Black Bonnie: Wale's Adoration for Black Women
Credit: @Wale
Life as a black woman in America isn't a catwalk. From facing the harsh reality in pay disparity to being victimized in the #MeToo Movement, black women often feel like the weight of the world is on their shoulders.
Even in the entertainment industry we don't always receive the respect we deserve. A lot of rappers recite lyrics calling us b****es and hoes and many of their videos highlight us in scantily clad clothing, while serving as their object of affection.
Nigerian rapper Wale breaks that standard. The Warner Records signee's catalog includes many records that are love letters to black women. His visuals accompanied by the songs often showcase the most beautiful black women known to mankind in all shades of brown and various shapes on the spectrum.
"Black Bonnie" places black love at the highest plateau. No relationship is easy, you have your ups and downs, but when you have your black king or queen by your side you can conquer the world. That song and many others prove to the unromantic and brokenhearted that black love still exists and you can meet your soulmate.
Then there’s songs like “The Body,” that describe Wale’s infatuation with the black woman’s curvy physique. Wounds are uncovered and perspectives on issues many sistas face, such as being afraid to love again after getting your heart broken are brought to light on “Diary,” and many other songs. Black women can depend on numerous Wale songs to provide them with the confidence, strength and resilience to shift through this often colorblind society. Listen to Wale's black women appreciated anthems below.
Ambitious Girl
Millions of black women around the world invest themselves in higher education to advance onto great careers within various fields. College can be challenging to juggle at times. You have the stress of meeting deadlines for essays, inconsistent sleep schedule due to test preparation, full-time workload, and more. The balance that comes with having a healthy home life and a healthy school sometimes becomes lost in translation from the full plate many carry. When you feel overwhelmed by the two worlds, play ‘Ambitious Girl’ by Wale. This song fits perfectly for all the college girls out there. All the sacrifices you make are recognized by Wale as he takes the time and effort into understanding the adversities black women face while enrolled at higher institutions.
2. That Way
“A woman worth some anger is certainly worth some effort.”
This lyric in particular is the standout line from this song. What exactly does it mean? As women we’re naturally born to be nurturers and sensitive beings, but with life’s many obstacles we don’t always uphold ourselves in this way. When everything hits the fan we often choose to throw the towel in as the best method to face our issues and channel our anger. Black women have to endure so much on a daily basis. Everything many of us have gone through plays a major role in our lives and it affects our relationships with others especially men. That line indicates that with all that black women experience and the anger they have from those experiences, they still deserve effort from our black men and to be loved the right way. Throughout the Jeremih and Rick Ross assisted single, praises are sent to black women particularly in the chorus, which commends them on the high heels they wear and how it complements their curvy physique.
3. Black Bonnie
Imagine how dope it would’ve been if Bonnie and Clyde were black. I do not condone going against the law and committing crimes. However, I can’t help but to think how even in their crime committing ways, the dynamic duo stood by each other’s side and exemplified what it means to be a “ride-or-die” to the fullest. Since Black America has never seen that example, Wale put his own spin on the story and created it into a modern day rebellious black love narrative. With Jacquees’ added vocals, Wale takes us on this journey providing another meaning for ride-or-die partner. According to him, this is someone you can share your fears with, chase after your dreams with and converse with about the current racial climate in the U.S. Wale defines his ideal “Bonnie,” and keeps it real on the type of woman this is.
4. Illest B***H
This may come as a contradiction as earlier I stated how many rappers use the word b***h in their songs to disrespect them. Wale uses this same word in the song, but instead uses it as a term for endearment and presents a showstopping encouragement anthem for all black women. In his eyes the illest b***h alive is an intelligent, strong beautiful black woman. She’s the hardworking single mother that receives little to no help from an absentee father, she’s the woman that’s experienced a lot of pain and as a result she doesn’t like affection, she’s the woman insecure with having stretch marks. The illest b****h could be best described as superwoman. With everything that’s happened to her she still rises above and lives in her truth. Wale could’ve easily used b***h as a way to name call and degrade black women, but instead he chose to take the latter and uplift black women.
