November 21, 2025 • 39 mins
Wale Breaks Down ‘Everything Is a Lot’: Album Disses, Hip-Hop, AI, Abstinence, Fatherhood + More
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
What's up?
Speaker 2 (00:03):
His way up with Angela, Guie and Cauzeem is here
today and look who's in the building.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Walle How you feeling today. I know you've been working hard.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah, man, I'm feeling good though. It's good Monday, back
at it still up.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Man has pooped.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
A minute, but I'm good. It's good to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
In New York doing all these interviews that I know
you hate.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Doing allegedly, but I appreciate you for coming through. And
I know we were supposed to do this like a
little while ago, but I'm glad that album's out and
to see the reaction to people and also for me
to get a chance to live with it.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Also, I feel like that's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
And when I tell you, and I know everybody's been
telling you this, but it still has to feel good.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It's amazing.
Speaker 5 (00:44):
Thank you very much. I'm full of gratitude. Everybody was
feeling a lot of love, so.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
They've been doing lists and think pieces, you know. So
happy National Walet Day, because that's what for everybody who
wants to celebrate. I saw you posting about it too.
Speaker 6 (01:01):
Though I couldn't stop posting about it, and obviously you
know that's that's my friend. But on top of that,
I get to be a fan of it too, and
knowing him as all as I have, I was glad
that like I got to listen with the world.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
And like get the experience at the same time.
Speaker 6 (01:15):
And it's just it's dope to see, like especially everything
like you've gone through with like media and everything and
how you know.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
The bs that you've had to deal with.
Speaker 6 (01:22):
Like it's the first time, I guess in my eyes,
and I've just seen like universal acclaim like undisputed, just
like everybody really messing with this album. I think the
jury's still out a little bit, but it's I like,
what if the jury's out, he is very small.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Trash. I have not seen that one person say that.
I would. I would give you that.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I've seen people say top three of Walet's albums of
all time. I've seen people talk about your consistency. But
I know sometimes you don't feel that, Like sometimes you
feel like people kind of forget about you at certain
times and don't include you.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I just nah, I just not. I don't.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
I don't think about it like that. No, Moore, just
you know I deserve everything I do. You know what
I'm saying, I just.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Set myself that one of those thing pieces I saw
was like, we don't discuss yle enough when it comes
to afrobeats.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Did you see that post?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, I thought that, and I thought that was a
great point, and we talked about that too before you
came here. I was like, you know, Wilet has been
using afrobeats and talking about it before it was afrobeasts
to the world like it is now. So I think
even for some of the songs on the album, like
Big Big Head and YSF.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
I know those are your favorites now.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
I feel like that's typical while Ago like he kind
of always sets a trend before like it becomes trendy,
and like he's been doing records of afrobeat guys since
like then their first second album, you know what I mean.
So it's like it all it's dope to see it
all kind of come back around, Like do you at
least feel some sort of like satisfaction or some sort
of It.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
Was just it was kind of like, you know, you know,
I had a lot of conversations with Kaus and them
about afrobeasts and like what I wanted to do, Like
I don't think they really understood, you know, like with
like you know how the levity like how powerful the
music can be.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
So it's an uphill battle for a while.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
But I'm just glad that like death Jam, let me
get it off, like I want to get it off.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
And this is your first album on death Jam.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yeah, this is.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Kind of like my first album ever, like do Low,
because my first jump Mark Bronson was kind of like
controlling everything and then I have my Mayback music stretch
and it's my first jont like like by myself.
Speaker 6 (03:30):
Well that makes a lot of sense because in my eyes,
I think this is your best work. And I've known
you for a long time and I know this ain't
just me saying it because that's the homie, but like,
I just think the way it all came together, like
you kind of got low for a little bit, which
I think was key because I think a lot of times,
like a lot of people try to like come at
you about something has nothing to do with the music.
So the giving people less to talk about outside of
(03:52):
the product made people just really feed for it more.
And then when you gave it to him and it
was satisfactory, I think it's I think you're you're seeing
the fruit of that. Right now, you at least feel
I know, it's Monday, is.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Still early and ship.
Speaker 5 (04:03):
But men and I do the feedback, you know, Like
I mean to be honest, like all the my timeline
when I drove out is normally like positive, like good, like,
so you really don't know to zoom out, you know,
but like like I said, it do seem like it's
a little bit more than normal.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
So no, I ain't zoomed out yet, but.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Like I let it. I just wanted to just stay
like this, i'bi you know what I'm saying. No more
crashing out, No crash outs.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Crash the first song on the album of Conundrum right like.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
You started it off immediately, let's get into because you
know me, I'm nosy. So when I heard a conundrum
first and foremost, I was like, Okay, that's what he's
really putting it out there for us to know.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
But did you feel like okay?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I got to explain because a lot of times when
women become mothers, they take a little step away and
a breather and deal with that. And you're your dad,
and you've been a dad, but it feels like you've
been going through a lot personally.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Yeah, life man, Like you know what I'm saying. I've
been off the scene for like three years, so I'm
just trying to catch everybody up to where I'm at.
So I came out with them lines to start down
just to let you know, boom, this where we're at.
Let me take a seat, right, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Like I'm gonna be expressing all kinds of things on here.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Absolutely, what did you did you give an opportunity for
your child's mother to hear this first so she can
be like kind of a heads up.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
No, I mean, I mean I talked to her husband,
like I talked like you know what I'm saying, but none
of them heard it. But like we we're in a
good place, you know what I'm saying. Like he's cool,
We're good, like we get along good. Like it ain't
no never gonna be no disrespect, Like I don't I
don't plan on having no nothing like that in my life.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Like I don't want none of that.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I like that because sometimes people don't don't want to
talk to the other person, but you do want somebody
also that's going to be around.
Speaker 5 (05:48):
It's weird at first, but you get I mean, if
you got good intentions, you know you can figure it out.
Speaker 6 (05:54):
I think you were really intentional with this music. And
I think the reason why people have been so accepting
to it is because I feel like that's kind of
been the theme with a lot of the mature hip
hop artists. Is here, right, like the clips they put
out an album, the first thing they talk about is
losing their parents, and you know, for a chance, the
rapper comes out talks about his divorce with his wife,
and after putting out the Hole of My Wife album
(06:14):
and stuff like that, and you kind of kicked off
the album with the same sort of energy. And I
don't know if it was just the content matter or
was it just like people like vulnerability, They like hearing
like these are real people, go all the real stuff,
and they pretty much relate to it because it's a
real life situation that so many people go through. Is
that something you're trying to tap into with this album
or with his song?
Speaker 7 (06:34):
So?
Speaker 5 (06:34):
I mean, I think you know, like I mean, I've
always been always like share my experiences with everybody. I think,
like you said, the gap, like the like the little
break that I took from everything, I think gave people
a little bit of chance to like get ready to
listen to me again or like take a break from
like you know what I'm saying. And also, ip, I've
(06:56):
been chaotic for the past two years now, so you
know what I'm saying, don't nobody really want to come outside?
And like you know what I'm saying. So I think
I think that's something.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
To do with it.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
But I think it's good.
Speaker 6 (07:06):
I think I think post chaos, post hip hop chaos,
like we've been very open to hear like music with
some real substance to it, right like, and I think
you know, I always said history is going to be
really cold to you because you've always been very open
with where you are musically. Is the way you talked
about your music, So you know, I think timing is
always is everything.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
I feel like it's the perfect every time you say
it would be kind like I always be like, man,
I hope, So you know what I'm saying. But I
think it's just like with me, like I just I
don't know, I don't really have no other hobbies I
do like make music. I just stay at it, stay
at it, stay at it, stay at it. And like
it seemed like because like like that the resilience is
like kind of paying off a little bit on this round.
(07:47):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know, I got to ask you this because I'm
trying to figure out Yle because in so many ways,
and I know on the album you talk about your
mom wants you to get married, like have a wife
and all of that.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
I don't know if that's what you want.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
Uh yeah, I think sometimes I've been leaning more into it,
like like the past couple of years, the idea.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Of it, because even for you letting your guard down.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
It's really hard to do with when you were public
figure and you gotta write music and you gotta tap
into the different parts of your mind, your your past,
your trauma and put it all out.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
It's a lot for somebody to deal with.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
So I know I'm the problem like in most instances,
because it's hard to deal with the artists.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
And also even you. This is one thing that stood
out to me where you said passionate sex, but you
don't cuddle.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I was like, dang, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
How it's good. It's like like, you know a lot
of people relate to that, like it's.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Like they got like can sex be great if you
don't love a person the service.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Listen.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
That was one of my favorite episodes of so we
go back and revisit that. But I'm just saying, like,
as you get older, because I know when we're younger,
maybe the emotional.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Okay, sure are you really for how long?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
So I get married?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Seriously, I would that was okay.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
While I don't know if I believe you or not,
I want to though, why would you make that choice?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
I'm busy?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
All right, Let's move on to Michael Frado because you
talked about this being like the first album where you
feel like this was you and just you. Can we
talk about that song because when it first came on,
it felt like you were channeling something. Yeah, and I
felt it felt like a Rick Ross beat, and then
it sounded like, okay, wait.
Speaker 5 (09:38):
It's homage of Ross. First one was definitely harmless song.
