When we think back to 2015 in the coming years, we’ll remember the constant releases of music which actually got to a point that fans started complaining about the game being over-saturated. Due to the amount of projects we heard last year, surely 2016 will be far more quiet?
That’s not necessarily the case. We’ve already told you about our favorite albums and songs from last year and now we’re shifting the focus. We compiled a list of the mixtapes and albums we’re anticipating the most in the next 12 months. Click on the following pages to find out what they are and let us know whether or not you agree with the picks.
In no particular order…
Lupe Fiasco – Drogas
We’re not entirely sure why Tetsuo & Youth is as overlooked as it is in Hip-Hop but like we mentioned in our year-end list, it’s a masterpiece. Lupe has not one, not two but three albums set to drops this year, the first of which is Drogas. The only information we currently have is that ‘Mural Jr.’ will appear on it, which is more than enough to keep us excited, considering the first is arguably the most lyrical song of Lupe’s career.
Kanye West – SWISH
Up until the release of ‘Real Friends’, Kanye West hadn’t truly been himself. Neither ‘Only One’ nor ‘All Day’ succeeded in building the hype he was looking for and reviews of ‘Facts’ had been less than flattering. Ye has seemed uninspired for some years now but in all actuality, when he has his back up against the wall can be when he sees the best results (see ‘No More Parties In LA‘). The return of G.O.O.D. Music Fridays has been promising and we’re still hopeful that on February 11th, SWISH will be everything that we want and need it to be.
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter V
Right up until the last day of 2015, the chances of Tha Carter V dropping were slim to none at best. All year long Wayne had been dropping music for free, with each project throwing some not so subtle shots at Cash Money and Birdman. However that all came to a confusing end when Stunna and Wayne were seen in pictures together on New Year’s Eve and even more recently. Could 2015 be the year of the Carter series coming to a grand close?
As usual with projects from Wayne, 2015’s Sorry 4 The Wait 2, Free Weezy Album and No Ceilings 2 were all met with mixed reviews. The truth is, none of them are consistent with Wayne’s best material, but they each have their moments. The right collection of these moments on C5 would be just what Wayne needs.
Majid Jordan – Majid Jordan
If you’re unfamiliar with Majid and Jordan’s music, they’re probably OVO’s most prized possession as of right now. In just a few weeks they’ll release their self-titled debut album which, if ‘Something About You’ and ‘King City’ are any indication, is shaping up to be a great body of work. Their affiliation with Hip-Hop through OVO Sound could have a serious impact on the culture in the coming years if up and rappers are influenced by their vibes. If you’re a fan of mood music and sounds for different emotions, or even if you’re just looking for something a little left field, look no further.
Big Sean – Untitled
Big Sean failed to receive the respect he deserved in 2015 for putting out arguably his best body of work. Perhaps that’s just a consequence of releasing an album in a very stacked year but his work went noticed by us.
President of G.O.O.D. Music Pusha T recently announced that Sean would be releasing an album in 2016. Little is known about it, which hopefully means he’s been working quietly on his best music to date.
Drake – Views From The 6
When 2015 kicked in, we expected to receive Views From The 6 in the next few months but we couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead we received two mixtapes (which were really albums) and some loosies courtesy of OVO Sound Radio, which did more than hold us down.
Rumours have said that Views will be infused with Island vibes and that the rapper will build hype by appearing on Rihanna’s R8 and Kanye’s SWISH but nothing is truly certain. All we know is that whether you love Drake or hate him, you’re anticipating the final product.
ScHoolboy Q – Untitled
Most of TDE’s focus in 2015 was on Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock, with Q’s connection and method of speech with his fans being mostly through Twitter and Snapchat. He’s the dark horse of his label and however you felt about Oxymoron, with the growth of his peers in the last two years, seeing how he chooses to manoeuvre now will be interesting to say the least. Recent advancements would lead us to believe that the album is already mastered so keep your eyes peeled.
PRhyme – PRhyme 2
Royce Da 5’9 and DJ Premier have been very smart with the execution of their PRhyme album, extending its life cycle by releasing the deluxe version a year after the original with an instrumental version of the LP releasing in between. Business moves aside, the first project showcased rapping skills of the highest level over amazing Premo production.
The second instalment promises to be just as great, with Royce looking to get verses from Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, The Game and more. We’ll take this along with Glasshouse and a promised solo project from Nickel too.
