Playboi Carti has officially announced he will perform I Am Music at Rolling Loud Miami 2024. The festival, which will take place from Dec. 13 to 15 at Hard Rock Stadium, features a star-studded lineup that includes headliners Future, Travis Scott, and Carti himself.
The three-day event will also showcase performances from Yeat, Metro Boomin, JT, Don Toliver, Lil Yachty, Shaboozey, YG Marley, and many more, promising an electrifying weekend for hip-hop fans.
Carti’s I Am Music performance adds to the festival’s anticipation, as the enigmatic rapper continues to captivate audiences with his dynamic artistry and stage presence. With Rolling Loud Miami consistently delivering unforgettable experiences, this year’s edition is shaping up to be another must-attend event for music lovers.
Playboi Carti’s next album is either called Music or I Am Music — he can’t seem to decide which it actually is. Either way, though, fans attending his set at Rolling Loud in Miami on December 15 will be getting the first full listen to the album. On Rolling Loud’s Instagram, a new flyer promises “I AM MUSIC WILL B PLAYED,” although there’s not much information past that. He certainly appeared to be working toward a set built around the album at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival earlier this month, so it seems he certainly has a foundation for it.
Although Carti has been teasing the album for at least two years, but only recently began sharing official singles. In September, he dropped “All Red,” while in January, he unofficially released “Backr00ms” featuring Travis Scott — an unofficial follow-up to his and Travis’ previous collab “Fein,” which has become a fan favorite since its release last year.
Even though he didn’t share a bunch of his own new music, Carti seemed to become pop music’s go-to feature for Gen Z cool factor, teaming up with The Weeknd and Madonna on “Popular” and Camila Cabello on “I Luv It,” before reuniting with The Weeknd on his new single “Timeless.”
Playboi Carti might be the most frustrating and recluse hip-hop/rap adjacent artist going today. There are others such as A$AP Rocky and Frank Ocean. But despite this fact, he remains to be one of the most listened to MCs year in and year out. In that same breath though, he can only keep walking that fine line before fans tap out. They will still revisit his catalog, no doubt. He possesses some of the biggest hits, especially over the five years. But given the social environment we are inhabiting right now, people want you to update your resume consistently and he just hasn’t done that.
With that said, Playboi Carti has a great chance to at least suppress the noise with I Am Music. It’s hard to gauge even just a rough estimate of when it will drop, but this update could be very telling. Just several hours ago, the Georgia native himself announced on his IG burner account, opium_00pium, that he will be performing the elusive project at Rolling Loud Miami, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. The music festival begins December 13 and will run through the 15th. Future is the main attraction on day one, followed by Travis Scott, and then Carti.
“MIAMI TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY… I AM MUSIC WILL B PLAYED… KANT WAIT TO SEE YAL MFS NAH FR,” he writes with visible excitement. Earlier we said it could tone done the angry mob, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. His comments section is filled with doubt, with one writing, “I AM MUSIC WILL BE PLAYED” jordan we know you dawg.”
Another goes, “He ain’t dropping or showing up to anything I fear.” Some are even open to the idea of the album being leaked early. “Can someone leak his album already? We’re tired of the games.” With patience running thin, the pressure is on Carti. There’s a really good chance that he plays just a few snippets and if he does, we aren’t sure that is going to be enough. Fans want the album, and the question now is, “How will he respond?”
He cried wolf again. Playboi Carti spent all of Thursday evening hyping up the release of new music. The rapper posted a text exchange days before in which he promised to drop something on November 22. He pinned an Instagram user’s comment about not being able to rush art. Then, when release time came, he decided to drop nothing. Playboi Carti did not post a new single on streaming or on Instagram. He didn’t even tell fans that he was planning to do so later in the day. And the fans were not happy.
Some fans could try to play devil’s advocate with Playboi Carti. The rapper did drop two pieces of music on November 21. He put out a minute and a half snippet for a song tentatively titled “Play This,” and then another untitled snippet. This could’ve constituted new music in his mind. The thing is, November 21 isn’t November 22, so Carti was made out to be a liar. At least, by standard release methods. And after telling fans that something official was coming on Friday, a standard release was what everybody was wanting.
Playboi Carti’s comments leading up to the no show is what made things even more difficult for fans. He went on a post rampage, claiming that he’s “not done at all” and that “da sh*t ” on his album is going to be “overly trimm.” Playboi Carti even decided to follow up with another message bragging about how he was “locked rn.” All signs pointed to this being a breakthrough night for both the rapper and his fans. It’s more of the same, instead. Fans have moved in droves to Twitter to make their frustrations known.
