2019 has been a funny year when it comes to the volume of releases. While 2018 was filled with big name projects dropping every week, 2019 has been fairly slow. Since it’s getting warmer, I expect that trend to change. Artists and camps are withholding details of what albums are coming out. With that in mind, here’s a list of projects I am personally looking forward to for the rest of the year.
Kid Cudi - TBA
Last year served as Kid Cudi’s reintroduction to the masses after a few years of being quiet. “Kids See Ghosts,” the collaborative project with Kanye West showcased why Cudi is held in high regard by the current generation of artists. Cudi plans to release his 7th album sometime this year. I’m excited to find out which sonic direction this new album will take. If I could create a sound for this album it would be the feeling of his “Man of the Moon” days with mature content matter.
Wale - TBA
You either love him or hate him. But the one thing you can’t deny is that Wale is good when it comes to the pen. An on-point Wale is dangerous. In 2018, he dropped three EPs that were some of the best works of the year. With his label situation and mental space progressing in a positive way I expect him to be in A-1 form on this new album. I’m sure he’ll keep his hot streak going as a reminder for the masses to wake up.
Childish Gambino - Final LP
When is this project going to surface? We didn’t get it last year so it has to come out this year, right? With the release of his short film, “Guava Island” and shoe with Adidas, it feels like this would be the perfect time to release it. We know that Donald Glover is a busy man but we need to hear what the next and/or final evolution of Childish Gambino is.
T.D.E. - Any Project From The Camp
Top Dawg Entertainment is the top label going right now. Everything that comes from that camp is quality. By the looks of it, 2019 will be another busy year for the label. Whether it’s the long-awaited follow-up albums from Schoolboy Q and SZA or releases from other artists like Isaiah Rashad and Ab-Soul. Any Top Dawg release is a big deal in the music landscape. And who knows maybe we will see Kendrick Lamar pop up before the end of the year.
J.Cole/Dreamville - Return of the Dreamers 3
All eyes are on J. Cole and Dreamville. With the collective capturing the attention of social media and the Hip-Hop landscape with their “Dreamville Sessions” with the label working with a who’s who in the genre. Now we will get to hear what came out of those sessions. It’s known that “Revenge of the Dreamers 3” will come out sometime during the summer and it’s more than likely the public will not hear all those songs on this particular project, but over the course of multiple projects and singles. The intrigue with this album is how will it sound in this big melting pot of influences especially Cole.