50 Cent – Street King Immortal
50 won a lot of hearts back with his December release The Kanan Tape which was short but sweet. Since its inception into the minds of 50 stans worldwide, Street King Immortal has been a sore subject due to its numerous delays. In fact, SKI has been “coming soon” for so long that the album even featured on our list of anticipated albums for 2015.
Before then, the Reloaded version of The Kanan Tape and undoubtedly a great deal of business ventures are yet to come. But if recent music and talk on social media is anything to go by, perhaps the second coming of 50 is near and the wait will be well worth it.
YG – Still Krazy
It’s still pretty common to believe that My Krazy Life was the best album of 2014 and it’s definitely still alright to admit that that was a surprise to most of us. Since propelling himself to stardom a couple of years back with DJ Mustard and Ty Dolla $ign, YG has been going through a lot in his personal life from being shot to having a daughter. Assuming he approaches his sophomore album Still Krazy with the same mentality as his debut, it could cement YG as one of the West Coast’s leading men.
Frank Ocean – Boys Don’t Cry
It’s become a rare occasion to even hear anything about Frank Ocean in the news these days. The Jay Electronica of the R&B genre, even seeing Frank in a photo or hearing rumours about collaborations and song titles are a treat. channel ORANGE is fast approaching its 4 year anniversary and whilst ‘Memrise’ and ‘You Are Luhh’ are great, we can count the recent releases from Frank on one hand.
R&B has been reaching new heights and audiences in recent times with the rise of PARTYNEXTDOOR, Bryson Tiller and Tory Lanez and we’re curious to see what Frank Ocean’s stance on it all is.
Pusha T – King Push
With his new position as President of G.O.O.D. Music, it would be easy to assume that Pusha’s solo career would fall to the back burner as he focuses on Sean, CyHi and the rest of the crew – but that’s most certainly not the case. With Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude, he arguably stole the last quarter of the year and King Push is looking like it will only be grander. Will his hit streak continue?
Wale – Shine
Year after year and album after album, Wale continues to prove himself as one of the game’s elite rappers. We’ve previously expressed that opinion and Wale even seemed responsive but for the most part, he continues to battle those who have him misunderstood.
His next album is shaping up to be his most experimental and he seems comfortable right now, despite what the rest of MMG has been going through. Releases like ‘New Phone’ and ‘Legit Boss’ have us optimistic for 2016. Could this finally be the year he gets his props?
Chance The Rapper – Untitled
You might think back to 2015 for Chance The Rapper and remember it as a pretty quiet year because of the lack of solo music which dropped but you’d be wrong. He released both Surf with The Social Experiment and the very under looked Free Based Freestyles with Lil B. In addition to the rapid flow of music, he’s also been making history as the first independent artist to perform on SNL, becoming the living embodiment of independence.
He’s been teasing a third mixtape for a while now but his focus seems to be on other things at the moment. When he inevitably releases a solo project this year, it could have some serious impact on the game.
J. Cole – Untitled
After the release of 2014 Forest Hills Drive, it was almost like J. Cole blew up all over again. This was the album diehard fans had been waiting for, it was the most commercially successful and most important of all, it was the start of a new chapter in Cole’s personal life.
When a rapper like Cole goes quiet between album cycles, it can sometimes be a tedious time for fans but that wasn’t the case in 2015. Hardly ever doing an interview or appearing on a song, Cole spent the vast majority of last year touring with his crew. You can bet he was recording though.
New drive and hunger has appeared through recent releases like ‘Folgers Crystals’ and ‘Black Friday’, the latter of which more or less confirmed the release of a project in February. We’re not entirely sure what to expect but it’s safe to say we’re excited for whatever’s in store.
Jeremih – Late Nights 2
It’s always rough seeing the most talented artists in the game going through the most tribulations and that was the case for the vast majority of last year for Jeremih. Despite having one of the most unique voices and best songwriting abilities in R&B today, he fought a long battle with his label Def Jam to release Late Nights: The Album. Musically, it was well worth the wait but due to numerous reasons, it’s failing to reach its projected heights commercially.
Late Nights 2 was teased on Instagram. We hope the singer was referring to a mixtape and not an album, so that we can give it a spin as soon as possible.
– by Akaash Sharma