The Most Anticipated Albums of 2014

Here we are in 2014 and, ho hum. The first two months of the year are traditionally a slow time for the music industry because all the blockbusters come out in time for the December holidays. Then the great bear goes into hibernation. Things usually pick with some spring releases, get hot and popping in the summer, and then, come fourth quarter, go into overdrive all over again. So after spending the end of 2013 drowning in new music (and best-of-the-year lists), we'll take advantage of the quiet to look ahead at the next twelve months.

What does music have in store for us this year? Well, we've got young rappers like Joey Bada$$ aiming to make a first real mark, while established vets like Rick Ross and Wiz Khalifa try to catch a respark. Folks like Pharrell and Pusha T come in riding high and hope to keep it going. Superstars like Nicki Minaj and Rihanna have new material slated after quiet periods that have felt like forever.

We compiled 50 albums we're very much looking forward to. And we ranked them (because that's what we do) on the basis of our fiendingness. Check out The Most Anticipated Albums of 2014.

RELATED: The 50 Best Albums of 2013

RELATED: The 50 Best Songs of 2013

RELATED: The 13 Best Rap Verses of 2013

RELATED: Green Label - The Most Anticipated Electronic Music Albums Dropping This Year

50. Iggy Azalea, The New Classic

Label: Island Def Jam

Bold album titles are nothing new in rap. From Get Rich or Die Tryin’ to Watch the Thone, artists have used album titles to make a statement before the statement. In that regard, Australia's Iggy Azalea is pulling no punches with the title to her forthcoming major label debut, The New Classic.

Since “Pu$$y” made the online rounds in 2011, there’s been excitement about the tall blonde rapper's first full-length—a buzz that has grown steadily along the way thanks to signing with T.I.’s Hustle Gang and the release of 2012's Glory EP. The New Classic offers Iggy an opportunity to finally cement a spot in the game. She has claimed that the album is finished, and that Island Def Jam has delayed its release, which is now tentatively scheduled for March. —Adam Fleischer

RELATED: Iggy Azalea: "The Low End Theory" (2013 Cover Story)

49. Jay Rock, TBD

Label: TDE Ent

Jay Rock was the first Top Dawg Ent. artist to earn the ear of mainstream hip-hop, when he signed to Warner Bros. in 2007 and released the Lil Wayne-assisted “All My Life (In The Ghetto)” the following year. But of late, the Watts native hasn’t won the same recognition as his Black Hippy cohorts Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul.

That’s of no fault of his own, though. Rock dropped the stellar Follow Me Home in 2011, which included hardened rhymes and strong guest spots from the likes of Chris Brown and Tech N9ne. You can bet the gruff wordsmith won’t be overlooked this time around, as the TDE movement continues to pick up steam. Fans have gotten very excited about Rock’s recent performances on “Money Trees” and “U.O.E.N.O. (Remix).” —Adam Fleischer

48. Raekwon, Fly International Luxurious Art

Label: Ice H20

Raekwon celebrated New Year's Day 2013 by announcing that he was going to release a new album called F.I.L.A.—an acronym for Fly International Luxurious Art—in the second quarter of the year. However, that time came and went without an album and, for the most part, Rae stayed pretty quiet. (Outside of the Lost Jewlry mixtape that he dropped shortly after announcing the F.I.L.A. album.) He did give us a small taste of what's to come on the new album in November, though, when he dropped the melancholy "A Rainy Day." Based on that, we can't wait to see what else the Chef's got cooking. —Chris Yuscavage

47. Azealia Banks, Broke with Expensive Taste

Label: Interscope

2013 was a pretty bad year for female rappers. And one of the main reasons for that was that female rappers simply didn't put out a lot of product. Sure, Angel Haze leaked her own album, Nicki Minaj put out a slew of guest verses, and acts like Rapsody provided some promise for the future. But overall, there was a dearth of the earths.

Azealia Banks is (hopefully!) going to change that in 2014 by dropping her long-awaited debut, which was originally slated for release all the way back in early 2012. Weirdly, she's already started work on her second album, Fantasea II: The Second Wave—so there's a chance that we could get a double dose of the sharp-tongued Harlem rapstress. Before we get too carried away, let's see what she has in store with the first one.—Chris Yuscavage

46. Kat Dahlia, My Garden

Label: Epic, Vested In Culture

"Perfection takes time." That's what Kat Dahlia told one of her fans on Twitter back in August 2013 when her debut album was delayed, again. While it's not hard to see why her album has been pushed back so many times now—her songs "Gangsta," "Fireman," and "Clocks" have all resonated well with Internet audiences but have failed to take off on the radio—she does seem to be assembling a strong body of work that could, eventually, help her appeal to a broader audience.

As of today, My Garden is scheduled to drop next month. But even if it gets pushed back again (which seems likely) don't count her out. Rome wasn't built in a day. Like Orson Wells used to say... —Chris Yuscavage

RELATED: Who Is Kat Dahlia?

45. Common, Nobody's Smiling

Label: Warner Bros.

Late last summer, Common announced that he would be releasing an EP at the end of 2013 before dropping his tenth solo album at the top of 2014. Unfortunately, the EP never came, and it's unclear whether or not that's still in the works. But either way, Com will be dropping a new full-length project this year. And according to an interview that he did with Revolt, it will be executive produced by No I.D., just like his last album, The Dreamer/The Believer. So, you know, it's a Chicago thing. —Chris Yuscavage

44. Fabolous, Loso's Way 2: Rise to Power

Label: Def Jam, Desert Storm, Street Family

Brooklyn's Fabolous, maybe more than anyone else, was put under pressure by Kendrick Lamar's verse on "Control." A famous tweet the following morning suggested a reply was imminent. And when no song emerged, jokes about a lack of studios in the NYC area ran rampant. Finally, on Christmas, he dropped The S.O.U.L. Tape 3 and addressed the situation on a song called "The Get Back." Better late than never?