But I always just to think of myself as like
Sonny and Godfather because like you just lunching and be
like always high headed and always and like now I
feel like I'm more on a Michael state where I'm
more like all right, like let's think this through a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
And it's difference. It's a lot.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
There's a lot of different characters in this business that
we in and I know what's real and was not
like who can handle what how certain people is built?
So that was just me like getting that off, like
I feel like a lot of people is not built
for this.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
You know what I'm saying. And I know I'm built
for because I've been doing it for a minute.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Did he Did anybody from MMG hit you up like
congratulations love the album?
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I ain't.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
I mean, I ain't heart from nobody yet. But I
mean I've been busy. I mean I've been working.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
I don't know because you ain't changed your number.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
I know I hit you up, you know as busy guy.
You got planes and cars and mansions and things.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
I know.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
But still it also is something that everyone it's the
number one hip hop album out right now. Yeah, you know,
so it's not something that you don't know about that
you wouldn't be like, okay, I mean.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
People having stuff going on. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
I mean I probably see him when I see him more,
talk to him soon whenever, you know, I don't really
it's another album for me.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Don't do that.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
This is not no you know what I think, man,
I feel like you know with you, you say you
ain't got no hobbies just staying you just stay in
the studio, and that's that's a fact. And even though
that may seem like kind of boring to the outside listener,
I don't think a lot of people understand that, Like
a lot of folks need to spend a lot of
time in the studio anymore. A lot of people don't
spend a lot of time.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Just like collaborating the folks, and you collaborate with a
lot of people on this album.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
And you know, everybody that you hear from when they
talk about your songwriting process, they're always kind of marvel
at how you do it, because you know a lot
of times you just either emailing songs or sending beats
back and forth. Like that collaborative spirit that happens in
music is sort of starting to lose itself with the
Internet and all that type of stuff. How important was
that for you when the kid's making this, I.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Mean, I just I really just get in it, like
I just like like just so many things I did,
just so many of these records on this album, Like
I didn't even know, Like I got this weird thing
in my brain where I can learn something, do it
the task, and then two weeks later, I don't know
how to do it no more like like for like
just beats and like the like beat changes and stuff
(12:03):
that I just played around with this which was which
even big Head when when he's doing and when there's
like a little like I was just playing with his
ad legend and I was like put it there, doing that,
take the drums out, like I was just messing around.
Like so I just like I just get deep in it.
But also like when I'm done making music, like my
(12:26):
brain is off.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I can't. I can't do nothing but lay down.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I just give him all every day in.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
That jont it sounds like some rain Man stuff.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
It is. I made a beat on the MPC. I
really can't.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
We got the footage somewhere, but I was making I
made it beat on n PC and I don't remember
how to do it.
Speaker 6 (12:45):
That ain't something you want to especially off the success
of this album is that ain't something you do want
to like dive into.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
There's something there's some things we might get into, like
like just just like just to knowing what I want
out want things to sound like it made me like
really like push myself to try it.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
What about for other artists? Because you see yourself doing
beats for other artists?
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Yeah yeah, yeah for show, Like I mean, I co
produced a couple of records for other artists, you know
what I'm saying. But like, I think I'll probably do
it a little bit more for a lot of people
don't listen. Our artists don't listen, you know what I'm saying.
They think it's just Wila the rapper coming in and
where they don't realize I have my hand on a
lot of big songs. So you know, I'm definitely going
to do it, but it's going to be with the
(13:26):
right artist. You know.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
It's interesting.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I was, I got my makeup done this morning and
this woman, she's from Virginia, and she was like, oh,
what do you have to do today? And I said,
you know, my show and then walle AT's coming in,
and she got so excited and she was talking so
much about it that I actually did a little voice
note from her, and I just want you just a
little snippet of what she said about you.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
She isn't gonna be weird at all.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
No, it's not.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Set up.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
It's not I don't never have nobody say like, yo,
somebody you want to talk.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
To, listen, just listen. It's nice, all right, Shade.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
What part of the DMV are you from.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
I'm from Virginia seven five seven, And.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
What were you telling me about Lee?
Speaker 7 (14:11):
I was saying that I love that he loves R
and B and that he is not afraid to take
risks with his music, but also like doesn't stick to
the same kind of boring. A lot of times people
get a little bit boring with age and their music,
(14:31):
and I just feel like he still remains like fresh new,
but I like the R and B.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
So anyway, I just thought that was nice because she's
from the DMV, and she was talking before that about
how she feels like you're such a hometown hero for
everybody in the DMV, and I felt like big Head
kind of encompasses that feeling, and so when she said
a lot more, but I just thought it was nice
the way that she kind of summed it up, because
I can't even imagine what that feeling is like for
(14:58):
people in that area.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Having a Walley.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah, there's a lot of so much pressure that like
it just came from.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
D have the homecoming show. I'm sure it's a lot
of dress going home, a lot of pool from every
single direction. And I mean, you can never really be
good enough for your own time. There's always more you
can do and all that stuff. But I mean, I
take the good with the bad. It's a blessing, but
it's really it's it's not easy job, you know what
I'm saying, Like, it's not.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
How was it kicking with the kids though? Right? Like
Prince loved, I.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
Felt like I felt like the battery was recharged. I
wanted to do Caleton for the day. Like kids like
Bro ain't nothing like a theater kid from d C. Bro,
a theater kid from d C is a man. They
different over there, man, Like there's a lot of talent.
That's when Dave Chappelle went to high school and Johnny
Giel and all that. Like, yeah, like, I'll probably be
(15:49):
principal over there again sometime soon. I'm sure this doesn't
work out.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
You got a job waiting for You lived a lot
of different places though, right, Obviously you lived in New
York for a while. You've also you lived in la
you lived in Seattle, So where else have you lived
besides that?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Chicago, Chicago, Maryland? I was in DC.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
What's your favorite? You would say besides DC?
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Minus the cold?
Speaker 5 (16:22):
In New Jersey minus the cold, okay, because we had
a our block was popping me kay Michelle Odell back on.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
It was all in the same block that was. That
was fun. But it's just got too cold to get
out of it.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
I feel like it's not much warmer in the d
m V.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I'll be trying to get out of there.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
So you might get like a ten degree different from me.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Good.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Now, you ended the album with Lonely with Shaboozi, and
I think you performed that last year, right kind of,
so what Shaboozie already.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
On it when you the crazy thing is like the
whole country way wasn't even like a thing when I
made that song, Like I was just.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
I do I get.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
I get into it like a zone and there's like
live instruments in the room if it's just one or
two instruments, and you know, I started humming and you know,
and it ended up leaning into like a I don't
even know what genre that is, but it was there
and he had heard it like in passing a couple
of times, and then I remember one time, like I
think we was in the he was in the studio
next to me, and then he was like, let's just
(17:26):
let's I want to get on it. And just you know,
my managers they all they all from the same place.
He's from the d n V.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
And it's just you know, he jumped on it.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I love that, and I know I can tell from
listening to this album the sequencing was really important to you.
So to close it out with that. I saw somebody
who wrote on social media, I hate that wild At
is going through so much, but I do love the music.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Yeah, my tears watered the flowers for thousands of meat guard.
That's why I sit on power problems. I know it's good.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
It's entertainment. My pain is entertainment. It's good. It's cool.
At least I can monetize.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
Off right, that sounds dark, though You're good, though, right,
there's a lot I got the sick in to the gimmick.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Man.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
You know, power problems. You did say your power is
that you never need no one, and your problem is
you never need no one. That is an interesting way
to put it. But I do think it's good to
not feel like you need anybody. You just know that
you can rely on someone. Yeah, but then sometimes, like
you said, the problem is that you never need nobody.
(18:35):
Sometimes people don't feel.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
It's crazy necessary.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
The brighter the lights are the lonelier things get, you
know what I'm saying, Like you're already in this like
zero zero point one percent of people that do this
music at this level, and then it's even smaller because
you from this place that that nobody else is like
doing what you're doing. So it kind of just gets
like really really lonely at times, you know. And that's
(19:01):
why I value like the real friendships that I do have,
you know what I'm saying, you know.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Speaking of with you and cas haile Mania. Yeah, I
want to hear about.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
And so when I knew you were coming, I was like,
in Caz coming guest host sometimes, but I thought this
would be nice to have him here since you weren't
doing seven PM in Brooklyn. I was like, it'd be
nice to have him up here, So talk to me
about that because I know we're going to w w
E tonight.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Well, big part of that was to focus on this album,
you know what I mean, Like I remember I remember
we was just talking about it, and you know, that's
my friend first and foremost, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
So how did y'all get so tight? I'm just carreious.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
I don't even remember, like it was like a moment
like like I think I was.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
I was.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
I remember the I remember when we got tight, like
we first met.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
I think he was performing at my school. See I remember,
but we got tight.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
I thought that the source purchase source articles.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
I remember like when it did it like it was
some it was some step brothers, But I think it
might have been around like time, like I think we
was one of the releases and he was just talking
about like wrestling and then we just like it was
just talking and I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
There was some step brothers. He can't get rid of
a lot of things in common.
