D.C. rap hero Wale returns today with Folarin II, his first album since 2019’s Wow… That’s Crazy. The LP’s title nods to Wale’s 2012 mixtape Folarin, which features the likes of 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, Nipsey Hussle, Scarface, and French Montana.
Wale previewed Folarin II with three singles, all of which boast big-name guests. Chris Brown joins him on “Angles,” Maxo Kream and Yella Beezy rhyme on “Down South,” and J. Cole helps out on “Poke It Out,” which samples Q-Tip’s 1999 single “Vivrant Thing.” Elsewhere on Folarin II, Wale welcomes Rick Ross, Jamie Foxx, and Ant Clemons, among others.
Folarin II was originally slated to drop back in the summer. When Wale announced the project in a July tweet, he used the opportunity to assert his place in hip-hop history. “I understand you may feel how you feel for whatever soembody [sic] told you … but I just wanna reiterate that I’m one of the greatest of all time,” he wrote. “Catalog .Consistency. Influence. Longevity. DMV. With that said #Folarin2 this summer.”
