Wale Demands Respect

Big day for Wale, with the drop of his with fourth LP, The Album About Nothing.

His last album, 2013's The Gifted, opened number one and his 2011 album Ambition opened in second (and actually sold more copies.) With another strong showing Wale can make a legit claim as a serious music industry player.

But the always-emo DC emcee doesn't always feel like he gets the respect he deserves. In a new interview with Billboard, the 30-year old discusses his famous sensitivity, and also depression and drug abuse. Then he makes the argument for the A-list status which he feels he's being unfairly denied.

"I'm okay with people not liking my music but provide an intelligent reason for why you like or don't like something or you're a hater or a dick-rider," he stated. "This is my fourth album. I want some respect. I want to go to a party and not have Katy Perry tell her security to move me out of the fuckin' way. We do the same thing. I know there's no union in the music industry, but have some respect. I want people to be like, 'Your album's just as good as Kendrick [Lamar]'s or Esperanza Spalding or Beck.' I work just as hard as them."