Fab fans have likely gotten used to such waiting. His upcoming album, Loso’s Way 2: Rise To Power, was first announced in 2010. Early singles “Ready” featuring Chris Brown and “When I Feel Like It” featuring 2 Chainz have stuck to the radio-friendly formula Fab is famous for—so don't be surprised if he's got another "Throw It in the Bag" up his sleeve for summer. —Elva Aguilar

43. Isaiah Rashad, Cilvia

Label: TDE Ent

Even before Top Dawg Entertainment announced Isaiah Rashad as their newest signee this past September, it was clear the 22-year-old from Chattanooga, Tennessee was one to watch out for. Rashad dropped a number of records over the course of 2013 that got Internet rap fans bussing heavy. Someone was even nice enough to collect all his music and throw together an unofficial mixtape, which has over 33,000 downloads since it was uploaded on DatPiff in June.

That audience now patiently awaits his debut mixtape, Cilvia. He's been warming up lately with great songs like “Ronnie Drake” and “Brad Jordan.” And the tape (named after his beat-up black Honda Civic) is his chance to prove he has the capability to engage listeners with a full-length project. While Cilvia doesn’t have a firm release date, expect it sooner than the usual “TBA” tag suggests. —Edwin Ortiz

42. Sampha, TBD

Label: Young Turks

Those who first encountered Sampha Sisay on his debut EP Dual or on his duets with Drake—"Too Much" and "The Motion"—or with Drake and Beyonce ("Mine") the ethereal voice and soul-baring songcraft of this South London singer/composer/producer were among most welcome discoveries of 2013. But if you've been paying attention for a while you know that he's been putting in work with the "post-dubstep" collective SBTRKT for three years now.

A quick visit to his Soundcloud page will confirm your suspicions that Sampha's is a rare and still unfolding talent with the power to enthrall us for some time to come, which makes his debut album on Young Turks one of the the most eagerly awaited releases of 2014. —Rob Kenner

41. Wu-Tang Clan, A Better Tomorrow

Label: TBD

Wu-Tang is forever. Or, more accurately: Wu-Tang feels like forever. They’re all over the map, even when everyone’s in the same room, something that’s increasingly a rarity: Ghostface is doing couples therapy; RZA is directing; GZA is fixing New York City’s science education. It can be frustrating. A New Tomorrow had originally been timed to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of 36 Chambers, but they missed that deadline. (RZA said, at that point, the album was at least “six weeks away,” even though he hadn’t gotten any vocals from Raekwon. He also hinted that it could be the group’s last project together. He’s 44.)

Still: We have high hopes. It's been years since Method Man sounded so urgent as he does on A$AP Nast’s recent “Trillmatic,” far bettering the kid twenty years his youth. We expect similar from the others, if and when this finally sees the light of day. The '90s are back, and it wouldn’t be the same without Wu. —Jeff Rosenthal

RELATED: The 100 Best Wu-Tang Clan Songs

40. Solange, TBD

Label: Saint Records, Sony

Where does Solange go next? She stepped out of her big sister Beyonce's shadow in 2012, establishing herself as a sort-of indie-rock pop star with the back-lit R&B of her EP True. Things were looking up. But she has since had a falling out with her producer Dev Hynes of Blood Orange, who expanded on the sound they'd created with his own superb album, Cupid Deluxe. Solange is now with Sony, back in the major label machine that once spit her out. But she’s returning with a stronger voice and identity, and that can only bode well. —Jordan Sargent

RELATED: Solange: Hot On Her Heels (2013 Cover Story)

39. Mobb Deep, The Infamous Mobb Deep

Label: Infamous Records (distributed by Sony Red)

Any time a hip-hop legend (or legends) releases a new album, it’s an anticipated event. Here, with Mobb Deep, there’s even more to be excited about. The duo hasn't dropped an album as a group since 2006, yet they’ve managed to remain relevant in the eight years since Blood Money, their one and only G-Unit release.

Through the break ups, make ups, EPs and solo releases over that time frame, the Queens twosome has still commanded the respect that they’ve earned over the last two decades. The Infamous Mobb Deep derives half of its name from their 1995 classic, and so it should come as no surprise if this album is loaded with grimey New York tough talk and a sonic chemistry between Havoc and Prodigy that fans came to love. What better way to come back together? —Adam Fleischer

38. Ty Dolla $ign, Beach House EP

Label: Taylor Gang, Atlantic

Ty Dolla $ign introduced himself to America with the words, “Two of my bitches in the club, and I think they know about each other.” It’s smooth, unapologetic and—most importantly—really, um, sexy. It’s a hit, due in no small part to him working the song so hard, “Paranoid” was first just an Internet release; then it got placed on DJ Mustard’s album Ketchup, then thrown on Beach House 2, and finally has landed on the seven-song Beach House EP (where it’s sequenced next to its new remix, featuring Trey Songz and French Montana).

So, they’re banking on you still loving the song—which you will. But maybe they switch the beat up for the remix? Because that’d be a lot of “Paranoid.” As for what’s to come, “Or Nah” featuring Taylor Gang labelmate Wiz Khalifa seems to be the next single; a quick search reveals a Vine from the video shoot, where two curvy white girls pose in not much. It’s unclear what Ty Dolla’s relation is to those girls, but they seem to know about each other. —Jeff Rosenthal

RELATED: Who Is Ty Dolla $Ign?

