This summer is packed with some of the most anticipated albums this year. So without any further delays, lets countdown the 10 most anticipated albums for the remainder of the summer.
Rita Ora – ORA – August 27th
The leading lady for the Roc Nation dynasty will reveal all on her debut effort ORA when it gets released on August 27th. She has been tearing up radio with her Notorious B.I.G. influenced single How We Do (Party) while recently releasing a new single titled Roc The Life. She’s been working in the studio with the likes of Kanye West and fellow Roc Nation labelmate J. Cole, and don’t be surprised if boss Jay-Z shows up somewhere to lend a helping hand.
Listen: How We Do (Party), Roc The Life
T.I. – Trouble Man – September 4th
Closing in almost a year after getting released from jail, T.I. is still looking to find his footing. With subpar single after single, I can only hope T.I. can pull it together and make something legitimate out of these newly announced tracks featuring the likes of Andre 3000, Cee-Lo Green (produced by Pharrell), R. Kelly, and a surprise feature that’s “out the genre and it’s through the roof”. Needless to say, we need the ‘kang’ back on that Paper Trail flow. Trouble Man is scheduled for a September 4th release date.
Slaughterhouse – welcome to: Our House – August 28th
After finally and officially signing to Eminem’s label Shady Records, the MC supergroup consisting of Royce Da 5’9″, Joe Budden, Joel Ortiz and Crooked I are prepared to come with another spitfire album. Some say their latest two single My Life and Throw It Away are lackluster but once the time comes, the 4 headed lyrical monster will shine in their own way as they have proven on their other single Hammer Dance. Don’t forget that Em will have his hand in production and possibly a special feature in the end. Be on the lookout for the pre-album mixtape to hold you over until welcome to Our House drops on August 28th.
Listen: Hammer Dance, My Life
Wiz Khalifa – O.N.I.F.C. – August 28th
Not much has been said about Wiz Khalifa’s sophomore effort O.N.I.F.C. aka One Night In First Class, but one thing is for sure, a lot of green was blazed in the process. The first single Work Hard, Play Hard is no Black & Yellow smash hit, but it does set the bar for what is to come. Production from Pharrell, will.i.am and in-house Sledgren and I.D. Labs among others conduct the backing beats to supply Wiz’s relaxed laid back flow. Wiz’s dedicated fan base will lead this to be another successful selling album for the Pittsburgh native when it hits shelves on August 28th.
Listen: Work Hard, Play Hard, Telescope
DJ Khaled – Kiss The Ring – August 21st
Who would have thought a DJ would be releasing a sixth album? Number six! DJ Khaled rounds up the usual suspects in Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, along with Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown for the lead single Take It To The Head. And if that wasn’t good enough for you, he just grabs a tough instrumental from Hit-Boy and some verses from Kanye West and Ross for the second course of the meal in I Wish You Would. As long as Khaled stays away from rhyming and just plays hype man for Kiss The Ring, this will be another collaboration laden beast that continues to allow him to do what he does best, sit back and let his music industry connections do the rest.
Listen: I Wish You Would, Take It To The Head
Trey Songz – Chapter V – August 27th
A bright star in the otherwise fading genre that is R&B, Trey Songz will pour out his heart on his fifth album titled Chapter V. Trey gives you 2 Reasons to listen to his new club joint while going head first for the ladies on the bedroom seductive Dive In. The best part is the biggest features from Kanye West, J. Cole and Big Sean has yet to come out. The mixture of slow joints and hard hitting records with leave you plenty excited for the album that drops on August 21st.
Listen: 2 Reasons, Dive In, Heart Attack
Meek Mill – Dreams & Nightmares – August 28th
While riding the coat tail success of MMG’s Self Made Vol. 2 and his own Dream Chasers 2 mixtape, Meek Mill is readying the release of his solo debut album Dreams & Nightmares. Following the boss Rick Ross’s method, he chose his mixtape track Amen to be pushed as the album single. And why not, especially when you get a Drake feature that is sure to turn it into a bona fide #1 record. It might be pushed back but if it doesn’t, don’t be surprised to see a few new tracks from it come out in the next few weeks leading up to the tentative release date on August 28th.
Listen: Amen, Black Magic, Burn
2 Chainz – Based On A T.R.U. Story – August 14th
Mr. Tity Boi has taken the whole music industry by storm after going the solo route and changing his name, basically reinventing himself. To being featured on everyone and their mama’s records while also dropping his own tracks, how can you not be excited about his Def Jam debut? As his label affiliation with G.O.O.D. still continues to be debated, you can’t dispute that his first single No Lie featuring Drake is a monster. While bringing up the rear on the Mercy single from G.O.O.D., and working with producers from Kanye West, to Drumma Boy, to Mike Will, and getting features from Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Ye, his story will definitely be told on August 14th. TRUUUUUUU!!! His newly released single Birthday Song featuring Kanye West.
Rick Ross – God Forgives, I Don’t – July 31st
After several pushbacks because of health problems and not the greatest promotion train, Rick Ross is ready to give the fans what he calls his best work in his fifth studio album God Forgives, I Don’t. His second album this year, following his team Maybach Music’s Self Made Vol. 2, features hip-hop street anthems in So Sophisticated and Hold Me Back, and smooth tracks in Touch’N You and the much coveted Andre 3000 featured song titled Sixteen. You can’t get past the fact he also has got a track featuring Dr. Dre that also includes a massive verse from Jay-Z. With one week to go until the July 31st release date, Ross will be sure to feed us with another solid project filled with great production and verses.
Listen: So Sophisticated, Touch’N You, 3 Kings
G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer – September 4th
With compilations being the in thing to do these days with Maybach Music doing their thing and Young Money putting theirs out a few years ago, it’s time for the best label to have their share. Kanye West has rounded out his G.O.O.D. Music crew in the past few months with a few new signings including adding the legend Q-Tip to the already potent roster that includes Pusha T, Big Sean, Kid Cudi, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Common, and John Legend among others. Along with connections with one of the hottest MC’s in the game at the moment, 2 Chainz, and Hit-Boy lacing killer beats and possible a few verses, they can’t go wrong. With Mercy being released as the first single back in April, and Ye and Pusha T dropping New God Flow a few weeks ago, they are ready to move forward to their Sept. 4 release date and kill the game with the much anticipated, and precisely calculated album helmed by the musical mastermind that is Kanye West.
Listen: Mercy, New God Flow
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