Wale (2:28)

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Wale (2:38)

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Wale (2:50)

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Rob Gronkowski (2:56)

This is Rob Gronkowski from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jewels. For the second season in a row, I partnered with T Mobile's Friday night 5G lights powering up hometown football across America. This year, T mobile invested over $4 million in prizes to help schools take their Friday nights to the next level. Now it's time to crown our $1 million grand prize winner. A huge congrats to Derrick's High School in Derrick's, Arkansas, home of the outlaws and your 2020 5T mobile Friday night 5G lights champion. They scored a home field upgrade, Gronk Fitness weight room, a 2026 tailgate party and an all expense paid trip to the SEC championship game. To every school that competed, posted and rallied your communities, thank you. And a big thanks to T Mobile for making it all possible and helping communities shine under the Friday night lights. This season may be over, but the story isn't. Stay tuned for season three in 2026.

Interviewer (4:07)

Thank you for coming back. Part two is underway. Could you. Could you date someone that dated somebody in the industry or you prefer to be like, nah, I'm good. I'm gonna find my own.

Wale (4:20)

What you mean, like?

Interviewer (4:21)

Let's just say for the sake of argument, your boy, you know, he's in the industry now. Y' all not cool. You don't know him like that. I mean, you know him in passing. She used to holler at him for a minute. Year, 18 months, two years, six months in. But they done broke up.

Wale (4:37)

I think it varies. It's a sliding scale for how much I with shorty and how much, like, is that really my man's like that? Like, if I don't really know her, know we ain't put in the time. And that's really my man's.

Interviewer (4:52)

No, no, no, no, no. He ain't your man. I mean, y' all know him. You know him in passing.

Wale (4:56)

Watch out, man. God.

Interviewer (4:57)

Get my homie Wale.

Wale (4:59)

Watch out, little bro. Nah, I'm just saying, like, what you mean, like? Cause let's just say, okay, how much do I know him?

Interviewer (5:05)

How cool you at an award ceremony, Y' all don't know him, but y' all in the same industry. You dapping well, hey, man, how you doing? Such and such. Hey, Wale, this my third.

Wale (5:13)

It's probably gonna happen.

Interviewer (5:14)

Okay. This my girl right here. They not together. Six months later, you see her. Mm, she fine.

Wale (5:23)

With somebody else.

Interviewer (5:24)

No, she ain't with nobody.

Wale (5:26)

Uh huh.

Interviewer (5:27)

You ain't with nobody?

Wale (5:28)

Uh huh.

Interviewer (5:30)

What time we on?

Wale (5:30)

Yeah, I mean, if it's there, it's there. Like, I'm not all of it. Like, it varies. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like it just matters. How much am I thinking of that person when I see this person? Or can I separate the two? I'm not going after nobody. Jump, though. I'm not Dirty Mac. Not doing none of that. Like, you Know, but if I, like, for instance, somebody come to my life and we stop spending time and start liking each other, and then I find out you talk to xyz. Like, if XYZ is not in this.

Interviewer (5:57)

Box of people, then you might be in too deep.

Wale (6:00)

Yeah, I meant to. If I'm into. That's the thing, too. That's why we have to have real conversations, like, you know what I'm saying?

Interviewer (6:07)

You ever been fishing?

Wale (6:09)

What you mean?

Interviewer (6:09)

You ever go fishing? Like. Like actual.

Wale (6:11)

I don't got the patience.

Interviewer (6:12)

Okay.

Wale (6:13)

I was gonna say I stabbed the sushi man.

Interviewer (6:15)

Cause I was gonna say, like, if you go fishing sometime, the fish swallow the hook. So in other words, what I'm saying, sometimes you be in too deep to, like, it ain't no surface thing that you can just say, okay, that's what you did. That I'm out.

Wale (6:28)

That's what I'm. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like. Like, if it's gonna happen, I just need to know. To know how to, like. Cause so if I'm locked in with somebody, I just gotta know so I know how to move. Like, I ain't about to try to do no nothing over here.

Interviewer (6:42)

Okay? She come to you, she say, you know what, Wale, about three, four years ago, I was hollering at your boy. You know, it wasn't no blah, blah, blah, but, you know, I hollered at him for a minute or two. But you locked in. I mean, you really, really feeling. Wale. You feeling like that. You're like, damn, I can see her. You know, I can see her with me. You know, that trip to Paris, that really about that really about her.

Wale (7:09)

Can she cook? This girl, Hypothetical girl.

Interviewer (7:12)

I mean, maybe some oxtails or some turkey wings.

Wale (7:16)

Is she talented? Yeah, is she talented? Like, does she got a passion and a talent?

Interviewer (7:23)

I don't know if she can get paid for the talent that you might be thinking about.

Wale (7:25)

Nah, I'm talking about as a present human being.

Interviewer (7:28)

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Wale (7:29)

She got talented. Then she goes in a certain place. Like, if it's. Like, if it's something that you like, a lot of that stuff, you gotta let it go. Cause what's gonna happen? Like, bro, you can't talk to somebody. Cause somebody was talking to somebody. Like, it's either there.

Interviewer (7:43)

You can't help what you like.

Wale (7:44)

Yeah, if it's there, it's there. Cause it's not.

Interviewer (7:46)

Because people ask that question, man, why athletes gotta go? I mean, she dated this athlete and.

Wale (7:52)

She dated that athletes and Some of it is cereal. Like, cereal bag chasing. Some of it. Some of it is cereal. There's some weird, like, emotions, like, oh, Eskimo brothers. Like, it's a lot of stuff that's low, deviant stuff that goes on. But as far as I go, like, if I like somebody and they bringing, like, joy and peace to me, like, I gotta let some of that other stuff go. Like, the past do be the past for real. Like, just don't embarrass me in the future.

Interviewer (8:21)

I don't know. But Wale, I look at it like, you know, moth into a flame, he know the moth knows how it's gonna end. If it burn, goes into that flame, he knows what's gonna. It knows what's gonna happen. Right? But he can't help it. You like what?

Wale (8:36)

You like what I like?

Interviewer (8:37)

Even though she might have been with a NBA player or NFL player or.

Wale (8:41)

ML, I'll tell you something. Where you gonna find, like, if she bad. I don't go. I don't go. Like, you gotta be realistic of where you go.

Interviewer (8:48)

Thank you.

Wale (8:48)

You know what I'm saying? Like, what do I. I don't really be out like that. Like, I mean, I get paid to go to clubs sometimes, and, like, I gotta get. I gotta listen to what's out sometimes. But where I'm gonna go at the farmer's market, I'm gonna go see. Like, I ain't gonna. Yeah, that's where I'm gonna go.

Interviewer (9:05)

I guess you gotta go to the yoga studio, a whole food.

Wale (9:07)

That's what I'm saying. I can't and I don't know, Like, I can't do. So it's like. It is what it is. Like, the slim pickings. So you just got. You gotta follow this thing right here, man. All that other stuff. But that's another reason why people keep their thing on the low.

Interviewer (9:21)

Yes.

Wale (9:21)

Cause then it's like, you find out. Then it's like everybody's in a hurry to tell me who they talk to. Y' all don't even know it's too late. Like, you know what I'm saying?

Interviewer (9:29)

Yes.

Wale (9:29)

Y' all don't know it's too late.

Interviewer (9:30)

But that's what I was about. That's my next question. Public or private? Because a lot of times, if you try to keep it pla. Oh, you trying to keep me. You don't want nobody. You trying. What you trying to do. You trying to hide.

Wale (9:42)

Or I could be bad for somebody's brand. Cause, you know, in some circles, I'm just a rapper, right? If some circles, like, if the person isn't doing something that's like high brow. I'm just a rapper, you know what I'm saying? So it goes both ways. Like, some girls might want to keep me a secret. You know what I'm saying? But I don't know. I don't know, man. It's scary because it's like if you love somebody, you want to experience the world with them. Experience, like not having to duck and hide or whatever. But then it's like it's so sacred to you. And as soon as it's not sacred, that's when things start to just, like.

Interviewer (10:19)

Slowly, like start chipping away.

Wale (10:21)

Chipping away. And it's like, it's not.

Interviewer (10:22)

Then people got. Everybody got an opinion on.

Wale (10:24)

I remember launch the dopamine rush. Because that's why I said the hard. Launch the dopamine rush. You know how that goes?

Interviewer (10:30)

Yeah.

Wale (10:30)

Now women come to you as a woman until you're not sure. Cause you Hard launch. Get the dopamine rush. Hey, sis. So, yeah, I used to talk to him. He hit me up like six months ago. You feel me? Like, there's all of that stuff. Like, you know, oh, he was in my D. I tried to do a grace period. Like, all right, I'm not talking, like, if I'm like, it's my. I'm literally not responding to nothing for a significant amount of time. So nobody can say they've heard from me in no capacity. You know what I'm saying? But again, humans, we innately don't want to see other humans happy for whatever reason. So, you know, you more private all the way.

Interviewer (11:08)

Yeah.