Speaker 6 (20:10):
But like I said, like he's my friend first and foremost,
so like when I felt like, you know, he really
wanted to focus on his album above anything like that
was that was the that was the focus. So it's
like Willimania is gonna have to take a back seat,
like if at all, if it comes back at all,
you know what I'm saying, Because just squeeze exactly right,
Like there was so much we were putting out and
(20:30):
obviously you see what happens with the You know, I
think West Side Gun's going through it right now where
he's like putting so much effort into like getting you
know this, can we still go I'm still I'm going
on after Netflix, so I'm still gonna roll. But you know,
like he's seeing it too, like and and I and
I feel for Wes because you know, while A was
at that at that same point with them, at that
(20:52):
point when it was just kind of felt like it
wasn't worth doing all this and not feeling like, you know,
any real residual benefit, It's like that, so you know
it didn't.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
It didn't.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
You got to appreciate the people who are really like
organically of course, and.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Then that's and that's what it's always doing while the
man and not to say it'll never come back, but
at that time, it was just like, nah, man, let's
just focus on what's important, which is the music first
and foremost, and then what comes from it comes from.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
It whatever, if you can make it easy and like painless,
like of course, we we love to do it for
the fans. We allowed to do it for the athletes,
like we love it. But it's just like, man, like
you got other stuff that's going on that might have
like more urgent things going on than that.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
You know what I'm saying. It's like that's.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Actually a little bit more fruitful for us, like not
to like not to feel like we a bother or
something or we got to call make a hunting and
calls and do all that.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Like it's just you know, but I like W N
B A two.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
I like I can go out in places you tap
through for that that collaboraly in the year though, how
is that control together?
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Man?
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Like you know, lightning in the bottle man, Like you know,
it's good to have records laying around because man, like
some of you, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
So you know that was we made it real easy,
real easy.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Now, Blanco, we heard that song a while ago as well.
And so now that you're abstinent, right, what does that
mean for drinking.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
As little as possible?
Speaker 5 (22:22):
Unless I needed to be one of the industry rooms
where it's like you know what I'm saying, Like you know,
it's the great equalizer and it make because like I
don't be really I'm a man of a few words
in these rooms like you no, it just eases the easiest.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
To tension a little bit. But I don't not not
I don't just be waking up.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Like like, yeah, have there been times that you're like, damn,
what did I do yesterday? Oh yeah, I already know.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
I'm making this album, Like you know what I'm saying,
I made that song yesterday. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
Man, you talked about how hands on you were, and
not just the writing of the album opposite the production
and then beats and all that type of stuff, but
the sample selections throughout the album I think were extremely
im poorant had pretty way maxwell And.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
The crazy thing is they not It's not like intentions.
It's just like you know, you go through beats, yeah right,
some days you like to be some days, you know,
some days you have something on another beat and it
just kind of played out like that, you.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (23:21):
I didn't even realize how much samples was on there
until like it came out and people was mentioning that.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
But they were quality though, like it weren't just like
you know, there's something about like a well placed sample too,
especially when it's when it's coming around like, like you
said on Blanco feels very bluesish. Then you come out
of another song and you hear that like super specific
sound that everybody sort of knows for you for it fits.
It doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, you know
what I mean. And that's I mean, that's I guess.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
It's just like because you know, I don't really be
mostly I don't think I was with any of the
producers on this joint, Like I was just going through
the emails or whatever. So I really just try to
like put them all there and just keep going like
this to something like resonation, you know what I'm saying,
Like that, like the fly away, like it just jumped
out like and I was like, I got right.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
To this, Joe, you know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
I just knew one of my favorite songs that album's
called Tomorrow Today because it's such a simple it's a
simple premise. It's about being thirsty, and I don't think
thirsty enough anymore. And uh, something as simple as like
a late night text or like just be an extra
about it, like tell me about that.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Right.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
It was just it was a time man, like everybody
was making these really contrived toxic songs like that. It
was like like we get it, man, Like all right, bro,
like we get it like everybody. You know what I'm saying, Like, yeah,
I'm toxic too, like everybody got how about an absolute
left song?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
How about that? How about that?
Speaker 5 (24:43):
Like an absolute left song? Okay, I like you now
what like cool? No tricky stuff like what's up? I'm
I'm interested in you. I'm trying to court you, now
what we do instead of like just like yo, like
I'm gonna cheat on you. Go shoot, And I got
a bit of it, you know what I'm saying, Like
I just I just needed to break from that. So
I made smart today like that, like I just seen you,
(25:04):
but I need to see you again.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Right, It's hard to focus and concentrate. That's a good
feeling though. They call it the honeymoon phase.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah, absolutely does that last?
Speaker 1 (25:12):
What's the longest relationship you've been in?
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I don't know. I didn't have a calendar stop it.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
I celebrated an anniversary and been like we've been together
three years.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
I don't know if I really celebrate Maybe I don't know.
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
Probably like I don't know, I don't I'm actually now
that I'm starting to know, I don't want to say.
When it started coming to me, I'm like, yeah, maybe
you don't want to.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
About that one.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Yeah, I don't. Yeah, So let's just an a.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Now belly you sample back to life, back to reality.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, I'm I got three hundred person that's sample that joint.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
But you know, as soon as it starts, it gives
you like a time period feel because that movie was
so iconic for that. But part of that song is,
and I feel this, everybody's showing you love when you're
doing stuff for them, when you're giving them shit.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
And then and as soon as that and no longer
pretend to be friends.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
You know what I'm saying. Mm hmm, I lost I
lost friends along the way. That's still with us, you know,
And it's part of the whole everything a lot like
that's part of like carrying this bag that I have
to carry everywhere.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Like it's like people mad because.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
They couldn't get they didn't get a personal invite to
a show. People mad because you can't.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Pay this thing for them, Like yeah, the first time,
as soon as you say no, you could do everything.
Speaker 5 (26:30):
We're going through that now with somebody that's entitled that
was around us, like you can't do everything.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Very far all the time.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, you got to cut it off sometimes because I
think I always think it's great when you can put
people deserving people in position, right, But then I also
feel like once people get in position, it's kind of
up to them to figure.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Out, like how to you know, make themselves.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Out of just being in one position and growing into
like being able to have a business doing what they
do for you, instead of just thinking that all along
you're going to be taking care of everything, right.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
Right, I mean we all fall into that. All everybodist
have ever knew because fell into that.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I feel like.
Speaker 5 (27:13):
Some some success athletes, musicians, actors, We all go through it.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
I want to get your thoughts on this. Man. There's
a lot of talk about Billboard charts.
Speaker 6 (27:23):
First time in however many years there was no hip
hop songs in the top whatever, whatever. But if you
ask any like hip hop connoisseur, any writer, anybody who
covers us for a living, they're all like, has it's
it's as good as it's ever been, you know what
I mean? Like music wise, quality wise, I mean Grammy
nominations came out lots of rappers on there, Like, what
are your thoughts on you know, just I guess the
(27:44):
slow down sort of like hyper commercialization.
Speaker 5 (27:47):
I mean I think we might did it a little
bit too much and it got stale and repetitive and
like it like the innovation We lost innovation somewhere along
the way, or we just celebrated low effort and it
put us into place, you know what I'm saying, Like
people like like liking stuff, liking songs for ironic reasons.
(28:12):
It's all types of stuff that's been you know what
I'm saying, like put us to where we're at right now.
And then you know, the Great Battle of two thousand
twenty whatever, whatever year it's just been going on, were
on loop with that, Like a lot of media outlets
only consume that content, only talked about that content. They
lost the plot. Like so I think that hurt it
(28:34):
a little bit too, because I'm both of them do
probably tired of it too, you know what I'm saying, Like,
and I think they like it almost like cannibalized itself.
Like like you know what I'm saying, Like nobody wanted
to hear nothing that wasn't like about another person for
a long period of time, and then we come up
(28:54):
for air and we realized, like it's only country on
the charts. You know what I'm saying, it's nothing going on.
So you know, it was you know, things is necessary,
but I think like media took it a little bit
too far, like you know, and it just got things
just got out of hand.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I think, how much does all of this matter to
you when it comes to numbers, Because as much as
people are saying I love this album, like I told you,
number one album that you have, you know, right now
on the charts, but then sometimes those numbers come out
and then people are like, oh, this person so x
amount and it's so different to understand because people are
streaming and what those streams mean when it comes to
(29:28):
an actual.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
Fifteen hundred for one joint is a task, you know.
And then you know consider demographics, like you know, certain
fan bases is like thirteen and they got all day
to listen to the song their favorite song, where like
older fans they got to be on the clock. You
know what I'm saying, They can listen to it on
the way to work in the gym and on the
(29:49):
way back. You know what I'm saying that's three streams.
Like I had to let that go because I really
had to realize like when it became streaming, like because
I I consider myself more of like a blue collar
I don't.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
It's not like not super g not super like just
kind of like.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
Every day people used to just lying around corner to
just get to see these CDs. When it went to streaming,
it's just kind of just like all right, these people
ain't going nowhere, but it's just how we consume music now.
