Rainey Ovalle is taking his viral "Jalen Invasion" theory from the hardwood to the gridiron.
On Sunday, Ovalle shared a snippet on Instagram teasing a new track, reportedly titled "Jalen 2," where he’ll shift focus from the NBA to the NFL, continuing what's become a full-blown comedic investigation into the growing number of athletes named Jalen, or some variation of it.
According to Ovalle, the track is scheduled for release on April 1.
"They tried to keep me quiet, and they pay me well / But sometimes there's some truths that you just got to tell / It's way too many Jalens in the NFL," he raps in the preview, setting the tone for a tongue-in-cheek conspiracy that builds throughout the verse.
The track follows his earlier viral release "Jalen Invasion," which grew out of a running joke on the Victory Light podcast. With "Jalen 2," Ovalle appears to be doubling down, claiming the NFL has an even bigger problem.
"The NBA got them a few, and it's true, but the NFL got a whole different conundrum / There's Jaylin Simpson on the Packers, Mills on the Lions, Coker on the Panthers / Out of the Colts, the Chiefs, and Commanders, I think the NFL set a new standard," Ovalle raps before taking it even further.
"At this rate, it's gonna be some Jalens in Japan / I'm in Aruba, toes all in the sand / Server brought me drinks and name said Jalen on the tag / It's a full blown invasion, you can't tell me nothing else."
The concept leans heavily into satire, but Ovalle is treating it like a full narrative arc. In an exclusive statement, he described building a storyline around the songs.
"I'm constructing this narrative around both songs where I've been approached by a shadowy organization called the Secret Order of the Jalenites, who tried to buy my silence and who is threatening retaliation if I continue to expose the truth about the silent invasion currently taking over professional sports," he told Complex.
While the idea continues to gain traction online, Ovalle made it clear he's not trying to force the concept into every corner of sports just for the sake of going viral.
"If it makes sense, and the idea comes to me organically, sure," he said when asked about potentially bringing the bit to the MLB. "There isn't a single Jalen in baseball, but I'm sure I can cook something up about Dominican players named Jose or something, but I've never been one to force the funk."
