Jay Electronica, TBC
For a long time, Dr Dre’s Detox was the most eagerly awaited album. From the height of “When will he drop it?” we reached “Does it even exist?” In the wake of Andre Young’s Beats by Dre inspired success, we’ve come to accept that Detox will never be heard. The same cycle can be applied to Jay Electronica’s album. Jay Elec has made a name for himself off a handful of appearances. No one in rap has had fans fiending for music off so many few releases. Perhaps, that’s the greatest encapsulation of how talented he is. Over the last 18 months, he has been more visible than in the past so it could make sense that a 2015 release date is on the cards.
Big Sean, TBC
Big Sean is one of the more inconsistent rappers about but when at peak or feeling like he has a point to prove, he tends to perform. His debut, Finally Famous was a decent debut with some #1 hits. He continued to show signs of progression with his Detroit mixtape and the G.O.O.D Music Cruel Summer compilation and this resulted in heightened expectations for his sophomore effort Hall of Fame. Sadly, that body of work proved ordinary and his name dropped out of the conversation of the next great young thing. 2014 saw some turmoil in his personal life with the breakdown of his relationship with Glee star, Naya Rivera. He’s dating pop princess, Ariana Grande now and ‘IDFWU’ has been a smash hit. With all that in the background and the recent death of his grandmother, there’s some interest in seeing how he manages to keep our attention, now he’s got it.
Pusha T, King Push.
Pusha T’s space in hip hop is well guarded. No one details the intricacies of the coke world like he does. That’s not to suggest he’s a one trick pony. He’s a great lyricist and has a great ear for a beat. He also performs a Mase impression flawlessly. 2013’s My Name is My Name highlighted all this and one will expect that as he embarks on the 2nd chapter of his solo career, Malice’s brother will have more experiences and a greater starring cast to draw upon in bringing King Push to life.