The Breakfast Club: Interview with Wale on ‘everything is a lot.’

Date: November 18, 2025
Podcast: The Breakfast Club (iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, Lauren
Guest: Wale

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth and vulnerable interview with Wale, focusing on his new album "everything is a lot." The conversation dives into the themes behind the album, including love, heartbreak, therapy, the music business, and being misunderstood as an artist. Wale opens up about personal losses, his career trajectory, mental health challenges, and his sometimes strained relationship with the industry and his own inner circle. Throughout, the hosts and Wale keep the atmosphere raw, honest, and at times humorous.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Career Reflection & Album Introduction

• Milestone: Wale marks 13-14 years in the industry, declaring "everything is a lot" as his eighth album, but says it feels like his “first solo album.”
  • "This is kind of like my first album dolo...this is it. It feel like my first one." — Wale (04:11)
• On Artistic Evolution: Feels he's finally making music that's a true introduction of himself to listeners.

2. Themes of the Album: Love, Heartbreak, and Identity

• Relationship Struggles: Discusses heartbreak, stigma around being "cold," and difficulty balancing love with his career.
  • "It feels good to be loved...but how can you mesh with somebody with this lifestyle?" — Wale (06:03)
• Vulnerability: Admits to being distant or emotionally “cold,” especially when immersed in creative work.
• Optimism: With "watching us," he says his current project is more optimistic about love than previous ones.

3. The Weight of Life & Mental Health

• Album Title Meaning: “Everything is a lot” speaks to his overwhelmed mental state, being an anomaly in the industry, and the pressure of navigating life as a Black artist.
  • "Everything is a lot...we all literally trying to figure it out...especially the black people, we don’t know what’s going to happen for real." — Wale (09:00)
• Desensitization & Chaos: Comments on society's increasing numbness to hardships, violence, and personal losses.

4. Processing Trauma and Grief in Music

• Hardest Song to Record: “Survive” — about losing his cousin right after his cousin’s child was born, and mentoring a young friend who was later murdered.
  • "I address it in ‘Survive’...first time in my career I really talked about that other side of what I got to deal with." — Wale (14:24)
• On Multiple Losses: Faces ongoing grief from losing friends and fellow artists like Nipsey Hussle, describing the emotional toll of seeing people die in real time online.
  • "I got like 15 records with ghosts...that do something to your brain." — Wale (14:23)

5. Navigating the Music Industry & Media

• Love for Music vs. Industry Fatigue: Wale enjoys creating and performing, but gets frustrated with business and media obligations.
  • "I almost wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze though, lately."
  • "I've been consistent for so long...most people, when they consistent for this long, it ain’t no question." — Wale (17:01)
• Impact of Streaming: Noted decline in album sales moving from physical to digital/streaming; frustrated by algorithms and bots affecting artist reach.

6. Mental Health & Therapy

• Advice for the Industry: Advocates for free, accessible therapy for artists, especially given the trauma many bring and encounter.
  • "I always say that I think record deals should come with access to a therapist." — Wale (21:10)
• Therapy Struggles: Discusses the difficulties in finding a good therapist and feeling secure opening up as a celebrity.
  • "Sometimes I think it needs to be...someone who logically puts things together. Sometimes maybe a Black man to understand the plight." (29:06)
• Community Lacking in Hip-Hop: Feels hip-hop lacks the genuine community found in other sectors like comedy or sports.

7. Trust, Betrayal, and Industry Trauma

• Betrayal Stories: Recalls being "backdoored" out of $3 million during his daughter’s naming ceremony, management issues, and media betrayals.
  • "I found out I got backdoored like $3 million at my child’s naming ceremony." — Wale (33:20)

8. Being Misunderstood

• Public Perception: Many mistake Wale’s vulnerability and honesty for anger or bitterness.
  • "I think people think I'm angry...I just be out the way. People just think I'm mad, and that couldn't be further from the truth." — Wale (74:23)
• On Inner Child: Admits losing touch with the inner child who was bold enough to pursue rap in D.C.
  • "Should have never stopped listening to the child...as jaded as I am, he’s somewhere inside and I’m trying to pull it out." — Wale (42:36)

