DMV’s own wordsmith bares the fatigue, perfectionism and industry pressure behind his long awaited eighth studio album
When Wale says he felt the “mental toll” of finishing his album everything is a lot., he isn’t speaking in clichés. He’s describing the very real wrestling match between creative ambition and emotional burnout. According to an interview with J.B. Smoove for Interview magazine, Wale admitted that despite writing “so many great verses”, he kept asking, ‘Maybe I should end the song here’. But then he pushed on. Because that’s what he does.
At age 41 and coming out of a four year lull for full length releases, Wale was forced to stare down the changes in hip-hop from the splintering of styles to the lightning speed of attention spans. He acknowledged that the industry has evolved in ways that make stillness dangerous. “A lot done changed about this industry,” he said.
Then there’s the self critical perfectionist in him. He unpacked how features might not finish strong, how songs might veer off course, and how every “fix” turned into another hole to climb out of. “It was challenging, but it tells me what I’ve got to do,” he confessed.
Wale isn’t doing this to play it safe. His new album is stacked with genre-blenders and collaborators, a clear statement that he’s not just staying in his lane—he’s shifting lanes entirely.