Wale (11:09)

And it's like that shit is taboo in this city. You know what I'm saying? It's kind of like. And I mean, I could hide you like six, seven. Yeah, like that. Excuse me. Shannon be walking in Craig's.

Interviewer (11:21)

Like, I try to go to. I try to go off the offbeat places. I mean, obviously, you know, you go.

Wale (11:25)

To see the offbeat places is more you6,5, black from the south. Like tennis, shopping. This joint, it can't be nobody but Shannon.

Interviewer (11:33)

Yeah. For real.

Wale (11:34)

So now, I mean, you in the perfect world. Like, you know, that person can just be real. Just like just easy with. Just let it. Just let it go. Like, just chill. Like, I got you, like, you with me. Like, I like to think that my respect level in this joint is good enough, that you don't gotta worry. But you know, like, women like, women, sometimes they fragile, like they not ready for the heat that come with being next to somebody like me. Like, I'm a pit bull. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, in these rooms, like. Like, I get aggressive. I get what, like, you know what I'm saying? And then she, like, not like that. You know what I'm saying? So, like, I ask myself that all the time. How can I be happy if it's, like, private? Like, how can I be happy? Cause I almost tried that a little bit, and they, like. Like, people was like. Like, it was just not a good. It didn't feel good, like, to have that joint constantly under, like, scrutiny or whatever. And it just. Bro, you're not. You're not. You're not going to meet people that you really, truly love like, that often. You know what I'm saying? So you got to really, like, like, like nurture that shit, man. And I don't think nurturing it and being. Every time y' all out somewhere, anywhere, they gonna be like, in your face. I don't know if that's the way to go.

Interviewer (12:50)

I agree. I had T. Pain on, and I asked T Pain, I said, what have you learned about this? What do you learn about this business since you've been in it? And obviously he went viral and said, hey, nobody is your brother, man. As long as they can use you, they're your brother.

Wale (13:08)

I feel T Pain. I saw that. I feel him, though, because I know what Slim been through in this jump. Like, I know what T. Pain went through. Like, just being the guy everybody was getting for hooks, this, that and the third. And then, like, turning their back on them and stuff like that. Like, I get it. I have similar stories, but I just. I'm not going, you know, whatever. It is, what it is. But, like, I understood that. I know what he meant and how he meant it. Cause that's how the industry is. Ain't nobody really, really rocking with you.

Interviewer (13:38)

Like that if you can't do something for him.

Wale (13:40)

I'm trying to tell you, like, a lot of my friends that I consider friends. They don't. It ain't based off how, like, hot they are at the moment or whatever. Like, you know, I got, like, niggas like Black Thought J. Cole and Young Chris like that I caught that I consider friends. But not everybody is like that, though, right? You can't be brother, brother, brother. When it's time for a verse, I don't got. I'm not brother today. I don't like the budget, brother.

Interviewer (14:06)

Hey, direct deposit.

Wale (14:08)

Yeah, for sure, brother. And address it as brother. Brother Wale. Send it over to Brother waleo.

Interviewer (14:18)

You had Dr. Dre, Jay Z, and Rick Ross as boss. What have you learned from their styles? How different are they as being bosses?

Wale (14:28)

Well, Jay was. Jay's, like, very. He's on it, man. Like. Cause I had to. I had to, like, get over, like, the fanboy shit. It took me, like, a year and a half of being around him to, like, really, like, just be regular, like, right? But he's just savvy, bro. He know how to get in the room, you know? And he don't really. He doesn't overly talk. He just, you know, he's very, very, very, like, ahead of. He's, like 10 steps ahead. Ross is different. Ross, he get his hands dirty. He go in the field, bro. And one thing people don't understand about fat boy is he will over deliver any company that he work with. He taught me the art of over delivering. Like, oh, I'm gonna do this for this company. And he gonna overdo it and then be like, yeah, boss, what's up? And then they go. You know what I'm saying? He just. He's the. He's like. He's different. He get his hands dirty. He do what he gotta do, and all his businesses work out. You know what I'm saying? Dre more silent. I haven't really met him, but I know his business, how he work. Like, he's behind the scenes. He's cooking up stuff with Jimmy Iovine. They got they thing locked in. But I wish I was a better businessman. I just be super into the art. But this past year, I got with EQT out of my hometown. I've been, like, leaning more into being a better businessman, though.

Interviewer (15:53)

Is it true Jay Z called you after Complex left you off the top 50?

Wale (15:57)

What did he say? Did he. Where you see that? He might have. Man, let me see. Can I Google that? I gotta Google my own lord sometime. I know he. I know I pissed him off a couple times.

Interviewer (16:07)

What the hell you do?

Wale (16:08)

I was just being young, talking too much, said something stupid, somebody. And then, like, he just was really giving me the cold shoulder for, like, like, 3/4 of the Blueprint 3 tour. Making your idol disappointed in you is a crazy feeling for sure. And being on this tour, opening up for. Yeah, but, yeah, a lot of people call me with that complex thing that's part of my villain arc. Like the media, man.

Interviewer (16:39)

You and Kendrick are really close. Y' all prank call each other.

Wale (16:43)

He. Well, him and Q did a Couple times when I was long, many moons ago. But, yeah, like, I remember, I can't really say what they were saying because it involves somebody, but they would just say it just was just. I don't know. That's when. This shit was real fun, though. Like, they. They not, bruh. That's why I just be, like, looking at all this stuff. I'm like, bro, y' all don't understand. Like, when we all got to start knowing each other. Them is funny, bro. Like, I don't think people understand. Like, they take this music stuff. Like, bro, we come from environments where we Joan on each. Like, those dudes was. They always was just funny as hell to me all the time. Like. And you can even see how Mac Miller, like, how they embraced him or whatever, they just funny. And that's the one thing. I just wish it was a little bit more like that. But them niggas, they doing good, though.

Interviewer (17:31)

Yeah, Kendrick doing real good. See, you one of them old school. Cause you used the word Joanie.

Wale (17:35)

Yeah, that's our DC shit. Yeah.

Interviewer (17:38)

That's what we say with hbcu.

Wale (17:40)

We.

Interviewer (17:40)

Oh, man, man, cut out all that Joanie, man. That's all you wanna do.

Wale (17:43)

Yeah. D.C. brought that there. I just want you to know we.

Interviewer (17:47)

Hold on.

Wale (17:47)

How you figure, man? Jonah, man, we can find out, but I can. We'll. We'll know by the time this come out. Jonah was started in dc.

Interviewer (17:55)

All right. When you have somebody on a song and they diss somebody on your song.

Wale (18:04)

I don't think that. I don't think that ever happened.

Interviewer (18:06)

Pusha T dissing Drake on the Wale song.

Wale (18:09)

Was it. Was it a. Is that fact? Does it say that on genius? I don't know. I ain't. I ain't. What'd he say? What was the line?

Interviewer (18:19)

It was on your song.

Wale (18:20)

That's not a walleye song. Oh, and Edward's song. Oh, well, Ant put it together. I don't know. I mean, I didn't know. Nah, see, look, this was gonna happen. Nigga be like, he knew, but I ain't know. I didn't. I wasn't.

Interviewer (18:34)

It wasn't your song. You happened.

Wale (18:35)

To be honest, I didn't hear his verse until it came out. The song came out.

Interviewer (18:39)

Is that. Cause I. Oh, I talked to Khaled, and when he. Like, what was that? He had Jay Z, he had Lil Wayne, and I think he had Ross. I think those are the three on that song. And I asked him, I said, like, when you put a. When you put guys like, that together. Do you let the other person hear the voice? I mean, hear the verse?

Wale (18:58)

Well, a lot of us in the rappers, rappers, rap society of rappers, we. A lot of times we don't hear. We don't send us over. They might just send the hook. It depends on how your relationship with the artist. Sometimes if you keeping it sport, you don't hear each other joint. But I believe, like when we did Power Circle, that was a record where everybody was on there, meek Kendrick, gunplay style. Yeah, we was all on there. And I ain't hear nobody verse, right? I ain't hear nobody verse. Ross was like, yo, your boy Kendrick went crazy on that. Your boy Kendrick went crazy on it. So you see like, he's like, that's all I'm gonna say. But I ain't hear nothing. But, you know, as a rapper, like, I gotta come with my shit. You know what I'm saying?

Interviewer (19:50)

If you were to hear somebody verse, they go crazy. You gonna re record yours.

Wale (19:56)

I'm trying to think if I've done that. My. My spidey sense is telling me I've done that, but I can't think of it. I know a lot of other people have done that, but what a matchup we got, y'. All.

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Wale (24:36)

I think I would if I had to, but I don't think I get enough con. I don't think nobody gets it. Never be working out like that. Like where I can hear somebody verse. Nah, I don't think I rewrote my joke.

Interviewer (24:47)

Where are you with rappers? Suing rappers. Would you sue somebody?

Wale (24:52)

I guess business is business I guess. I mean if you got a real issue like, I mean shit, I'm suing the tour bus company right now, man. I lost 100 bands for messing with their ass. But nah, I don't know man, I don't think I have the organizational skills to do that. I be like yo, why are we on the phone? I need to go to the studio, you know what I'm saying? But if something go crazy like that is deserved that.

