After taking 2021 off (mostly; he was heavily involved in the recording of YSL Records’ Slime Language 2), Gunna splashily announced his return earlier this week with the fourth and final installment of his Drip Season mixtape series. Drip Season 4, which is due this Friday, January 7, is the first Drip Season tape in nearly four years, with Drip Season 3 dropping in February of 2018. Today, Gunna shared the cover, which transforms his face, as with previous versions of the cover. However, this time, in keeping with his increased status in the rap game, his transformation leans more toward epic than monstrous.
Whereas previous versions added fangs or bite masks to Gunna’s face, this latest one renders him as a bust that is cracking and crumbling, like a neglected work of art. It suggests both the end of an era and a mighty legacy worth rendering in stone — even if only temporarily. In a press release, the cover designer, contemporary artist Daniel Arsham, echoed this sentiment. “I’ve been a fan of Gunna’s music for quite some time and was pleased when he reached out to me a number of months ago through DM with questions about my work,” he said. “He was very curious about how some of the pieces that I create are made. He was intrigued about the crystal materials I use and the idea of time travel and the future, present within the works. We connected in person a few times and at some point, he asked if I wanted to work on the DS4 album cover with him.”
Prior to the announcement, Gunna released the Future-featuring single “Too Easy” and its remix, which features Roddy Ricch. They, along with “9 Times Outta 10,” constituted the Atlanta rapper’s first solo work since 2020’s Wunna. In the time since, Gunna’s profile has risen to the point of receiving a day honoring his achievements in Fulton County, Georgia, where he grew up.
Check out the Drip Season 4 cover above and stream it 1/7 via 300 and Atlantic.