“The most highly underrated of my generation.” That’s Wale’s opening line of his 2017 song, “Groundhog Day.” The rapper has many platinum singles, gold albums and is highly respected for his lyricism. But despite his success, Wale hasn’t received some of the accolades his peers have. He has never won a Grammy, and is often left out of conversations about elite rappers.
The underrated label has bothered Wale throughout his career. “Groundhog Day” was Wale’s response to J. Cole’s verse about him in the song, “False Prophets.” J. Cole rapped, “I got a homie, he a rapper and he wanna win bad/He want the fame, the acclaim, the respect that’s been had/By all the legends, so every time I see him, he stressin’.” From song verses, to public outbursts such as calling and threatening the Complex staff after being left off of their top 50 albums of the year list, being underrated has clearly irritated Wale.
Going into this album, Wale let it be known where he belongs. He tweeted, “I just wanna reiterate that I’m one of the greatest of all time. Catalog. Consistency. Influence. Longevity. DMV.”
Wale’s seventh album, Folarin 2 puts this confidence on display, and serves as a reminder for why he should be considered amongst the greats. Coming off of a slow-paced, mental health themed album, Wale comes with a different approach on Folarin 2.
The song “Name Ring Bell” best demonstrates the confidence Wale displays on the album. He speaks about how his lack of recognition does not bother him in the same way it once did. He raps over the fast-paced beat, “I don’t gotta be liked but Imma always be good.” Wale continues to boast about his impact throughout the song. Near the end he raps, “Say I got a ego, I deserve a EGOT.”
On the fourth track, “Tiffany Nikes,” Wale stays directly on the theme of changing the “underrated” narrative. He raps, “Revenue good but my legacy not/They on the fence, I’m on the charts.” Throughout this song, Wale raps about his influence in both fashion and music, while tying in larger social issues over a hard-hitting beat.
Often criticized by hip-hop heads for making slow, melodic love songs, Wale makes sure to open this album with what made him first gain national attention, his rapping. There is no singing in the first four songs, just straight bars.
Folarin 2 is a sequel to Wale’s mixtape, Folarin. Although Folarin 2 is an album, it does feel like a mixtape, with plenty of sampling. Joe Budden said on the Joe Budden Podcast, “It sounds like something I would’ve downloaded on DatPiff,” a popular mixtape app.
Throughout the album, Wale puts forth witty wordplay, countless flows, and consistent lyricism. He is also sure to put in songs that speak to his female audience, with songs such as “Angles,” “Something Special,” and “Dearly Beloved,” which features one slow, poetic verse based off of a scene from The Jamie Foxx Show. This is reminiscent of Wale’s Nothing projects, where each song idea derived from the show Seinfeld.
Folarin 2 is an all encompassing Wale album, but it shows another level of confidence. He raps on the last track, “Beverly Blvd.,” “I do the shit that they never done/I see the shit they can never see/Honestly I’m really one-of-one/Honestly, I got no company.”
Since Wale never felt he received the praise he deserved, he is giving it to himself on this album. On the album cover he holds a bouquet of flowers he gave himself. After over a decade filled with creative and cohesive albums, massive hits, and thought provoking songs, he’s earned the bouquet.