37. The Lox, We Are the Streets 2

Label: Def Jam

Yonkers barbershops rejoice! It feels so weird to say: The LOX’s We Are the Streets 2 is finally coming out, having outlasted Sam Goody, Borders, and Rapidshare. Sure, it’s been a decade-plus since the trio strong-armed the Billboard charts in the year 2000, filling Hot 97 playlists with “Wild Out” and “Ryde or Die, Bitch” for years to come. But now, when it’s most needed—according to Trinidad James, at least—they’re bringing back that old New York rap. Well, at some point.

For those who can’t wait (any longer), Jada, Styles, and Sheek just put out The Trinity EP, a surprise collection of four songs on iTunes. At the concert celebrating its release were Troy Ave, Chinx Drugz, M.O.P., Busta Rhymes, Jim Jones, Mack Wilds, Maino and Bodega Bamz. A little new New York, a little old: we’re expecting all of it when the full album comes out. But probably not Trinidad James. —Jeff Rosenthal

RELATED: Run This Town: Trinidad James Sparks a Conversation About Regionalism In Rap

36. Busta Rhymes, E.L.E.2 (Extinction Level Event 2)

Label: Cash Money

Recording a rap sequel isn't always a good idea. For every Tha Carter II, there's a The Blueprint 2. But in Busta's case, he needs to do something to recapture the fiery approach to rapping that he had at the start of his career. Because his latest couple of projects, including 2009's Back on My B.S. and 2012's Year of the Dragon, have been scattershot and, at times, lifeless.

So on E.L.E. 2, he's going to attempt to revert back into the Busta of old—the one who made you sit up and pay attention to him. And that shouldn't be too difficult, considering that he's already enlisted everyone from Pharrell and DJ Premier to Q-Tip and Lil Wayne to help him. Plus his single "Thank You" is pretty excellent. Busta should sound every bit as passionate on his tenth album as he did back on his third one. —Chris Yuscavage

RELATED: Magnum Opus: The Making of Busta Rhymes' "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"

35. Young Jeezy, The Statute of Limitations Is Over With

Label: CTE/Def Jam

On November 13th, 2013, for two hours, tweets dropped from Young Jeezy’s verified Twitter account like bombs from a plane: "Niggas @ @DefJamRecords keep playing games if you want!" said one. Another: "If Def Jam don't get this right y'all got an early xmas gift #myfans.” He said he’d been perfecting the album for two years; he openly courted LA Reid and Epic Records. (While the fires seem to have calmed, there’s a picture of him and T.I. in the Sony building on his Instagram, and he’s been hashtagging the word #epic fairly often.)

As for the music, while no release date has been announced, Future, Ludacris, and Usher have all been in the studio with him. And it’s an easy assumption to make that he and YG will follow up “My Nigga.” If this is Jeezy’s goodbye to Def Jam, at least he’s going out with a bang. Oh, and the title? It refers to cases he supposedly couldn't talk about until certain statutes of limitations had run up. So, maybe we'll hear some long-awaited BMF talk as well? —Jeff Rosenthal

34. The Game, TBD

Label: TBD

Game has entered a rather elite class: rappers on their sixth album. While the California native’s mainstream presence has waned substantially since the heady days of "How We Do" and "Hate It or Love It," he's still capable of very solid rap work—something he made clear with 2012's Jesus Piece.

Game is no longer with Interscope. And, contrary to popular belief, he isn't officially signed to Cash Money just yet, though it seems he is strongly leaning in that direction. We hope he does roll with CMB, because his frequent Lil Wayne collaborations (“My Life,” “All That (Lady),” “Red Magic”) have yielded some of his better music of his career. —Adam Fleischer

33. Lily Allen, TBD

Label: Capitol, Warner Bros, London and Regal

In 2005, Lily Allen posted a few songs on her MySpace page and within a year her combination of ska beats, singsong Cockney rhymes, and street-sharp London wit earned her a No. 1 single in her native UK called "Smile." Her debut album, Alright, Still sold over two million copies worldwide and earned Allen a Grammy nomination.

After her 2009 followup, It's Not Me It's You, debuted at No. 1, she took a hiatus from the music business. "It's Hard Out Here," the first single from her long-awaited third album, dropped last November along with a provocative video that juxtaposes liposuction procedures and twerking video vixens to highlight the unique pressures faced by women in the entertainment industry. If that first single is any indication, her next full-length release should be well worth the wait. —Rob Kenner

RELATED: An Open Letter To Lily Allen

32. Mike Will Made It, Est. in 1989 Pt. 3 (The Album)

Label: EarDrummers Entertainment, Interscope Records

Mike Will Made It had a huge 2013. And as we enter the next year, the possibility of the unknown makes his forthcoming major label debut even more exciting. With Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz, the one-time Gucci Mane producer proved he can go full pop, theoretically opening up doors to just about anyone in the industry. Est. in 1983 Pt. 3 might end up being all over the place, with the rap and R&B songs he built his name on intermingling with dance and country records and maybe even some piano ballads. But watching Mike Will push himself to the limit will be a ton of fun—even if he ends up crashing back to Earth. —Jordan Sargent

RELATED: Mike WiLL Made It: 10 Beats That Changed My Life

31. Ghostface Killah, Supreme Clientele Presents... Blue & Cream: The Wally Era

Label: Soul Temple

The sequel to Ghost's Supreme Clientele is starting to remind us a lot of the sequel to Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. How so? Well, Ghost announced that he was working on the second Supreme Clientele about two years ago and we're still waiting (impatiently!) for it, much like how it took several years for Rae to release Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…Pt. II.

