Folarin 2

Wale Announces The Cross-Country Under A Blue Moon Tour For 2022

by
wale-tf-uproxx.jpg
Paul L. Carter

2021 has been kind to Wale and deservedly so. The Uproxx cover star dropped his seventh studio album, Folarin II, last month and even declared himself as “one of the greatest of all time.” Ego-stroking aside, the DMV icon has stayed firmly in the limelight, headlining Afropunk festival in Atlanta in September and then bringing out the elusive Q-Tip at Rolling Loud in New York to perform “Poke It Out.”

Now Wale, who has been very vocal about how much he cares about performing live, has announced his full Under A Blue Moon Tour. The tour gets going next January in Nashville and continues on through March.

Check out the full tour dates below and tickets are on sale now. Get them here.

01/12/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
01/13/2022 — Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal
01/15/2022 — Huntsville, AL @ Mars Music Hall
01/16/2022 — Birmingham, AL @ Iron City
01/17/2022 — Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern
01/18/2022 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
01/20/2022 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
01/21/2022 — Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live
01/23/2022 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
01/24/2022 — New York, NY @ Webster Hall
01/25/2022 — Boston, MA @ House of Blues
01/28/2022 — Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
01/29/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
01/30/2022 — Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room @ Old National
01/31/2022 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
02/02/2022 — Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
02/03/2022 — St Louis, MO @ The Pageant
02/06/2022 — Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
02/08/2022 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox Market
02/10/2022 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
02/15/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
02/16/2022 — San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
02/17/2022 — Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren
02/19/2022 — San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater
02/21/2022 — Dallas, TX @ HOB Dallas
02/24/2022 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore
02/25/2022 — Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen
02/26/2022 — Jackson, MS @ Hal & Mal’s
03/01/2022 — Little Rock, AR @ Little Rock Hall
03/02/2022 — Memphis, TN @ Cannon Center

Folarin II is out now via MMG/Warner Records.

Wale is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Wale, Maxo Kream, And Yella Beezy Throw A Parking Lot Party In The ‘Down South’ Video

by

If you’re going to make a video for a song called “Down South” featuring Houston hard-hitter Maxo Kream and Dallas star Yella Beezy, it’s only right that you make that video a blowout celebration of all things Texas car culture. That’s exactly what Wale does for his Paul Wall-sampling single from Folarin II, throwing a parking lot party with all the candy paint, hydraulics, and horsepower he could fit into four minutes.

The video is also crammed with legends of Texas hip-hop, including Bun B, Slim Thug, and more. As the trio’s guests gyrate to the no-doubt booming bass from the circled-up, showstopping slabs, the rappers perform their verses and sip from styrofoam cups, completing the image of a good, old-fashioned Texas shindig. Interestingly, “Down South” is the third video from the Folarin II rollout, but it was the first single. Wale also dropped videos for “Poke It Out,” featuring J. Cole, and “Angles” with Chris Brown.

Watch Wale’s ‘Down South’ video featuring Maxo Kream and Yella Beezy above. You can read Uproxx’s autumn digital cover story on Wale here.

Folarin II is due 10/22 via Warner Records and MMG. You can pre-save it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Wale And J Cole’s ‘Poke It Out’ Video Has Even More Q-Tip Homages

by

Girls just want to have fun in Wale‘s colorful new video for “Poke It Out” featuring J. Cole. After dropping the latest single from his upcoming album, Folarin II, Wale furthers his Q-Tip homages by reproducing some of the Queens rapper’s iconic video moments. As “Poke It Out” samples Q-Tip’s J Dilla-produced debut solo single “Vivrant Thing,” it makes sense that Wale borrows and updates shots such as the infamous head bob as he cruises the streets in a jeep full of women.

Women are the primary focus of the video, as Wale and his female entourage end up at a lakeside campsite (reproducing the beach run from the “Vivrant Thing” video), where the ladies hike, play football, and have a late-night bonfire. Then, Wale and his running buddy J. Cole trade verses against a plain backdrop that lets Cole’s words take center stage as he praises women with bodies ranging from “Meg Thee Stallion” to “Coi Leray” — both of whom Wale’s worked with in the past (click those links).

So far, Wale’s released three singles from his upcoming Folarin sequel, including “Angles” and “Down South,” which features Maxo Kream and Yella Beezy. The classic hip-hop references have been in full effect, promising a rap album that pays even more homage to the past while advancing Wale’s sound and stature in the future.

Watch Wale’s “Poke It Out” video above.

Wale is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Folarin II is due 10/22 via Warner Records.

Wale And J. Cole Reunite On The J Dilla-Sampling ‘Poke It Out’

by

Wale and J. Cole are a match made in hip-hop heaven, proving as much once again on their J Dilla-sampling new single, “Poke It Out.” The two former XXL Freshmen continue their long history of bringing out the best in each other on their smooth new jam, which interpolates the Jay Dee-produced beat from 1999 debut solo single “Vivrant Thing.”

The original was a huge hit in its own right, giving Q-Tip his highest-charting single to date; Wale and Cole’s version, produced by Cool & Dre, updates the lyrics but keeps a similar theme, letting the two rappers praise the beauty of a female companion with their usual slick, wordplay-laden rhymes. The two also shout out female rappers Coi Leray and Megan Thee Stallion as a way of touting their broad and inclusive tastes.

The single is the latest from Wale’s upcoming album Folarin II, which he also announced is set for release on October 22 through Warner Records. So far, he’s released a pair of other singles: “Angles” and the Mike Jones-sampling “Down South” featuring Texans Maxo Kream and Yella Beezy. From the singles released so far, it appears Wale’s latest album will pay homage to classic hip-hop as he parallels his legacy with those of his musical heroes in his ongoing efforts to prove himself one of the greatest rappers of all time.

Listen to “Poke It Out” above and pre-order Folarin II, out 10/22 on Warner Records, here.

Wale is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Wale Announces ‘Folarin 2’ While Labeling Himself As ‘One Of The Greatest Of All Time’

by
Getty Image

Back in 2012, Wale released his eighth mixtape, Folarin, which would go on to be one of the better releases from hip-hop’s mixtape era. It was also an impressive effort in the rapper’s discography and nearly a decade later, Wale has announced its sequel is on the way. He shared the news on Twitter, along with a pretty big boast. “I understand you may feel how you feel for whatever soembody 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.”

The arrival of Folarin 2 should be no more than a couple of months away. Recently he’s shared several singles, including “Good Vibes,” “Flawed” with Gunna, and “Lions, Bengals, & Bears” with DJ Money. Folarin 2 would also be his first project since his 2020 EP, The Imperfect Storm, and his first full-length effort since 2019’s Wow… That’s Crazy, an album that posted highlight tracks like “On Chill,” “Sue Me,” and “Love (Her Fault)” with Bryson Tiller. Prior to the announcement, Wale joined Coi Leray for a remix of Earthgang’s “Options.”

Wale is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.