3 questions for Wale about new music and supporting students facing food insecurity: 'These are the leaders of tomorrow, man, they gotta eat'
"Anything, anywhere I can contribute to HBCUs, I'm with it," the rapper tells Yahoo.
After a hiatus from music and social media, rapper Wale is back with new music and a mission to help students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which helped give rise to his career.
He's partnering with PepsiCo in its efforts to combat food insecurity at HBCUs. The company is donating several $50,000 checks in grants, totaling $250,000, to five schools to help over 37,500 students who struggle to balance the cost of their education and their next meal.
The HBCUs receiving grants include Morgan State University, Prairie View A&M University, Jackson State University, Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University. Over the weekend, Wale and Pepsi personally delivered the first two checks at the Florida Classic in Orlando, Fla., a yearly heavyweight football bout between Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman.
Wale has a personal connection with HBCUs, having attended both Bowie State University and Virginia State University, as well as Robert Morris University.
Yahoo Entertainment spoke to the rapper about supporting a cause near and dear to his heart, his music and making the transition to new label, Def Jam Recordings.
1. Why did this particular mission mean a lot to you with helping with food insecurity?
Anything, anywhere I can contribute to HBCUs, I'm with it. That's part of my DNA, HBCUs. These are the leaders of tomorrow, man, they gotta eat. That's one of the last things you're supposed to be worried about when you're in college. It's grueling, it's competitive, you feel me?
I always tell my manager, what can we do to be involved with HBCUs? Whenever we can. It's kind of a big deal. Even for [2024], we got some more things that we want to do, like showing up to a girl’s basketball game, you know, showing up to HBCU swim teams, just stuff that they don't normally get any mainstream eyes on.
2. You're finally returning after a two-year hiatus. In October, you dropped your track "Max Julien." What other new music can we expect from you soon?
We got "BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR" that's currently number one in Nigeria. That's Odumodublvck and Bloody Civilian and myself. That's my first number one in Nigeria, so that's good especially going into December. Just buckle up for 2024.
I've had songs do numbers other places, but having it in Nigeria [where my family is from], this means a little bit more to me because it's like my first number one over there. [When] I was at Atlantic [Records], I was trying to emphasize how much I wanted to do stuff with Nigerian artists.
3. You just mentioned Atlantic, tell me about the move over to Def Jam. Was that something that you wanted to keep under wraps for a while and how has that experience been for you?
It's the mecca of hip-hop and [Def Jam CEO] Tunji [Balogun] is one of the more forward-thinking executives in the industry. I'm excited to be able to work with him, it's somebody I consider a friend. But I'm also a fan of what he's accomplished. We came into the game around the same time. He was at Interscope [Records] under another one of those top guys. Now he's a top guy. I'd like to think of myself as a top guy in the grand scheme of hip-hop.