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Wale Says Kai Cenat BET Awards Snub Hurt His Mental Health for Days

He recasts the viral clip as a lesson on hip-hop’s generational gaps.

Overview

  • Wale told Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay that he was upset for five days and holed up in his hotel after the encounter.
  • At the 2025 BET Awards, Kai Cenat failed to recognize Wale, later learning his identity from chat and mispronouncing his name on stream.
  • Wale says he privately told Cenat the hallway exchange made him look “crazy” online and that the depiction left him uncomfortable in the room.
  • Cenat apologized on a later livestream, saying he hoped Wale did not take it personally and noting his age when Wale’s hits were released.
  • Wale now frames the episode as a teachable moment about preserving hip-hop culture across generations, as social-media reactions remain mixed.