5. Matrimony
Wale has never been one to shy away from expressing his feelings in his music. It’s safe to say he’s known in hip-hop for his poetic writing and how he conveys his raw emotions. He’s not one to hold back at all when it comes to what’s on his mind. “Matrimony,” gives a deeper look inside Wale’s personal life. He shares his fears to take the next step in the relationship, which is marriage. Women come after him all the time and he’s placed in dilemmas where he struggles with temptation. To make matters more challenging, he and his girlfriend went through the loss of their baby through a miscarriage. Once that happened the relationship became harder to handle and put a stronger strain on their love. A lot of people, especially black couples can relate to everything he explained he was going through at the time. Not every rapper is as open and transparent as Wale is. Wale being as open as he is in this song can help others with similar situations. Relationships take continued effort and hard work through the bad especially. If you can get past the adversities than you can make it to the alter in holy matrimony.
6. Diary
As black women we want to work out the differences we have with the black men we’re dating, but sometimes the relationship goes south and it ends in shambles. This causes us to be left brokenhearted and guard ourselves when a new man comes along cause we think he’s going to hurt us too. Or we see how men treat the other women around us like our mothers and our girlfriends and don’t trust men from what we saw occur in their situations. Wale does an excellent job in delving into the minds of black women and their pain. He walks us through all these different scenarios to chronicle what a lot of black women go through and in the end reveals that they share these details in a diary to reflect on. Writing down your thoughts in a diary is therapeutic. By Wale having an understanding of the black woman’s plight, he knows how important it is for us to feel heard and have a voice. Our diary is how we use our voice.
7. The Body
So many non-black women pay top dollars to have features like the black woman including a rounder butt and wider hips, but nothing will compare to real homegrown curves. The coke body physique has been ingrained in the black woman’s DNA for centuries. Wale makes it known that he appreciates the black woman and all the glory that comes with her curvaceous silhouette. He explains in great detail how the woman reminds him of his car. Like his car that he drives, he wants to go on a sexual adventure with a beautiful, black, thick woman that stole his heart. It’s also noticeable that the song pays homage to R.Kelly’s hit song ‘You Remind of Something.’ Wale proudly admits his love for the black woman’s body and we couldn’t be any more here for it. Thanks Wale for loving black women and admiring and appreciating our bodies!
8. Black Girl Magic
If you’re ever in a bad funk and need a good pick me up, have no fear and blast ‘Black Girl Magic’ to the maximum volume allowed. This cheerful, uptempo track serves as an ode to all the beautiful black women in the world. The video couldn’t match the song any more perfectly. A sea of beautiful melanated ladies in various shades of brown don sparkling white smiles while dancing and live their best carefree life. Wale sings his heart out telling all black women how proud of them is. Two black women he gives that node to are Black Hollywood’s favorites actress Taraji P. Henson and ‘Insecure’ showrunner Issa Rae. He also makes it his duty to bring up the unfair pay gap between black women and white men. ‘BGM’ is an entire mood for every black sister out there whose black and unapologetic about it. Wale loves black women so much that he believes if Jesus were a woman, she’d be a black woman. We love to see Wale in his element celebrating ‘Black Girl Magic.’
9. The Remake of a Remake (All I Need)
Everybody can’t tastefully remake a song. Wale proves otherwise and successfully remakes two songs in one. The beat samples Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s ‘You’re All I Need To Get By, while he channels Method Mann’s rhymes from him and Mary J. Blige’s classic hit, ‘All I Need.’ He raps about how his lady held him down when times were hard. Taiwah’s soulful vocals balances out well with Wale’s sweet serenade to his lady. What woman wouldn’t want her man to sing about her being the apple of his eye? Wale reels it in great with this romantic love story dedicated to a black man in love with his black queen. The song pays both iconic songs the right justice they deserve.
10. Black Is Gold
It would come as no surprise if D’Angelo loves this song! The sample from 1995’s ‘Lady,intertwined with Wale’s heartfelt black women admiration holds as much significance as it did more than 20 years ago. Representation matters! When little black girls see black women in spaces they aspire to be in, it makes a big difference and leaves a lasting impression on them. Wale name drops numerous black women in the industry who are game changers and set the example for black girls to follow in their footsteps. Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o and Austrailian model, Duckie Thot are just a few of the influential black women Wale mentions as black excellence. Like many Wale videos, its become routine to see black women in varying brown shades and shapes to placed on a pedestal for breaking the norm in beauty standards. Black Is Gold accurately personifies how black men view black beauty. Society may not always agree with it, but the black man will stand by it!
Thank you Wale for bringing something different to the industry! You’ve always stayed true to who you are and remained firm in spotlighting the adoration and love you have for black women. We appreciate you!