Interviewer (25:18)

Yeah, and take your ass to court.

Wale (25:19)

Yeah, I think I would feel crazy doing it. But yeah, I get it.

Interviewer (25:24)

What about this TikTok trend? They ask what would Wale say?

Wale (25:29)

How did that. I mean that's funny man. Cause it's just like I just be talking for real. Like I don't be thinking that it's like something so crazy like, you know what I'm saying? Like I don't be liking a thesaurus saying like yo let me just, let me use a bloviate in the world like, you know what I'm saying? I just be trying to take myself somewhere and just start talking. But it's good to be like people to see me up there. Cause what are we without our words? And this hip hop shit. Like what are we without our words like or our pens? Like that's all it is. Like I'm not no singer, you know what I'm saying? So for people acknowledging that that's good because I grew up in a house where English wasn't my parents first language and I was in. County mandated programs my whole life. So for me to do so much and make so much off the English language is God's work. For real.

Interviewer (26:28)

Is there a song that you turned down you wish you hadn't?

Wale (26:34)

I heard Ella May booed up a little early. Early I think with a gentleman at Atlantic. I heard it, I was like, I always think cause they wanted a verse on it Wave like a year before I think he even came out. But that one is probably the only one. And then I did have a verse on Miguel's How Many Drinks and they Just went in another direction. But those are the two, probably. Yeah.

Interviewer (27:03)

Do you write for other artists?

Wale (27:04)

Mm.

Interviewer (27:05)

Do you like it?

Wale (27:08)

Sometimes when they pull it off the right way, you know, sometimes you write it and they don't count.

Interviewer (27:15)

They don't sing it like you read it like you wrote it.

Wale (27:17)

Yeah. Yeah. It boosts my ego, though. I ain't gonna lie.

Interviewer (27:23)

Would fans be surprised at some of the songs that you've written?

Wale (27:26)

Yes.

Interviewer (27:27)

What? Really?

Wale (27:28)

Yeah.

Interviewer (27:29)

Damn.

Wale (27:30)

Of course. But if you really paying attention, if they really, really pay attention, you could see in my whole catalog that I got so many different styles that I've been leasing them styles out for at least seven, eight years.

Interviewer (27:47)

Because you, Lady Gaga, Meg, Thee, Stallion, Miguel, Chris Brown, Gucci, Wayne, Nicki, Usher, Sza, T Pain, Travis Scott. So when you go. So when you go in the studio.

Wale (28:00)

Okay, you say Rihanna.

Interviewer (28:01)

I ain't say Ri. Oh, okay. Riri.

Wale (28:04)

Okay. I just wanna make sure.

Interviewer (28:05)

No, you. I put.

Wale (28:06)

Hey, Robyn Fenty is the national treasure, and she's not even from here.

Interviewer (28:10)

Yeah. So when you go into a studio, obviously you going in there, because, you know, Lady Gaga is very different than Meg. Meg is very different than Miguel, who's very different than Gucci and Lil Wayne. And then Nick is different than Usher, and SZA is different than Rihanna. So when you go into the studio.

Wale (28:29)

Swiss army knife, baby. Yeah, I see Swiss army knife, yeah. And I come from just understanding all genres, all styles, and, like, taking, like, really understanding, like, the artists and, like, the space that you in, you know, that's all that. Like, my father used to drive cabs, man. So I would be in the front some days and just be listening to everything. Like, whoever's getting in the car could be a politician or a crackhead. Like, this is 80s 90s D.C. like, I see all. Put this on, Put this on. And I hear. And then when they sent me to that school, I had to go an hour each way to school every day. So I was listening to everything you could think of growing up, like, so I can adjust. I can do a song with Jelly Roll. I could do a song with. I could do a song with Baby Chief. Do it. I could do a song with no savage in D.C. i can do a song with Midland or, like, you know, Shaboozi. You know what I'm saying? Music is music.

Interviewer (29:30)

You ever get nervous?

Wale (29:32)

Yeah, yeah, sure. Interviews, I get nervous. Interviews, I get nervous when I gotta do it. Like, when I'm about to go on stage, I get a little nervous. I think that's part of it, though.

Interviewer (29:49)

Is it?

Wale (29:49)

Yeah.

Interviewer (29:49)

Are you gonna be concerned when you don't get nervous? Huh? Well, you think you'll ever. You think there'll ever be a situation?

Wale (29:55)

Sometimes when I'm like. When I'm. When I'm like. When I've hit a certain stride on tour, when I. When I can literally do like the whole set forward, backward, without even thinking, I don't really get as nervous. I think I. I have some. I have some of the best ideas when it's. When I get like that. But I do I be nervous sometimes, you know what I'm saying? Most of the time, it's always nerves.

Interviewer (30:18)

You got an opportunity to work with Jerry Seinfeld, which is very different. What was that experience like?

Wale (30:24)

I mean, I knew it was an important thing. It was going to be great culturally. But I. I was so in the moment in the music, that I wasn't really thinking the levity would have years later. But comedians, the good ones, are just modern philosophers, man. You know what I'm saying? They speak in riddles and humor, but there's a lot of philosophy in it. And the juxtaposition of over analytical, cynical Jewish man, like, living his life, like, you know what I'm saying? All he's done. And then you got this young kid from D.C. nigerian, in the music industry that grew up on Go Go and like all this stuff, like, what's the middle ground? Like, where do we meet as human beings? You know what I'm saying? Like, for middle finger, you leave me alone. Everybody felt like, leave me alone. You know what I'm saying? God smile. Like, sometimes it feel like the God shine on you. There's things that he says in his standup or on that show that can relate to the common man. And that album was about finding the middle ground of some of the things he said and the way I am and how we meet in the middle.

Interviewer (31:39)

What's hard getting audio from a TV show or your music or music getting something cleared.

Wale (31:46)

Jerry made that whole thing.

Interviewer (31:48)

It was easy.

Wale (31:49)

Easy. Like, I ain't gonna lie. I thought about doing either one more time. They always like doing. Cause it'll be the fourth one if I did it. But I'm just like, man, I don't know if we can even capture that lightning in the bottle again. And then I thought about doing it with Larry David, but I'm like, I don't know, would he get it or whatever, or is it. The moment passed. But I will say Jerry got all them samples cleared from NBC. He hit Them, like, by himself. So if I can get that. Something like that again, I might do it. But that was pretty much impossible to do. He did it.

Interviewer (32:25)

You're the first rapper to open the State of the Union. How did you get. How did that opportunity come about?

Wale (32:29)

Michelle? Nah, she. She was cool, man. Both of them was just cool. It was just like having, like, some aunts and uncles down the street when they was there. But I forgot how that happened. But I was just cool with the Obamas, like, you know, I just. You know, I performed at. I think I might have been, like, the first rapper to perform there on another thing. And then I think I heard about the State of the Union, like, two days before it was. They asked me to do it and. Yeah, that was a moment I missed. Obama. Shit was so simple back then, man.

Interviewer (33:08)

Yeah. Well, what about in 20? What, 28?

Wale (33:14)

What is it?

Interviewer (33:16)

We get former first lady Michelle to run.

Wale (33:19)

I don't think she want that smoke, man. She look happy, man.

Interviewer (33:23)

Your hood Craig doing the pods.

Wale (33:25)

Yeah, man. And she just fun, man. She not like a. Nah, man. Like, I just feel. Nah, I don't. I wouldn't even want that for, like.

Interviewer (33:33)

That'S all it costs.

Wale (33:34)

I want that for us, probably, but that's selfish. Like, you know, she was a light in that place, though, for sure.

Interviewer (33:40)

Yeah. Your catalog. Would you sell your catalog?

Wale (33:45)

We trying to get this team. If we gonna get this team, maybe.

Interviewer (33:48)

We have to. We might have to.

Wale (33:50)

We might have to do that, man. Like, so give me your best offer. Cause I'm just. All I'm doing is make a couple, like, a gazillion more records anyways. But it gotta be right, though. It gotta be right. It gotta be right. Cause I. I just know all the work that I put in.

Interviewer (34:03)

Right?

Wale (34:03)

You feel me? I could. Cause it's business, you know what I'm saying? But I will see.

Interviewer (34:09)

What do you think the biggest difference is making music when you first started as opposed to making music today?

Wale (34:17)

It's harder, right?

Interviewer (34:18)

Yeah, it's harder now.

Wale (34:19)

Yeah, I was telling.

Interviewer (34:21)

I thought it'd be easier.

Wale (34:22)

I tell a lot of my friends like that, like. Or people that come to me for advice. Like, I was talking to black 6 lack, but black. But I was just telling them, like, yeah. Cause you sent me about the album, and I was like, yeah, man, I appreciate it. This get harder every year, though. You know that. So it's good to hear from when you drop your project because, like, it does get hard every year. It don't. It don't well, in my style of rap, when, like, certain. There's certain types of genres inside hip hop that it's not really that hard, like, but this style, like, it's, you know, it's harder every year. Like, music changing. A lot of people ain't lyric based a lot of. You know what I'm saying? So it get harder every year because I'm not switching my thing up to fit no trends, but I'm also pushing my creativity. So I want to get. I want to learn a new. New skill every album, and I've been successful in that so far, so I might be running out of stuff to learn.

