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Chance The Rapper And Denzel Curry Pay Tribute To ‘Dragon Ball’ Creator Akira Toriyama Following His Death

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Rappers’ love for manga runs deep. So when news that Akira Toriyama, the creator of the beloved series Dragon Ball, died was released online, it shocked the music world. Since the announcement back on March 7, fans around the globe have poured out their love for Toriyama’s work online.

A few of those lifelong supporters included rappers Chance The Rapper and Denzel Curry. The news left The Voice judge and “Yah Know” rapper lost for words. In a gallery uploaded to his official Instagram page, the rapper couldn’t string together a message profound enough to express his sorrow. Instead, he used an array of tearful video clips blended with a few screenshots of the series’ many forms (video games, TV shows, and comics) to speak for him. Within the assortment, Chance included an image of the late visual artist.

On the other hand, Curry penned a lengthy note in his Instagram Stories (captured by HipHopDX, a fellow subsidiary of Warner Music Group) to pay tribute to the Manga legend.

“Akira Toriyama’s work has inspired me to be the best artist I can be,” he wrote. “Growing up in Carol City [, Florida] with a house full of brothers, his work was always something me and my siblings bonded over. His work on ‘Dragon Ball,’ ‘Dragon Ball Z,’ ‘GT,’ and ‘Super’ made me want to be the best version of myself because Goku was the person that kids looked up to.”

Tributes will continue to pour in from musicians.

Toriyama’s cause of death has not been officially announced. However, according to a fan page, the 68-year-old officially passed away on March 1 as the result of acute subdural hematoma.

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Mom shares idea for a Forever 41 for Millennials and people think it’s brilliant

There’s something that happens after you reach a certain age. It’s almost like you’re back to being stuck in between the aisles of your favorite department store. You no longer feel comfortable in the juniors section of the store but the other side of the aisle can sometimes feel a bit too mature.

If you’re not quite ready for fully elastic waisted polyester pants but are way too old to feel comfortable wearing a shirt that’s missing random patches of material, then Forever 41 may be the store for you. At least that’s if Tara Joon gets her way.


The mom took to social media to propose the store idea geared towards Millennial women. There’s already a store called Forever 21, which has clothes for…well, people much closer to 21.

Forever 41 would cater to women in their 40s and it honestly sounds like dream that should absolutely become a reality, especially if Joon’s suggestions are realized.

“We need a store called, Forever 41! Where they play the 90s music, free coffee and snacks all around the store. They should have in house therapists near the fitting area for crisis counseling at all times. They should have a bin for portable fans for all of us that are perimenopausal,” Joon says.

Joon isn’t alone in her desire to have a store specifically designed for middle aged women. There were several commenters giving suggestions on what else should be included.

“How about shirts that are actually long enough to reach the top of my hips? Is that too much to ask, fashion industry?!?!,” one person writes.

“We need the firemen to be complimentary. They give you a compliment as you walk in,” another says.

“I also want this as a club. Everybody wears 90s clothes and or prom dresses, and every night at the end of the night they play ‘Closing Time’ at last call,” someone adds.

“Can they play the music at a level we can talk over too. It sounds perfect,” another person suggests.

Maybe this idea will take off and there will be a Forever 41 opening near you. If they throw in a babysitting area, you’d never get moms to leave that store. Listen to the rest of her brilliant idea below.

@thereal.tarajoon Forver 41 🤩 What else would you like the store to have? Please share! #forever41 #momlife #tiktokvidcon ♬ original sound – Tara Joon

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Guy gives an Asian spin on classic American foods, and the results are truly delectable

We know that food and identity are intricately linked. And when we shame a person’s food choices—especially when the dish is representative of their culture—we are also shaming the individual’s heritage.

Asian-Americans in particular have been on the receiving end of this type of discrimination. It’s such a universal childhood experience that the term “lunchbox moment” was coined to describe having their school lunches being ridiculed.

Fortunately, society is evolving. Diversity, inclusion and blending culture is becoming more the norm. And food, like every art form, follows suit. Hence, delectable fusions that not only delight the taste buds, but cook up a more curious and compassionate world.


Which brings us to Taiwanese-American designer turned food writer and photographer Frankie Gaw.

On his website, Gaw claims he’s “not a chef by any means,” but just one scroll through his blog, titled “Little Fat Boy,” will have you thinking differently.Gaw’s recipes are heavily inspired by the meals prepared to him in childhood by his grandmother, who makes several guest appearances during his videos.

