Kai Cenat stirred up a viral moment at the 2025 BET Awards after an awkward run-in where he appeared not to recognize Wale.
While live streaming from the Peacock Theater, Kai bumped into the “On Chill” rapper in a parking garage. Wale was casually locked into his Nintendo Switch when Cenat stopped him to ask what game he was playing.
Wale kept it moving with minimal interaction, and moments later, Kai told his viewers he had no clue who the man he just spoke to was.
Fans quickly clued Kai Cenat in, letting him know he’d just interacted with Wale. But when Kai tried to say the rapper’s name, he called him “Wally,” sparking laughter and corrections from his crew.
Even after being reminded that Wale is behind hits like “Lotus Flower Bomb,” Kai still couldn’t place him. The moment went viral fast, and Wale later confronted Cenat while he was mid-interview with Snoop Dogg.
“That shit making me look crazy now, just so you know,” Wale told him. “They running with it, but we’ll talk later.”
After the second clip blew up, social media had mixed feelings. Wale even jumped into the comments under The Shade Room’s post, explaining that he didn’t realize they were being filmed either time—and was genuinely confused as to why Cenat didn’t recognize him, especially since they’d met before.
“This is crazy,” Wale wrote. “I didn’t know we was bein filmed both times… we played in a celebrity football game last year… I was reallly confused.”
By Tuesday, Wale had switched things up. He reposted the viral clip with Kai Cenat—but this time, it ended with a Nintendo Switch logo. The unexpected twist had fans wondering if the whole moment was actually a clever ad setup or just a smart pivot after the buzz.
“Yall not on smash fr,” Wale captioned the post, which was clearly marked as an ad.
This isn’t the first time Kai Cenat’s taste in music has been questioned. Earlier this year, he gave a less-than-glowing review of Lil Baby’s WHAM album—a critique that didn’t sit well with the rapper, who chalked it up to streamers being too young to really get his sound.