It took some time to just get used to it,
but now it's just like whatever, Like the music good
is in God's hands. I can't really do nothing about it.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Man.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
And the other thing I was going to say, you
talked about country and then we've seen on the R
and B and gospel charts AI artists.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
I just interviewed the woman who we Gotta Unplug her
man wire AI Heart Surgeon or something something useful.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I don't know, man, I'm gonna tell you what she
said that was interesting to me though. That made me
be like, okay, because she's on that platform, so you
know right where you can. She writes the lyrics and
then she has this artist, this AI person. But she
said there's so many people on that platform that haven't
reached the success that she has, and so and she
said she's done. Like but she said, she's done like
hundreds of songs and none of them have hit until
(31:03):
you know that she didn't.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
And it's an agenda.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
It's an agenda, like of course somebody gonna make some
AI thing hit because they don't need they don't need
to sleep, they don't need to they don't have met
they don't they have to rest their mentals, they don't
have to go through nothing, So they could just be
like ten albums of slock like you know what I'm saying,
Like there's no human emotion. We make art for to
connect with other humans. I'm not connecting no robot, you
(31:28):
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
But I guess her point was that she wrote the songs,
it's her poetry.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
Then write write it.
Speaker 5 (31:33):
For the write it for somebody who can really like, like,
you know, she got a three million dollars.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
I don't believe that.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
You don't believe it.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
I could just be like, y'all, I made ten million
dollars a day, y'all saying, yeah, three million dollars for sooner.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Don't like bro come on like she probably she might.
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (31:50):
I ain't trying to like talk down on the young
lady or nothing, but I'm like that sounds like something
like she gets a weekly check or something like like
it's an AI.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
You're not I don't know us. You're going tour with
a teller, a little hologram.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Or something like.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Even in country the number one song on the country
charts was an AI song too.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
That's a lot.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
We pulled it up in here and it was it
was bad.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
I was like, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (32:15):
And we were fine close to the sun now, and
then we're gonna be in this jo next next, next year,
it's gonna be robot Angelie right there, robout cast And
I'm like, here, you want to look this a country?
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Look what you look where we're at now?
Speaker 1 (32:26):
And you'd be sitting here talking to us.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Yeah, Angelie, what do you think about I'll be the
only human in this. I'm like, I totally.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
You can send your AI get you.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
You first. You can never do me.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
I'm the most unaiable person you could. I got too
many styles.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
You know what he might do?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Yeah, I got too many, too many styles, that is.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
You know what, It's still cohesive though, even even though
you have so many styles, the way you put this
album together, I felt like it flows. Sometimes when artists
do that, it feels like it's all over the place,
but this feels because you know what it is about, Wila.
It is all who you are for real, you know,
encompassing like go go afro beats, even like you said,
it's not necessarily country, but it's even the R and B.
(33:10):
Like you heard my girl from the d MV say
she loves when you lean into and how well you
do that. I saw people doing also lists about like
your top R and B collapse and all of that.
Now that this project is out too, Yeah, and she
said something else. I didn't put it in the recording,
but she was like, Wila is the artist that such
and such wishes he was.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
So I didn't want to put it out there.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
You don't want to say.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
I don't want to say no, because then it's going.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
To say in addition to that, though I do want
to talking about.
Speaker 6 (33:44):
Back to that, I don't want to applaud you for
putting out an album and not this and anybody.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
I feel like that's been the theme for ever.
Speaker 6 (33:50):
Sure everybody, Yeah, I gave a few spends, but it
feels like every major rap.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Anybody was just on that album is they know exactly
who they are.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Unintentions, it's just for them.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Got you the fester and that sit in that so
you won't pushing pushing positivity, but.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
You're always there for them still, right, this is a reason.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Well, while I really appreciate you for coming up here,
I know that you've been grinding it out doing all
these interviews, and I have to say I've I've watched
some of them and it just makes me laugh because
I'd be looking at you like why I like doing
this ship?
Speaker 1 (34:29):
So I know this is painful for you being here.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
So I mean, just like you know, you come to
a point where you just don't be like y'all got
it man, y'all can think what y'all want. I don't
know what to say to y'all, but it's different. I
know you, so it's a little different. Like I try
to give it my all in.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
The interviews, but no, I know your intentions are always good,
but I also know you know how I know that
you overly critique yourself.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Virgo Yeah, that's what she said to She said he
got to be a virgo the way.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
Like you mean, I'm over critiquing y'all right now. It's
just it's in our nature. Mean, dude, we don't mean
nothing by it. It's just me, Michael Jackson, Kobe and Beyonce.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
It's chill. We just chilling, reasonably successful. Just some chill,
Just some chill.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
There's some chill virgos just doing doing what we do.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
And are your parents impressed?
Speaker 3 (35:13):
I don't even know. I don't.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I can't. I can't read them no more.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
They don't bump, they don't bump the songs, they.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Don't, man, bro, Because isn't this why you do what
you said?
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Just want you you know, we wanted, we want we
want a fit validation for my parents. Oh we all do.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
I always say that's how I know things are good.
When my mom and dad be excited about something. They
may not tell me, but then other people tell me
they said it.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
That's what That's how I might have to investigate it
like that, like you know what I'm saying, I'll be
trying to just get a reaction out of it, Like yo, yo,
just that's mess steee wonder hell, Like you know what
I'm saying, But I mean, I hope she is. You
know what I'm saying, Like a lot of a lot
of Nigerian parents are not like they're not the best
(35:55):
with like emotion, emotions and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
And I've felt the I felt it too because I
I don't.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Get know I'm there like dang, you're a Nigerian parent.
Speaker 5 (36:04):
I'm not the best with emotions sometimes, you know what
I'm saying. When I put put them in song, it's easier,
but in like like personal environments, I'm not the best
like conveying my emotions.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
How about that as a dad though, as far as
you being emotional and nah.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
That little girl be making me, she'd be making me
cry sometimes she's like it's really put put you in
a space like you know means it means the world
to me, you know what I'm saying. But like I know,
she sees like it's just seeing your dad on TV
and not and not being able to be around like
as much.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
You know what I'm saying. It's a it's a it's
a it's quite the conungum.
Speaker 6 (36:47):
And you mentioned Nigerians before, that and they're usually notoriously
tough critics.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
Especially parents or something like that.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
You can say that because you're I guess, But at the.
Speaker 6 (36:56):
Same time, you know, it felt like with this album
and just your recent moves, I feel like there's been
a lot more embracing of of not during you know,
the fan base.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
You know, the collaboration.
Speaker 6 (37:08):
I don't know what it was, but because you've always
you've always made musical other than artists, like you put
me onto the Vato when we went to I think
you had a music video shoot in Atlanta one day,
like years.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Ago, Jared Jack, House Jack, That's what it was.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Yeah, and this is before we had to pay for
that video.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
We had to pavot our own pocket because Atlanta cain't believing.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
I remember that.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
Yeah, Nous always be like man that Shane was like
five months too early, like.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Whizy, like everybody we.
Speaker 6 (37:37):
Push Shine out Now it looks completely different than Man.
But at the same time, it's like, yeah, like you.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
You've gotten a lot more embracing on the on the
fan side, felt it's.
Speaker 5 (37:48):
The team though, like yeah, like management, like they like
we knew what this was, but they knew it was
being mishandled before. So you know what I'm saying, We're
making sure we tell the story to proper this time
because I wasn't able. I never was able to tell
a story for real. You know, like when when can
you squeeze in the hey legas some of those states,
where can you squeeze that in?
Speaker 3 (38:09):
And on that self made project?
Speaker 5 (38:10):
You know what I'm saying, Like where can I had
to You know what I'm saying, I had to move
a certain way and now it's being handled with like
kid like I always wanted it to be.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
So you know, how is it when you're in Nigeria?
I know you were there recently.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
It's expensive.
Speaker 5 (38:25):
Uh, people ask you crazy, but it's good, like it's
good like this is like when we go down those
states that's where my family from, Like we go. It
definitely puts things in perspective, like the lights be going
off at any time, like you know, there's not it's
not like you know what I'm saying, it's not that many.
It's not the resources that we have in the amenities
(38:47):
we got here. Like it put things in perspective, you
know what I'm saying. But it's always it's like a
recharge though.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
When I when I come back from it's just that
airport though, that airport Nigeria.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
Yeah, everything else, look at the airport is crazy and
it's wild wild West in airport.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Well, listen, I appreciate you so much for coming through.
Like I said, it's always a pleasure to see.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
You in the flesh.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Yeah, and make sure y'all. I mean, I know everybody's
buying it, streaming it.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
But keep it going?
Speaker 4 (39:18):
Are you everybody?
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Are you listen?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Trust and believe like I'm always a wild a fan.
And are you going on tour?
Speaker 3 (39:26):
I hope?
Speaker 5 (39:27):
So?
Speaker 3 (39:27):
Okay, when well, let's look at these analytics.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Spoken like an industry guys, that's the AI hope right there.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
Yeah, AI AI club.
Speaker 3 (39:38):
Promoter, come on, let's lock in all right.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
I appreciate you so much.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
Thank you,
What's up?
Speaker 2 (00:03):
His way up with Angela, Guie and Cauzeem is here
today and look who's in the building.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Walle How you feeling today. I know you've been working hard.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Yeah, man, I'm feeling good though. It's good Monday, back
at it still up.
Speaker 4 (00:17):
Man has pooped.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
A minute, but I'm good. It's good to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
In New York doing all these interviews that I know
you hate.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Doing allegedly, but I appreciate you for coming through. And
I know we were supposed to do this like a
little while ago, but I'm glad that album's out and
to see the reaction to people and also for me
to get a chance to live with it.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Also, I feel like that's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
And when I tell you, and I know everybody's been
telling you this, but it still has to feel good.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It's amazing.
