Wale has been a mainstay in hip-hop for over 15 years. He started off as a blog era, mixtape wonder with his Seinfeld themed projects. Moreover, he helped breathe fresh air into DMV rap, a region without a ton of representation otherwise. Then, he signed over to MMG and quietly remained one of the more prominent artists in hip-hop. Now, the 41 year old rapper has signed over with Def Jam and is opening up about his turbulent experience through the music industry.
Recently, Wale spoke with Billboard to announce his latest album Everything is a Lot. There, he communicates just how dire everything feels in life today. Socially, politically, personally, and in the music industry alike, the state of modern life sparks a lot of anxiety. Through the album, he’s able to exorcise all these concerns. “One of the underlying things is how heavy everything is in the world around me, my personal life, and the industry,” he tells the publication. “I carried all of that with me and got it out of my system through this project.”
Wale Opens Up About Personal and Music Industry Woes That Inspired New Album
The “Lotus Flower Bomb” rapper highlights the wild changes in the four years since his last release Folarin II. Not only did it mark his final release with MMG and Warner but it shows an industry shakier than ever. Additionally, it’s a battle where an artist like Wale has to fight even harder to stay in front of fans. The algorithms grow harder to parse through and everyone dabbles in content creation to try and bridge the gap.
“It’s always been hard to keep people’s attention. That’s why my first album is called Attention Deficit. It’s become increasingly harder in this day and age, where fans are rewiring themselves to only like what the algorithm tells them to like. It’s an uphill battle, so it’s a blessing to be in the conversation still,” Wale says.
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