VIDEO: Rapper Wale Nearly Shuts Down Lakeforest Mall, Signs Autographs, Breaks Table

When he attended Quince Orchard High School, Wale Victor Folarin might have gotten frustrated if he tried to shop at and found the halls impassable—packed with screaming young people.

But now, having rocketed to the kind of fame that allows him be known simply as Wale and make music videos featuring Lady Gaga, he is the one causing the human traffic jam.

Police and fire officials threatened to shut down the entire mall and cancel the event Tuesday night unless the hundreds of Wale fans, hoping to catch of glimpse of the hometown-kid-made-good, remained in line.

They did as instructed, and Wale signed copies of his new album, Self Made Vol. 1, when the event finally began.

The record is a collaborative effort from the Maybach Music Group, which features Rick Ross, Pill, and Meek Mill, among others.

The record was released May 24, and fans were required to buy a new copy in order to met Wale at the event.

But not before Wale nearly took a tumble. As he entered the store, he leaned on a table prepared in front of a backdrop, which immediately collapsed, crushing a cooler filled with water and Gatorade bottles.

Making a quick recovery, Wale answered a few questions from the assembled media, and moved on to the business of the day: meeting the fans.

The signing was held at DTLR, an urban clothing retailer. Before Wale's career launched, he worked at the DTLR store at the Mall at Prince George's, known as Prince George's Plaza at the time.

Wale graduated from Quince Orchard High School in 2001.