Is Playboi Carti‘s long-awaited I Am Music really dropping? We remain a bit skeptical after rumors turned into full-fledged news this week, announcing the album’s release on March 14.
In light of this, here’s five questions we have with I Am Music officially on the way
How long has it been since Carti first announced ‘I AM MUSIC’?
Shortly after canceling his ‘NARCISSIST’ tour, the Opium rapper first announced ‘I Am Music’ in a rare interview with XXL (2022), only it was labeled just ‘MUSIC’ at the time. “I was about to name my album ‘MUSIC’ because that’s where I’m at,” Carti said. “Music, because that’s all it is at that point.” Followed by a slew of surprise Christmas time tweets from Carti, other Opium affiliates and DJ Akademiks claimed that ‘MUSIC’ was on the way, however, the album never materialized due to Carti’s arrest later that week in Atlanta—the first of many delays. It’s been over four years since Carti dropped his last solo album, ‘Whole Lotta Red.’
Was “2024 Music” the rollout all along?
December 2023 tracks like “DIFFERENT DAY” and “2024” were the catalyst to a year-long Playboi Carti era filled with fit pics, basketball jerseys, Spotify billboards and a LOT of teasers. What was most impressive was Carti’s feature run, which boasted collabs with Camila Cabello, The Weeknd and Ye, to name a few. Building up overwhelming hype over the past year, Carti knew what he was doing by holding off, as ‘I AM MUSIC’ is easily one of the most anticipated rap albums of the decade.
What tracks could land on ‘I AM MUSIC’?
Carti has teased a ton of new cuts during his performances at Rolling Loud, Summer Smash and ComplexCon in 2024, as well as a slew of snippets on his @opium_00pium IG account. Tracks like “CRUSH” and “BACKDOOR A MF” could find their way onto the album, but it’s a safer bet we’ll see “KETAMINE,” “H00DBYAIR” and “EVILJ0RDAN” land on the now-mythical project, finally getting an official release on DSPs over a year later.
Rumored features already include a handful of top-tier talent, which include GRAMMY-winning icons like Kendrick Lamar and Justin Bieber. Future, Travis Scott (“CRUSH”), Young Thug, The Weeknd (“LOSE YOU”) and Lil Uzi Vert are also rumored to be on I AM MUSIC according to DJ Akademiks. This would be Carti and Uzi’s first track in nearly seven years, their first since “Wokeuplikethis*” in 2018.
Will he perform new ‘MUSIC’ at Rolling Loud?
100%. Carti’s last performance at Rolling Loud Miami saw him tease a handful of new songs, most importantly his track with The Weeknd loosely titled “LOSE YOU.” Tracks like “CRUSH” with Travis Scott were previewed on social media following his Miami set, as Rolling Loud continues to tweet and tease new Carti being debuted at the festival any chance they get—admitting that the album was supposed to drop before his Miami set. “FIRST I AM MUSIC PERFORMANCE AFTER ALBUM RELEASE. ONLY AT ROLLING LOUD,” the Rolling Loud account tweeted. You’re in for a serious case of FOMO if you’re not in LA right now.
So when will the album actually drop?
After a few days of uncertainty following a rumored March 14 release date, ‘I AM MUSIC’ is officially slated for release this FRIDAY. Its release this weekend makes a lot of sense ahead of his headlining set at Rolling Loud and multiple posts from Spotify promoting the record with new billboards and a visual teaser. Fans have waited over four years for this moment, and it’s finally happening. ‘I AM MUSIC’ drops this FRIDAY!