Interviewer (35:15)

Anything you regret thus far about your career?

Wale (35:21)

I probably. I don't know because, like, you know, you know, our transgressions is what makes us. But I probably like a couple of, like, my little Kirk out moments, probably could have just. I wish I could scrub from my. My stuff.

Interviewer (35:36)

Right?

Wale (35:39)

Yeah. Like, probably the complex stuff. Stuff like that. Couple run ins with some. Well, those had to happen. But yeah, I think I just, you know, a couple of, like, the little outbursts. I would say that, but not really. I mean, I'm here, I'm. I'm doing great. The album's doing good. I'm happy where it's at. I don't know what I could have changed.

Interviewer (36:02)

Right. What have you learned about money.

Wale (36:05)

Man? Hard to keep slippery, man. I ain't never. I'm like, money don't really move me like that. And it's really strange because it's like, it just don't really move me. It don't really, like, I don't operate off, like, the bag, the bag, the bag. But I did say, hey, you know what? Like, some of your goals that you put for yourself, if these things aren't realistic, no matter what you do, maybe you should put your focus on running your bag up. Like, if you're not gonna get some of these accolades or these things that you trying to. That you put on your checklist, it can't happen no matter what. Maybe you focus on the bag. So that's something that I'm willing to like, but it will never be at the mercy of my integrity or my artistry, though, right?

Interviewer (36:55)

Yeah. What's your dumbest purchase? What's the thing you look back on like, man, I ain't even need this. I should have never, ever.

Wale (37:05)

Oh, man, I've made a lot of, like, purchases out of, like, just being mad, but if I purchase something and regret it, I'll force myself to, like, use it. Or like put it to work. So maybe, maybe when I bought my father that car and he shipped it to Nigeria, immediately I was like, I thought that was for you. You know what I'm saying? That might be it. I might, I might. I'm actually, I'm actually quite. I buy a lot of clothes. I mean like way too much. But I ain't nothing really, really crazy that I bought. I'm like, I shouldn't have done that. For real.

Interviewer (37:46)

Fame versus rich, which one I prefer. Yeah.

Wale (37:52)

Fame. That's a four letter word around these parts.

Interviewer (37:56)

Damn.

Wale (37:56)

Fame ain't. Now I don't need fame, man. Like, like I like to.

Interviewer (38:03)

They say fame and fortune. Give me the fortune, keep the fame.

Wale (38:07)

Yeah, yeah, give me the. Give me the fortune, keep the. I can't. Cause it's like privacy and like the quality of life and like, you know, again, like I told you, like, there's like small things in my life I ain't really experienced because of fame. Like I can't, you know, go to the grocery store for my mother in her neighborhood, joint bringers. I can't like just go walk in certain areas all willy nilly, like, you know what I'm saying? That's not fun. Seeing a lot. Like seeing your friends get gunned down and it's on Instagram. Like you just was on the phone with them last week. Like, that's fame right there. That's fame on both sides.

Interviewer (38:44)

The castanet, you turned that into a switch deal.

Wale (38:47)

Yeah. No, but if you like it, I love it. Switch.

Interviewer (38:52)

The deal were you look and I get it.

Wale (38:54)

And I said that was a recovery.

Interviewer (38:58)

I had a situation where I was hosting the Daytime Emmys and that was like, you know, when we were growing up, it was only a handful of sitcoms. It was only a handful of shows. You had to know.

Wale (39:09)

Yeah.

Interviewer (39:09)

Now with, with Amazon and with Netflix and all these shows, man, they got a thousand shows.

Wale (39:15)

There's too many shows, bro.

Interviewer (39:16)

And you know, they send you a little book and you gotta like, who's gonna be who's nominated and all that. And you interviewing them. And a lot of times they give me like, they gave me six. Give em credit. They gave me six weeks. But you try to like recognize somebody on like if it's football, if it's basketball, sports, I'm good. That's me. That's my genre.

Wale (39:35)

They be looking the same. I'm like, they be looking the same. That's what said. I said they be looking the same. They say we do anyway. So. Hey, look, but I get it, though, because I'm very. I'm like notorious for not remember. I'm like, I'm not good, bruh. I've been doing like, the music business like this, bro. I don't remember people, like. And then a lot of people take offense to that. So I get it a little bit. Yeah, I did play in the celebrity game with him the year before, but he ain't remember. Eh, okay, it was cool.

Interviewer (40:06)

You gave. I mean, couldn't you have given him Lil grace the man 20?

Wale (40:10)

That's the thing. Now you got me. Let me roll up my sleeves. Nah, but he 20. Y' all acting like he was born, like two days ago. Okay, look, all right, so I gotta be super careful. Cause these is cold blooded, man. I was like. I was upset for like five days in a row. So when he's talking about mental health at the Stream Awards, I'm like, yes, yes, yes. Mental health. You get it now imagine giving your life to this game and then you go to the awards to just support the culture that you've been a part of for 13 years. And then somebody who asks you to play a video, like, ask you. Yeah, yeah, let's play one day, like. Cause you saw them last year. And then you go online and everybody's like, yo, Kai's not. He didn't know who you was. That was funny. Da, da, da. And you in a room full of your peers, right? And I was like, wait, let me go holler at him real quick. And through my vantage point, I'm just like, yo, that look, that made me look crazy, bro. But I think the way that people saw it is like, yo, Carson Dart, like, you 20 year old, like, you feel me? Like, that's what they acting like I did. And I'm like, yo, I'm just saying you made me look crazy. Like, I feel, like uncomfortable in this room. But like, I'm like. At that moment, I'm like, damn, everybody making me the bid on the Internet. Just. Cause I was like, you know, like, just because he didn't. I was just confused. And then when they said I pressed him, I was like, oh, so that means I gotta leave. Like, I gotta go. I gotta go to my hotel for like a couple days. Like, it was just. It was like, not that I didn't. I don't expect. No, I introduced myself to. At my meet and greet. Sometimes, like, that's how I move. Like, I don't be like, you got to know who I am.

Interviewer (42:00)

I.

Wale (42:00)

It just seemed like it was a Little bit, like, downplaying a little bit. And in the moment, I'm like, do you think you. I know I'm looking at the kid on the COVID of these magazines and I'm like, it looked like how I dressed when I first got, like, when I first started. I'm like, I could see my influence on you daily. Like, you know what I'm saying? So I'm not saying I influenced you, but I definitely. Your stylist got me on his vision board. And I'm thinking like that and I'm like, bro, I just didn't like how I felt in the moment. I'm like, yo, bro, we come here to celebrate the culture. And I'm looking at all these people like, yo, he doesn't know who you are. Ha ha ha. It's so funny. And I'm watching all these people receive awards. It just was like, let me say something for our role. And they took it as me pressing the youngin out. And I'm like, bro, I got pt. I can't even look at them little cameras no more. I started sweating when I see them joints. I'd be looking at everybody. Anybody that has that archetype that could be on a twitch, I'd be like, make sure ain't no more than that's too. You know what I'm saying? But also, I think the. I think I wanted to make it a teachable moment. I wanted to go on this.

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Wale (43:10)

All.

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Interviewer (43:24)

Coca Cola.

Wale (43:26)

Ah.

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Wale (48:05)

Stream and talk about the generational divide and, like, how that happened. And, like, you know, just have conversations around how the generations go. Because it's like, it's a deep conversation we can have. And I've been dying to have that joint on stream with the right people of both sides of the culture. Because, I mean, he's accepted a role, whether he really planned it or not, to be one of the voices in hip hop, you know, whether you like stuff or not. Like, we still got to preserve the culture, you know what I'm saying? The guys who came before me, the Jeezies, the Jay Z's, like, the Ludacrises, you know, like, we preserve the culture, we preserve, you know what I'm saying? It's not like, oh, oh, you're older before. Like, you feel me? So that's what that was about. I wish I would have handled it differently. But at the same time, I definitely thought it could be a teachable moment for. Because a lot of the artists that come from my era, they don't know how to interact with y'. All. Cause y' all act like y' all don't like nothing that don't sound a certain way or whatever. Like, y' all like, y' all like hip hop for a certain other reason. So some of them don't know how to talk to them. And some of them is like, yo, we getting money. We don't care about what y' all gotta say. So, you know, the goal after that was to have a teachable moment. But we couldn't get a comment from a guy. So shout out to him, though, man.

Interviewer (49:29)

You know, I need you to help me clear up something because I hear a lot of black American have beef with Africans. And y' all got a lot of beef with us. Now, what's really going on, Wally?

Wale (49:44)

Who's y' all got beef with?

Interviewer (49:45)

Who, the Africans? The Africans? The Nigerians, niggas.

