It felt like there was a notable album drop every week of summer ‘18, and while the fall season doesn’t necessarily have a ton of projects lined up, there are some major releases in the works. From Chance the Rapper to Lil Uzi Vert to Noname, these are the artists whose new projects we’re most looking forward to in the final months of the year.
It felt like there was a notable album drop every week of summer ‘18, and while the fall season doesn’t necessarily have a ton of projects lined up, there are some major releases in the works. From Chance the Rapper to Lil Uzi Vert to Noname, these are the artists whose new projects we’re most looking forward to in the final months of the year.
Lil Pump, 'Harverd Dropout'
It's been a year since Lil Pump released his self-titled debut, and word was Harverd Dropout was set to drop on Aug. 17, but Pump "lost" the album. Building on the success of singles like "Esskeetit" and "Drug Addicts," Harverd Dropout, now set for a Sept. 14 release, is also rumored to feature collabs with Offset, Swae Lee, and the late XXXTentacion. —khal
Childish Gambino
Donald Glover has done an impressive job juggling multiple projects in music, TV, and film these last few years, with his new album under the alias Childish Gambino marking the next big moment in his career. Though a release date has yet to be revealed, there are a handful of signs his follow-up to "Awaken, My Love!" is coming soon. Among them: a North American tour this fall and a Pharos event in New Zealand in November, as well as multiple songs released, including the project's lead single, "Summertime Magic," and the Billboard-chart-topping track “This Is America.” This fall would be the perfect time for Glover to capitalize on an already red-hot 2018. —Edwin Ortiz
Noname, 'Room 25'
Noname dropped a gem of a debut project in 2016 with Telefone: It was a compact yet impactful tape that gave her room to explore and refine the flows she had been kicking alongside other Chicago MCs Chance the Rapper and Mick Jenkins. After Telefone, Noname toured—but musically speaking, she sealed the vault. It wasn’t until this June that she announced she had a new project on her hands, Room 25. She’s been teasing fans with social posts ever since, and has promised a September release through Stem, though the actual date remains a mystery. —Kiana Fitzgerald
Lil Uzi Vert, 'Eternal Atake'
Lil Uzi Vert hasn’t released too much material since Luv Is Rage 2 dropped back in August 2017, but that will change soon, when the Philly rapper comes through with Eternal Atake. He’s teased the project with a number of song previews over the last few months, and while it’s unclear if the aforementioned snippets will make it onto the final product in full form, Vert has established himself as a reliable act who knows how to deliver on commercial and critical levels. —Edwin Ortiz
Schoolboy Q
While he’s popped up on features here and there, Schoolboy Q has largely been out of the spotlight since 2016, when he released the Grammy-nominated Blank Face. His TDE family members Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Jay Rock have been the most visible at the label lately, with the former two decidedly dominating mainstream music, and the latter becoming a breakout star of the summer after years of grinding. Q, meanwhile, has been out of sight, and subtly preparing his fans for an imminent release with sporadic social media updates. As of late July, Q’s album was “90 to 95% done,” per TDE head honcho Top Dawg. —Kiana Fitzgerald
Chance the Rapper
The hype around Chance the Rapper’s follow-up to Coloring Book is justified; not only is his 2016 project arguably his best yet, but it earned the Chicago representative a handful of Grammys, including Best Rap Album. Chance offered up a taste of what he’s been working on in July with a four-song pack, and it feels like his next solo full-length is not too far off, with a seven-song collaborative project with Kanye West also on the horizon. —Edwin Ortiz
Ski Mask the Slump God
Ski Mask the Slump God’s spring was marred by a false start. The South Florida rapper—who is indebted sonically to SoundCloud and spiritually to artists like Busta Rhymes—released the much-anticipated Beware the Book of Eli on the free platform, only for his management to have it removed swiftly. While the tape did eventually see an official drop, it was missing three songs that appeared on the leaked version. Now, though, Ski is readying a new project. Its title is unknown, but it’s set to include 16 tracks and, per the rapper, come out in October. Here’s hoping this release goes more smoothly than the Eli rollout. —Lucas Wisenthal
Future
Future, as per usual, has been in work mode. He already dropped a gang of songs for the SuperFly film soundtrack, and in July released BEAST MODE 2 alongside Zaytoven. A solo album doesn't seem too far out, and judging by the initial listings for Future's NICKIHNDRXX Tour with Nicki Minaj, fans were to receive a physical copy of Nicki's Queen album alongside "a physical CD of Future’s forthcoming album (TBA)." Many thought Future would be dropping an album prior to the Sept. 21 start of the tour. The question is, has the rescheduling of the NICKIHNDRXX Tour pushed back Future's plans of releasing an album this fall? —khal
Anderson .Paak, 'Oxnard Ventura'
When Anderson .Paak released his second studio album, Malibu, at the top of 2016, he had just been introduced to a whole new audience thanks to Dr. Dre and was ready to really prove himself. And he did just that, with an incredibly layered album that sounds fresh today. In the time since Malibu’s release, .Paak has lent his talents to Kaytranada, Mac Miller, Chance the Rapper, Rapsody, and more. We already know we can expect Anderson .Paak to sing, rap, and play drums, but it’s the rest of the tricks up his sleeve that we’re excited to hear. Two years later, Malibu still sounds strong, but we’re definitely ready for more. —Adrienne Black
Gucci Mane, 'Evil Genius'
After dropping three projects in 2017, Gucci Mane might be showing signs of slowing down; his 13th album, Evil Genius, would be his first full-length of 2018. Gucci's been working on this project—which he told Billboard he wants to be one of his "best projects ever"—as well as the Glacier Boyz tape with Lil Yachty and Migos, so all of that sauce might be taking some time to marinate. Hopefully the East Atlanta Santa drops both projects off before the end of 2018. —khal