2014 is over and done with, and we the hip-hop community are moving onto greater endeavors. After an overall mediocre year for rap albums, 2015 is destined to be different. Hip-hop's biggest names are all scheduled to release albums this year, and the timing could not be more right. Today, who better than Rae Sremmurd to kick off the new year of releases with their debut album, Sremm Life. Only two weeks after that, the long-awaited debut album from Joey Bada$$ will hit stores nationwide (hence why they are not featured in this list). Imagine what a whole calendar of releases will look like?
Although hip-hop album sales dropped nearly 25% in 2014, let's hope no artist (especially Lil Wayne) gets held label-hostage in 2015. Sometimes, it's better to receive than to give. Try not to get too excited- these are our 10 most anticipated projects of the new year.
Victory Lap
#11. Nipsey Hussle - Victory Lap
Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap has been a long time coming. In fact, the mixtape-turned-album has been in the making for well over two years. Having just released his Mailbox Money mixtape on New Years Eve, we can definitely (?) expect that Victory Lap is next out of the chute for Nipsey. In an interview with XXL last year, the California rapper revealed that the album “don’t got no features” on it yet, but that is subject to change. Who knows, maybe Nipsey Hussle will take the Logic route and include no other rappers on his debut- he sure has the fanbase to support him. Likewise his past couple releases, bet on Victory Lap to use the Proud-2-Pay method for pick up, meaning that listeners can either purchase the album or download it digitally at no cost.
King Push
#10. Pusha T - King Push
Many considered My Name Is My Name as the top hip-hop album of 2013. Pusha T’s cocaine raps never ran dry, and production from the game’s best made each track worth returning to. This Spring, Pusha T is expected to release his second solo album via GOOD Music, King Push. Back in August, Pusha T revealed Baauer, Hudson Mohawke, and Pharrell among the varied list of producers set to be featured on the project. King Push’s first single, “Lunch Money”, exhibits an over-the-top kitchen clattering beat by Kanye West and an even weirder music video. As Pusha T continues to push the envelope further, expect his album to contain an abundance of unorthodox sounds.
Tyga - The Gold Album
Nobody is more excited for The Gold Album’s release than Tyga himself. In 2014, T-Raww was super frustrated when Cash Money Records refused to put out his album, despite having buzzing records like “Erryday” and “Hookah” (feat. Young Thug) in rotation. Taking matters into his own hands, it appears Tyga somehow got out of his contract with YMCMB, as The Gold Album is slated to be independently released on January 27th. Executively produced by Kanye West, expect this LP to feature some of the year’s best production, including the Kanye-produced "40 Mill."
The Album About Nothing
#8. Wale - The Album About Nothing
OG Wale fans will agree that The Mixtape About Nothing and More About Nothing are two of the DC rapper’s finest bodies of work, so when news broke that Wale’s upcoming project would be titled The Album About Nothing, you can imagine the joyful response. Sticking with the Seinfeld theme, Jerry Seinfeld will play narrator as the album’s story unfolds. Lead single “The Body” featuring Jeremih kicked the album off in the right start (although Wale recently told us it might not make the final cut), and listeners can count on collaborations with J. Cole, Pete Rock, and DJ Premiere to also appear on the tracklist. Although originally planned for Fall 2014, The Album About Nothing is now scheduled to drop on March 31st. Greatness awaits.
Meek Mill - Dreams Worth More Than Money
Meek Mill was jusssst about ready to release his sophomore album when he was unfortunately thrown in jail. These things happen. Thankfully, Meek has since been released from the pen, and Dreams Worth More Than Money is back on our radars. Before being incarcerated, we heard the speaker-busting tracks “On The Corner” and “I Don’t Know” featuring Paloma Ford. These singles may have died down, but anticipation for Meek’s album is higher than ever. Recently, he previewed multiple new tracks on Instagram, all of which sound A1. Oh yeah, how could we forget that “Contagious” collab he has coming with the Migos? Dreams Worth More Than Money is about to be a movie.
Ty Dolla $ign- Free TC
2014’s Beach House EP was one of the most impressive releases of the year. Backed by DJ Mustard production, hits like “Or Nah” and “Paranoid” cemented Ty Dolla $ign’s name as one of the top R&B artists in the game. This year, Dolla $ign will release his highly anticipated debut album, Free TC. When speaking with Fuse TV last March, the Los Angeles native described the album’s title as an effort to free his brother who is currently imprisoned for a murder he didn’t commit. "I'm gonna give the people a super-quality album and use that money and get him an incredible lawyer,” he said. To hype up the project, Dolla $ign recently released “Stand For”, an uplifting record co-produced by Diplo & DJ Dahi. Although a second single has yet to be released, Dolla $ign told Billboard late last week that he and Kanye West recorded “seven or nine” songs together while in Mexico. Expect one of those collaborations to appear on the tracklist, as well as the Kendrick Lamar-assisted “L.A.”, a song which Dolla $ign describes as a west coast “Empire State of Mind”. After being named one of The Source’s Men of the Year alongside YG & DJ Mustard, Ty Dolla $ign will keep the tide rolling with his debut LP, Free TC.
