The Top Dawgs of Hip-Hop are gearing up to drop highly anticipated rap records in 2023. Reportedly, emcees including A$ap Rocky, Drake, Lil Durk & Metro Boomin, Future, Lil Uzi Vert and J. Cole are slated to drop their highly anticipated albums this year. On top of it all, Pusha T’s debut Gangsta Grillz Mixtape is on the boards. NBA YoungBoy released eight full-length LPs in 2022, will the young Baton Rogue rapper drop more music and perhaps, set an unmatchable record in consistently releasing prolific modern rap music? Check out Culture Haze’s comprehensive list of ten top-tier Hip-Hop records slated to drop this year.
1. ‘Tha Carter VI’ by Lil Wayne
Weezy F Baby will drop the sixth project from the iconic Tha Carter LP series this year. The legendary emcee and lyricist first confirmed the project during his onstage reunion with YoungMoney labelmates Drake & Nicki Minaj.
Carter VI is one the way.
2. ‘Scary Hours 3’ by Drake. Announced on the ‘Table for One’ radio show via SiriusXM
3. ‘Don’t Be Dumb’ by A$ap Rocky.
The legendary Harlem, NYC emcee confirmed his fourth studio record Don’t Be Dumb on his Amazon Music Live Set.
4. Sidhu Moosewala & Drake’s Collaborative Effort
In November last year, the leading publication in music Brit AsiaTV confirmed that a collaborative effort between Drake & Sidhu Moosewala is on its way. The news arrived after Champagne Papi paid his tributes to the late rapper by playing ‘295’ and ‘G-shit’ on his debut radio show ‘Table for One’ on SiriusXM Radio’s Sound42 channel. Later, Drizzy sported a “R.I.P. Sidhu Moosewala T-shirt 1993-2022” on the first day of OVO Fest in Toronto.
5. ‘Music’ by Playboi Carti
Rap’s cult figure Georgia-born Playboi Carti is slated to return to rap after nearly three years. The ‘Whole Lotta Red’ emcee confirmed his third LP Music in an interview with XXL Magazine last year. In December, Carti teased what seemed to be new music for 2023.
6. ‘UTOPIA’ by Travis Scott
The influential emcee from Houston, Travis Scott is set to return with UTOPIA in 2023. After the Astroworld Festival 2021 which resulted in multiple deaths and injuries, Scott is gradually gearing up to drop his fourth studio album.
Watch Travis Scott’s first live set since the Astroworld Festival at the O2 Arena, London here.
7. ‘Gangsta Grillz Mixtape’ by Pusha T & DJ Drama
The It’s Almost Dry rapper and G.O.O.D Music’s former president Pusha T gears up to drop his verses on perhaps the most anticipated Gangsta Grillz Mixtape with DJ Drama. The project will serve as the follow-up to King Push’s Grammy-nominated album released last year.
Watch Pusha T performing It’s Almost Dry and some of his most affecting tracks at Pharrell William’s Something In The Water here.
8. Schoolboy Q
Few would disagree that after Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q – real name Quincy Matthew Hanley – is the leading tall figure of the Top Dawg Entertainment empire. The Germany-born Compton-bred emcee released his affecting record Soccer Dad last year and made way for widespread speculations about his next LP.
Listen to Soccer Dad by Schoolboy Q here if you haven’t yet.
9. ‘The Fall Off’ or ‘It’s a Boy’ by J. Cole
Hip-Hop listeners across the globe have been anticipating the release of J. Cole’s seventh studio album and the follow-up to The Off-Season. Cole titled the intro to KOD to tease a new album. Titled Intro to the Fall Off, Cole retracted by releasing The Off Season instead leaving room for the LP this year.
Further, fans speculate that Cole might release It’s a Boy ahead of the highly anticipated album.
Watch J. Cole performing The Off-Season album and some of his most influential records over the years at Rolling Loud New York here.
10. ‘The Pink Tape’ by Lil Uzi Vert
Lil Uzi Vert first confirmed the highly anticipated record The Pink Tape during an IG live in December 2020. Reportedly, the LP will feature Playboi Carti and drop as a SoundCloud exclusive. As per Genius, “the title might be a reference to the $24 million pink diamond they had pierced to their forehead in February 2021.”
Last year, Lil Uzi Vert released Just Wanna Rock slated to appear on the album. Watch the Gibson Hazard-directed visuals below if you haven’t yet.