Wale (49:48)

Africans got beef with me, too. I had an Ethiopian driver cuss me out the other day. Shit, Africans always beef with somebody, but I don't. You gotta understand, like, why y' all wearing in the same boat. You a agent, huh? That's some shit an agent would say, man. I sent him. You sent him. I know who sent you. I ain't gonna say that person. Listen, listen. I grew up in D.C. when Marion Berry was the mayor. Then I lived in Maryland, where it was all Spanish people and Cubans, like I'm saying. And Jamaicans. And so, like, my upbringing, we eat an African family in the building, or two more Africans in the building. We all go outside, play football together. We all go outside, play for the football team together, play for the basketball team. We all go to school together. We stick together in our neighborhood. You know, we go to other niggas neighborhoods, we chill like that whole thing never existed in my world ever. You know what I'm saying? I never really got it. Cause I'm like, bruh, I've been. My first time getting arrested, it was a trespassing joint, being in somebody neighborhood, all black. Six black kids. They locking us all up. Like, they not they. The white boy that was there just walked away. You know what I'm saying?

Interviewer (51:08)

So he took Africa there black.

Wale (51:09)

Yeah. So I don't. My experience is just like, bruh, like, you know, little bit of shit, little giggles on the first day of school when they can't pronounce my full name right. And a little bit of jokes here and there, but it wasn't. I ain't never seen that until like, Covid. I'm telling you, Covid did this shit, man.

Interviewer (51:29)

That was. Covid locked when it locked us down.

Wale (51:31)

He like, the Africans don't with us. What you mean, bruh, the diaspora is so. It's such a nuanced thing, bro. You know, like, bruh, like, we are together in this. Like when Rihanna get a number one record and they playing it everywhere, and it's like, that's a win for black culture. That's a win for black people.

Interviewer (51:52)

Yeah. I don't look at.

Wale (51:52)

I look at a black, I don't.

Interviewer (51:53)

Look at a Bahamian.

Wale (51:55)

Yeah. And it's like, we black. Like, you know what I'm saying? That's how I look at it, but.

Interviewer (51:59)

Then I look at the same.

Wale (52:00)

And then also, like, bruh, you go to hbc, you there with your. You play football, you there with your people. Yeah, that's your people. You know what I'm saying? That's your people. Like, it ain't no nothing. And I mean, people gonna say what they gonna say, but you just look at the source and look at how they. Look at how the conversations are and see, they never. They always seem to be malicious or, like, charged up without, like, unprovokingly charged up. And it worries me a little bit, but when it comes to that, bruh, like, I don't look at it like that, bruh. Like, I seen people saying, oh, why is Damson Idris getting this role? And Idris, Alberta, Africans. And I'm just like, so you think that some casting director just got. Just booked them because they're African? Like, they all. Everybody probably tried out for it. They probably knocked it out. Like, I never understood the division, but my logic is telling me that, like, okay, what's the one way we can get this shit? We can get shit cracking for real, if we turn more black people against more black people against more black people. You know? Like, you gotta think about that, bro. Like, I've never physically seen somebody being like, oh, I hate black Americans. Like, I've never even seen that in real life. That joint came from right there with the nigga that kissed the monkey and started Covid or a bat, all that. That came with a heavy batch of, like, division amongst black people. You feel me? Like, black folks make the world go round. You know what I'm saying? Yes. We got hip hop, we got Afrobeats, we got reggae, we got soul food, we got Caribbean food, African food. Like rock and roll. You know what I'm saying? Like, the drums, the talking drum, all these things. Like, bro, like, it's all one thing.

Interviewer (53:59)

I even had some food.

Wale (54:00)

Yeah, you have some foo foo in Vegas, right? Yeah, I'll be watching. See, I see all. See everything, man. But, yeah, you. You probably Nigerians, man. You got the. Like, the bulky. You got your lineages. Yoruba probably, man.

Interviewer (54:15)

Probably.

Wale (54:16)

Yeah. I'm like the only Yoruba. I'm, like, the only one in my family that's small like this. But you gotta be one.

Interviewer (54:22)

I'd probably be ibu.

Wale (54:23)

You think so?

Interviewer (54:24)

Yeah.

Wale (54:27)

I get a little Ike Chuku vibe from him. Like a little ntk. Like, I get a little Ameca vibes from you.

Interviewer (54:35)

Is it true Ray J got upset with you? He couldn't be on the Baltimore show.

Wale (54:39)

I was unfortunate, man. I think people don't realize, like, my show, that's our annual gifted week. Hopefully we should. You guys can do a pod or something next week, next year. That would be great. Cause we trying to do more in sports, but it's like a whole thing in D.C. we do stuff with the community. You know, I do something with the commanders, have a football camp. Then I do an art thing with the kids doing painting shoes. Then we do a poetry joint for, like, a lot of the spoken word artists. Sometimes an open mic. Then the grand finale is the Wale show. It's a stressful day for me. It's a stressful week for me. And my album came out that day.

Interviewer (55:16)

Correct.

Wale (55:17)

Very stressful. You can't. The stress is on 10. I'm performing new songs. I'm trying to memorize them joints. It's a different venue. I've never done before. Backstage is kind of crazy. I went backstage to change, to change, outfit, change. We brought out Lloyd, who is who. The band knew his songs, and they added Mario, I think, the day before. So in my mind, I'm like, yo, I don't want to take too long away from the crowd. Like, change. Let Lloyd do two. Let Mario do one or two. Lloyd did it a little bit longer. Mario did, like, five songs. So in my mind, I'm, like, kind of having a little anxiety. Like, yo, yeah. Am I losing my crowd or, like, what's going on? And then, like, my SO and it's like, I'm changing. I'm like. I'm like. Like, my stylist is, like, giving me, like, I'm putting my pants on and shit. I'm like. I'm, like, trying to get right. Get my mic on and stuff. And then they're like, yo, Ray J. Trying to perform. And, like, I was just. So what? Like. What you mean? Like, I'm hearing Mario in the background, and I'm like, yo, you know, it's time. And they're like, yeah, Ray J Trying performing. I'm like, bro, it's my show. We've been rehearsing for two weeks. So, I mean, I was like, nah, nah, no, I gotta get back on stage. And then apparently he got mad about that. But, I mean, that didn't have nothing to do with me. I was just doing my show for the people that paid for the show. And I had been, like, off stage for, like, 40 minutes, so I had to get back to work. If I had one wish, that wouldn't have happened always.

Interviewer (56:51)

I told you did that. I told you that. Let's get to something that you really like. Talking about sports. The Commanders.

Wale (56:57)

Yep.

Interviewer (56:58)

They used to be named the Redskins. You had a chain. You had to get rid of the chain. You still got it?

Wale (57:03)

No, I see it, but you can't ride shit. It almost wore it today. I just. We going big. We going. We going Redskin on Redskin. I'm getting a bigger one soon. Once we get all my liquor. Our liquor company. Once me and Shannon come, we get. I might get the. I might get this done on my joint. Shane with the red skin. Junk going back and forth.

Interviewer (57:23)

Y' all gonna get a new stadium. What's the name of the stadium? What you do? Cause we know the name. We know somebody that want to put.

Wale (57:27)

Their name on the stadium. For Lawrence Stadium. Wale for Laurence Stadium. Got a ring to it. Yeah, I think we should call it that now. It's gonna be rfk, though, right?

Interviewer (57:36)

No, it ain't gonna be. It's trended towards the president's name, but not rfk.

Wale (57:42)

I don't know, man. I don't know. Marion Berry Stadium. He's a legend. Where we from?

Interviewer (57:49)

Absolutely.

Wale (57:49)

He's a legend. He the people's champ. My vote is for Marion Berry Stadium, man.

Interviewer (57:55)

Magic Johnson has won everywhere. The Dodgers won again. He won when he was a player.

Wale (57:59)

And look at us bringing it.

Interviewer (58:01)

He won as a player with the Lakers. He won as the owner executive. The Lakers. He won as exec of the. What is that? The. What is The Sparks. The soccer team.

Wale (58:11)

If Magic Johnson twisting the knife right now. Y'. All.

Interviewer (58:14)

Y' all gonna win.

Wale (58:15)

I get it, man.

Interviewer (58:16)

It's just a matter of time.

Wale (58:17)

Yeah, we got some things that we got. Some. I was always worried when they was just, like, getting too many. Like, he tried to do that one year deal thing. I think we should have been putting people in place, like, you know, like, the whole thing. Like, too many, like, cusp. Guys that are barely in the. I feel like he got too many of those. I'm gonna be familiar with this player type. Guys like. And AP got a lot of the 49ers guys there. Like, I don't think we just went about it right, but I think we'll bounce back. And you can't, like, prepare for the amount of injuries we got. No.

Interviewer (58:54)

All y' all gotta do is if Jaden stays healthy. Yeah, y' all gonna be.

Wale (58:58)

Y' all got something Jaden needs. Jaden needs.

Interviewer (59:00)

He gotta get in the weight room.

Wale (59:01)

He needs Jaden's stronger than. Jaden is stronger than he not. He gained like, 15. He gained like 15. You gotta ask Javon. Javon, his father, he knows what the weight that he broke it down to me, what way he think Jaden should be playing at. But I just think he needs somebody. He needs some people to throw it to. I don't.

