Playboi Carti delivered on fans’ expectations by further previewing his long-awaited new album at Rolling Loud, though the album itself, unless something changes within the next few minutes before I hit publish, is still not available.
Carti headlined Sunday’s 10th anniversary-commemorating lineup in Miami, opening his set with a pair of glimpses into what he’s cooked up for the tentatively titled I Am Music, which, when it finally lands in the hands of fans, will mark the currently unparalleled artist’s first new full-length since 2020’s Whole Lotta Red. That album, the influence of which is inarguable and inescapable after four fascinating years in the rearview, was also well-represented in Carti’s setlist, as were key I Am Music era loosies.
Naturally, Carti also tucked in many of his recent string of scene-stealing features, including the Grammy-nominated “Carnival” off Ye and Ty Dolla Sign’s initial Vultures collection. But as Carti explained in a succinct and rare aside to the audience during Sunday’s headlining set, his mere presence on a track means it then becomes his track, simple as that.
“This my song, n***a,” Carti said as “Carnival” kicked in. “Every song I’m on is my song, n***a.”
New (and familiar) music with The Weeknd and Travis Scott got some prominent space in the set, which also saw Carti perhaps paying homage to 50 Cent or bats (or both) by hanging upside-down at one point. Driving home the Fif comparison, of course, was Carti’s choice of attire for RL ’24, though the bulletproof vest-focused look also calls to mind Ye during the Donda era.
Earlier into the extensive I Am Music rollout, Carti brought the Opium crew to Las Vegas for the 2024 edition of ComplexCon. After Sunday in Miami, Carti's schedule, at least officially, is open. There are no additional live dates set for the near future. As for the album, attention now returns to the impending holiday, as it has on an annual basis for Carti fans since the Christmas Day 2020 surprise of WLR. Could Carti be plotting a similar strategy for I Am Music, thus squeaking its release in before the end of the year?
We can certainly hope.