In the meantime, Ghost has been working on other projects—like the critically-acclaimed Twelve Reasons to Die, which was released last year—and filming episodes of VH1's reality show Couples Therapy. Not to worry, though, Wu fans. Thanks to all the press Ghost is generating with the reality show, we would expect him to finally release this project. And now that he's had so much time to tinker with it, we would expect it to be every bit as good as you're expecting it to be. Just be patient a little longer. —Chris Yuscavage

RELATED: Ghostface Killah Names His Favorite Songs From His Essential Albums

30. YG, My Krazy Life

Label: CTE, Def Jam

DJ Mustard’s "ratchet" sound has done its part to revitalize rap on both coasts, but now it’s time for the big leagues, as Mustard's friend and frequent collaborator YG readies his major label, make-or-break debut My Krazy Life. The 23-year-old rapper and his preferred producer hit it big in 2013 with the creeping, sinewing “My Nigga” and are reloading with the highly-anticipated Drake verse “Who Do You Love.” Of course, two great singles does not guarantee a great album, but YG and Mustard’s year-old mixtape Just Re’d Up 2 is proof enough that these two are more than just a few stray hits. This one could be billowing out of car stereos for the entire year. —Jordan Sargent

RELATED: Interview: YG Talks About the New Song He Has With Drake That May Cement His Place in the Mainstream

29. Wiz Khalifa, Blacc Hollywood

Label: Taylor Gang, Atlantic and Rostrum

Wiz Khalifa could use a hit. He scored a major smash with “Black and Yellow” in 2010. The song became one of the few rap songs to become a No. 1 hit on Billboard Hot 100, pushed his Rolling Papers album to 800,000 in sales, and made the Pittsburgh pot smoker a certified star. He's had other big songs since then, like “Young, Wild, and Free,” and released excellent mixtapes like Taylor Allderdice, but nothing has come close to "Black and Yellow," and there’s no denying Wiz's chi has faded a bit. Despite its amazing cover image, his last album, 2012’s O.N.I.F.C., sold poorly.

Wiz spent 2013 on a bit of a sabbatical (remember, his first studio album, Show and Prove was released in 2006), devoting time to marrying Amber Rose and having a baby, releasing only the Live in Concert EP with Curren$y. It's time for the family man/stoner to pack the pipe and get back in the studio. —Insanul Ahmed

28. Future, Honest

Label: A1, Freebandz and Epic

It’s weird how these “most anticipated” lists can turn a gift into a curse. Future rode into 2013 on a wave of expectations swollen by his stellar 2012 debut album, Pluto. It’s follow-up, then titled Future Hendrix, ranked no. 13 on last January’s list. While we waited, the ATLien autotune enthusiast piqued our interest with a single, “Karate Chop,” and even more when he turned an otherwise pedestrian Ace Hood song into one of the year’s smash hits by capturing, in seven short words, all the blurry, thrilling excitement that might come with waking up in a two-million-dollar sports car and not remembering so clearly how you got there. By August, his still as-yet-unreleased album had risen a point in stock.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the future. Another single, “Shit,” made nary a blip on anyone’s radar screen. A bunch of younger, grungier rappers came in and started making noise similar to Future’s heartbroken-cyborg warblings (those that he’d so successfully updated—more successfully than anybody else—from Kanye West’s 2008 808’s & Heartbreak album.) The Kevin Gateses, the Rich Homie Quans, the Young Thugs. Future Hendrix got pushed back, then had its title changed, to Honest. (Presumably something about, “Honest, this album is coming, I swear.”) There was a tiff with tourmate Drake. And suddenly, one day, Future woke up and found himself looking like the past.

So here his second album sits, still unreleased, still anticipated, but more trepidatiously. And here’s hoping, honestly, that it knocks our socks off when it arrives. No doubt it still could. But it has to happen now. Like, in the present. —Dave Bry

27. Big K.R.I.T., Cadillactica

Label: Def Jam

“Produced by Big K.R.I.T.” It’s a phrase that appears over and over, on the 16 tracks that make up the Mississippian rapper's 2011 debut album, Live from the Underground, again repeated on the 17 from King Remembered in Time. “Produced by Big K.R.I.T.” It’s always been his vision, his sound that squeaks like hydraulics and fills headphones like comfort food. With Cadillactica, the likes of DJ Toomp, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Organized Noize, and Chad Hugo are set to break the pattern.

In an interview with XXL, K.R.I.T. said, “I’ll produce a few tracks [but]…for me it’s about really making the best music possible and not just for the sake of producing.” And yet, he sat behind the boards for the first single, “Just Last Week,” teased in April and pushed out at the end of August—sitting on a merry-go-round of a beat, with Future on the hook and bridge. It sounds great! And yet, we're still excited to see how “Produced by Big K.R.I.T.” looks next to the word “with.” —Jeff Rosenthal

26. Run The Jewels, Run The Jewels 2

Label: Fool's Gold

Run the Jewels was one of the best albums of 2013. After a well-received collaboration on Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music in 2012—which was produced entirely by El-P—the two veterans joined forces for a group and self-titled album last year. It packed fierce rhymes, innovative production, and a non-conformist lyrical approach onto a ten-track opus.

