After years of anticipation, Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti has released his third studio album, I Am Music, ending a prolonged period of speculation that began shortly after his previous project. The album spans 30 tracks and includes features from Kendrick Lamar, Future, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Skepta, and The Weeknd among others.
The announcement came via social media posts late Wednesday night, with Spotify billboards sporting the phrases “HAVE FAITH” and “STREETS READY” appearing in various American cities to support the release.
The album marks Carti’s first full-length project since “Whole Lotta Red,” which debuted atop the Billboard 200 upon its Christmas 2020 release. That record earned 100,000 equivalent album units in its first week and represented a significant sonic evolution for the artist.
DJ Akademiks claims to have heard the project ahead of release and suggests a feature-heavy tracklist that may include frequent collaborators Lil Uzi Vert, The Weeknd, Future, and Travis Scott. Akademiks has also hinted at a possible Kendrick Lamar appearance and a posthumous collaboration with XXXTENTACION, though these claims remain unverified.
“I Am Music” has undergone several iterations since its inception. Originally titled “Narcissist,” Carti first mentioned new material just months after “Whole Lotta Red” dropped. In a 2022 interview with XXL, he explained the album’s current title: “I was about to name my album ‘Music’ because that’s where I’m at, you know what I’m saying? ‘Music.'”
During the intervening years, Carti has focused on developing his Opium Records roster while making guest appearances on tracks like Travis Scott’s “FE!N,” Ye’s “CARNIVAL,” and Camila Cabello’s “I LUV IT.”
Fans won’t have to wait long to hear the new material performed live. Carti is scheduled to debut the album at Rolling Loud California this weekend before joining The Weeknd’s “After Hours Til Dawn 2025 Stadium Tour,” which begins in May and includes two Montreal shows at Parc Jean-Drapeau on July 24 and 25.
Photo – Joseph Okpako
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