Yeah, man. It is such a pleasure to have you here

because I think there are few, uh, artists--

never mind rappers, just artists--

who have as wide of an appeal as you do.

There's not many people who can say their fans include

President Barack Obama and Jerry Seinfeld.

-That is quite a range of fan. -That-That's...

Did you... did you ever think that would happen in your life?

I might have just realized it just now.

-(laughter) -Might have just just realized.

-That's crazy, right? -That must have been wild for you.

Especially, like, 'cause... Like, Jerry...

For those who know Jerry Seinfeld, like,

he's notorious for only doing what he wants to do.

He doesn't like what he doesn't like,

-and he likes what he likes. -Right.

He loved your music, and he was like,

-"I'm gonna do something with you." -Yeah.

-And he did, like, interludes on your album. -Mm-hmm.

And you named your... You named that mixtape.

It was an Album About Nothing.

So, when I was... when I was coming up,

I did, uh, Mixtape About Nothing, right?

-Right. -That's when I just was just, like, quitting my job

and doing this full-time.

Then I dropped a mixtape called More About Nothing

when I first signed Interscope.

And then, you know, the fans is like,

"Can you do an album about nothing?

Do an album on nothing?"

And in my mind, I'm like, "Damn.

"I got to ask Jerry Seinfeld to do...

to do original content."

-'Cause I was using the show for the mixtapes. -Right, right.

I was like, "I got to ask him to do original content."

But we got about, like...

maybe, like, eight hours of Jerry talking.

-Are you serious? -Yeah. To make The Album About Nothing.

Make sure if you don't got that, make sure you get that, too.

-That is amazing. -I got to promote my...

-I got to promote my stuff. -That is amazing.

(cheering and applause)

Yeah, so, here you are in this world.

Jerry Seinfeld is a friend and a fan,

and then on top of that,

you have Barack Obama, who's like,

"No, I would like Wale to come and perform at the White House

-before the State of the Union." -Yeah.

What is that experience even like?

I'm pretty tight, right?

(laughter)

It's like... No, um, I was nervous.

I mean, maybe it was 'cause... It was out of convenience

'cause I live in D.C.,

and the White House is not too far.

I like the idea that you think Barack Obama

was working off convenience at that time.

Where he was just like, "Uh, which rapper is close?

Uh... Um..."

No, I-I think he got you because he was a fan of yours.

-No. -And I think it's because of...

I think it's because of what you rap about, you know?

Like, you-you've been... you've been lauded as a rapper

who isn't just great at making music

but your music also contains themes

that-that really connect with so many people.

You're talking about toxic masculinity.

You're talking about economic anxiety.

You're talking about what people are going through.

-Right. -Why would you even go into that?

We're pretty messed up as people, anyway.

Most of us. Most of us rappers, we pretty messed up.

-Right. -Men as a whole.

Like, females messed up, but we can get to that later.

-Like, um... No. -(laughter)

No, you know, it's just about balance.

I write... I-I like to write in real time.

Like, I'll-I'll peek my head into the pop culture.

-Uh-huh. -Feel out what's going on in our communities,

and then I just get inspired and write.

So if that's what I'm feeling the energy is like,

it's a combination of, like, what's going on in social media.

-What's going on outside in real time. -Right.

What's going on in sports. A little bit of politics.

That's kind of depressing when I look at... look at that.

But I try to take all of these things

and just write it in real time.

When you move from one album to another,

you've always got that balance between catering

to the fans that loved you from the beginning

and then creating something new

that you want to go into as an artist.

How did you find that balance,

and what made this album different?

Well, creating something new keeps... gives you your sanity

-as an artist or a creator. -Right.

You know what I'm saying? I do what I like.

I do what I feel. But I'm also very in tune

what my fans like.

I'm always trying to listen to what they feel about everything.