Playboi Carti teases I AM MUSIC release date

His long-awaited fourth album could be out on Friday, March 14.

The wait for Playboi Carti’s fourth album I AM MUSIC has been long and full of detours, but it may finally be coming to an end. On Wednesday (March 12), Carti’s Instagram page was updated with a video of Blackhaine, a U.K.-based rapper and Carti’s backup dancer, announcing a “new Carti album this Friday.” Carti has frequently posted videos of Blackhaine before actually dropping singles and snippets, an indication that this could finally be happening. Watch below.

Of course, Carti is notorious for setting up album releases and not following through. The follow-up to 2020’s Whole Lotta Red was first announced three months after the album dropped — in August 2021 he shared the title of the project (NARCISSIST) and the release date of September 13, 2021. That project was apparently abandoned.

Carti discussed his new album in an April 2022 XXL cover story, revealing the title as Music. That December he tweeted “love all my supporters it’s time,” leading many to think the project was imminent (it wasn’t). A pre-order for I AM MUSIC was launched on Carti’s website in September 2024; vinyl, CDs, and merchandise were all available for purchase, with a promised ship date of no later than April 18, 2025.

So, if you’re a Carti fan, how seriously should you take this? On Thursday morning, Carti posted an Instagram Story containing a screenshot of a tweet reading “He not lying this time.” Take that however you want.