Photo Credit: Axl Folie
Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum producer Axl Folie (formerly known as Axel Morgan) has long been one of the quiet architects behind some of modern hip-hop and R&B’s most influential sounds.
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From co-producing the West Coast anthem “Collard Greens” with Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar, to delivering unforgettable cuts on projects by Drake, Nipsey Hussle, Jay Rock, A$AP Rocky, and 21 Savage — Axl Folie’s fingerprints are all over the last decade of game-shifting music.
But if you ask him, he’s just getting started.
The Los Angeles-based producer has recently been carving a new lane alongside Grammy-nominated artist Leon Thomas. Their collaboration spans two full-length albums, Electric Dusk and Mutt, with Axl Folie acting as a sonic co-pilot. Tracks like “X-Rated” (feat. Benny the Butcher) and “Love Jones” (feat. Ty Dolla $ign) earned praise for their cinematic textures and genre-bending blend of jazz, psychedelic rock, and soulful R&B.
“Leon’s one of the few artists I’ve met who had a full vision and strategy from day one,” Axl Folie shares. “It made me want to go all in — he turned everything up for me creatively.”
Their bond, born in a house-turned-studio through a mutual connection (actor James Earl), has evolved into one of the most potent artist-producer collaborations in recent memory. Axl Folie calls Leon “like a brother,” and their musical chemistry proves it.
And while R&B heads have taken notice, Axl Folie’s next wave returns him to the rap arena — but with even heavier hitters.
He’s staying tight-lipped about details, but a new project is brewing that features a heavyweight lineup: Cardi B, Jhené Aiko, James Fauntleroy, Rick Ross, and even unreleased material with Nipsey Hussle. Insiders say it’s “some of the best work he’s ever done.”
With 15+ platinum plaques, a Grammy win (Jay Rock’s “King’s Dead”), and production credits on multiple Albums of the Year (Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, Views), Axl Folie has nothing left to prove. But that hasn’t stopped him from innovating.
“Legacy isn’t about the loudest voice,” he says. “It’s about who keeps showing up, year after year, evolving, leveling up, and putting something real into the world.”
Expect Axl Folie’s next chapter to be loud — even if he doesn’t say much.
