has shifted, as bravado rap has made a home in his lyrics. Ambition is void of the social issues Wale openly spoke about in his early days. Is this necessarily a bad thing? Wale can still spit with the best of them, that’s one thing that hasn’t changed, and the one thing that has been brought to the forefront with the MMG spotlight shining on him.

It’s too early to tell what Ross’ influence on Stalley will be. Savage Journey to the American Dream will give us a glimpse into their relationship, but only one thing really matters. Ross has assembled an unlikely team of rappers that have turned MMG into one of the most successful labels in the game, and there is no disputing that.