So why not go back to the well for a third time? Mike and El-P were wondering that themselves, and in late 2013 announced that they’d be quenching listeners’ thirst once again, with Run the Jewels 2. While details remain scarce, you can be sure that these two will again bring some of freshest sounds in the New Year. —Adam Fleischer

25. T.I., Paperwork: The Motion Picture

Label: Grand Hustle, Columbia

T.I. didn't drop an album in 2013 but he did do a guest spot on an international hit that peaked at No. 1 in 14 countries, Robin Thicke's “Blurred Lines.” He also found time to do a few other guest appearances for the likes of Nelly, Raekwon, Jennifer Hudson, and Lady Gaga. Oh, and he tried to get his former label Atlantic Records to give him $75 million for a new deal, but ended up signing with Columbia Records instead.

Both the business deal and the pictures of T.I. in the studio have built anticipation toward his next album, Paperwork: The Motion Picture, which will be executive produced by his fellow "Blurred Lines" guest star, Pharrell. Pharrell also recently signed to Columbia Records, and was reportedly instrumental in getting the T.I. deal done. But we hear Tip will be working alongside Timbaland as well, and long time collaborator, DJ Toomp. And, well, you know all about that. —Elva Aguilar

24. Ab-Soul, TBD

Label: Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope

Like the rest of Top Dawg Entertainment, Ab-Soul had a prosperous year. He was featured on XXL’s 2013 Freshman cover along with his labelmate ScHoolboy Q, he was part of the most talked about cypher at the BET Hip-Hop Awards, and he was randomly recognized by Jay Z via Twitter.

He was also did guest spots for projects by Mac Miller and Chance The Rapper, as well as dropping a few solo gems like “Christopher DRONEr” and “Dub Sac” to give fans a taste for his upcoming project Black Lip Pastor. (Sidebar: Whatever happened to his project with JMSN, Unit 6?) The album doesn’t have an official release date yet, and with the momentum TDE has gained this year, it would be a shame if it got pushed back. —Elva Aguilar

23. Q-Tip, The Last Zulu

Label: TBD

Q-Tip's last true solo album, The Renaissance, was released all the way back in 2008 (he put his Kamaal/The Abstract album out in 2009, but that was an album filled with material that was recorded more than a decade ago). And despite the fact that The Renaissance was critically-acclaimed and earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album, Q-Tip kinda fell back after that album was released. Over the next five years, he dropped the occasional guest appearance and, in 2012, announced that he was signing to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label, but he failed to drop a new solo album during that time period.

That's expected to change this year when, for the first time since '08, Q-Tip will drop a new project. And while he's gone on the record in the past and said that the album will not feature much Kanye West on it—"It's gonna be me, straight up and down," he told Vibe when he first started recording the album—that's not necessarily a bad thing (However, Tip claims he'll be executive producing Kanye's next album alongside Rick Rubin). It's been a long time since we've heard Q-Tip record an entire project on his own. Too long, really. We look forward to hearing it again. —Chris Yuscavage

22. Joey Bada$$, B4.Da.$$

Label: Cinematic Music Group, Pro Era

Is New York back yet? With his upcoming debut album, Joey Bada$$ is out to prove that the answer is a definitive “yes.” The Brooklyn native has earned great praise over the last couple years for his rhyming, his ear for beats, and the general boom-bap rap aura of his music—without feeling outdated. He’ll look to put together all of those elements for his first official album.

To this point, the Cinematic Music Group signee has remained independent and earned his way on mixtapes, guest appearances, and the occasional one-off single. He needs a definitive statement this year to make his case for the Big Apple's glory days. Initially slated for last summer, B4DA$$ should be arriving in the coming months. —Adam Fleischer

21. Lupe Fiasco, Tetsuo & Youth

Label: 1st & 15th, Atlantic

For as long as he’s been in the public eye, Lupe Fiasco has been a polarizing figure. To some, he’s open and adamant about his beliefs, and is a mesmerizing lyricist. To others, he’s a self-righteous soundbite, and loses listeners with his overly complex rhyme schemes. His fifth solo album, Tetsuo & Youth, may not be so divisive, though.

The Chicago native has said he’s staying away from social and political commentary this time around, and the project—which he’s compared to his first album, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor—is set to feature Chris Brown, Big K.R.I.T. and Rick Ross, among others. Whether or not he truly tones down his commentary (and, honestly, we hope he won’t) a return to F&L form would be nothing to scoff at. —Adam Fleischer

20. Earl Sweatshirt, Gnossos

Label: Tan Cressida, Columbia

The difficult one is out of the way. After Odd Future’s rapid ascent a few years ago—thanks in large part to the video “Earl,” the mixtape Earl, and campaign to “Free Earl”—Earl Sweatshirt was one of the most buzzed-about young talents around. Between the mystique and the praise, he was fighting a relatively unwinnable battle with expectations on this past August’s Doris, yet managed to come out with much acclaim. This time around, that level of pressure is off, the uncertainty is erased, and the now 19-year-old can continue to evolve as an artist without the microscopic eye of critics bearing down on his back. We don’t yet know much about the details of Gnossos, but expect something gnarly. —Adam Fleischer

19. Grimes, TBD

Label: 4AD

Sometimes, it's easy to forget that Grimes, like, you know, makes music. Vancouver-by-way-of-Montreal experimental dream pop pixie (and I say "pixie" not as a dismissive feminine qualifier, but because she is, quite literally, the closest thing we have to an actual pixie in the human world) Claire Boucher billowed her way onto blogs and Best-Of lists with her third full-length album, 2012's Visions. Since then, Boucher has toured extensively, had her hand in a slew of remixes and guest features, and effectively pioneered and shaped a new musical aesthetic. But in the almost two years since Grimes etched Visions into the musical landscape, public focus has shifted from Boucher's sounds to...something else.

