The Dozens, Plus One: 13 Albums We’re Excited for This Year

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13. Benny the Butcher

The end of 2019 was the moment the entire Griselda Crew (Westside Gunn & Conway the Machine) started shining a lot brighter, thanks to the light of praises built up from years of consistent, hard-hitting street music. But it was Benny the Butcher who became the MC fans reacted to the most. Although the Buffalo MC told the Rap Radar podcast that he wants to “live life for a minute” and there’s been no official release date announced, his recent—and very impressive—appearance on Royce Da 5’9’s “Upside Down”, along with his history of never sitting quiet too long, suggests that the best is yet to come from the Butcher in 2020.

12. Isaiah Rashad

The TDE 6th man had an impressive debut with 2016’s The Sun’s Tirade but remain quiet with no mixtapes or surprise guest appearances to keep fans warm for the last four years. Word through the internets a sophomore release is being worked on and will be titled The House Is Burning with no date scheduled. Once dropped, hopefully, it will prove that a good record comes to those who wait, and wait, and wait.

11. Run the Jewels

With their skillful wordplay and natural chemistry backed by solid music production, veteran MCs Killer Mike and EL-P’s 2016 release RTJ3 was a lyricist lover’s dream. Their follow-up was finally announced in February on twitter when EL-P promised it’s release before the duo’s April Coachella performance.

10. Nicki Minaj

Once upon a time, Nicki Minaj had a nearly ten-year run as the only lady MC on the planet that mattered. Her 2018 album Queen presented a reminder to all who doubted her reign while her recent controversial mention of the late civil rights activist Rosa Parks showed that Minaj still knows how to keep her barbs sharp for a return.

9. Migos

After doing separate solo projects, Hip Hop’s most famous trio is set to release their fourth album, Culture 3, which is to be the end of their trilogy.

8. City Girls

The Miami duo’s 2018 blow-up came crashing down when member JT was convicted of fraudulent credit charges leaving a pregnant Yung Miami to hold it down for the group. But once JT got out a year later, anticipation for their next project gained momentum. Allegedly upon her release—even before seeing any family members—JT headed straight to the recording studio to create new music for 2020.

7. SZA

SZA’s debut CTRL (2018) was an impressive display to both her loyal mixtape base and her new-wave fans. TDE’s first lady revealed on twitter that her sophomore follow-up will drop in 2020, but she doesn’t have a date yet because she doesn’t want to stress herself out.

6. Megan THEE Stallion

Yes, it is becoming harder each year to determine the difference between a mixtape and an original album. And Texas Lady MC Megan THEE Stallion doesn’t make it any easier with her tireless run of hit singles. Her official debut has been scheduled for May 2 (the same date as her late mother’s birthday), but with recent news of the Texas Hot Girl filing a lawsuit against her label, fans are hoping that—at a minimum—an album will drop before the year is up.

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Money making Meg hoe get like me?

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5. Cardi B

Cardi B’s road to stardom, from Instagram to Love & Hip Hop, mixtapes to the multi-platinum Invasion Of Privacy, can be considered the most impressive rise in Hip Hop history. However, besides a couple of songs (“Please Me” ft Bruno Mars and “Money”), 2019 came and went without a follow-up album. Recently the Bronx rapper stated that her next project is “almost done” and just needs a “couple more club hits,” to complete what will surely satisfy long-waiting Cardi fans.

4. J.Cole

Although J.Cole has delivered dope verses on the Dreamville album compilation, dedicated fans have been waiting on the release of The Fall Off ever since it was first mentioned on the last track of 2018’s KOD. The North Carolina MC heightened anticipation when he teased the album at a Las Vegas show back in late 2019 raising hopes that 2020 will be a Cole year.

3. Drake

Drizzy has had the most successful ten-year run in Hip Hop history. From mixtapes, albums, and random-whenever-I-feel-like-it songs, to multiple guest appearances, Drake hasn’t let a year pass without his name attached to a hit record. Right now there’s limited info about his next album. Drake only has stated that he plans to make it shorter than 2018’s Scorpion, and he has released two new songs: “Chicago Freestyle” & “When To Say When.

2. Kendrick Lamar

After the masterful DAMN. album in 2017, followed by executive producing the Black Panther soundtrack in 2018, Kendrick Lamar took some well-deserved personal time. He married his longtime girlfriend, who later gave birth to their first son. However, when news leaked that the Compton MC has been working on an album that allegedly will have a more “rock” sound, it created a growing buzz among both Hip Hop purists and mainstream fans.

1. Rihanna

RiRi has been teasing fans with a follow-up album since the release of 2016’s Anti. After defaulting on her 2019 promise to drop new music, fans have had to stand by in disappointment as she celebrates her successful new business ventures and lives her best life on the gram. 

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Be mine, bih. #XXSavageX

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