“My hope…is to capture the melting pot of food experiences that I love through recipes, videos, pop-up events, and more. I just want it to feel like you’re eating in my grandma’s kitchen and getting the best kind of fat with 10-year-old plump me with a bunch of steamed buns stuffed in your face, coupled with a little slice of Midwestern suburban goodness,” he says.

That intention certainly comes across with his “American Classics turned Taiwanese” series, where everything from Twinkies to Mcdonald’s Happy Meals to good ol’ mac n’ cheese gets an Asian spin.

Did we mention that he even creates his own version of the food packaging? Yeah, he’s extra in the best way.

With each recipe video, Gaw shares moments of his life, like how he would screen his lunch for non-American snacks and throw them away, or pontificate how life might be different if iconic brands capitalized on different flavors from around the world. Like if Campbell’s soups introduced congee to “made congee into a pantry staple,” or if Cheerios introduced Asian flavors like sesame and miso.

After seeing his creations, it’s hard not to wonder that too. See more below:

I could eat 7 strawberry match “Twunkies” in one go, easily.

Congee is just like soup, but with more flavor and fillings? Sign me up.

Gaw is right. More cereal flavors, please.

Taiwanese fried chicken + Cheetos = tastebud heaven

Not only is this version of Lunchables way more pleasing to the eye, it would probably be more satisfying for the tummy.

Caramalized onions make everything better. So why not mac-n-cheese.

Hoping to explore some of Gaw’s recipes yourself? Gaw recently came out with a cookbook, titled “First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home,” which is filled not only with unique, scrumptious meal ideas, but deeply personal stories from his childhood, giving viewers a real opportunity to be transported to new places. And all through food! What’s not to like?

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11th-century ancient ‘smartphone’ found to have been shared between Muslims and Jews

About a year ago, Dr. Federica Gigante, a research associate at Cambridge University, was preparing for a lecture and was looking for a photo of 17th-century Italian nobleman and collector Ludovico Moscardo when she happened upon an image of something exceedingly rare, an ancient Arab astrolabe.

The relic was kept in the same museum as Moscardo’s photo.

According to the University of Cambridge, an astrolabe is an ancient instrument akin to the “world’s first smartphone” that has hundreds of uses, including calculating time and distances, plotting the position of the stars and even making predictions about the future by casting a horoscope.


Dr. Gigante, who is also a former curator of Islamic scientific instruments at Oxford University’s History of Science Museum, traveled to the Fondazione Museo Miniscalchi Erizzo in Verona, Italy three months later to examine the artifact. “I saw it was a lot more ancient than they’d realized,” she told The Guardian. When she began to inspect the astrolabe, she noticed scratches etched in its bronze face and they were no accident.

She soon realized that the etchings were in Hebrew, showing that over 900 years ago, Muslims and Jews worked together to exchange scientific ideas. Further examination showed that another Western language was also etched onto the astrolabe.

After comparing the astrolabe to similar instruments, she found that it was from Al-Andalus, the Muslim-ruled area of Spain, in the 11th Century.

Gigante believes that the astrolabe eventually left Spain and circulated among the Jewish diaspora living in Italy.

“There’s an added dedication or signature to the object, that reads: ‘For Isaac, the work of Jonah,’” she said. “They’re both Jewish names so it’s very likely that by then, the astrolabe had got into Jewish ownership. But it’s interesting that it’s written in Arabic. Although it was probably in the hands of some Jews, Arabic was the lingua franca and was used by Jews as much as Muslims and Christians.”

Just as smartphones need updates over time, the astrolabe had corrections and updates etched on its surface throughout history. “The Verona astrolabe underwent many modifications, additions, and adaptations as it changed hands. At least three separate users felt the need to add translations and corrections to this object, two using Hebrew and one using a Western language,” Dr. Gigante said.

It is believed that the astrolabe entered the collection of Ludovico Moscardo (1611 to 1681), a nobleman from Verona, and later transitioned to the Miniscalchi family through marriage. In 1990, this family established the Fondazione Museo Miniscalchi-Erizzo to safeguard their collections.

At a time when tensions are high between Muslims and Jews, it’s touching to learn of an ancient artifact that circulated among both groups as a method of sharing knowledge. “We know that in 11th-century Spain, Jews and Muslims and Christians were working alongside each other, especially in the scientific media, and that many Jewish scientists were sponsored and patronized by Muslim rulers with no concern for their religion,” Dr. Gigante said. “This object is Islamic, Jewish and European, they can’t be separated.”

