During a recent sit-down on Drink Champs, comedian Deon Cole recounted a viral moment at the 2025 BET Awards where popular streamer Kai Cenat barely acknowledged him. The encounter immediately stuck with Deon, reminding him of a previous viral moment when Kai failed to recognize rapper Wale, later excusing it by citing his youth!
The Drink Champs Moment 🍹
For Deon, these experiences reflect a larger issue: emerging influencers often step into major events without fully understanding the legacy and contributions of the artists and creators who built the Black entertainment industry. While being young or new to a space is understandable, ignoring the history and figures that shaped it is not.
Deon recalled how backstage at the this year’s BET awards‘ he said hello to Kai–and was brushed off. Deon went on to explain how it was Druski who ultimately acknowledged him with a warm embrace–directing Kai’s attention.
Knowing The Legends Matters 🏆
Deon used his experiences as a teaching moment for the next generation of content creators and social media personalities. According to him, doing your homework on the legends of the industry is the bare minimum when you are being booked to cover Black entertainment.
“Age isn’t the issue — effort is,” Deon explained. He emphasized that professionalism means taking the time to learn about the icons, their contributions, and the impact they’ve had on the culture. Being unaware of this history not only diminishes your credibility but also disrespects the artists who paved the way for the opportunities you now have.
The Wale Moment
As we previously reported, Kai went viral once more that night after a brief exchange with Wale. After fans on Twitch tapped in on Kai’s live stream repeatedly saying Wale’s name, Kai can be heard saying “Oh wow that was someone crazy,” while also mispronouncing his name.
His driver then says that was “Wale”, Kai then responds, “Yeah, what he do?”
The momement immediately began to circulate online resulting in Wale approaching Kai during his stream.
“That s*** making me look crazy right now… that exchange we had in the hallway… they’re running with it, but we’ll talk later.”
Join The Family!
Caught off guard, Kai responded with a quick “My bad!” and gave Wale dap. The situation didn’t escalate—but it definitely left the internet talking.
Kai Speaks Out: “No Shade, I Just Didn’t Know!”
Later that night, Kai addressed the situation head-on during his Twitch stream.
“I hope Wale didn’t take that personal. I’m young, bro. I was NINE when ‘Lotus Flower Bomb’ dropped! I didn’t mean no disrespect.”
He even played the track live on stream and admitted he didn’t realize that Wale was the voice behind one of the 2010s’ most iconic hits.
Why This Matters 💬
Deon’s message resonates beyond one viral clip. Influencers, journalists, and event hosts have a responsibility to engage with Black culture respectfully and accurately. Failing to recognize its icons can lead to public backlash, viral criticism, and the appearance of indifference toward the foundational figures in the industry.
Preparation and research, Deon argues, are non-negotiable. Stepping into rooms with history, recognition, and legacy demands that you understand and honor that history.
Noir Nation Thoughts
Noir Nation, what’s your take? Should influencers be expected to know the culture’s history before stepping into major entertainment events, or is learning on the job acceptable?
Check out what social media users had to say and let us know your comments below!
They hired Kai for his viewership!! He doesn’t need to know who anybody there is bc it isn’t his profession or skill in his career. He shows his life and gaming. Do ppl Deon’s age know about twitch and the gaming world? Probably NOT. Unfortunately ALOT did stop with my generation.So why blame him for a societal general issue? 😂😂
Young or not, you have to come prepared in grown spaces.
The young generation dgaf, its why everything is mediocre today
+ There are no comments
Add yours