If you had August in your office “Let’s Predict The Release Date Of Lil Wayne’s Long-In-The-Works Rock Album Rebirth” pool, sorry, but you might want to kiss your money goodbye. According to the guy responsible for Weezy’s high-school lament “Prom Queen,” the record is now on track for a fall release:
“Right now it’s September,” the Young Money singer, who co-wrote Wayne’s “Prom Queen,” tells Rap-Up.com. “But let me tell ya’ll, great art takes time and you’ll expect it and expect it and expect it again, but when it’s perfect, you guys will receive it.”
So, just to review:
Rebirth was supposedly going to be “rush-released” on April 7 when it was initially announced in January …
… then pushed back to May 19 a month later …
… then announced as coming out on June 16 in March …
… then moved to June 23 in April …
… then pushed back to July 21 in May …
… then delayed to mid-August last month …
… before now being pegged for an unnamed date in September.
This thing is rapidly becoming the Her Name Is Nicole of dubious rap-rock crossovers. Perhaps it should coordinate with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent for a Release-Date Battle Of Eternally Delayed Hip-Hop Albums?
Lil Wayne’s Rebirth “Coming When It’s Perfect” [Rap-Up]
Don’t forget the “Lil Wayne Rocks” cover Rolling Stone gave him about three months ago — also roadkill in this whole thing.
The thing about hip-hop albums (or rock-crossover albums by hip-hop stars, I guess) is that there’s no upside to the “modestly-selling release for the fans.” Hip-hop is unabashed in its desire for big, fat hits once an act has reached a platinum level of success. So you have to keep delaying and delaying a release (cf. Nelly, 50 Cent, Busta) until it’s guaranteed to make a splash, because no one’s going to say — the way they do with, say, Beck when he does a low-selling quickie project — “Oh, that’s okay, this is his side project; he’ll be back,” They have to keep pushing this Weezy-rocks thing until they think they can get a fat first week, or else he’s perceived as over.
Rde or die, as it were.
hey, remember when carter III was delayed from being released for 2 years?