Interviewer (59:18)

He got Terry McLaurin.

Wale (59:20)

Yeah, but Terry was hurt for most of the year. He was, you know, and also, like, for Terry. Terry. I don't think we've ever seen Terry's full form because he's always been the one a. Like, there's never been nobody on the other side. The other side. For real. That was really cutting up. We ain't never had nobody really, really twitchy since, like, Santana.

Interviewer (59:39)

Right?

Wale (59:39)

You know what I'm saying? And I think Jayden need one of them, like, one of them, like, Malik Neighbors type. Cause they talking about the Giants might get Carnell Tate now. They gonna have two. They gonna have three crazy receivers. We don't even have. Like, he have no passing game. For real.

Interviewer (59:54)

What are your thoughts on Shador? He's been named a starter. He's been named a starter for the rest of the season. Had one of his best games.

Wale (60:00)

That's one person I don't know personally. I never met him, but I root for that boy like family. For real. Cause, like, I get it. I get it. He been in front of that light this whole time. He the youngest boy, you know. Pops was. You know, I got pop shoes on right now. These samples, too, by the way. These from the OG, like, 90 something, you know.

Interviewer (60:22)

Oh, you got the rigils.

Wale (60:23)

He's original Jones. He's from, like. Yeah, you see it? Look, I did that for prom. I know he watching, but nah, Shador like, bruh, you got, man, like, just. Okay, cool. Whatever. Like devil's advocate, y' all could do that. Yeah, he was flashy. He had the big chain. Da, da, da. Whatever they saying. Oh, a lot of us, Us. Well, we trying to. We just sticking up for him. He's not that good. So now y' all gaslighting us to think that what we saw with our own two eyes in Colorado for two years, you making us see, like, that's not good. That didn't. That's not good enough to get drafted.

Interviewer (60:58)

Higher than the fifth round.

Wale (60:59)

Okay, so you did that. Cool. Whatever. We let that slap. All right? You going to put him on the team with another rookie quarterback? That's. First of all, that's like bad management of A football team wasting the draft pick on two. Cool. Whatever. We see him doing Ayat in the preseason, y' all say, nah, it's still not him. Traded Flacco, right? Then somebody else. And then there was like, y' all really tried not to ice this guy. So now you really making us seem like, bruh, he must be a bum at practice or something. Like, he must be stinking it up. How come he ain't get no shot? So he get a shot and like, all of a sudden, people is open that ain't been open before. And all of a sudden, there's a spark. The team with a little bit of pep in their step, and it's 10 to 2 degrees out there, and he. Bruh. What? They muffed the punt. They did all this other stuff, bruh. Like, so with all that information, and then these guys get on the goal line and y' all go to Wildcat again. Enough. Like, enough. You ain't about to play in our face that much. Cause you know they'll gaslight you, be like, oh, well, he not. When did we start doing Wildcat again? Have you ever seen Quinshon Justin run Wildcat at Ohio State?

Interviewer (62:09)

Well, no, but. I mean. But my thing was the problem that I have with it in that situation, you got a quarterback that has a hot hand.

Wale (62:17)

Yeah.

Interviewer (62:17)

You gonna bring him into a running back who's the pitcher to a wide receiver, and he's gonna throw it. Not the quarterback that got 364 yards at that time.

Wale (62:26)

The pass before the touchdown pass was a perfect dart. Literally perfect pass.

Interviewer (62:31)

Yes.

Wale (62:31)

That's like Steph Curry hitting the three. No hitting it. Don't hit nothing. And then you take him out the game like, you feel me? He in his bag. His teammate. The synergy's dead. Nah, we gonna run with Crenshawn in the Wildcats. Come on, man. I think maybe. I don't know, maybe he know he not gonna stay there. He just trying. But I'm just glad he handling it like that because he letting it play out the way it is. And I'm glad Prom showing up when he can. And it's like, bro, see what that family been through and, like, all that, like, I don't care what y' all got against Deion, bro. He is a present father, and he was a big part of a lot of our lives. Like, you know what I'm saying? Any man around my age, like, he's a part of this football thing. I won number two cause of him, you know what I mean? In 20. Yeah. Wolf and the bandana, everything. So, bruh, like, I'm always gonna root for them. And to see somebody get, like, they try to humble you like that. And to see him do what he do, like, bruh, Cleveland need that, man. That city needs something like that.

Interviewer (63:28)

You did you almost get into a.

Wale (63:31)

Fight with an Eagles fan, man, they just. They was doing too much. I was leaving.

Interviewer (63:35)

What were they doing?

Wale (63:36)

Whooping our ass.

Interviewer (63:39)

Well, y' all wasn't doing enough.

Wale (63:40)

The Saquon run really broke me. But, like, I was like, no, cool.

Interviewer (63:44)

Oh, this was the playoffs.

Wale (63:45)

Yeah. This was a. We was leaving. I was leaving. You know, I was trying to make my flight and I'm beat. Traffic. We was already losing, and I knew I wasn't gonna be able to see nobody, so I was leaving. And then somebody was like, oh, walla.

Interviewer (63:58)

Y' all lost.

Wale (63:59)

I'm like, okay, okay. Yeah, y'. All. I'm like, yo, what's up, man? Get out my. It was one of those, like, bruh, okay. And I'm already mad. We not. You know what I'm saying? We lost like that. So he's one game away from the damn Super Bowl. But, yeah, I wasn't gonna fight no fan. But if they swung, it's another story. But, yeah, kd.

Interviewer (64:19)

You think KD gonna win a championship in Houston? Can he win a championship outside of Golden State?

Wale (64:23)

Yeah, I think he can. I think he can. OKC's just scary, though. Like, I don't know.

Interviewer (64:28)

Ah, man, they ain't lost one game. Wallet.

Wale (64:30)

What you do? You put you. And they young and they got so many picks, bro. They still got pigs, man. I don't know, man. They needed something gotta happen, man. I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't. I don't know, like. Cause they could just do this for, like, a couple more years, for sure. But I do think a Western Finals with OKC and Houston. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's.

Interviewer (64:58)

So what the Lakers gonna do?

Wale (65:01)

I don't know, man. How much more honey you got left for the goat? How much more honey you got?

Interviewer (65:06)

Luka gonna give us 30. Ar played. Austin Reeves played out of his mind.

Wale (65:12)

I think if Bron gets to the playoffs healthy, there's gonna be some furniture moving.

Interviewer (65:18)

Yeah.

Wale (65:18)

You know what I'm saying? It's just about that team staying healthy. But I think KD got a real shot at it.

Interviewer (65:25)

But the west is just so tough. The Nuggets, I know okc, the Lakers don't Sell the Timberwolves short.

Wale (65:33)

Yeah. No, I don't think this day. It is right now, but I think Ant man gonna get at least two of them joints for sure.

Interviewer (65:40)

All right. Let me get you this sneakers. What's the best sneaker? All time.

Wale (65:45)

It changes for me. This used to be my favorite. Like long way.

Interviewer (65:48)

Okay. The Diamond Turret.

Wale (65:49)

Yeah, Diamond Turret. Twos Used to be. But it really varies for me, man. I don't. I'm not as in it as I used to be, but there's probably some variation of the Foamposite Max. The Foamposite Foampos and Max. Yeah. The silver Tim Duncan joints. That's probably my.

Interviewer (66:06)

It's the best. Is the greatest sneaker all time.

Wale (66:09)

Yeah. I was wondering whenever I gotta pick.

Interviewer (66:12)

One, I'll normally go over to the AF ones.

Wale (66:16)

That wasn't our thing in DC.

Interviewer (66:18)

Jordans.

Wale (66:19)

Yeah, we like Js. But my personal favorite, like the foam Polymax is silver. It's got the air bubble on it. If it was a time like is my nostalgia factor. But. And also it hasn't been on the market in a long time. So I still, you know. But it's probably that or if I could probably say a Jordan, it'd probably be like the Threes or like the Aqua Eights or something like that.

Interviewer (66:46)

I can see the Threes. I like the Threes. The Elevens.

Wale (66:49)

Levins is clown. We like.

Interviewer (66:51)

When he came out with the lemon, it was over. When he came out with the Concords, it was game over. And then he came right back with the breads.

Wale (66:58)

Yeah, the black ones, man, that was dangerous during that time. They was knocking shit down for them joints back in the day.

Interviewer (67:04)

Did the Space Jam. He just kept it going. Then he came.

Wale (67:08)

I skipped school to buy them Space Jams. I remember that day.

Sophie Cunningham (67:11)

Yeah.

Wale (67:12)

Nah, nah. You know, I think that like the shoe game is a little different now. It's just a little oversaturated. Little. But that's why, like what I like is a little different now. Like, I love like, you know, I love my. My SB Nikes and stuff like that.

Interviewer (67:26)

Oh, so you're a dunk guy.

Wale (67:27)

I've been. I've been collecting dunks for like what.

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Wale (67:32)

All.

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Interviewer (67:44)

Yeah.

