Wale Credits J. Cole and Meditation for Breaking Through Creative Slump

Wale is opening up about a time when music wasn't flowing as easily as it used to. The rapper recently shared on social media that he once struggled with writer's block—and that help came from an unlikely source: meditation, suggested by fellow rapper J. Cole.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Washington DC artist asked fans and fellow musicians how they deal with creative slumps, Billboard said.

"Music friends, how do y'all cure writer's block?" he wrote. "Over the years I've had different methods. Curious what y'all do."

Fans quickly jumped in with ideas, including going for a walk, writing through the block, or letting go of the fear of writing something that might not be great.

Among the replies was a clip of J. Cole discussing how he handles writer's block, encouraging artists to keep writing even if inspiration hasn't hit yet.

J. Cole Helped Wale Beat Writer's Block with Meditation Tips

Wale responded, sharing a personal story: "I done talked to Cole 'bout the block a rack of times. One time [he] tried to teach me how to meditate... it worked a lil. We made 'My Boy' right after."

That track, "My Boy (Freestyle)," featuring both rappers, was released in 2018 on Wale's "Free Lunch EP." J. Cole not only rapped on the song but also produced the beat.

According to Complex, though Wale said he isn't currently experiencing writer's block—"I don't have the block right now FYI. I wrote a lot today lol"—he added that he plans to try out some of the fan suggestions next time he gets stuck. "Next time I do, I'm def comin' back here."

Fans were excited to hear the behind-the-scenes story of how "My Boy" came together.

There has been growing interest from fans, with many expressing a desire for a full-length collaborative project between Wale and J. Cole.

One fan posted, "A Wale & Cole collab album would be phenomenal." Another wrote, "Y'all have yet to miss with your collabs."

Wale and J. Cole continue to maintain a strong friendship. Earlier this month, Wale performed at Cole's Dreamville Festival, sharing the stage with notable artists including Lil Wayne, 21 Savage, and Erykah Badu.

With support from artists like J. Cole and his own willingness to try new methods like meditation, Wale is keeping the creativity going.

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Wale, J. Cole