Wale Opens Up About Awkward BET Awards Encounter With Kai Cenat
Rapper Wale recently spoke candidly about his uncomfortable interaction with livestreamer Kai Cenat at this year’s BET Awards. On a recent episode of Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, Wale explained how the incident impacted his mental health.
“Imagine giving your life to this game, then you go to support the culture that you’ve been a part of for 13 years. Then you go online, and everybody’s like, ‘Yo, @KaiCenat, he didn’t know who you were,’” Wale said. He added, “Kai Cenat talking about mental health. He gets it now.”
The encounter drew mixed reactions from fans online. Some questioned Wale’s response. One user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Wait is he saying his mental was affected because a 23-year-old who listens to Michael Jackson didn’t know him?” Another noted, “Kai was too young to recognize someone who is not as relevant anymore, also Kai doesn’t pay attention to a lot of stuff when he is in the middle of a stream, which he was.”
The incident occurred when Cenat greeted Wale during the awards show but quickly admitted he did not know who the rapper was. Wale later expressed frustration over the interaction, stating, “That sh*t making me look crazy now, just so you know. That’s making me look crazy, the exchange we had in the hallway. I mean, they running with it, but we’ll talk later.”
Cenat addressed the situation in a subsequent livestream, apologizing for the awkward moment. “I hope he didn’t take my interaction personal. How can you blame me for being who I am? I’m young!” Cenat explained, adding he was only nine years old when Wale’s hit “Lotus Flower Bomb” was released.
The episode highlights the generational gap between established artists and younger social media personalities. Despite the tension, both Wale and Cenat have moved toward publicly addressing the misunderstanding, emphasizing context and perspective in today’s fast-paced digital culture.
The BET Awards moment continues to spark conversation about respect, recognition, and the challenges artists face maintaining relevance across evolving platforms and audiences.
