Wale Interview Talks : New Album, If He’ll Quit Smoking Weed, Rick Ross’ Kreayshawn Beef + Bowie State Tragedy

Last week, I sat down with artists Miguel and Wale, who attended the CDE Presents “Generation LASER” Tour at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Peep a few excerpts from Wale’s interview:

What fans can expect from the new album, “Ambition”:

“I want you to physically sweat when you listen to the album. I want it to be something that makes you feel like that. The date that it comes out is November 1^st. The DC tour date will be announced soon.”

On why he addresses the positive and negative on twitter:

“I just think that social networking is the new fan mail right now. It’s the closest way to touch the people that you want to change or talk to. Nobody writes fan mail, nobody uses the mailbox anymore so it’s just the best way to do that. I address some of the negativity because I think that’s the balance of the world. Everything aint always positive, everybody aint gonna like you. But I think I should be allowed to refute anybody who’s trying to oppose what I do and what I stand for.”

On his opinion of Amber Rose and Wiz:

“I’m 100 percent behind their relationship and what they’re doing and him being a man and standing by the woman that he’s with. I’m all for that.”

On when he’ll quit smoking weed:

“I quit every day, I’m just not good at it.”

About the student who was stabbed at Bowie State:

“I think there’s power in the tongue. If you look at both of the young lady’s timelines on twitter it’s kind of eerie. If you read the story and read their timelines and put it together it almost feels like you were there to actually see everything materialize. And you can tell that neither one of the young ladies was really thinking. They just kind of acted on it and that’s one of the unfortunate things that’s part of the culture in this DC, Maryland, Virginia area.”

On the Kreayshawn, Rick Ross Beef:

“We don’t have any beef with anybody. Maybach Music, we just do what we gotta do and get out of everybody’s way and they get out of our way. Anyway, ‘Ambition’ coming November 1^st. ‘Chain Music’ is the next single. It’s not out yet but it’s surfacing. We’re excited about that.”

Peep a few excerpts from my conversation with Miguel

What he enjoys the most – performing or writing:

“It all falls under a creative umbrella so I love it all. I love to write and be in the studio. I get to be introverted and vulnerable there. Being on the road for the past year, now I’ve learned to become more vulnerable on stage. It’s always cool to watch people’s reaction in those moments of honesty”

What he likes least about touring:

“Waking up in the morning. Sometimes I have to wake up really early, sometimes I have some time to sleep in. But that’s pretty much the worst part. I love it all though.”

On his album got so radio “single-friendly”:

“(Sidebar: Shout out to everyone who’s been calling and requesting songs, we can’t do this without you, it’s much appreciated.) Interestingly, no song on the album is more important than the body of work. And it was really important for me to put something together that had continuity and kind of flowed. So if you listen to the album from beginning to end there’s a story, there’s a flow to it, and you don’t have to skip. So it just so happens that the songs work on radio as well. But it’s about albums, not about singles. [It wasn’t strategically planned that way] at all.”

On plans for a new album:

“I’ve been working on the next album for a while now, but we’re really going to buckle down and focus on it within the next 2 or 3 months. So it’ll probably be released in mid-next year.”

On what inspired his haircut:

“This is kind of pop meets urban, from a geometric and modernist perspective. First I wanted it to be a little more square on the sides but this kind of reflects my timeless and classic influences and aesthetics. The back is more about geometrics and having a modern perspective. It’s just a juxtaposition of timeless and future shit.”

On his love life:

“Can we avoid those questions? Let’s get back to the music…”

Peep the video for the full interview (Miguel’s interview is first, Wale’s follows):

Video via EliteDC, S/O FlyCandyDC