Speaker 5 (00:44):
Thank you very much. I'm full of gratitude. Everybody was
feeling a lot of love, so.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
They've been doing lists and think pieces, you know. So
happy National Walet Day, because that's what for everybody who
wants to celebrate. I saw you posting about it too.
Speaker 6 (01:01):
Though I couldn't stop posting about it, and obviously you
know that's that's my friend. But on top of that,
I get to be a fan of it too, and
knowing him as all as I have, I was glad
that like I got to listen with the world.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
And like get the experience at the same time.
Speaker 6 (01:15):
And it's just it's dope to see, like especially everything
like you've gone through with like media and everything and
how you know.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
The bs that you've had to deal with.
Speaker 6 (01:22):
Like it's the first time, I guess in my eyes,
and I've just seen like universal acclaim like undisputed, just
like everybody really messing with this album. I think the
jury's still out a little bit, but it's I like,
what if the jury's out, he is very small.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Trash. I have not seen that one person say that.
I would. I would give you that.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
I've seen people say top three of Walet's albums of
all time. I've seen people talk about your consistency. But
I know sometimes you don't feel that, Like sometimes you
feel like people kind of forget about you at certain
times and don't include you.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I just nah, I just not. I don't.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
I don't think about it like that. No, Moore, just
you know I deserve everything I do. You know what
I'm saying, I just.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Set myself that one of those thing pieces I saw
was like, we don't discuss yle enough when it comes
to afrobeats.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Did you see that post?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, I thought that, and I thought that was a
great point, and we talked about that too before you
came here. I was like, you know, Wilet has been
using afrobeats and talking about it before it was afrobeasts
to the world like it is now. So I think
even for some of the songs on the album, like
Big Big Head and YSF.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
I know those are your favorites now.
Speaker 6 (02:30):
I feel like that's typical while Ago like he kind
of always sets a trend before like it becomes trendy,
and like he's been doing records of afrobeat guys since
like then their first second album, you know what I mean.
So it's like it all it's dope to see it
all kind of come back around, Like do you at
least feel some sort of like satisfaction or some sort
of It.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
Was just it was kind of like, you know, you know,
I had a lot of conversations with Kaus and them
about afrobeasts and like what I wanted to do, Like
I don't think they really understood, you know, like with
like you know how the levity like how powerful the
music can be.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
So it's an uphill battle for a while.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
But I'm just glad that like death Jam, let me
get it off, like I want to get it off.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
And this is your first album on death Jam.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yeah, this is.
Speaker 5 (03:16):
Kind of like my first album ever, like do Low,
because my first jump Mark Bronson was kind of like
controlling everything and then I have my Mayback music stretch
and it's my first jont like like by myself.
Speaker 6 (03:30):
Well that makes a lot of sense because in my eyes,
I think this is your best work. And I've known
you for a long time and I know this ain't
just me saying it because that's the homie, but like,
I just think the way it all came together, like
you kind of got low for a little bit, which
I think was key because I think a lot of times,
like a lot of people try to like come at
you about something has nothing to do with the music.
So the giving people less to talk about outside of
(03:52):
the product made people just really feed for it more.
And then when you gave it to him and it
was satisfactory, I think it's I think you're you're seeing
the fruit of that. Right now, you at least feel
I know, it's Monday, is.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Still early and ship.
Speaker 5 (04:03):
But men and I do the feedback, you know, Like
I mean to be honest, like all the my timeline
when I drove out is normally like positive, like good, like,
so you really don't know to zoom out, you know,
but like like I said, it do seem like it's
a little bit more than normal.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
So no, I ain't zoomed out yet, but.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Like I let it. I just wanted to just stay
like this, i'bi you know what I'm saying. No more
crashing out, No crash outs.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Crash the first song on the album of Conundrum right like.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
You started it off immediately, let's get into because you
know me, I'm nosy. So when I heard a conundrum
first and foremost, I was like, Okay, that's what he's
really putting it out there for us to know.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
But did you feel like okay?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
I got to explain because a lot of times when
women become mothers, they take a little step away and
a breather and deal with that. And you're your dad,
and you've been a dad, but it feels like you've
been going through a lot personally.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
Yeah, life man, Like you know what I'm saying. I've
been off the scene for like three years, so I'm
just trying to catch everybody up to where I'm at.
So I came out with them lines to start down
just to let you know, boom, this where we're at.
Let me take a seat, right, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Like I'm gonna be expressing all kinds of things on here.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Absolutely, what did you did you give an opportunity for
your child's mother to hear this first so she can
be like kind of a heads up.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
No, I mean, I mean I talked to her husband,
like I talked like you know what I'm saying, but none
of them heard it. But like we we're in a
good place, you know what I'm saying. Like he's cool,
We're good, like we get along good. Like it ain't
no never gonna be no disrespect, Like I don't I
don't plan on having no nothing like that in my life.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Like I don't want none of that.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I like that because sometimes people don't don't want to
talk to the other person, but you do want somebody
also that's going to be around.
Speaker 5 (05:48):
It's weird at first, but you get I mean, if
you got good intentions, you know you can figure it out.
Speaker 6 (05:54):
I think you were really intentional with this music. And
I think the reason why people have been so accepting
to it is because I feel like that's kind of
been the theme with a lot of the mature hip
hop artists. Is here, right, like the clips they put
out an album, the first thing they talk about is
losing their parents, and you know, for a chance, the
rapper comes out talks about his divorce with his wife,
and after putting out the Hole of My Wife album
(06:14):
and stuff like that, and you kind of kicked off
the album with the same sort of energy. And I
don't know if it was just the content matter or
was it just like people like vulnerability, They like hearing
like these are real people, go all the real stuff,
and they pretty much relate to it because it's a
real life situation that so many people go through. Is
that something you're trying to tap into with this album
or with his song?
Speaker 7 (06:34):
So?
Speaker 5 (06:34):
I mean, I think you know, like I mean, I've
always been always like share my experiences with everybody. I think,
like you said, the gap, like the like the little
break that I took from everything, I think gave people
a little bit of chance to like get ready to
listen to me again or like take a break from
like you know what I'm saying. And also, ip, I've
(06:56):
been chaotic for the past two years now, so you
know what I'm saying, don't nobody really want to come outside?
And like you know what I'm saying. So I think
I think that's something.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
To do with it.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
But I think it's good.
Speaker 6 (07:06):
I think I think post chaos, post hip hop chaos,
like we've been very open to hear like music with
some real substance to it, right like, and I think
you know, I always said history is going to be
really cold to you because you've always been very open
with where you are musically. Is the way you talked
about your music, So you know, I think timing is
always is everything.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
I feel like it's the perfect every time you say
it would be kind like I always be like, man,
I hope, So you know what I'm saying. But I
think it's just like with me, like I just I
don't know, I don't really have no other hobbies I
do like make music. I just stay at it, stay
at it, stay at it, stay at it. And like
it seemed like because like like that the resilience is
like kind of paying off a little bit on this round.
(07:47):
You know.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know, I got to ask you this because I'm
trying to figure out Yle because in so many ways,
and I know on the album you talk about your
mom wants you to get married, like have a wife
and all of that.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
I don't know if that's what you want.
Speaker 5 (08:00):
Uh yeah, I think sometimes I've been leaning more into it,
like like the past couple of years, the idea.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Of it, because even for you letting your guard down.
Speaker 5 (08:10):
It's really hard to do with when you were public
figure and you gotta write music and you gotta tap
into the different parts of your mind, your your past,
your trauma and put it all out.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
It's a lot for somebody to deal with.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
So I know I'm the problem like in most instances,
because it's hard to deal with the artists.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
And also even you. This is one thing that stood
out to me where you said passionate sex, but you
don't cuddle.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I was like, dang, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
How it's good. It's like like, you know a lot
of people relate to that, like it's.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Like they got like can sex be great if you
don't love a person the service.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Listen.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
That was one of my favorite episodes of so we
go back and revisit that. But I'm just saying, like,
as you get older, because I know when we're younger,
maybe the emotional.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Okay, sure are you really for how long?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
So I get married?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Seriously, I would that was okay.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
While I don't know if I believe you or not,
I want to though, why would you make that choice?
Speaker 3 (09:18):
I'm busy?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
All right, Let's move on to Michael Frado because you
talked about this being like the first album where you
feel like this was you and just you. Can we
talk about that song because when it first came on,
it felt like you were channeling something. Yeah, and I
felt it felt like a Rick Ross beat, and then
it sounded like, okay, wait.
Speaker 5 (09:38):
It's homage of Ross. First one was definitely harmless song.
But I always just to think of myself as like
Sonny and Godfather because like you just lunching and be
like always high headed and always and like now I
feel like I'm more on a Michael state where I'm
more like all right, like let's think this through a
little bit.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
And it's difference. It's a lot.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
There's a lot of different characters in this business that
we in and I know what's real and was not
like who can handle what how certain people is built?
So that was just me like getting that off, like
I feel like a lot of people is not built
for this.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
You know what I'm saying. And I know I'm built
for because I've been doing it for a minute.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Did he Did anybody from MMG hit you up like
congratulations love the album?