9. On Love, Relationships, and Co-Parenting

• Romantic Heartbreak: Reflects on failed relationships, difficulty with love, and co-parenting with respect for his daughter's mother’s new partner.
  • "It's ok to move on in your life...he [her new husband] makes it easier than it could be..." — Wale (53:20)
• Family & Nigerian Expectations: Describes pressure from family and the Nigerian community to marry.
  • "There’s a culture...They always want to show their friends, ‘look, my son just got married’...” — Wale (63:22)
• Parenting Aspirations: Wants his child to learn resilience, hard work, and to have more than he did.

10. On Legacy and Being “Chosen”

• Jay-Z's Prophecy: Reflects on Jay-Z predicting his longevity, drawing motivation from that acknowledgment.
  • "I think that when he [Jay-Z] said the resilient thing, he saw everything I was going through...I always think about that." — Wale (70:56)

11. Creative Process and Artistic Growth

• Pushing Limits: Talked about teaching his engineer to capture the right “feel,” four-part harmonies, and going beyond what’s expected of a rapper.
  • "This been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, creatively, ever by a mile." — Wale (40:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On industry burnout:
  "I just wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze." — Wale (16:34)
• On therapy:
  "The therapy talks feel like backdoor extortion...my power is being able to be alone, but my problem is being alone." — Wale (30:33)
• On community:
  "Comedians, actors, athletes—there’s always community. Hip-Hop don’t got no community...Everybody for theyself." — Wale (31:52)
• On staying motivated:
  "I just have to speak life into my career because sometimes it do be feeling like I get left out of a lot of things that I'm not supposed to be left out of..." — Wale (42:26)
• On the power of words:
  "I'm trying to do the impossible, and I'm losing my mind in the process." — Wale (45:17)
• On love and heartbreak:
  "It's not who broke your heart all the time. It’s like, I seen you ten minutes ago, dropped you off, I really want to spin and come back. I don’t want to wait till tomorrow. I fuck with you like that." — Wale (49:37)
• On being misunderstood:
  "People think I'm angry...that's couldn't be further from the truth, man. I love you more." — Wale (74:23)

Noteworthy Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Moment | |-----------|-----------------------------| | 04:11 | Wale on why this feels like his first real solo album | | 06:03 | Relationship struggles, love vs. lifestyle | | 09:00 | Album title meaning: “everything is a lot” | | 10:55 | Recording "Survive," discussing personal losses | | 14:24 | Open grief about losing friends and survivors’ guilt | | 17:01 | Industry fatigue and questioning the “juice” | | 21:10 | Advocacy for therapy in music contracts | | 29:06 | On trust and finding the right therapist | | 33:20 | $3 million betrayal story—impact of industry backstabbing | | 40:56 | Creative challenges of this album & pushing boundaries | | 42:26 | Speaking life into his career and fighting for legacy | | 49:37 | On mature love, pressing past heartbreak | | 63:22 | Pressure from Nigerian family to get married | | 70:56 | Jay-Z’s early praise and impact on Wale’s resilience | | 74:23 | What people misunderstand about Wale |

Tracklist & Album Recommendations

• The hosts and Wale recommend these standout tracks:
  • “Power and Problems” (76:05)
  • “City on Fire” (76:19)
  • “Belly” (76:23; identified as the track for new listeners)
  • “Corner Bottles” (76:52)
  • “Where to Start” (76:01; Host’s pick)

Closing Sentiment

Wale wants listeners to experience the album like a movie—accepting that reactions may vary but hoping for genuine engagement with the stories and emotions he's embedded across the tracks.

“However you feel—like it, love it, hate it—watch the movie and understand. If they take it, like, ‘oh, this was a movie...watch it again and let it break down.’” — Wale (72:31)

Tone: The interview is honest, reflective, occasionally funny, and deeply personal, balancing raw truths about struggle with moments of gratitude and cautious optimism.