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So far, 2023 has brought albums from Lil Yachty, Trippie Redd and Shy Glizzy, along with late 2022 releases from Metro Boomin and SZA. However, there are still countless projects from major artists on the way that include rumored classics.

2022 delivered projects from many of rap’s best, giving the new year pressure to exceed the success we witnessed only a few months ago. The speculations have been swirling surrounding the megastar albums we will get to experience, with some possibly ending multi-year hiatuses from their past works.

Predicting these highly anticipated projects to come out within the coming months might be a tough task, but with context clues and leaked snippets acting as supporting evidence, there is hope that rap’s best will come out of hiding.

Travis Scott: “Utopia”

Travis Scott fans have been patiently waiting for a new album since the 2018 drop of “Astroworld.” The artist has had no recent music other than features and the “JACKBOYS” collaboration at the end of 2019. It is now time for the Houston rapper to release what he has in the tank.

“Escape Plan” and “Mafia” served as 2021 teasers to a project that looked like it was supposed to drop years ago, but as continuous leaks surface along with their features, it is hard to imagine that “Utopia” won’t see a 2023 release date.

First previewed at Dior’s Summer 2022 fashion show in June of 2021, “Lost Forever” with producer James Blake and Buffalo MC Westside Gunn set the stage for the “Utopia” hype. Following leaks continuously circulated through YouTube and SoundCloud.

“Heartbeat” is yet another leaked track that has grown popular on media outlets, featuring KayCyy in several versions. It showcases the upbeat, melodic side of Travis that made him one of the kings of trap music.

Throughout the beginning of the year billboards have popped up across the country, each having their own messages, eventually spelling out “Psst…Looking for UTOPIA? WRONG WAY!” followed by the Cactus Jack logo. Based on the information we have been given, it’s clear Travis is poised for a long-awaited drop this year, ending an almost five-year pause from generating his talent into a full project.

A$AP Rocky: “Don’t Be Dumb”

Like Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky has taken a five-year hiatus since his last project “Testing,” which was debatably his most controversial album in terms of audience enjoyment. It was, however, an experimental success by the Harlem rapper.

His new music train started in May 2022, with a single focusing on his relationship with Rihanna in a self-directed music video for “D.M.B.,” standing for Dat’s My B*tch. In a unique, chopped and screwed track, we see a preview of another new sound he is evaluating with his solo release, which we’ll again see at the end of the year.

Rocky could be moving along the same path as someone like Metro Boomin, placing his creativity beyond music into producing adventurous music videos and astounding pre-release promotional posts. Overall, the self-direction of his most recent videos have been a breath of fresh air, as many artists don’t focus beyond music being put out.

Fans were given a glimmer of hope again when it came to new music at the beginning of December, dropping “Sh*ttin’ Me,” followed by incredible visuals in a corresponding music video. It would be announced several days after this single that Rocky’s next album “Don’t Be Dumb,” would see a 2023 release date, with the exact day being to be determined at this time.

As far as 2023 drops, January’s “Same Problems?” was a mellow, laid-back track from his past two singles, priming himself to illustrate his versatility on the highly-anticipated “Don’t Be Dumb.”

Lil Uzi Vert: “Pink Tape”

Many music fans thought that the Philadelphia rapper’s next album “Pink Tape” would drop in the later months of 2022, but after being kept in the vault for another calendar year, Uzi is prepared to take over 2023.

The viral hit “Just Wanna Rock” has taken the world by storm, being used as a popular party anthem, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl song and spawning TikTok dances galore, all generating the buzz that “Pink Tape” awaits.

Since his last album “Eternal Atake” in March 2020, fans have been contemplating whether or not the rapper fell off due to the lack of material he had been putting out, but promising signs have pointed to an upcoming drop.

Although, since August 2021 when Uzi announced that the tape was being mixed, not many updates have been given, which honestly comes to no surprise given the delays experienced with “Eternal Atake.”

Don Toliver: “Lovesick”

Slowly becoming one of the biggest names in hip-hop, Don Toliver has continued to tease his third studio album titled “Lovesick.” Toliver has stated on Instagram that the project will drop during “the month of love,” figured to be February, and that he’s already started setting up the rollout.

The commencement of his rollout started off with “Do It Right” in November 2022, a spin off of The S.O.S. Band’s 1980 song “Take Your Time (Do It Right).” Toliver’s revamped edition of the ‘80s hit showed off his expertise branching off of other music, while setting up the theme for his new project.

Right after Valentine’s Day, he dropped the second single “4 Me” with his significant other, R&B star Kali Uchis. It’s a bouncy, techno love track that sets up the phenomenal potential “Lovesick” could have in further developing his career.

Already crafting his mix between melodic rap and R&B, Toliver’s voice has become one of the most recognizable ones in the industry. As his success continues to grow, his booming vocals and transcendent production have evolved, a major reason why he currently rakes in over 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Collaborations with fellow R&B/melodic talents SZA, Kid Cudi and Wizkid have given Toliver the chance to explore various sub-genres ahead of the release of “Lovesick.”

J. Cole: “It’s A Boy”

A follow up to the May 2021 project “The Off-Season,” J. Cole’s “It’s A Boy” has sparked curiosity from fans and members of the music industry as to when his next body of work will hit the shelves.

During the same time as the release and rollout of “The Off-Season,” Cole publicized that his next tape would be titled “It’s A Boy,” but since that was stated, little to no information has been declared. A lack of leaks and solo release since 2021 has also positioned Cole for a 2023 drop, giving him enough time to put out his best effort.

Fans originally hinted that “It’s A Boy” would come to light on his birthday, Jan. 28, but of course this did not occur. As far as we know, this tape will represent the precursor to his possible final act “The Fall Off.”

At one point, Cole did wipe his Instagram, deleting all of his posts, the same process he completed before his 2018 surprise “KOD.” This could all just be speculation and his project could simply stay hidden, but multiple features on “Johnny P’s Caddy” by Benny the Butcher and “90 Proof” by Smino launched the idea that his project might be coming sooner than we think.

Published on February 15, 2023 at 11:54 pm