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I ain't.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
I mean, I ain't heart from nobody yet. But I
mean I've been busy. I mean I've been working.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
I don't know because you ain't changed your number.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
I know I hit you up, you know as busy guy.
You got planes and cars and mansions and things.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
I know.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
But still it also is something that everyone it's the
number one hip hop album out right now. Yeah, you know,
so it's not something that you don't know about that
you wouldn't be like, okay, I mean.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
People having stuff going on. I don't know.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
I mean I probably see him when I see him more,
talk to him soon whenever, you know, I don't really
it's another album for me.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Don't do that.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
This is not no you know what I think, man,
I feel like you know with you, you say you
ain't got no hobbies just staying you just stay in
the studio, and that's that's a fact. And even though
that may seem like kind of boring to the outside listener,
I don't think a lot of people understand that, Like
a lot of folks need to spend a lot of
time in the studio anymore. A lot of people don't
spend a lot of time.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Just like collaborating the folks, and you collaborate with a
lot of people on this album.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
And you know, everybody that you hear from when they
talk about your songwriting process, they're always kind of marvel
at how you do it, because you know a lot
of times you just either emailing songs or sending beats
back and forth. Like that collaborative spirit that happens in
music is sort of starting to lose itself with the
Internet and all that type of stuff. How important was
that for you when the kid's making this, I.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Mean, I just I really just get in it, like
I just like like just so many things I did,
just so many of these records on this album, Like
I didn't even know, Like I got this weird thing
in my brain where I can learn something, do it
the task, and then two weeks later, I don't know
how to do it no more like like for like
just beats and like the like beat changes and stuff
(12:03):
that I just played around with this which was which
even big Head when when he's doing and when there's
like a little like I was just playing with his
ad legend and I was like put it there, doing that,
take the drums out, like I was just messing around.
Like so I just like I just get deep in it.
But also like when I'm done making music, like my
(12:26):
brain is off.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
I can't. I can't do nothing but lay down.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
I just give him all every day in.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
That jont it sounds like some rain Man stuff.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
It is. I made a beat on the MPC. I
really can't.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
We got the footage somewhere, but I was making I
made it beat on n PC and I don't remember
how to do it.
Speaker 6 (12:45):
That ain't something you want to especially off the success
of this album is that ain't something you do want
to like dive into.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
There's something there's some things we might get into, like
like just just like just to knowing what I want
out want things to sound like it made me like
really like push myself to try it.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
What about for other artists? Because you see yourself doing
beats for other artists?
Speaker 5 (13:05):
Yeah yeah, yeah for show, Like I mean, I co
produced a couple of records for other artists, you know
what I'm saying. But like, I think I'll probably do
it a little bit more for a lot of people
don't listen. Our artists don't listen, you know what I'm saying.
They think it's just Wila the rapper coming in and
where they don't realize I have my hand on a
lot of big songs. So you know, I'm definitely going
to do it, but it's going to be with the
(13:26):
right artist. You know.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
It's interesting.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I was, I got my makeup done this morning and
this woman, she's from Virginia, and she was like, oh,
what do you have to do today? And I said,
you know, my show and then walle AT's coming in,
and she got so excited and she was talking so
much about it that I actually did a little voice
note from her, and I just want you just a
little snippet of what she said about you.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
She isn't gonna be weird at all.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
No, it's not.
Speaker 4 (13:53):
Set up.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
It's not I don't never have nobody say like, yo,
somebody you want to talk.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
To, listen, just listen. It's nice, all right, Shade.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
What part of the DMV are you from.
Speaker 7 (14:05):
I'm from Virginia seven five seven, And.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
What were you telling me about Lee?
Speaker 7 (14:11):
I was saying that I love that he loves R
and B and that he is not afraid to take
risks with his music, but also like doesn't stick to
the same kind of boring. A lot of times people
get a little bit boring with age and their music,
(14:31):
and I just feel like he still remains like fresh new,
but I like the R and B.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
So anyway, I just thought that was nice because she's
from the DMV, and she was talking before that about
how she feels like you're such a hometown hero for
everybody in the DMV, and I felt like big Head
kind of encompasses that feeling, and so when she said
a lot more, but I just thought it was nice
the way that she kind of summed it up, because
I can't even imagine what that feeling is like for
(14:58):
people in that area.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Having a Walley.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah, there's a lot of so much pressure that like
it just came from.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
D have the homecoming show. I'm sure it's a lot
of dress going home, a lot of pool from every
single direction. And I mean, you can never really be
good enough for your own time. There's always more you
can do and all that stuff. But I mean, I
take the good with the bad. It's a blessing, but
it's really it's it's not easy job, you know what
I'm saying, Like, it's not.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
How was it kicking with the kids though? Right? Like
Prince loved, I.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
Felt like I felt like the battery was recharged. I
wanted to do Caleton for the day. Like kids like
Bro ain't nothing like a theater kid from d C. Bro,
a theater kid from d C is a man. They
different over there, man, Like there's a lot of talent.
That's when Dave Chappelle went to high school and Johnny
Giel and all that. Like, yeah, like, I'll probably be
(15:49):
principal over there again sometime soon. I'm sure this doesn't
work out.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
You got a job waiting for You lived a lot
of different places though, right, Obviously you lived in New
York for a while. You've also you lived in la
you lived in Seattle, So where else have you lived
besides that?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Chicago, Chicago, Maryland? I was in DC.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
What's your favorite? You would say besides DC?
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Minus the cold?
Speaker 5 (16:22):
In New Jersey minus the cold, okay, because we had
a our block was popping me kay Michelle Odell back on.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
It was all in the same block that was. That
was fun. But it's just got too cold to get
out of it.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
I feel like it's not much warmer in the d
m V.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I'll be trying to get out of there.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
So you might get like a ten degree different from me.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Good.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Now, you ended the album with Lonely with Shaboozi, and
I think you performed that last year, right kind of,
so what Shaboozie already.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
On it when you the crazy thing is like the
whole country way wasn't even like a thing when I
made that song, Like I was just.
Speaker 4 (17:03):
I do I get.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
I get into it like a zone and there's like
live instruments in the room if it's just one or
two instruments, and you know, I started humming and you know,
and it ended up leaning into like a I don't
even know what genre that is, but it was there
and he had heard it like in passing a couple
of times, and then I remember one time, like I
think we was in the he was in the studio
next to me, and then he was like, let's just
(17:26):
let's I want to get on it. And just you know,
my managers they all they all from the same place.
He's from the d n V.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
And it's just you know, he jumped on it.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I love that, and I know I can tell from
listening to this album the sequencing was really important to you.
So to close it out with that. I saw somebody
who wrote on social media, I hate that wild At
is going through so much, but I do love the music.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Yeah, my tears watered the flowers for thousands of meat guard.
That's why I sit on power problems. I know it's good.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
It's entertainment. My pain is entertainment. It's good. It's cool.
At least I can monetize.
Speaker 6 (18:07):
Off right, that sounds dark, though You're good, though, right,
there's a lot I got the sick in to the gimmick.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Man.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
You know, power problems. You did say your power is
that you never need no one, and your problem is
you never need no one. That is an interesting way
to put it. But I do think it's good to
not feel like you need anybody. You just know that
you can rely on someone. Yeah, but then sometimes, like
you said, the problem is that you never need nobody.
(18:35):
Sometimes people don't feel.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
It's crazy necessary.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
The brighter the lights are the lonelier things get, you
know what I'm saying, Like you're already in this like
zero zero point one percent of people that do this
music at this level, and then it's even smaller because
you from this place that that nobody else is like
doing what you're doing. So it kind of just gets
like really really lonely at times, you know. And that's
(19:01):
why I value like the real friendships that I do have,
you know what I'm saying, you know.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Speaking of with you and cas haile Mania. Yeah, I
want to hear about.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
And so when I knew you were coming, I was like,
in Caz coming guest host sometimes, but I thought this
would be nice to have him here since you weren't
doing seven PM in Brooklyn. I was like, it'd be
nice to have him up here, So talk to me
about that because I know we're going to w w
E tonight.
Speaker 6 (19:24):
Well, big part of that was to focus on this album,
you know what I mean, Like I remember I remember
we was just talking about it, and you know, that's
my friend first and foremost, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
So how did y'all get so tight? I'm just carreious.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
I don't even remember, like it was like a moment
like like I think I was.
Speaker 5 (19:38):
I was.
Speaker 4 (19:38):
I remember the I remember when we got tight, like
we first met.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
I think he was performing at my school. See I remember,
but we got tight.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
I thought that the source purchase source articles.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
I remember like when it did it like it was
some it was some step brothers, But I think it
might have been around like time, like I think we
was one of the releases and he was just talking
about like wrestling and then we just like it was
just talking and I don't know.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
There was some step brothers. He can't get rid of
a lot of things in common.
