Delayed rap albums have unfortunately become commonplace in the genre’s world. Artists fail to deliver on the dates they gave themselves for a variety of reasons, whether it be label issues, sample clearance, or simply, not completing the project on time.
Social media is the biggest factor in these situations. With the rise of Instagram Live, artists often preview snippets of music that build high expectations for their upcoming projects. Sometimes artists are transparent about why the project hasn't been released and sometimes they aren't. Listeners just have to stay locked in to see what happens to the project once it is announced.
With that in mind, we're exploring 7 previously announced projects that have yet to see the light of day. Check out the entries below.
7. Boldy James & J Dilla - Drug Dilla
Boldy James drops so much music, it's hard to tell if he’s ever dropped a delayed rap album. Often, his releases come as a surprise as opposed to receiving a full promotional run. Many of Boldy’s projects have been producer-exclusive collabs and this highly anticipated release follows the same formula. Boldly and Dilla are both from Detroit so this is one connection they already have. Boldy first announced the project in an interview on Showoff Your Gems and later confirmed to Rap Radar that he had “the last of the Dilla stash." There is currently no date for the project and Boldy has only announced the name of it, Drug Dilla.
Read More: Boldy James Top 5 Most Streamed Songs
6. Westside Gunn & Madlib - GUNNLIB
Westside Gunn is currently in the midst of dropping a delayed rap album, And Then You Pray For Me, which was initially due out last month. However, he has another release that may be a hair more anticipated than this one. Gunnlib, the anticipated joint effort between Westside Gunn and Madlib, was birthed from their collab of the same name that appeared on Flygod Is An Awesome God. The two formed a great collaborative record together with their most recent appearing on Westside Gunn’s 2022 release Peace “Fly” God.
Madlib is a legendary producer with an extensive resume and Westside Gunn's golden era-tinted sound is undoubtedly a perfect pairing with the Madvillainy producer's beats. Westside Gunn announced his “retirement” before releasing this album, although he didn't follow through on it - much to the delight of his fans. Westside Gunn enjoys regularly dropping music and is often transparent about why things have been delayed. This release depends on his own personal release plans.
5. Cardi B - TBA
This delayed rap album is not a matter of a label dispute. In December 2022, Cardi was completely transparent about her album delay while on Instagram Live. “I feel like I got so many songs and I don’t like anything. I feel like nothing is good enough," she explained. Cardi B went on to say that even if she did put the music out, she’d have personal issues to work out throughout the roll out. “I know right after I drop my album, I have to go out on tour and I have bad separation anxiety from my kids,” Cardi added.
These reasons are completely justified. Cardi has not left her fans starving though as she has recently appeared on several remixes, including FendiDa Rappa's "Point Me 2," as well as a handful of singles. Cardi has financial goals and enjoys being on the stage itself and stated that she just needs to get herself together and put out the new project.
4. Pusha T & DJ Drama - Untitled Gangsta Grillz Mixtape
Pusha T works on his own time. In fact, the luxury of time is what inspires the title of his magnum opus, Daytona. In his own words: “I drops every blue moon to separate myself from you kings of the YouTube.” He usually doesn't share updates on the release of new music until it's ready for public consumption.
The Re-Up Gang mixtapes hold a special place in the mixtape era. And while Push has released a handful of solo mixtapes, he's yet to link up with DJ Drama for an entry under the Gangsta Grillz umbrella. However, the two confirmed that would be in the works next. Rumors of a Clipse album have also begun with Pusha T and No Malice reuniting on It's Almost Dry and NIGO’s most recent album. Additionally, they debuted an unreleased song at Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton fashion show. Listeners at least hope No Malice will appear on Pusha’s Gangsta Grillz project.
3. Playboi Carti - Music
Playboi Carti’s listeners know a thing or two about delayed rap albums. The elusive artist’s last album, Whole Lotta Red was highly anticipated by many and had a rough rollout. It began in 2018 and after cryptic posts from him, those associated with him, and several leaks, it finally dropped on Christmas Day in 2020.
Carti’s next album, Music, seems like it's facing similar delays. In December 2022, Carti shared his most recent Instagram post that many suspect could be cover art for something. The title of the album is Music, according to his interview with XXL in April 2022. Carti's work with Pi'erre Bourne and his ear for production have stood out throughout his discography. The Atlanta-born rapper's 2020 album certainly shifted the culture sonically, as well. We expect that the delay surrounding the album will be worth the wait and he'll, once again, deliver a groundbreaking body of work that pushed the boundaries further.
2. A$AP Rocky - Don’t Be Dumb
This delayed rap album is a result of Rocky juggling multiple things in his life. He’s become a Dad twice over with his partner Rihanna; he’s done collaborations with multiple brands and was also a part of a promo/collab with the video game Need For Speed Unbound. Originally, listeners thought the name of his album was going to be ALL $MILES due to a caption on some of Rocky's Instagram posts. However, once he returned to live performances, he began promoting Don't Be Dumb on his clothing. Eventually, Rocky confirmed this was the album's title during his Amazon Music Live performance in 2022 where he debuted three unreleased songs. One of these songs was “Same Problems?”, an emotional tribute to rappers who've passed away in recent years. Listeners are anticipating exactly how Rocky’s album will sound with many hoping he goes back to his roots.
Read More: A$AP Rocky Shooting Video In Paris
1. Dr. Dre - Detox
If this delayed rap album wasn’t on this list, the list wouldn’t even be valid. Detox was officially announced back in 2002. Dre promoted it as his final album and listeners dreamed of it being one of the greatest releases of all time. His go-to collaborators like Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent would naturally be on it. As time passed, people anticipated newer stars like Kendrick Lamar to be featured. Dr. Dre allegedly began working on Detox as early as 2001.
In 2015, he dropped Compton, which was not a reworked version of Detox. The album boasted features from Dre's latest prodigies including Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak. Dre later revealed that he had a stash of songs that he initially planned to release as part of Detox, although it didn't meet his standards, thus squashing the possibilities of the album's release. However, there have been a few rumors from close collaborators that the album might see the light of day. However, Dre hasn't confirmed this.
Read More: Dr. Dre’s “Detox”: A Complete History