Of course, there's the style; everyone from teenagers with Tumblr blogs to top tier fashion mags have hungrily adopted Grimes' multi-sensory "vibe." Then there's the blogging; opinionated and eloquent, Boucher has used interviews and her personal Tumblr as platforms to discuss feminism, veganism, body image issues, and rape culture (to name a few hot topics), each time sparking conversations spanning the far reaches of the Internet. Then there's...the other stuff, like when Grimes was a guest on Boiler Room in Ibiza and played what will go down in history as either the best or worst (depending on who you are) DJ set of all time. Or two weeks ago, when Boucher obliterated brains with the news that she had signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation Management.

But as much as the people love a "character," it's about time we cut through the noise and get back to the noise. Given Grimes' unpredictable, lustily progressive nature, we have no idea what to expect from her yet-to-be-officially-announced forthcoming studio album. All we can speculate is that it'll be worth the listen, and probably worth the wait. And who knows? Maybe there's a Hova feature in her future... —Sasha Hecht

18. Jhene Aiko, Souled Out

Label: Def Jam

Jhene Aiko's debut album has been a long time coming. The Los Angelino singer/songwriter has actually been in the music business for about 10 years now, doing everything from contributing vocals on B2K projects back in the early 2000s to singing hooks on songs like Big Sean's "Beware," Drake's "From Time," and J. Cole's "Sparks Will Fly" in 2013.

But in 2014, Aiko is going to set sail on her own for the first time. She did drop a solo EP, Sail Out, last year to give us a taste of what's to come, but she says that her debut album is going to get way deeper than that project did. "The music is more intricate and there are live instruments," she said in a recent Idolator interview. "I feel like everything is on another level." —Chris Yuscavage

RELATED: Jhené Aiko: The "Hot Complex" Interview, Photo Gallery, and Video

17. Jay Z & Kanye West, Watch The Throne 2

Label: Roc Nation/Def Jam

Will this album actually happen? To be honest, we had our doubts that the original Watch The Throne would ever happen. But it did—and boy, was it glorious. Kanye has a lot on his plate for 2013; he’s talked about doing another solo album as well as a second full-length G.O.O.D. Music project, Cruel Winter. Meanwhile, Jay hasn’t spoken about doing any upcoming projects but stays busy busy busy raking in cash through his business ventures. We just hope these two can find the time to lock themselves into a studio (or a four-star hotel room) and make the magic happen again. That’s all we ask. —Insanul Ahmed

16. A$AP Mob, Lords

Label: Polo Grounds and RCA

A$AP Mob had a strong 2013. A$AP Rocky’s debut album, Long. Live. ASAP, debuted at No. 1 and his single “Fuckin’ Problems” has now been nominated for a Grammy. Meanwhile, A$AP Ferg surprised lots of fans with the dynamite Trap Lord, which gave rap one of its best songs of the year in “Shabba." The cherry on top was the A$AP Nast-helmed “Trillmatic,” the first single off the Harlem collective's collaborative album, Lords, which got a great assist from Method Man.

That means everything is on the up and up right? Well, maybe not. The only true creative stumble in the A$AP movement so far was their last group project, 2012’s Lord$ Never Worry, a project so lackluster even A$AP Rocky admitted to not liking it. Still, that tape did help launch A$AP Ferg thanks to his smash "Work." Hopefully, the crew can make up for their mistakes this year around and launch A$AP Nast as their next solo representative at the same time. —Insanul Ahmed

15. Meek Mill, TBD

Label: MMG/Atlantic

Meek Mill’s Dreamchasers 3 was one of the more disappointing projects of 2013. The brash young rapper established himself on the Philadelphia streets, but it was 2012’s Dreamchasers 2—an instant mixtape classic that crashed Datpiff’s servers upon release—that highlighted what looked like real superstar potential. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of those cases of the mixtape being better than his actual album. Meek's Maybach Music Group debut, Dreams & Nightmares, had the double whammy of coming out seven days after Kendrick Lamar’s masterpiece good kid, m.A.A.D. city and hitting stores the same week Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast. Dreamchasers 3 was supposed to re-establish Meek’s brand, but it came and went quietly.

Now Meek is needs a real album, and a real good one, to cement his place in hip-hop—just when the MMG empire is starting to look vulnerable. He built his reputation on street anthems like "Tupac Back" and "I'm a Boss." Hopefully, 2014 will stand as the year that one of rap's brightest new stars got himself back on track. —Insanul Ahmed

RELATED: Meek Mill On Lil Snupe: "I've Never Seen Nobody Like That"

14. Action Bronson, TBD

Label: Vice/Atlantic

Action Bronson might not be a household name across the U.S. yet, but he has the potential to be. Bronsolino made headlines earlier this year for body slamming fans at shows (a phenomenon that, oddly enough, people started volunteering for after a while) as well as christening elderly women at a UK nursing home. But aside from his hilarious online antics and the food porn on his Instagram, there’s no denying that Bronson can deliver musically. Bronson dropped two projects in 2013, his EP Saab Stories and collaborative mixtape with Party Supplies, Blue Chips 2—both critically acclaimed. Bronson’s storytelling raps, old school flow, and soulful production choices have made the anticipation for his major label debut album very real.

