Kai Cenat Goes Viral After Not Recognizing Wale at BET Awards, Offers Youthful Explanation
Earlier this week, a brief and unexpected encounter between popular streamer Kai Cenat and rapper Wale at the BET Awards sparked viral attention after Cenat appeared to have no idea who the rapper was. The clip quickly circulated online, showing Cenat mispronouncing Wale’s name and asking fans in the chat who he was and what he does.
The moment drew a mix of amusement and criticism, especially from longtime fans of Wale. The D.C. rapper later caught up with Cenat backstage to address the interaction. “That sh*t making me look crazy now, just so you know,” Wale told him. “That’s making me look crazy, the exchange we had in the hallway. I mean, they running with it, but we’ll talk later.” While Wale didn’t seem overly offended, the tone suggested he was aware of how the clip was spreading online.
In response to the viral incident, Cenat decided to speak on it during a livestream, offering context and clarifying his intentions. “I’mma go ahead and say to Wale, I hope he didn’t take my interaction personal,” Cenat said. “How can you blame me for being who I am? You feel me? I’m young!”
To back up his point, the streamer played Wale’s hit single “Lotus Flower Bomb,” acknowledging that he does know the song—but only from his childhood. “2011? I was nine years old,” he said, laughing as he connected the dots in real time.
The interaction took place as Cenat also faced a separate wave of disappointment from fans over the postponement of his joint stream with Drake. The two were scheduled to go live to review entries for their “Somebody Loves Me” music video challenge, in which fans submitted short treatments for a crowd-sourced visual. But just hours before the event, it was pushed back again.
“We need more time with the treatments for ‘Somebody Loves Me.’ So we are pushing the stream back a few more days 🤞🏾. Apologies,” Cenat shared on his Instagram Story. It’s the second delay of the highly anticipated livestream, and a new date has yet to be confirmed.
Between the BET Awards mishap and the streaming setback, Kai Cenat remains at the center of online chatter. While some critics question how a major internet personality could miss a well-established artist like Wale, others chalk it up to a generational gap. One thing’s certain—Cenat’s presence continues to spark conversations that blur the lines between hip hop culture and digital entertainment.