Speaker 6 (20:10):
But like I said, like he's my friend first and foremost,
so like when I felt like, you know, he really
wanted to focus on his album above anything like that
was that was the that was the focus. So it's
like Willimania is gonna have to take a back seat,
like if at all, if it comes back at all,
you know what I'm saying, Because just squeeze exactly right,
Like there was so much we were putting out and
(20:30):
obviously you see what happens with the You know, I
think West Side Gun's going through it right now where
he's like putting so much effort into like getting you
know this, can we still go I'm still I'm going
on after Netflix, so I'm still gonna roll. But you know,
like he's seeing it too, like and and I and
I feel for Wes because you know, while A was
at that at that same point with them, at that
(20:52):
point when it was just kind of felt like it
wasn't worth doing all this and not feeling like, you know,
any real residual benefit, It's like that, so you know
it didn't.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
It didn't.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
You got to appreciate the people who are really like
organically of course, and.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Then that's and that's what it's always doing while the
man and not to say it'll never come back, but
at that time, it was just like, nah, man, let's
just focus on what's important, which is the music first
and foremost, and then what comes from it comes from.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
It whatever, if you can make it easy and like painless,
like of course, we we love to do it for
the fans. We allowed to do it for the athletes,
like we love it. But it's just like, man, like
you got other stuff that's going on that might have
like more urgent things going on than that.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
You know what I'm saying. It's like that's.
Speaker 5 (21:37):
Actually a little bit more fruitful for us, like not
to like not to feel like we a bother or
something or we got to call make a hunting and
calls and do all that.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Like it's just you know, but I like W N
B A two.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
I like I can go out in places you tap
through for that that collaboraly in the year though, how
is that control together?
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Man?
Speaker 5 (21:56):
Like you know, lightning in the bottle man, Like you know,
it's good to have records laying around because man, like
some of you, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
So you know that was we made it real easy,
real easy.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Now, Blanco, we heard that song a while ago as well.
And so now that you're abstinent, right, what does that
mean for drinking.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
As little as possible?
Speaker 5 (22:22):
Unless I needed to be one of the industry rooms
where it's like you know what I'm saying, Like you know,
it's the great equalizer and it make because like I
don't be really I'm a man of a few words
in these rooms like you no, it just eases the easiest.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
To tension a little bit. But I don't not not
I don't just be waking up.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Like like, yeah, have there been times that you're like, damn,
what did I do yesterday? Oh yeah, I already know.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
I'm making this album, Like you know what I'm saying,
I made that song yesterday. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
Man, you talked about how hands on you were, and
not just the writing of the album opposite the production
and then beats and all that type of stuff, but
the sample selections throughout the album I think were extremely
im poorant had pretty way maxwell And.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
The crazy thing is they not It's not like intentions.
It's just like you know, you go through beats, yeah right,
some days you like to be some days, you know,
some days you have something on another beat and it
just kind of played out like that, you.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
Know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (23:21):
I didn't even realize how much samples was on there
until like it came out and people was mentioning that.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
But they were quality though, like it weren't just like
you know, there's something about like a well placed sample too,
especially when it's when it's coming around like, like you
said on Blanco feels very bluesish. Then you come out
of another song and you hear that like super specific
sound that everybody sort of knows for you for it fits.
It doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, you know
what I mean. And that's I mean, that's I guess.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
It's just like because you know, I don't really be
mostly I don't think I was with any of the
producers on this joint, Like I was just going through
the emails or whatever. So I really just try to
like put them all there and just keep going like
this to something like resonation, you know what I'm saying,
Like that, like the fly away, like it just jumped
out like and I was like, I got right.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
To this, Joe, you know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
I just knew one of my favorite songs that album's
called Tomorrow Today because it's such a simple it's a
simple premise. It's about being thirsty, and I don't think
thirsty enough anymore. And uh, something as simple as like
a late night text or like just be an extra
about it, like tell me about that.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
Right.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
It was just it was a time man, like everybody
was making these really contrived toxic songs like that. It
was like like we get it, man, Like all right, bro,
like we get it like everybody. You know what I'm saying, Like, yeah,
I'm toxic too, like everybody got how about an absolute
left song?
Speaker 3 (24:42):
How about that? How about that?
Speaker 5 (24:43):
Like an absolute left song? Okay, I like you now
what like cool? No tricky stuff like what's up? I'm
I'm interested in you. I'm trying to court you, now
what we do instead of like just like yo, like
I'm gonna cheat on you. Go shoot, And I got
a bit of it, you know what I'm saying, Like
I just I just needed to break from that. So
I made smart today like that, like I just seen you,
(25:04):
but I need to see you again.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
Right, It's hard to focus and concentrate. That's a good
feeling though. They call it the honeymoon phase.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
Yeah, absolutely does that last?
Speaker 1 (25:12):
What's the longest relationship you've been in?
Speaker 3 (25:15):
I don't know. I didn't have a calendar stop it.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
I celebrated an anniversary and been like we've been together
three years.
Speaker 3 (25:24):
I don't know if I really celebrate Maybe I don't know.
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
Probably like I don't know, I don't I'm actually now
that I'm starting to know, I don't want to say.
When it started coming to me, I'm like, yeah, maybe
you don't want to.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
About that one.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Yeah, I don't. Yeah, So let's just an a.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Now belly you sample back to life, back to reality.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
Yeah, I'm I got three hundred person that's sample that joint.
Speaker 2 (25:46):
But you know, as soon as it starts, it gives
you like a time period feel because that movie was
so iconic for that. But part of that song is,
and I feel this, everybody's showing you love when you're
doing stuff for them, when you're giving them shit.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
And then and as soon as that and no longer
pretend to be friends.
Speaker 5 (26:03):
You know what I'm saying. Mm hmm, I lost I
lost friends along the way. That's still with us, you know,
And it's part of the whole everything a lot like
that's part of like carrying this bag that I have
to carry everywhere.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Like it's like people mad because.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
They couldn't get they didn't get a personal invite to
a show. People mad because you can't.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Pay this thing for them, Like yeah, the first time,
as soon as you say no, you could do everything.
Speaker 5 (26:30):
We're going through that now with somebody that's entitled that
was around us, like you can't do everything.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Very far all the time.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, you got to cut it off sometimes because I
think I always think it's great when you can put
people deserving people in position, right, But then I also
feel like once people get in position, it's kind of
up to them to figure.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Out, like how to you know, make themselves.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Out of just being in one position and growing into
like being able to have a business doing what they
do for you, instead of just thinking that all along
you're going to be taking care of everything, right.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
Right, I mean we all fall into that. All everybodist
have ever knew because fell into that.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
I feel like.
Speaker 5 (27:13):
Some some success athletes, musicians, actors, We all go through it.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
I want to get your thoughts on this. Man. There's
a lot of talk about Billboard charts.
Speaker 6 (27:23):
First time in however many years there was no hip
hop songs in the top whatever, whatever. But if you
ask any like hip hop connoisseur, any writer, anybody who
covers us for a living, they're all like, has it's
it's as good as it's ever been, you know what
I mean? Like music wise, quality wise, I mean Grammy
nominations came out lots of rappers on there, Like, what
are your thoughts on you know, just I guess the
(27:44):
slow down sort of like hyper commercialization.
Speaker 5 (27:47):
I mean I think we might did it a little
bit too much and it got stale and repetitive and
like it like the innovation We lost innovation somewhere along
the way, or we just celebrated low effort and it
put us into place, you know what I'm saying, Like
people like like liking stuff, liking songs for ironic reasons.
(28:12):
It's all types of stuff that's been you know what
I'm saying, like put us to where we're at right now.
And then you know, the Great Battle of two thousand
twenty whatever, whatever year it's just been going on, were
on loop with that, Like a lot of media outlets
only consume that content, only talked about that content. They
lost the plot. Like so I think that hurt it
(28:34):
a little bit too, because I'm both of them do
probably tired of it too, you know what I'm saying, Like,
and I think they like it almost like cannibalized itself.
Like like you know what I'm saying, Like nobody wanted
to hear nothing that wasn't like about another person for
a long period of time, and then we come up
(28:54):
for air and we realized, like it's only country on
the charts. You know what I'm saying, it's nothing going on.
So you know, it was you know, things is necessary,
but I think like media took it a little bit
too far, like you know, and it just got things
just got out of hand.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
I think, how much does all of this matter to
you when it comes to numbers, Because as much as
people are saying I love this album, like I told you,
number one album that you have, you know, right now
on the charts, but then sometimes those numbers come out
and then people are like, oh, this person so x
amount and it's so different to understand because people are
streaming and what those streams mean when it comes to
(29:28):
an actual.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
Fifteen hundred for one joint is a task, you know.
And then you know consider demographics, like you know, certain
fan bases is like thirteen and they got all day
to listen to the song their favorite song, where like
older fans they got to be on the clock. You
know what I'm saying, They can listen to it on
the way to work in the gym and on the
(29:49):
way back. You know what I'm saying that's three streams.
Like I had to let that go because I really
had to realize like when it became streaming, like because
I I consider myself more of like a blue collar
I don't.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
It's not like not super g not super like just
kind of like.
Speaker 5 (30:05):
Every day people used to just lying around corner to
just get to see these CDs. When it went to streaming,
it's just kind of just like all right, these people
ain't going nowhere, but it's just how we consume music now.
It took some time to just get used to it,
but now it's just like whatever, Like the music good
is in God's hands. I can't really do nothing about it.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Man.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
And the other thing I was going to say, you
talked about country and then we've seen on the R
and B and gospel charts AI artists.