The Queens rapper has already confirmed Kool G Rap and Mobb Deep for his project and we’ll very likely see other New York names and current chart toppers on his album. Bronson’s lyrical ability is what’s kept him as a force in rap music, but his talent in balancing the old and new is what has helped him stand out. He’s already got two sold out shows in New York for the new year. And more, for sure, on tap. —Elva Aguilar

13. Rick Ross, Mastermind

Label: Maybach Music Group/Def Jam

Rick Ross had a tough 2013. Just when the Maybach Music Group looked like an untouchable empire, the biggest bawse stumbled with a boneheaded rap about putting molly in a girls champagne. It cost him a Reebok deal, and he looked awkward and clumsy in issuing a series of apologies. Even still, he had some victories in 2013—guest spots on "Bugatti" and “Columbia (Remix)” and, most of all, “FuckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt.” But none of that was enough to get Mastermind a release date.

While another Jay Z duet, “The Devil Is a Lie,” was a step in the right direction last month, for most of 2013 it was starting to look like the odds were stacked again Ross. He’s enjoyed so much success over the past few years, surpassed so many expectations, it kinda feels like his winning streak can’t possibly continue. He turns 38 this month.

However, we’ve learned to never count him out. We never thought Ross would ever be more than a Jeezy impersonator, but we were wrong. We never thought he would best 50 Cent in a beef, but we were wrong. And we damn sure thought his career was over when the whole corrections officer thing happened, but we were wrong. We never thought he’d become Rick Ross. But hey, he’s Rick Ross—a master of beating the odds. —Insanul Ahmed

12. Mac Miller, Pink Slime

Label: Rostrum Records

It’s hard enough for most artists to put out four albums in their entire career. Mac Miller says he’s got four albums ready now, for this year, for this year now. And that’s on top of the production he’s doing for his friends, the MTV2 show, the touring, the being a-21-year-old. We’re excited to see what directions, what worlds he zooms off to, following Watching Movies With the Sound Off. An album so good that Stereogum—who had previously dismissed him—praised him as being “suddenly interesting now.”

The most “interesting” of his upcoming projects? The reemergence of Pink Slime, his long-awaited team-up with Pharrell. We imagine it’ll be somewhere between their upbeat and downbeat tonalities, which is to say: it’ll be moody, it’ll be different, it’ll be…cool. And yes, “interesting.” —Jeff Rosenthal

11. Pharrell, TBD

Label: Star Trax/Columbia Records

Pharrell owned 2013. But not under his own name. He made huge hits with Robin Thicke and Daft Punk, earning himself seven Grammy nominations along the way, including Producer of the Year—but people got to wondering, why not save some for himself? This is why he signed to Columbia Records at the end of 2013 and started working on his second solo album.

There’s more at stake than just hit songs here. Pharrell has had an undeniably brilliant career, but he still lacks that essential album of his own. He's a creative genius, and famous for it. He can stand in any room with the Kanyes, the Drake's, the Timberlakes, the Jay Zs. But while these stars have ammassed full catalogues of classic solo material, all P has with his name on it is 2006’s In My Mind and four N.E.R.D. albums that could never match the impact of his work with his Neptunes production partner, Chad Hugo. Will 2014 be the year that he finally steps into the spotlight alone? —Insanul Ahmed

RELATED: Pharrell Williams: Gravitational Pull (2013 Cover Story)

10. Nicki Minaj, TBD

Label: Young Money/Universal

"Real hip-hop" be damned. Nicki Minaj is a veritable pop royalty but still one of the toughest spitters in the game. Her pre-New Year's Eve release "Boss Ass Bitch" may not be the full scope of what's to come, but it's a distinct reminder that she's still the person who ate Jay's and Kanye's lunch on "Monster." But even when she's single-handedly destroying the dominant players in the game, then and now, she's still an artist whose reach extends to adorable little girls. All she needs is that classic album that shuts up the haters. If she can score that in 2014, then we can all hail her Minajesty. —Claire Lobenfeld

9. Nas, TBD

Label: Def Jam

2014 marks the 20 year anniversary of Nas' classic Illmatic. And 20 years later, we're still in awe of the Queensbridge rapper's rhymes. Nas really got his grown man on with 2012’s Life Is Good. The album, which was his first solo project since 2008’s Untitled, included joints like “Bye Baby” and “Daughters,” delving into subject subjects typically left untouched in rap. All done with the Queensbridge MC’s razor-sharp pen.

For his follow up, expect more real life raps from Esco, delivered as impressively as ever (the guest appearances he's made over the last few years, on songs like "Triple Beam Dreams" and "Let Nas Down (Remix)," have been nothing short of breathtaking). Timbaland spilled the beans about an upcoming song with Jay Z and Justin Timberlake, "Sinatra In the Sands," but Nas himself hasn't revealed too much about the album. Though he has claimed, "It’s the next chapter in myself as a writer." That’s a chapter we’re ready for. —Adam Fleischer

RELATED: The 100 Best Nas Songs

8. Pusha T, King Push

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Music Group

My Name Is My Name was everything we wanted from a Pusha T album: cold, hard raps about that cold, hard white. Minimalist and intensely focused, his major label solo debut album lived up to years of anticipation. For his next effort, he’s locked himself in the studio with The Neptunes for a 20 day session. (They're in there right now.) At this point, we know exactly what to expect from Pusha and we know what can happen when he works with the Neptunes. Lord willin', we'll get just what we want, again. —Insanul Ahmed

RELATED: Pusha T's "My Name Is My Name" and the Street Value of Lyrics in Rap

7. Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence

Label: Interscope, Polydor and Stranger

2013 was sort of a weird year for Lana Del Rey. Although she didn't release a full-length album last year, she still managed to score the biggest commercial hit of her career when French DJ/producer Cédric Gervais remixed her 2012 single, "Summertime Sadness," and helped it climb all the way to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Additionally, she also released Tropico, a well-received 30-minute short film directed by Anthony Mandler that featured songs from her Born to Die: Paradise Edition album.

