Remember when Wale seemed to be uninspired and not down to drop new music? Us either - the Maybach Music Group member comes through after mounted anticipation with his new Folarin II studio album.

Wale’s Dropped His Star-Studded ‘Folarin II’ Album

The must-hear new album comes just weeks after Wale teamed up with North Carolina’s finest J. Cole for their “Poke It Out” anthem and is stacked with collaborations.

Grammy-nominated rap star, actor and advocate Wale releases his long-awaited album Folarin II, a versatile, yet cohesive constellation of braggadocious bars, soul-baring romantic confessionals, and moving social commentary. Full of dynamic lyricism, stylish production, and studded with features from J. Cole, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, and more, Folarin II fortifies Wale’s status as one of the defining artists of his generation.

Throwback Sounds In Modern Day

One of the standout features of the new project is Wale’s knack for creating new tunes with odes to throwback classics. On multiple songs, the 80’s baby goes the vintage route taking classic 90’s and 00’s song sounds with a modern day twist.

For his latest Warner Records album, Wale flips between sounds and moods, dipping into flirty wordplay and mid-2000s R&B samples one moment (“Poke It Out” with J. Cole and “Angles” with Chris Brown) and triumphant, yet reflective tracks the next (“Tiffany Nike” and “Light Years” with Rick Ross). On “Poke It Out,” he cruises over a sample of Q-Tip’s “Vivrant Thing” for a playful single, trading slick bars with Cole. Wale’s album-length balancing act is a testament to his skills as a writer and to his well-honed taste as a curator, qualities that helped him elevate to his place as one of rap’s premier tastemakers. It’s a position he’s maintained since bursting onto the scene over a decade ago and it’s one he’s steadily reminded fans of over the last few years.

A Couple Standout Anthems

Over the past few months, Wale’s remained committed to dropping serious heat. He collaborated with both J. Cole and R&B hitmaker Chris Brown for some certified bangers.

Wale’s Been Grinding For A Minute

Over the past few years, Ralph Folarin has remained committed to grinding out new tunes. Even before the pandemic hit, the Washington, DC native kept putting out big anthems.

Last November, he shared the bittersweet “Flawed” with Gunna. And in 2019, his sixth studio album Wow… That’s Crazy spawned the #1 single “On Chill” featuring Jeremih, which received a 2020 BET Award nomination for "Best Collaboration." The Grammy-nominated artist’s list of accolades and accomplishments grows every year. He’s covered publications such as Complex, Billboard, XXL, Vibe, and Uproxx, and has received honors at the BET Awards, BET Hip-Hop Awards, Soul Train Awards, and more. To date, Wale has achieved six Platinum or multi-Platinum singles, three Gold singles, and two Gold albums. Folarin II shows that despite all the acclaim, he’s still focused on building a legacy, one that shines brighter than any plaque.