A sold-out end to a quick tour far from home, Friday February 1st brought the lyrical stylings of Wale to The Varsity Theater in Baton Rouge. The man once known as the “go-go rapper,” Wale brought the full range of sound that has defined him as standing a head above and outside the crowd of the hip-hop world. While the event featured relatively short performances, the artists made the most of their timeslots. Wale reached across his ever-expanding portfolio to show off the new material from his Folarin mixtape as well as fan favorites like, “Lotus Flower Bomb,” and “Slight Work.”
An on-stage mix of DJ’s, fellow rappers, and lotus eating friends accompanied Wale to create a sense of composure that contrasted beautifully against a crowd bumping, grinding, and going mad for the man of the hour. Unlike many local hip-hop acts which bring cringes of fear to Baton Rouge venue owners, Wale’s show enjoyed a crowd that was clearly more interested in a night of dance and drinks than fighting.
The centerpiece of the night was the recent Folarin mixtape, which features 21 tracks of collaborations with producers and artists from all over the hip-hop scene. Rick Ross, French Montana, 2 Chainz, and many others make appearances to give a full spectrum of sounds and styles. As per the norm, the mixtape can be found on datpiff and Wale’s Bandcamp.
One of the busiest rappers around, Wale has already released new music on the heels of the Folarin mixtape. As January came to a close, “Cee-Lo” by DJ Scream featuring Future, Ludacris, and Wale in a fairly typical bass-heavy hip-hop track stands as his most recent release. Album About Nothing, a full-length album featuring Jerry Seinfeld, is also in the works and aims to be a follow up to Wale’s Mixtape About Nothing.
Having grown up in Northern Virginia, a few minutes outside of DC, I’ve been jamming to Wale’s raps over the years, loving to listen to his audio evolution. To get to see so well received of a show in my new hometown made for a magical experience, and leaves me anxious to see what the future of live music in Baton Rouge will hold.
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