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Wale (71:57)

I got all.

Interviewer (71:58)

So what's on you? You got. You got the Krugers, you got the Paris, you got the pigeons?

Wale (72:02)

I got some Paris, but they don't. They don't fit and they really damaged. But I'm still looking for another fresh pair of them joints, man.

Interviewer (72:10)

You notice, you see the price of no thing. You ain't trying to pay that, are you? Wallet?

Wale (72:13)

I think I'm gonna have to, but.

Interviewer (72:14)

You gonna have to.

Wale (72:15)

I don't think I'm gonna have to.

Interviewer (72:16)

Oh, okay.

Wale (72:17)

I don't think so. Who knows?

Interviewer (72:19)

Hopefully they retro.

Wale (72:20)

Nah, I don't think they will.

Interviewer (72:22)

I don't think they gonna retro them either.

Wale (72:23)

But you know, that was a great time. Just like the Silver Box sbs and that was a great time. It ain't like that no more.

Interviewer (72:30)

You got the Krugers?

Wale (72:31)

Nah, I ain't get the Krugers. They Dumb Limited. They like a thousand of them joints. A lot of the ones people got is fake, but I like them joints. They kind of pigeons kind of grails. Yeah, I got pigeons. Got De La Soul. De La Soul.

Interviewer (72:44)

I got a De Lye.

Wale (72:45)

Yeah, those probably like the high tides. Those probably like some of my favor supreme lows. The red supreme highs. That's gone my way. But yeah, most of my dunks is.

Interviewer (72:55)

In you still got you still. You still a sneaker head.

Wale (72:58)

I don't know. I don't know. I might. That. That. That business might have jaded me a little too much, but I like. I like sneakers, though.

Interviewer (73:05)

You like. You like sneakers or you like clothes better?

Wale (73:10)

It's all the same. I think it's the same. When it was sneakers over clothes, I think that was sneaker head era. I just like. It's all the same now.

Interviewer (73:18)

Okay, I'm gonna love this. You gotta pick a shoe.

Wale (73:22)

All right.

Interviewer (73:23)

Kyrie or KD's.

Wale (73:27)

Which ones? Kyrie or KD's in general. Yep, man. The Nikes. The Kyrie Nikes was the. Was the best to me. Still the best. The old Kyrie Nike's, the best hoop shoes to actually run up and down the court. But the sixes, the KD6 is the. The Galaxy joints and the aunt pearls and all that. I'm get KD tonight.

Interviewer (73:49)

Easters. Okay, you going kd. Ant Mans or Shays?

Wale (73:54)

Ant Mans.

Interviewer (73:55)

Dame Lillards or Jason Tatum?

Wale (73:58)

That's close. I got one pair of Tatums that I really like, but Dame got some good colorways on this year. I'm gonna say Dame Bob. Tiny bit.

Interviewer (74:11)

Okay. The jobs or the books?

Wale (74:14)

Jobs. I don't know. I'm not a fan of the books. Them joints look like vanilla wafers.

Interviewer (74:21)

AI or Ewings. Oh, yeah, Kobe's a LeBron.

Wale (74:27)

Recipes to Mama. But I'm gonna go LeBron. Cause them sevens eights, that was a moment.

Interviewer (74:31)

Ooh, the south beaches. Yeah, man.

Wale (74:33)

Yeah.

Interviewer (74:34)

Okay, you got Asia Wilson, Sabrina Enescu, or Angel Reese.

Wale (74:40)

I mean, I'm riding with angel all the time, but I do love Angel's shoes, though. But I'm just gonna ride with.

Interviewer (74:47)

Oh, man. This is the hardest one. This is the hardest one. The Deions, the Bowles, the Mike Biggs.

Wale (74:59)

I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go Deion's, though, like, because people. Not really.

Interviewer (75:03)

Oh, the Bo Coffs, Jayna.

Wale (75:05)

I'm tell you why. Because the Bo Jacksons, they would come out every two years when prom was. Not when prom. That little. Around that time that he left NFL and he went to Under Armour. You wasn't seeing no dudes.

Interviewer (75:17)

No, no, no, no, no.

Wale (75:18)

These were nowhere to be found. So you can see these now, but these were like a myth. Like, until. That's why I was watching that. When he got to Colorado, I'm like, is he about to do it? Is he about to go back to. Is he about to go back to Nike? And when he went back. Yeah. So, yeah, I'm gonna say the Dion's. Cause the Diamond Turk ones. Is like that. And just the lore behind it. Yeah, like the Andre Rising fight in the Pick Six. Yo, that's like a iconic. That's like a crazy, crazy, crazy moment with the dance and all of that. Nah, prime got it.

Interviewer (75:52)

Them Bose cross trainers, though.

Wale (75:54)

Yeah, they was like that. Barry Sanders has some joints, too. Barry Sanders has some nice ones, too, but. So I gotta give it to Prime. Cause the Diamond Turf twos and the threes that Shador been wearing.

Interviewer (76:06)

Yeah, like Tom joint. Steph Curry is now a sneaker free agent. He had a chance, Nike had him. They fumbled him. Under Armour picked him up. He's no longer with them. The Curry brand is still there. What should. Steph. If you were advising Steph, what would you. If you were Stephen, what would you do?

Wale (76:25)

I'm sure everything is on him. He can do whatever he want. For real?

Interviewer (76:30)

Cause I'm sure Nike would love to have him back. Adidas.

Wale (76:34)

But I think a lot. But I think Rich Kleiman, he was telling me something about her. Like, it'd be their catalog, for real. It don't be like the present shoe. It'd be like the fours and the fives and the sixes and. So if you go to another company, he ain't gonna have no catalogs.

Interviewer (76:48)

No.

Wale (76:50)

It's interesting to see what can happen, but he might just do his own thing, right?

Interviewer (76:54)

Yeah.

Wale (76:55)

I mean, he's Steph Curry, so he's the greatest shooter of all time. So the ball's in his court. No pun.

Interviewer (77:01)

Basketball sneakers and jeans. On the first date?

Wale (77:05)

Of course. Why not on the first date? You know who you with, shorty act like you know who I mean, don't you?

Interviewer (77:12)

I mean, you build up.

Wale (77:13)

I mean, if I like my outfit, it's gonna happen. My mom supposed to wear Doc. Doc Martens.

Interviewer (77:17)

Look, Doc Martens.

Wale (77:21)

What they call them joints like. Like them little butterscotch joints. What. Like, what shoe you supposed to wear?

Interviewer (77:26)

The Bucks.

Wale (77:27)

The what? The Bucks. That's what y' all was wearing when y' all was running. Y' all 40 them 4, 2, 5. Nah.

Interviewer (77:32)

You know, back in the day in.

Wale (77:33)

South Carolina, we wear them Bucks.

Interviewer (77:34)

No, no, we had Bucks blue jeans on the first day. I mean, you could wear. I mean, I. Jeans and sneakers was out.

Wale (77:41)

You trying to get ghosted before the entree get out there. She like, I gotta go to the bathroom. You can wear the basketball shoes with jeans. It's just all proportion. How you do it.

Interviewer (77:51)

Air Force One or Air Jordan? Gotta pick one.

Wale (77:55)

Air jordan.

Interviewer (77:56)

Air jordan versus the air max. 95. Jordan jordan versus the new balance. 990. Jordan jordan versus the nike dunk.

Wale (78:10)

Jordan.

Interviewer (78:11)

Jordan versus the phone posit one.

Wale (78:16)

Phone posit one is the silver one. They max. Phone posit. Pro or max. Because pro I'm gonna give it to. Let's just. Yeah, we say Jordan. Cause. Yeah. Jordan.

Interviewer (78:28)

Jordan.

Wale (78:29)

Like you saying Jordan everything. So that means I could choose between.

Interviewer (78:31)

No, you get there. Jordan One. That's it.

Wale (78:33)

Oh, Jordan One.

Interviewer (78:33)

Yeah. Jordan One. Oh, Jordan One. Of the 90 airmen. 95. The New Balance.

Wale (78:39)

I would have dropped off a long time ago, but foams over. Jordan one for sure.

Interviewer (78:44)

Bones of a gold dog.

Wale (78:48)

Phones.

Interviewer (78:50)

Damn. You and Jim Jones had a debate like, who popularized the.

Wale (78:55)

Everybody knows who popularized that.

Interviewer (78:57)

Who did it?

Wale (78:57)

He did. He did.

Interviewer (79:00)

No, you did.

Wale (79:02)

No, not my area. Did.

Interviewer (79:03)

Oh, oh, dc.

Wale (79:04)

Yeah. Dc.

Interviewer (79:06)

He said nyc.

Wale (79:07)

I get it. They think they invented everything. Respected him. Respected him. But that's not the same. This one. Hip hop. Y' all got that. But not this Nike boot thing.

Interviewer (79:17)

You working on Nike collab with Nike, right?

Wale (79:21)

Yeah, a couple.

Interviewer (79:22)

What is it gonna be? What is it gonna be? Like a sb. What's it gonna be?