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Kanye West Secures The No. 1 Spot On The New ‘Billboard’ Hot 100 Chart, Marking His First Chart-Topper In Over A Decade

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In music, the artist that dominates the charts tends to lead the pack. So, each week, when Billboard reveals the top 10 songs on its Hot 100 chart, entertainers and fans alike pause to comb over the results.

After weeks of streaming battles between music’s biggest names, the new rankings are ready for all to see. Continue below for the track-by-track breakdown for the chart dated March 16.

10. Taylor Swift – “Cruel Summer”

Until Taylor Swift‘s forthcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department is released, the Swifties are working hard to ensure the singer doesn’t leave the chart. Instead of latching onto her most recent project, Midnight, they’ve latched onto 2019’s “Cruel Summer.” Her Lover-era is long since over, but the public’s admiration for the track clearly isn’t.

9. Doja Cat – “Agora Hills”

Over the weekend, Doja Cat announced her departure from the popular social media platform Instagram. But she couldn’t abandon the music charts even if she tried. Her stand-out Scarlet track “Agora Hills” has continued to hold tight in Billboard‘s top 10. The record could sneakily snatch the No. 1 slot if her die-hard fans work hard enough at it.

8. SZA – “Snooze”

There’s no sleeping on SZA’s sheer star power. The multiple Grammy Award winner’s sophomore album, SOS, is nearly two years old, and yet it still hasn’t left the charts. The project’s fan favorite, “Snooze,” has continued to showcase just how mighty SZA’s pen can be in the No. 8 spot.

7. Zach Bryan — “I Remember Everything” Feat. Kacey Musgraves

The more Zach Bryan travels across the world on his Quittin Time Tour, the more he makes a country music fan out of all within earshot. Undoubtedly, the most addictive song on his self-titled album is “I Remember Everything.” The debut with Kacey Musgraves will surely be looked back on as a classic years down the line. So, it is no wonder why the track sets comfortably at No. 7.

6. Tate McRae – “Greedy”

Uproxx cover star Tate McRae’s recent live performance at the 2024 BRITS gave her breakout hit “Greedy” an added boost on the charts. For 25 weeks, the song has made the Hot 100 chart its home, peaking at No. 3 back in September. But with McRae’s string of live shows and the constant push on TikTok, another surge could be in the works.

5. Beyoncé — “Texas Hold ‘Em”

Beyoncé and her yeehaw agenda is a force to be reckoned with. With Act II only a few weeks away, the project’s lead single, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” won’t loosen its grip on the Beyhive. Although it has fallen out of the No. 1 slot, thanks to the fan-crafted viral lineup, it could gitty up right back to the top quite soon.

4. Benson Boone – “Beautiful Things”

Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” is showing subtle growth. In prior weeks, the track dropped from its peak position at No. 2 to No. 3. But for the week of March 16, the record climbed a slot up to No. 4.

3. Jack Harlow – “Lovin On Me”

Jack Harlow’s viral sensation “Lovin On Me” has refused to fall out of favor. Like the rapper, the record ebbs and flows based on which way the industry trends. While it currently sits at No. 3, it could very easily snatch its previously held No. 1 position.

2. Teddy Swims – “Lose Control”

Teddy Swims‘ “Lose Control” glides right back into the top two of this week’s Hot 100 chart. Due to its continued popularity, next week could be the moment when the song takes over at No. 1. But for right now, the growth to No. 2 will work just fine for the singer.

1. Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign — “Carnival” Feat. Rich The Kid and Playboi Carti

At No. 1 is none other than Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign. After a fierce battle with Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the collaborative duo Vultures 1 track, “Carnival,” featuring Rich The Kid and Playboi Carti, has snagged the top spot. According to Complex, this marked West’s first No. 1 song in 13 years.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Al Pacino Says It’s Not His Fault His Oscars Best Picture Announcement Was A Bit Awkward

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This year’s Oscars had some big surprises: shock wins, a Field of Dreams rant, a Trump cameo, some nudity, a dog. It also concluded with some Al Pacino action. The legendary actor was there to present the final award, for Best Picture. It was a touch awkward, in part because they skipped the traditional part where they run down the list of nominees, reminding viewers about what’s up for the big prize. But Pacino is insisting that wasn’t his fault.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the “Dunkaccino” guy released a statement the morning after in which he put blame for that omission elsewhere.

