There’s a somewhat new trend emerging regarding how labels market upcoming hip hop albums. Last month, Drake released his If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late with virtually no warning, and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly found it’s way on to iTunes and Spotify a week ahead of its scheduled release. The releases are reminiscent of the surprise release of Beyoncé’s Self-Titled album back in 2013.
Now, Earl Sweatshirt is the next artist to take part in the spontaneous release/announcement cycle with today’s announcement that his new album I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside will be dropping on March 23 (which was the day Kendrick’s new album was scheduled to be released on.) The new album is Earl’s sophomore release, as a follow up to 2013’s Doris.
You can check out “Grief” from the upcoming 10-track album right here, and the video on Earl’s Vevo page, but what’s interesting is the way the artists and producers have responded to these impromptu releases.
Earl’s not happy to say the least. Last night he tweeted, “I WOULD LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK @SonyMusicGlobal 4 F–KING UP THE ROLL OUT PROCESS OF MY SH-T. SOMEONE GOTS 2 PAY 4 THEIR MISTAKES ! #SWEAT.” And, that’s not all the Odd Future MC had to say about the release.
label got me FUCKED up!!!!!!!!
— EARL (@earlxsweat) March 17, 2015
ITS TRASH TO HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S ERRORS, I AM FUCKING HOT
— EARL (@earlxsweat) March 17, 2015
IM LIVID
— EARL (@earlxsweat) March 17, 2015
DON’T TRUST IT IF IT DOESN’T COME FROM THE SOURCE
— EARL (@earlxsweat) March 17, 2015
One of Earl’s tweets is a reference to a tweet posted by the president of Top Dawg Entertainment, Anthony Tiffith, on the subject of Kendrick Lamar’s early release. Tiffith tweeted “I WOULD LIKE 2 PERSONALLY THANK @Interscope FOR FUCKING UP OUR RELEASE… SOMEBODY GOTS 2 PAY 4 THIS MISTAKE !!!! #TOP,” on March 15th, but the tweet has been taken down since then.
Will this trend of impromptu announcements become a larger trend through 2015, or have these just been a few not-so-isolated incidents?