Speaker 5 (30:31):
I just interviewed the woman who we Gotta Unplug her
man wire AI Heart Surgeon or something something useful.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I don't know, man, I'm gonna tell you what she
said that was interesting to me though. That made me
be like, okay, because she's on that platform, so you
know right where you can. She writes the lyrics and
then she has this artist, this AI person. But she
said there's so many people on that platform that haven't
reached the success that she has, and so and she
said she's done. Like but she said, she's done like
hundreds of songs and none of them have hit until
(31:03):
you know that she didn't.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
And it's an agenda.
Speaker 5 (31:06):
It's an agenda, like of course somebody gonna make some
AI thing hit because they don't need they don't need
to sleep, they don't need to they don't have met
they don't they have to rest their mentals, they don't
have to go through nothing, So they could just be
like ten albums of slock like you know what I'm saying,
Like there's no human emotion. We make art for to
connect with other humans. I'm not connecting no robot, you
(31:28):
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
But I guess her point was that she wrote the songs,
it's her poetry.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
Then write write it.
Speaker 5 (31:33):
For the write it for somebody who can really like, like,
you know, she got a three million dollars.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
I don't believe that.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
You don't believe it.
Speaker 5 (31:42):
I could just be like, y'all, I made ten million
dollars a day, y'all saying, yeah, three million dollars for sooner.
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Don't like bro come on like she probably she might.
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (31:50):
I ain't trying to like talk down on the young
lady or nothing, but I'm like that sounds like something
like she gets a weekly check or something like like
it's an AI.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
You're not I don't know us. You're going tour with
a teller, a little hologram.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Or something like.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Even in country the number one song on the country
charts was an AI song too.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
That's a lot.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
We pulled it up in here and it was it
was bad.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
I was like, that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (32:15):
And we were fine close to the sun now, and
then we're gonna be in this jo next next, next year,
it's gonna be robot Angelie right there, robout cast And
I'm like, here, you want to look this a country?
Speaker 3 (32:24):
Look what you look where we're at now?
Speaker 1 (32:26):
And you'd be sitting here talking to us.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Yeah, Angelie, what do you think about I'll be the
only human in this. I'm like, I totally.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
You can send your AI get you.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
You first. You can never do me.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
I'm the most unaiable person you could. I got too
many styles.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
You know what he might do?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Yeah, I got too many, too many styles, that is.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
You know what, It's still cohesive though, even even though
you have so many styles, the way you put this
album together, I felt like it flows. Sometimes when artists
do that, it feels like it's all over the place,
but this feels because you know what it is about, Wila.
It is all who you are for real, you know,
encompassing like go go afro beats, even like you said,
it's not necessarily country, but it's even the R and B.
(33:10):
Like you heard my girl from the d MV say
she loves when you lean into and how well you
do that. I saw people doing also lists about like
your top R and B collapse and all of that.
Now that this project is out too, Yeah, and she
said something else. I didn't put it in the recording,
but she was like, Wila is the artist that such
and such wishes he was.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
So I didn't want to put it out there.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
You don't want to say.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
I don't want to say no, because then it's going.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
To say in addition to that, though I do want
to talking about.
Speaker 6 (33:44):
Back to that, I don't want to applaud you for
putting out an album and not this and anybody.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
I feel like that's been the theme for ever.
Speaker 6 (33:50):
Sure everybody, Yeah, I gave a few spends, but it
feels like every major rap.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Anybody was just on that album is they know exactly
who they are.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
Unintentions, it's just for them.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Got you the fester and that sit in that so
you won't pushing pushing positivity, but.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
You're always there for them still, right, this is a reason.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Well, while I really appreciate you for coming up here,
I know that you've been grinding it out doing all
these interviews, and I have to say I've I've watched
some of them and it just makes me laugh because
I'd be looking at you like why I like doing
this ship?
Speaker 1 (34:29):
So I know this is painful for you being here.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
So I mean, just like you know, you come to
a point where you just don't be like y'all got
it man, y'all can think what y'all want. I don't
know what to say to y'all, but it's different. I
know you, so it's a little different. Like I try
to give it my all in.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
The interviews, but no, I know your intentions are always good,
but I also know you know how I know that
you overly critique yourself.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Virgo Yeah, that's what she said to She said he
got to be a virgo the way.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
Like you mean, I'm over critiquing y'all right now. It's
just it's in our nature. Mean, dude, we don't mean
nothing by it. It's just me, Michael Jackson, Kobe and Beyonce.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
It's chill. We just chilling, reasonably successful. Just some chill,
Just some chill.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
There's some chill virgos just doing doing what we do.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
And are your parents impressed?
Speaker 3 (35:13):
I don't even know. I don't.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
I can't. I can't read them no more.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
They don't bump, they don't bump the songs, they.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Don't, man, bro, Because isn't this why you do what
you said?
Speaker 3 (35:23):
Just want you you know, we wanted, we want we
want a fit validation for my parents. Oh we all do.
Speaker 2 (35:27):
I always say that's how I know things are good.
When my mom and dad be excited about something. They
may not tell me, but then other people tell me
they said it.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
That's what That's how I might have to investigate it
like that, like you know what I'm saying, I'll be
trying to just get a reaction out of it, Like yo, yo,
just that's mess steee wonder hell, Like you know what
I'm saying, But I mean, I hope she is. You
know what I'm saying, Like a lot of a lot
of Nigerian parents are not like they're not the best
(35:55):
with like emotion, emotions and stuff like that.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
And I've felt the I felt it too because I
I don't.
Speaker 1 (36:01):
Get know I'm there like dang, you're a Nigerian parent.
Speaker 5 (36:04):
I'm not the best with emotions sometimes, you know what
I'm saying. When I put put them in song, it's easier,
but in like like personal environments, I'm not the best
like conveying my emotions.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
How about that as a dad though, as far as
you being emotional and nah.
Speaker 5 (36:22):
That little girl be making me, she'd be making me
cry sometimes she's like it's really put put you in
a space like you know means it means the world
to me, you know what I'm saying. But like I know,
she sees like it's just seeing your dad on TV
and not and not being able to be around like
as much.
Speaker 3 (36:41):
You know what I'm saying. It's a it's a it's
a it's quite the conungum.
Speaker 6 (36:47):
And you mentioned Nigerians before, that and they're usually notoriously
tough critics.
Speaker 4 (36:51):
Especially parents or something like that.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
You can say that because you're I guess, But at the.
Speaker 6 (36:56):
Same time, you know, it felt like with this album
and just your recent moves, I feel like there's been
a lot more embracing of of not during you know,
the fan base.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
You know, the collaboration.
Speaker 6 (37:08):
I don't know what it was, but because you've always
you've always made musical other than artists, like you put
me onto the Vato when we went to I think
you had a music video shoot in Atlanta one day,
like years.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Ago, Jared Jack, House Jack, That's what it was.
Speaker 4 (37:21):
Yeah, and this is before we had to pay for
that video.
Speaker 3 (37:24):
We had to pavot our own pocket because Atlanta cain't believing.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
I remember that.
Speaker 5 (37:27):
Yeah, Nous always be like man that Shane was like
five months too early, like.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Whizy, like everybody we.
Speaker 6 (37:37):
Push Shine out Now it looks completely different than Man.
But at the same time, it's like, yeah, like you.
Speaker 4 (37:43):
You've gotten a lot more embracing on the on the
fan side, felt it's.
Speaker 5 (37:48):
The team though, like yeah, like management, like they like
we knew what this was, but they knew it was
being mishandled before. So you know what I'm saying, We're
making sure we tell the story to proper this time
because I wasn't able. I never was able to tell
a story for real. You know, like when when can
you squeeze in the hey legas some of those states,
where can you squeeze that in?
Speaker 3 (38:09):
And on that self made project?
Speaker 5 (38:10):
You know what I'm saying, Like where can I had
to You know what I'm saying, I had to move
a certain way and now it's being handled with like
kid like I always wanted it to be.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
So you know, how is it when you're in Nigeria?
I know you were there recently.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
It's expensive.
Speaker 5 (38:25):
Uh, people ask you crazy, but it's good, like it's
good like this is like when we go down those
states that's where my family from, Like we go. It
definitely puts things in perspective, like the lights be going
off at any time, like you know, there's not it's
not like you know what I'm saying, it's not that many.
It's not the resources that we have in the amenities
(38:47):
we got here. Like it put things in perspective, you
know what I'm saying. But it's always it's like a
recharge though.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
When I when I come back from it's just that
airport though, that airport Nigeria.
Speaker 5 (38:58):
Yeah, everything else, look at the airport is crazy and
it's wild wild West in airport.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Well, listen, I appreciate you so much for coming through.
Like I said, it's always a pleasure to see.
Speaker 1 (39:10):
You in the flesh.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Yeah, and make sure y'all. I mean, I know everybody's
buying it, streaming it.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
But keep it going?
Speaker 4 (39:18):
Are you everybody?
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Are you listen?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
Trust and believe like I'm always a wild a fan.
And are you going on tour?
Speaker 3 (39:26):
I hope?
Speaker 5 (39:27):
So?
Speaker 3 (39:27):
Okay, when well, let's look at these analytics.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Spoken like an industry guys, that's the AI hope right there.
Speaker 4 (39:37):
Yeah, AI AI club.
Speaker 3 (39:38):
Promoter, come on, let's lock in all right.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
I appreciate you so much.
Speaker 4 (39:43):
Thank you,
Way Up With Angela Yee News
Host
Angela Yee
Show Links
Official WebsitePopular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.