Wale (79:25)

We got a boot and a new model they got with this gt. I'm on the campaign for that. Yeah. Like this is like a new model of a basketball shoe. They doing.

Interviewer (79:37)

What goes into the designing of a shoe. They come to you and say, wally, we want you to collab.

Wale (79:41)

See, it's different collab at this right now. Collab can mean colorway a campaign. But it's not. I wasn't.

Interviewer (79:49)

You don't actually design. You ain't actually designing the shoes.

Wale (79:52)

Gotta walk forward.

Interviewer (79:53)

Getting the air bubble and all that.

Wale (79:55)

Walk, run, fly. We kinda jogging right now.

Interviewer (80:00)

Is the sneaker culture the same?

Wale (80:02)

No, no.

Interviewer (80:03)

What ruined the sneaker culture?

Wale (80:05)

Everything is a lot.

Interviewer (80:06)

Resellers.

Wale (80:07)

Yeah. All of it. Oversaturation, poor choices for designs, bots ruined them.

Interviewer (80:17)

Sneaker culture.

Wale (80:18)

And also like not having not like, you know, when Nike was on top, like it was a certain way they was getting certain athletes and like it was a certain like feeling behind it, you know. And once that started, like the top stars was going with different companies. They didn't have the monopoly over like the whole thing, but. And so that's on that side. On the other side, it's just, you know, resellers, bots and like, you know, people buying whole size runs and selling like. It's just that was.

Interviewer (80:51)

Did the shoe get too. Did the sneaker get become too expensive?

Wale (80:56)

That's relative though. But Nah, because I don't know, man. I just think that, like, the lack of innovation on sneakers was a big problem too. But I don't know if it's the prices. Cause everything is expensive now.

Interviewer (81:12)

True rate D fits one through ten.

Wale (81:15)

See, not ten. Everybody's a ten. Ten, ten, ten, ten, ten, 10, ten, ten, ten,10, ten, ten, ten, Ten, ten, ten.

Interviewer (81:20)

Nah, this hold up. Nope, this can't be no 10 right here.

Wale (81:23)

Ten.

Interviewer (81:23)

There can't be no 10.

Wale (81:25)

1 and 0o.

Interviewer (81:33)

We need these walla.

Wale (81:34)

I got them, Jo. Yeah, see, you could wear LeBron's with jeans, man. Don't fall into the propaganda, man. Dom Kennedy started that, man.

Interviewer (81:44)

Who's thought of that?

Wale (81:45)

I think Dom said, don't wear bronze to the club or something like that.

Interviewer (81:49)

Hey, sneakers. I mean, look, Jordan made it. Jordan made the sneaker. Cause you could wear it with jeans, you could wear it with suits. Because prior to that, well, nobody really wears it.

Wale (81:59)

11 started to kick it off.

Interviewer (82:00)

They did. That's what did it.

Wale (82:02)

Yeah.

Interviewer (82:02)

Cause people started wearing the Concourse with a tuck with a suit.

Wale (82:05)

I ain't gonna do that. But. But I get it. I get it.

Interviewer (82:08)

You wouldn't wear sneakers with a. Nah.

Wale (82:10)

Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. If I'm wearing a tux, I'm putting.

Interviewer (82:13)

It all on you. Putting it all. You go in. You do it?

Wale (82:16)

Yeah, I do it. Yeah. Yeah. I got. Need some type of animal on my foot.

Interviewer (82:20)

Crazy when you win a Grammy. What's your acceptance speech? Hey, you need to take that off the Witcher, though.

Wale (82:29)

I'm watch Night Cap or you'll make Ocho cry. Nah, I'm. No, I can't.

Interviewer (82:35)

Who you going to think you?

Wale (82:36)

We gotta wait. We gotta manifest it to happen. Because I can't. I can't say that now. But I got something that I want to say.

Interviewer (82:41)

You got something?

Wale (82:42)

Playing heavy. I want something to say. We gonna pray on it every day, though, until it happen.

Interviewer (82:47)

What's something that you haven't done that you want to do?

Wale (82:54)

Win a Grammy.

Interviewer (82:55)

That's it.

Wale (82:56)

Win a Grammy. There's some other projects that I'm working on, but if I say now, they'll lose the. The shock value of what happened.

Interviewer (83:09)

Smoke whoever you smoke. Whoever. Who have you smoked with. That surprised you?

Wale (83:13)

That surprised me.

Interviewer (83:14)

Yeah. Hopefully you ain't smoking other than Wiz, man. Wiz has stuff. It's like 200, like 100. How much they say them things cost? Like 200. It was like. It was like 200 for.

Wale (83:28)

For a blunt. What of a. Of A pre roll. Yeah. All right, let me not. I mean, I ain't messing up nobody hustle, but I don't know that joint gotta give me. Act like I better start seeing black and yellow everywhere. But I ain't paying 200 to Spark. But nah, I think you'd be surprised.

Interviewer (83:48)

Who, you know, give me your top.

Wale (83:51)

Five or who to smoke with. Yeah, I mean, I don't. I'm saying making them self made albums. I know me and Ross is we. Man, we was. I don't think I ever smoked that much ever.

Interviewer (84:03)

Snoop? You smoked Snoop?

Wale (84:04)

I smoked with Snoop before, yeah. He was back to back with them joints.

Interviewer (84:08)

Wiz.

Wale (84:09)

We hadn't smoked with Wiz before. Willie Nelson never smoked with Willie Nelson. Keisha Chong never smoked with them.

Interviewer (84:16)

Who has some flame of.

Wale (84:18)

You gotta remember, I'm John Introvert, man. I don't even know nobody for real. They just. You know what I'm saying? But I remember smoking with. I've smoked with Mark Ronson before. I seen him smoke before. I don't know, I think because weed is so mild in this industry, so it's just like, I just assume everybody high all the time.

Interviewer (84:42)

Everybody smoke like that. They like cigarettes. Like cigarettes used to be in the 80s, huh.

Wale (84:47)

There's a couple NBA players before this joint got banned. I mean before it got legal. They used to be sparking like it was. It was day kid or whatever. But nah, like everybody been pretty cool. Ain't nobody really smoked me under. But Ross, he just be back to back to back to back to back.

Interviewer (85:02)

Man, you ain't hanging with Snoop, are you?

Wale (85:03)

I've smoked with Snoop, but he be back to back. But I ain't. I know when it's time to leave, like, you know what I'm saying? And Wiz, yeah, he back to back too.

Interviewer (85:12)

Wiz say ain't nobody seeing him.

Wale (85:14)

Nah, they. No, that's part of them. Like they're. They're like 99% man, 1% THC. Both of them niggas, but both of.

Interviewer (85:23)

Them got legs like this. How they smoking like that? How they got lungs like that?

Wale (85:26)

Maybe that's what it is. What keep them going. They so little, they so small. I told you, they're both 1% THC, man. We used to do that and then do a two hour set. They be on ten J's in and do a two hour set. Damn, you see all cardio, man. I'm about to manage Wiz and ufc. Get the Dana White check for Wiz, man.

Interviewer (85:46)

Man, hey, thank you for Coming by, Wally. Make sure you guys go stream. Everything is a lot.

Wale (85:52)

Everything is a lot. Which camera we on?

Interviewer (85:55)

That's your camera.

Wale (85:56)

Everything is a lot. The best album of 26 dropped in 25. I'm gonna give everybody some time and we gonna come right back in in like a year from now.

Interviewer (86:04)

Silk series. What about Silk series? TV and film. Tell me about that.

Wale (86:07)

TV and film. We just gonna. We're gonna. We gonna like. We want to tell stories of the D.C. metropolitan area and Baltimore. We want to tell our stories, like the things that people might know about, but they don't really know. So I mean, that's kind of like the start. That's what we're going to start from. But there's so many layers and so many things, so many people from there. Like you mentioned Taraji, Dave and all these people know so much history about our place and we just want to put it on another level. So we gonna stop with Silk.

Interviewer (86:40)

Would you cut your locks for a roll?

Wale (86:43)

I don't know. I thought about it and then I saw the product and I'm glad I didn't do it. That probably jaded me. I don't know.

Interviewer (86:52)

Does it scare you at this age if you cut it, you might do it like Andre Agassi. Remember Andre Agassin had that hair and he cut it.

Wale (86:58)

It ain't ever come back, man. I ain't that old yet, but I still. Everybody think about it, but nah, I don't know what's under here. So we going just. We just going to keep it cute. Keep it cute.

Interviewer (87:11)

Wally. Ladies and gentlemen.

Wale (87:15)

All my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice hustle paid the price Want a slice got to roll a dice that's why all my life I've been grinding all my life all my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice hustle.

IBM AI Advertiser (87:30)

Paid the price Want a slice?

Wale (87:32)

Got the.

Interviewer (87:41)

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Coca Cola Announcer (89:10)

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Wale (89:12)

All.

Coca Cola Announcer (89:12)

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Wale (89:57)

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Interviewer (90:29)

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Wale (90:31)

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Wale (90:43)

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Interviewer (90:44)

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Wale (90:47)

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Interviewer (90:50)

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