Today, Sept. 21 is the birthday of D.C. rapper and MMG member Wale. The DMV pioneer turns 34 years old today.

The Washington D.C.-hailing MC has risen in the ranks of his clique, Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group, over the years. After dropping Attention Deficit (2009) and Ambition (2011) and shining on Self Made Vol. 3 on bangers such as “Stack On My Belt” and “Poor Decisions,” Wale has gone on to release two strong albums, The Gifted (2013) and more recently The Album About Nothing (2015) which debuted No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

The PG native welcomed his first child, a daughter named Zyla Moon Oluwakemi, in the summer of 2016. Becoming a dad has obviously had a positive effect of Wale. The rhymer showed off a more fun-loving, light-hearted side on his 2017 album Shine. Released this past April with features from Lil Wayne, Major Lazer, WizKid, Chris Brown and more, the LP was packed with summer bangers and peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200.

Last year Wale told his fans online that he plans to lay low for the near future, but in 2018 he's produced a steady stream of music. In May, he announced his signing to Warner Bros. Records and from there, he unloaded a few new EPs that reaffirmed his status as a rap game all-star. Now, he's prepping to drop off his sixth studio album.

Happy Birthday, Wale!

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