A$AP Rocky’s Sophomore Album
It’s been nearly two years since the release of A$AP Rocky’s debut album, Long.Live.A$AP. In between then and now, the Harlem native stayed relatively low-key by producing beats, touring with Wiz Khalifa, and appearing on the Divergent soundtrack. It wasn’t until fall of 2014 that A$AP Rocky reemerged as a godfather emcee. “Multiply” marked the return of Rocky, and “Pretty Flacko 2” assured that he wasn’t going anywhere. A$AP Rocky never really left, but with his sophomore album looming, a major comeback is surely on the horizon in 2015.
Tha Carter V
#4. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter V
Tha Carter V is a sensitive topic for many Lil Wayne fans. Rumored to be Wayne’s final album, expectations for C5 were sky-high in 2014, with even higher anticipation. After Kobe Bryant officially announced the commencement of Carter V Season last April, the campaign truly took off in May when Weezy released “Believe Me”, “D’usse (Freestyle)”, and the fan-favorite “Tina Turn Up Need A Tune Up” video all in the span of three weeks. Hype for the album was so undeniable that journalists such as Complex’s Ernest Baker deemed Tha Carter V a classic before it was even out yet. Ah, but all that glitters ain’t gold. Fast forward to December 2014, where two release dates later, Wayne is in Tyga’s same predicament. Tha Carter V isn’t out, and nobody is happy. To make up for the time, Tunechi will precede Tha Carter V’s release with his Sorry 4 The Wait 2 mixtape, which we can only hope comes sometime soon. Hype may have died down a bit, but Tha Carter V remains one of 2015’s most anticipated projects.
Kendrick Lamar’s Sophomore Album
Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city set the bar high for modern day classics. The critically acclaimed album was perfect in nearly every sense of the word, and it will be no easy task for Kendrick Lamar to outdo his debut. His upcoming album, which remains untitled, will test his kingly status as he tries to avoid the infamous sophomore slump.
What we’ve heard off the LP so far is impressive. Lead single “i” is a warm, feel-good track, and his “Untitled” performance on The Colbert Report was nothing less than phenomenal. Look for production to be handled by Dr Dre, Pharrell, and the same in-house producers that crafted the hits on good kid, m.A.A.d city. Kendrick Lamar’s sophomore album has the potential to be another west coast classic.
Drake - Views From The 6
“We already got Spring 2015 poppin'/ PND droppin', Reps-up P droppin'/ Majid Jordan droppin', OB droppin', not to mention me droppin.” When Drake dropped this noteworthy bar on last year’s “0 to 100/The Catch Up”, the hip-hop universe collectively perked their ears. No matter how far away it seemed at the time, a new Drake album was a fascinating thought. What once seemed eons away is now just months around the corner, as Spring 2015 is quickly approaching.
A lot has happened since the release of Drake’s third album, 2013’s Nothing Was The Same. He dated Rihanna, fought Diddy, beefed with Tyga, toured with Lil Wayne, and lost to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis at the Grammy Awards- but it’s not like he ever took a break from making music. 2014 was debatably Drake’s biggest year yet, as he kept the stove hot with songs like “Draft Day”, “6 God”, and the aforementioned “0 to 100/The Catch Up”. With all this buzz surrounding his name, we can only assume that Views From The 6 will be Drizzy’s wildest album yet. How the game turn into the Drake show?
Kanye West’s Seventh Solo Album
There are still many unanswered questions regarding Kanye West’s upcoming album, mainly because he’s been so quiet about it. What we do know isn’t much, as likewise Yeezus, this new project will probably be kept secret until its release. A few nights ago, however, Kanye unleashed “Only One” featuring Paul McCartney, an Auto-Tuned record showing off his softer side, more melodic side-- which stands in stark contrast to the dark, metallic sounds on Yeezus. Now a family man parenting a young daughter, Ye’s music may no longer reflect an outraged god frustrated by the fashion industry. Instead, perhaps his seventh album will introduce yet another phase of his ever-intriguing life. Either way, we’re more than excited to hear what he has to offer, even more so now given "Only One."