While promoting his new album, Wale discusses past tension with Kid Cudi, one of the most infamous fallouts of the early 2000s’ blog era.
In a new Boardroom Talks interview released December 5, the D.C. rapper revisits what happened between him and Kid Cudi — a story that has followed him for more than a decade — while revealing where they are today. For the first time in years, Wale breaks down how their friendship unraveled and why the disconnect left such a mark on him.
Asked where things stand today, Wale didn’t sugarcoat it. “I don’t talk to Cudi… I don’t harbor nothing, but I really felt like they kicked me when I was down,” he said.
The rupture traces back to Cudi’s 2010 Complex interview, when Cudi publicly dismissed Wale’s artistry. Wale remembers the sting clearly:
“Then people like Wale get mad that ’Ye ain’t give him no beats— ’Ye ain’t give you no beats because we ain’t fucking with your raps. It’s not a conspiracy theory. We don’t fuck with you musically, so we’re not going to provide music for you.”
Wale says the comments hit harder because the two weren’t just labelmates or collaborators — they were friends. “We used to run together… and you going to say something like that to Complex, which is kind of like my direct fan base?” he said. “That joint fucked me up… like it really did.”
Wale Speaks On Past Beef With Kid Cudi
The tension didn’t end there. Wale says a later collaboration only worsened the divide, claiming Cudi recorded his part “over the phone” and refused to fix it when the album deadline approached. According to Wale, Cudi brushed him off, saying, “Everybody just wants me to do everything for them.”
That moment pushed Wale over the edge. “I was like, let’s fight… like, now it’s not even no industry thing,” he admitted. “You this person, and you talking to me like that? Let’s do it. It was really bad for a couple years.”
Wale also acknowledged the resentment he felt toward Cudi for receiving widespread empathy for struggles he was also dealing with. “He would get the grace… and I ain’t there getting nothing,” he said. “That joint was boiling my blood.”
Still, Wale says he’s past the anger. “Now I’m on some everybody, it’s kumbaya. I ain’t trying to keep harboring these feelings,” he said — closing the chapter, even if the friendship remains distant.
Wale’s everything is a lot is available now on all streaming platforms.
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