“There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award,” Pacino said. “I just want to be clear it was not my intention to omit them, rather a choice by the producers not to have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony. I was honored to be a part of the evening and chose to follow the way they wished for this award to be presented.

“I realize being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful,” Pacino added. “I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors and producers so I deeply empathize with those who have been slighted by this oversight, and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement.”

During his presentation, Pacino wasn’t exactly one for Bruce Villanch-y quips. “Ten wonderful films were nominated, but only one will take the award for best picture,” he said, plainly. He then walked the crowd through his modest task. “I have to go to the envelope for that, and I will,” he said, followed by, “Here it comes.” Pacino then skipped the whole “And the Oscars goes to…” business, instead saying, so quiet it hardly felt momentous, “And my eyes see Oppenheimer. Yes. Yes.”

But hey, Pacino can do whatever he wants. He’s Al Pacino. For another, it aided in creating one of the shorter Oscars in ages, running “only” about an hour and 15. Those watching on the East Coast even got to get a good night’s sleep, while those out west got to hit up In-N-Out before their party.

(Via THR)

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Saquon Barkley Torched Tiki Barber For Saying He’s ‘Dead To Me’ After Signing With Eagles

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Free agency winds are blowing in the NFL, including standout running back Saquon Barkley leaving the New York Giants in favor of the Philadelphia Eagles. While Barkley joining a new team this offseason was not viewed as a wildly unlikely outcome by any means, Barkley changing teams within the NFC East drew attention, particularly in some corners of the New York media. In fact, former Giants running back and current radio host Tiki Barber apparently took exception with Barkley’s defection, saying “you’re dead to me.”

With that particular comment making the rounds, Barkley torched Barber, first saying (sarcastically) that Barber is “the prime example of loyalty to a team.”

Then, Barkley kept going, saying Barber has “been a hater since I got to New York” and not exactly holding back.

It remains to be seen as to whether Barber will have a direct response, but it is also notable that Barkley shared a post from Jordan Schultz that shed interesting light on the situation. Schultz reported that the Giants “never made an offer to retain Barkley” and that he was choosing between three teams as a result.

Given that context, it is easy to see why Barkley would be particularly bothered by what Barber said. Even without it, though, this kind of language from a former player in the same city, and particularly one who occupied the same position, was always likely to get more attention. Barkley is now heading to Philadelphia, and his first chance to face the Giants will be pretty, pretty interesting.

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A Lot Of People Sure Want John Mulaney To Host The Oscars After His Hysterical ‘Field Of Dreams’ Rant

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There were a lot of fun things at this year’s Academy Awards. There was a top shelf musical performance from Ryan Gosling. John Cena got buck naked. There was a dog. But perhaps the most leftfield bit came when John Mulaney presented the Oscar for Best Sound. During his intro, he launched into a prolonged rant about Field of Dreams — a movie that wasn’t even nominated for its sound. Mulaney’s appearance was so well-received that people instantly interpreted it as an audition to host one of the most feared gigs in the business.

Mulaney’s intro started off with a bang, which is to say a comically over-simplified story about the history of synch sound in cinema. “For years movies didn’t have sound. And then they figured it out,” he informed the crowd. He balked at those who prefer the so-called “silent” era. “These people are difficult and insane.”

Mulaney then argued that famous movie quotes are one of the great joys of movies — quotes like “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” “I’ll have what she’s having,” and “He was in the Amazon with my mother when she was researching spiders just before she died.” (The latter wasn’t really from a movie — Madame Web — but from its trailer, and the social media dunking that followed was an early sign the film would tank.)

There was another big quote Mulaney dwelled on: “If you build it, he will come.” That led into a lengthy summary of the movie that contains it, 1989’s Field of Dreams, in which Mulaney made it sound like the dumbest movie ever made. He particularly singled out the idea of “Ghost Baseball,” including its bizarre rules — like how the player played by Frank Whaley isn’t allowed to play again after he ages into Burt Lancaster to give young Gaby Hoffman the Heimlich Maneuver.

Despite his making fun of Field of Dreams, he told the crowd that he “loves” it and that “that should win Best Picture.” He added, glumly, “Though they’ll probably go with one of this year’s.”