So in 2014, she's going to attempt to ride the wave of momentum that she created by releasing her third album, Ultraviolence. She hasn't revealed very much info on it yet—in fact, as recently as October, it didn't even sound like she had started on the project—but, according to her, the album is going feature her taking a new approach to music compared to her stuff from the last couple years. "I really just wanted us all to be together so I could try and visually close out my [Born to Die/Paradise] chapters before I release the new record," she said before dropping Tropico last month. We look forward to seeing what the next chapter is all about. —Chris Yuscavage

RELATED: We Created A Bunch of GIFs from Lana Del Rey's "Tropico" Because The Internet Needs Them

6. ScHoolboy Q, Oxymoron

Label: Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope

Back in May, when Mac Miller, ScHoolboy Q, and Action Bronson had their epic Vine war, Action played the trump card when he made a clip pretending to be Q chanting to himself in the mirror, “Gotta be better than Kendrick. Gotta be better than Kendrick...” Now, 2012's Habits & Contradictions is a great favorite here at Complex offices. But is it possible that Top Dawg Entertainment's second fiddle actually best the classic good kid, m.A.A.d city?

We don't know. It kinda feels like ScHoolboy's career hasn’t taken off as well as it should have. He’s put out some great material over the past year, like “Yay Yay” and “Man of The Year,” but his only charting single has been the Kendrick-assisted “Collard Greens”—and that only made it to No. 92 on Billboard's Hot 100. (For what it’s worth, it does have over 10 million YouTube views.) But consider this: Kendrick’s highest-charting single before good kid was the Dr. Dre assisted “The Recipe,” and that only reached No. 103. "Swimming Pools (Drank)" didn’t become a Top 40 hit until after its album was released to so much acclaim. So we're thinking, as we await the long-gestating Oxymoron, that the same thing might happen for ScHoolboy. —Insanul Ahmed

5. Rihanna, TBD

Label: Roc Nation/Def Jam

And in the eighth year, he gave Rihanna a break. But let's be real, she deserved it. Every year since 2005, the Bajan beauty has put out an album (it was a reissue in 2008, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded) lodging 13 No. 1 hit singles along the way. And she didn't just sell a ton of records, but she also toured constantly while everyone and all their mothers gossiped about her life decisions. Now that she's had a full year off, traveling the world—in a much more relaxed setting than the calamitous 777 Tour—it's time for her to get back in the studio and turn up again. —Claire Lobenfeld

RELATED: Rihanna: Full Exposure (2013 Cover Story)

4. Chance The Rapper, TBD

Label: N/A

Chance The Rapper’s popularity skyrocketed this year after he dropped his Acid Rap in April. Since then, the Chicago native watched a bootleg version of his Internet mixtape hit the Billboard charts via iTunes and Amazon, appeared on our October/November cover, and won an invitation to tour with Eminem.

With this much momentum behind him, Chance is shaping up to have one of the biggest releases of 2014. He didn’t even consider Acid Rap an album, he said, because he knows he can do better than that. Well, after his recent collaborations with folks like Childish Gambino, James Blake and Justin Bieber, stakes is high. And so are our hopes. —Elva Aguilar

RELATED: Chance The Rapper: "Acid Test" (2013 Cover Story)

3. Frank Ocean, TBD

Label: Def Jam

Nostalgia, Ultra was the scratchpad of intricate love songs that Frank Ocean wasn't legally allowed to share with us. But he shared it anyway, back in 2011, and it was a stunning success. He trumped that album, which would have been a career-defining work for many singers, with 2012's complex, layered, emotionally and sonically gorgeous Channel ORANGE. He's always advancing the narrative, so—as long as he gets over that scary vocal chord tear without complications—we expect the Odd Future crooner to deliver something even more elaborate in 2014. —Claire Lobenfeld

2. Kanye West, TBD

Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam Music Group

Throughout his career Kanye has made a habit of making albums that leave fans picking their jaws up off the floor and wondering how on earth is he going to follow that?

After fusing the hot emotions of personal loss with the cold, spare, autotune synthsoul of 808s and Heartbreak he brought forth the grand-scale, baroque, rap-as-high-art masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. After lavishing us in the luxury rhymes and plush production of Watch the Throne (a gazillion-dollar project that somehow, and effectively, came off as a small, self-contained, almost casual effort from the two biggest rap stars in the world) he challenged us to keep listening through the nasty, rage-filled blasphemy and cacophonous squawk of Yeezus—and made it very much worth the effort.

What will he do next? Who knows. But there is no more interesting question in music, or art, or popular culture in general this year. —Dave Bry

RELATED: The 100 Best Kanye West Songs

1. Kendrick Lamar, TBD

Label: Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope

Kendrick Lamar’s last album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, is like a modern day Illmatic. It’s the last straight-up rap album to become a universally acclaimed classic. Funny thing is, although good kid came out in 2012, Kendrick didn’t really solidify his Best Rapper Alive status until last year. He spent 2013 coasting off the strength his major label debut, cruised past a million in sales, and spit a name-dropping, game-changing, earth-shaking verse on “Control.” This year, the ball is back in his court and the pressure is on.

Little is known about his next album, but the snippet we heard in his recent Beats By Dre ad sounded fucking nuts. So if good kid is Illmatic, will his follow-up be an inspired but ultimately disappointing effort like Nas' It Was Written? Or can Kendrick once again outperform expectations? Can King Kendrick Lamar, comfortable on the throne, add another gem to his crown? —Insanul Ahmed

RELATED: It's the End of 2013 and Kendrick Lamar Is The Best Rapper Alive