
Wale is opening up about the ebbs and flows he experienced in the past four years in a brand-new album. Everything Is a Lot will arrive on Nov. 14 via Def Jam.
“One of the underlying things is how heavy everything is in the world around me, my personal life, and the industry,” he shared in an interview with Billboard. “I carried all of that with me and got it out of my system through this project.”
Wale primarily recorded Everything Is a Lot in London and Los Angeles, he told the publication. He worked with producers including BNYX, Salaam Remi, Kel-P Vibes and Go Grizz, as well as artists in R&B, hip-hop and Afrobeats who have yet to be named. He also samples SWV‘s “So Into You” on “Where to Start” and Maxwell‘s “Pretty Wings” on a song titled “Fly Away.”
His goal, he tells Billboard, is “to express a certain level of vulnerability,” which he does by writing a song as emotions arise. “It’s never as contrived as people think,” he says. “If I’m in the mood to write something, I just get to it. It’s all about capturing that feeling in the moment.”
Ten years into his music career, Wale says he’s grateful to still be relevant in the rap game.
“It’s always been hard to keep people’s attention,” he tells Billboard. “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.”
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.