Mulaney’s epic, out-of-nowhere summation of a movie that was actually nominated for Best Picture 35 years prior made a lot of people wish Kimmel would sit 2025 out.

So the votes are in and Mulaney is the favorite for the 97th Academy Awards. Then again, does he even want the job? Not only is it a tough gig, but it has a history of scaring off comics even after they’ve said yes.

You can watch Mulaney’s Oscar intro in the video below.

And if you aren’t sure Mulaney can hold his own at a movie awards show, just watch him and Nick Kroll kill the opening monologue at the 2017 Independent Spirit Awards:

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Scarlett Johansson recreates Katie Britt’s historically weird State of the Union speech

When Republican Senator Katie Britt made her questionable at best rebuttal to Thursday’s State of the Union, it was pretty much expected to become the subject of a “Saturday Night Live” skit. It was practically a parody in itself, so absurd it didn’t even land well with her own party.

But to everyone’s surprise—and delight— “SNL” nabbed Scarlett Johansson to play Britt (perhaps as a favor to her husband Colin Jost?), and she absolutely nailed the senator’s laughable-yet-borderline-terrifying original delivery during the show’s cold open.


Donning an near-exact replica of Britt’s cross necklace and emerald green blouse, Johansson “auditions for the role of scary mom” with what she calls “an original monologue called ‘This Country is Hell,” an obvious nod to the outright fiction of Britt’s rebuttal.

Complete with oddly placed giggles, astonished eyes conveying worry like an Oscar depended on it, and “getting weirdly seductive for no apparent reason,” Johansson flawlessly recreates Britt’s now infamous speech, especially the part where she “pivots out of nowhere into a shockingly violent story about sex trafficking. And rest assured, every detail about it is real. Except the year, where it took place and who was president when it happened.”

And this of course takes palace in the kitchen, just as Britt’s did, “because Republicans want me to appeal to woman voters, and women love kitchen.

Things take an even darker turn when Johansson mimics the tea-cup hypnosis scene from Jordan Peele’s “Get Out”—a reference made even creepier by how accurate it is—before assuring the American people “we hear you, we see you, we smell you. We’re inside your kitchen right now looking through your fridge.”

And while the sketch received a ton of positive feedback, especially regarding Johanson’s performance, this comment takes the cake:

“When the source material is 500% stranger than the parody – we’re in new territory.”

Watch the full segment below. And if you’ve missed Britt’s stranger-than-fiction original video, give it a whirl here.

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The Most Anticipated Hip-Hop Albums Of Spring 2024

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The arrival of spring doesn’t just mean the awakening of nature (and the loss of an hour of sleep), it also brings the recording industry back to life. While the early months of Q1 can generally be a little sleepy — with a few exceptions, of course — as the weather creeps back toward the warmth of the summer, we can expect more new releases from some of the biggest names in music.

These days, it can be a little tricky to anticipate which artists are aiming for a spring release, though. Album release cycles have gotten shorter and shorter, and in hip-hop especially, new projects can fall out of the sky with little to no warning. With that said, we’re going to do our best to run through the most anticipated hip-hop releases of the season, under the assumption that most if not all of the artists named here would like a dominant run thoughout the summer — or at least, some new material for the festivals. Let’s start with the ones we know:

March 2024 Hip-Hop Releases

March 14: Kenny Mason — 9

Atlanta rapper Kenny Mason is easily one of the hottest names simmering just under the radar thanks to his distinctive, grungy style and high-profile co-signs from the likes of Denzel Curry, Freddie Gibbs, and JID. 9 will be his second album after 2020’s Angelic Hoodrat. He just released a pair of singles that suggest his unique blend of shoegaze, grunge rock, and screamo-rap is primed for its next evolution.

March 15: Tierra Whack — World Wide Whack

Fans of the Philly battle rapper turned whimsical mad scientist have been waiting for a proper album for going on six years now. Her 2018 EP Whack World introduced listeners to a fantastical approach toward genre and subject matter that established Whack as one of the most intriguing names in hip-hop, and her debut album — which she announced this January — will give her the opportunity to expand on that foundation.

March 22: Future & Metro Boomin — We Don’t Trust You

It’s only been two months and some change and already a pattern is beginning to develop. If you’re going to release an album fans have been waiting for for years, it seems, you might as well turn it into multiple projects with release dates scattered across months. Kanye (sorta) did it, and now, Metro Boomin and Future are following in his footsteps, announcing that their heavily anticipated joint album will be released in two parts. The first arrives in March.

