Wale’s Folarin II tries to depict the rapid highs and lows that come with love and attachment and while it doesn’t totally fail at doing this, it ends up being nothing more than some pretty standard surface-level lyrical rap. After making somewhat of a comeback over the past few years with his inspiring 2019 lp, Wow…That’s Crazy, and his politically charged ep in 2020, The Imperfect Storm, it would be expected for Wale to keep growing and improving as an artist, but here, it just feels like he’s trying to relive the glory that his seventh albums 2012 predecessor was beloved for.
With all this being said, this doesn’t mean that the entire album is terrible, as the 37-year-old does flash just how good he can be on songs like the character challenging “Fluctuate” and bravado-filled “New Balances.” Wale’s flow and delivery as an mc are nearly always on par with the best rappers in his lane, it’s just the actual focus of his lyrics and direction of the record that he fails to connect together in a meaningful way. Remaining as a constant strength throughout, the record’s soundscape is excellent with its smooth utilization of classic r&b samples into nearly all of the 15 instrumentals. Even the features including names such as Rick Ross, Maxo Kream, and Jamie Foxx, do a great job in their respective showings making both Wale’s own performance and the album better. The only guest artists who added to the albums cons were Chris Brown and J Cole, who ended up coming off downright corny in the environments they were thrown in. Overall, Folarin II may be a messy album that falls flat in an array of ways, but it is still a solid record that any fan of Wale will find enjoyment in.
Rating: 5.2/10
Top 5 Songs:
- Fluctuate
- Light Years
- Beverly Blvd
- Tiffany Nikes
- New Balances
Written By: Mr. Fantastic
