Heating Up: Hip-Hop Wired’s 2021 Summer Music Preview

With the summer season soon to be upon us next month, along with June being Black Music Month, the anticipation is high for a number of music releases. Beyond June and going deep into the third quarter, we take a look at what listeners will no doubt be clamoring for this summer. With J. Cole releasing his sixth studio album in The Off-Season, the release is thought to be the precursor of other big names in Hip-Hop and R&B gearing up to drop as the second quarter comes to a close at the end of June. Confirmed releases for June include Migos, Polo G, Kodak Black, and many more, while July promises the return of singer Bryson Tiller, a new drop from Leon Bridges, and the talented jazz-funk band Hiatus Kaiyote, who has been sampled by Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and others, will release an album after a six-year break in June as well.

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The slept-on but amazingly gifted Smoke DZA will also drop off new music with The Hustler’s Catalog 2, and Skyzoo is back with what promises to be his best album to date in All The Brilliant Things. Of course, this list couldn’t possibly be comprehensive as artists these days drop music via a variety of unconventional methods and there’s always the surprise drop to keep the fans, publications, and general public guessing. We can’t always get these things right. It isn’t all big names as underground champions such as MIKE of the [sLUms] collective slated to drop DISCO!, and Peter Rosenberg will drop off a compilation album, Real Late, featuring a bevy of rappers who should be on the radar of Hip-Hop fans. It hasn’t been much said about women rappers and singers entering the summer music fold with folks hopeful SZA and Ari Lennox give the world some new tracks, but across the pond, Little Simz will make her return in September and it figures to be one of the year’s best if the singles are any evidence. We’ve got just a handful of our anticipated albums listed out in ALPHABETICAL order in the gallery below. If we missed an upcoming release date, please let us know. Again, these are just 10 albums of the dozens and more that will release this summer and we’ll report back with more as needed. We’ll be featuring many of the mentioned names in this preview in our bi-weekly, rotating CRT FRSH playlist. Learn more here. — Photo: Getty

1. 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne – ColleGrove 2 [TBA]

While there’s no release date for this project, the pair have finalized their tracklist which some believe is a signal the dynamic down south duo will give the fans more of their College Park and Holly Grove stylings very soon.

2. Conway The Machine – God Don't Make Mistakes [TBA]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CO8xXzZhgJe/

Conway The Machine is perhaps the Griselda core’s best all-around talent and is the CEO of his own DrumWork record label. Still, the Buffalo, N.Y. MC has something to say and his Shady Records debut God Don’t Make Mistakes has been billed as one of the best albums ever recorded.

3. Drake – Certified Lover Boy

https://www.instagram.com/p/COb5ai-FxVw/

Drake appeared to be dropping his latest studio set near the top of the year but Certifed Lover Boy has been pushed back for reasons unknown to the public. But with some potent features for the year under his belt, Drizzy’s reign will likely continue.

4. Gucci Mane – Ice Daddy [6/18]

Gucci Mane has so much music that he could retire today and still feast as a touring act. However, Guwop isn’t done with his career as a rapper and his latest set Ice Daddy will cool down the summer just a tad. 

5. Gunna – Drip Season 4 [TBA]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPgyZmhNUER/

Young Thug’s YSL Records has a bunch of talent on its roster and Gunna is one of its standout acts. Drip Season 4 is slated for an August release although a date hasn’t been announced.

6. Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant [6/25)

Hiatus Kaiyote, the jazz-funk-whatever-they-wanna-be band out of Melbourne, has been sampled by some of Hip-Hop’s faves. Their latest set Mood Valiant will be the group’s first release since 2015.

7. Isiah Rashad – The House is Burning [TBA]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPcc6rTFgxC/

TDE does things their own way and that might frustrate some but there’s a reason for it all. Isiah Rashad, repping Tennessee, is expected to drop his latest album The House Is Burning sometime in June.

8. Lil Durk & Lil Baby – The Voice Of The Heroes [6/4]

https://www.instagram.com/p/COs7v_VHlvD/

While Lil Durk and Lil Baby’s joint project was teased with a May 28 date, signs are pointing to June 4 being the actual date. Both artists are extremely beloved and carry the sound of now on their shoulders so expect big sounds.

9. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert [9/3]

https://www.instagram.com/p/COXdNqoLO_C/

Little Simz gave the fans a quick EP in 2020 in Drop 6, but it’s been two years since 2019’s excellent Grey Area release. With Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, the British MC is poised for a major splash.

10. Migos – Culture III [6/11]

The Migos haven’t released an album together since 2018, but all of the real-life family members have been active as soloists and are clearly connected. Culture III promised to be more of their usual depictions of living lavishly, but few acts do it better.