March 29: Rico Nasty & Boys Noize — HVRDC0RE DR3AMZ

On Leap Day, Rico Nasty announced that her ongoing chemistry with German DJ Boys Noize would bear another new fruit in the form of a joint EP. After teaming up on “Girl Crush” and “Money,” two of Rico’s more intriguing songs of the past few years, it’ll be fascinating to see her step more into her collaborator’s world on the EP, following a number of peers in blending hip-hop with various styles of EDM.

April 2024 Hip-Hop Releases

April 12: Future & Metro Broomin — We Still Don’t Trust You

The second of Future and Metro’s collaborations will arrive just two weeks after the first, an impressive turnaround time that has paid dividends for the Atlanta rapper in the past. Future’s 2017 albums Future and Hndrxx were released just a week apart and both halves of the pair went No. 1, while the first spawned the massive hit “Mask Off” — which was, of course, produced by Metro Boomin. Their creative chemistry is certainly something to look forward to.

April 26: AG Club – BRODIE WORLD

The Northern California rap clique shook up the world in 2020 with the release of their breakout hit “Memphis,” and has kept up a steady stream of releases ever since. With each, they grow a little more polished and a little more experimental, growing into their group name (Avant Garde Club) a little more. BRODIE WORLD will be their first proper release since 2022’s Imposter Syndrome, which is exciting because there’s a lot of growth that can happen in two years.

2024 Hip-Hop Albums Release TBA

Here’s where we start speculating. A large number of rap’s biggest names are set to release albums this year, many of whom will be returning from multi-year hiatuses, making the products of their time away all the more tantalizing. Below are just a few.

ASAP Rocky — Don’t Be Dumb

Rocky’s last album was 2018’s Testing. That’s a long time to go without hearing a new full collection of music from the haute couture Harlemite, who’s been busy with fatherhood (and some ill-timed legal trouble). His album has supposedly been done since 2022, so it’s only a matter of time until he gives listeners a release date; here’s hoping it’s sooner rather than later.

Baby Keem — Child With Wolves

Baby Keem made a huge splash in 2021 with his electrifying debut The Melodic Blue, and recently began teasing a new era after releasing the album’s companion film late last year.

Cardi B — TBA

Let’s say Cardi finally kicks her rollout into high gear after releasing two singles in six months, “Bongos” and “Like What,” and teasing another. It seems she keeps dipping her toe back into an album cycle, but a mean case of imposter syndrome combined with impossibly high standards has made determining if she’s really shooting her shot or just pump-faking again almost impossible to determine. She’s fortunate to be one of the few artists who can keep getting away with this pretty much indefinitely, but I’d like to hope she’s accepted the fear of potential failure and just goes for it. (Or pulls a Kendrick Lamar in 2014 and goes full avant-garde with it, scaring the hoes and making herself pretty much untouchable for the foreseeable future.)

Flo Milli — Fine Ho, Stay

Announced in October 2023, Flo Milli’s second album has the potential to turn her into a household name — especially with the ongoing and growing success of its single “Never Lose Me.” If she wants to strike while the iron is hot, a spring release might be her best bet to maintain momentum.

GloRilla — TBA

Big Glo has a lot of buzz around her name right now, both for her hard-hitting new single “Yeah Glo!” and an oopsie moment on Instagram thanks to her unfamiliarity with her new endowments. Might as well capitalize ahead of the summer, right?

Ice Spice — Y2K

TikTok star and current rap it-girl Ice Spice has been sneakily rolling out her debut album over the past few months, beginning with flying a flag at her label headquarters, dropping another catchy single, and announcing that her album is finished recording. There’s no time like the present, and with her penchant for dropping summertime-dominating tracks, an April or May release would give her plenty of lead time to once again take over the hottest months.

J. Cole — The Fall Off

The only other rapper whose album has been consistently sought after since 2018 (mostly by his own design), J. Cole could overtake friendly rivals Drake and Kendrick Lamar in the conversation if he manages to beat them both to market this year.

Rapsody — TBA

Poor Rapsody. If you happen to follow the North Carolina rapper on social media, you’ve probably seen her repost the near-constant stream of pleas from fans for a follow-up to 2019’s Eve. She’s been promising an announcement is coming imminently, and considering the curtailed album cycles of the current climate, if she does make that announcement in the next few weeks or months, that would almost certainly mean an album is following relatively quickly after.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.