District of Columbia native Wale brings his poetic rap style to Music City to celebrate his seventh studio album, Folarin II.
Nearing the end of his Under A Blue Moon Tour, Olubowale Victor Akintimehin–better known as his stage name, Wale, brings his performance to Nashville, TN. The Washington D.C. rapper released his seventh studio album Folarin II back in October 2021, and after rescheduling a few dates, the tour began at the end of January. Joining Akintimehin on tour was Cam Wallace, who’s recently been signed to Motown Records, and Oakland native Guapdad 4000. Wale was also joined on stage with the lead singer of ThePPL, TRÉ.
As the lights dimmed, the venue was filled with cheers and screams. Before Wale hit the stage, a bed of roses was revealed with a leather chair placed at the end. He walked on stage and took a seat, stating he was “feeling kind of shy right now” as he held a small bouquet of roses that covered his face. After his intro, he began his set with fan-favorite “Lotus Flower Bomb.” Ecstatic and full of excitement, the crowd sang every word.
Wale continued his set with a verse from “The Need to Know,” an acapella verse of “Just Friends” and “Diced Pineapples.” Known for his verbal cadences and poetic lyricism, Wale captivated the audience and kept them engaged, and even more so with a verse from “PYT.” During the song, he even mimicked some popular dance moves from the well-known Michael Jackson.
Sprinkled throughout the set, Akintimehin included several songs from Folarin II, the second iteration of his mixtape from 2012. Some of the songs included “Tiffany Nikes,” “Down South,” and “Caramel.” As the beginning of “That Way” played, the audience screamed with enthusiasm. He performed a verse from the popular song, then transitioned into a verse from “The Matrimony.” By now it was clear that Akintimehin had gotten over his shyness, in part due to the support and energy coming from the crowd. Then the audience screamed and shouted as the intro to “Ambition” played and he stood on stage with his head tilted back, copying the cover of his 2011 album of the same name.
Akintimehin’s set continued with back-to-back performances of some of his most popular songs and features, beginning with “Bag of Money,” a track from Self Made, Volume 2 by Maybach Music Group. Wale followed with “Nike Boots,” one of his earlier songs, and kept the crowd screaming for more. The audience continued singing every word and it became evident when he performed an acapella verse from “Illest Bitch.” A few minutes later and the crowd went crazy as the beginning to Tyga’s “Rack City” played. Wale continued to perform his verse from the remix of the song.
The hits kept coming as Wale performed “Sabotage” with TRÉ singing Lloyd’s chorus. Following songs included “The Body,” “Poke It Out,” “Chain Music,” and “Pretty Girls.” To end the night, Wale invited Guapdad 4000 back to the stage. The audience lost their minds as they performed Waka Flaka Flame’s club anthem “No Hands.”
The Under A Blue Moon Tour has now come to an end but you can continue to stream his latest album Folarin II on all streaming platforms.
WALEWebsite Facebook Twitter