The Carti crowd is feeling the weight of years at this point. Some fans reverted to gifs, and the classic go to images whenever a rapper fails to make good on their promise. Others dispensed with the lighter stuff and went straight to venting about Carti’s baffling rollout strategy. “Playboi Carti ain’t a chill guy,” one fan wrote. “So f*ck him and whoever making him delay his songs.” Another user voiced their frustration with other fans, claiming they have allowed Carti to repeatedly tease them. “The fans literally worship him. If y’all stop riding his nuts and actually stop fw him for leaving y’all dry,” they posited. “Maybe he’ll actually drop.” Read on for some of the must frustrated reactions below.
Playboi Carti is really selling the album rollout in November. The rapper has everybody ready for new music in September, but he went radio silent after the release of the single “All Red.” These days, you can’t get Carti off Instagram. The rapper’s account was actually shut down for a brief period. Playboi Carti was back with a vengeance on November 21, though. The rapper dropped a snippet for a song tentatively titled “Play This.” A snippet would have been more than enough to satisfy fans. It was the comments Carti made afterwards, though, that really got fans excited.
Playboi Carti assured fans that new music was imminent. He took the to comment section under his own snippet and told fans to prepare for an onslaught of new material in the near future. “I’m not done at all,” he wrote. Carti then claimed that the “Play This” snippet, while dope, is not even good enough to be on the I AM MUSIC final tracklist. “DIs sum cool sh*t I wanted y’all to hear,” the rapper added. “BC I love dis song but da sh*t dats on my album overly trimm.” The hype could not be more real. Carti has rarely ever been so vocal about his plans to release music.
Playboi Carti also pinned a comment made by another instagram user. The user reflected on the rollout Carti has given fans thus far, and speculated as to why the rapper takes so long. “[I] realized a few years back we just go through test phases with Carti,” the user proposed. “Spends about 2-3 testing sounds through leaks. Then lands somewhere in the middle of it all.” The IG user went on to voice his admiration for Carti’s alleged approach. “The wait used to p*ss me off but you can’t rush art.” Playboi Carti evidently liked what this user had to say. Him pinning the comment to his snippet suggests that he agrees with at least part of the sentiment.
Playboi Carti has expressed reverence for the recording process and his creative muse. During a recent interview with Billboard, the rapper detailed the unorthodox way that he approaches making a song. “It’s all based on confidence. I believe in myself,” he noted. “The moment I started recording, someone came to me and said that they like my songs. I stay in the studio every day.” Carti also claimed to be aware of how his music will translate live, even before it’s done. “I’m always thinking about performing, even when I am making the music,” he added. Hopefully fans will get to see Carti perform new music sooner rather than latter.
Playboi Carti has something cooking this week. No, really. The rapper may have spent the last few years teasing fans in an endless start and stop cycle. He has made some particularly bold promises as of late, though. The rapper not only gave crucial information about his upcoming album, but he dropped a brand new song snippet on Thursday night. Playboi Carti uploaded a minute and a half snippet under the title of “Play This” on his Instagram. No announcement, no fancy artwork. Just new music.
The instrumental is one of Carti’s most lush. It goes through various cycles, and has a hazy, trap feel too it that differs greatly from “All Red.” It’s the most chilled out Playboi Carti has sounded in a long time, and it suits him. It’s also worth noting that the rapper sounds more like himself on “Play This.” A huge talking point regarding “All Red” was the fact that Carti sounds like he was doing a Future impression instead of relying on any of his signature vocal inflections. Those who are looking for less Pluto in their Playboi Carti music will be pleased with the new snippet.
The lyrics are typical Carti, but the snippet does given fans a good sense of the song’s shape. There’s a catchy refrain, and the rapper delves into his luxurious lifestyle. “Spent a quarter, that’s just on thе rent,” he spits. “All thеse diamonds, I got on that bling (Yeah). Hit the room and I made that b*tch sing. Hit the door, that b*tch act like a fiend (Yeah).” Per usual, its the rapper’s flow, his cadence, and his charisma that set him apart.
The existence of the snippet bodes well for the future. Playboi Carti has been teasing the release of his new album, I AM MUSIC, for a while. The aforementioned details surrounding the album, though, lead us to believe it’s actually close to being done. Carti told fans that he doesn’t want to have any artists listed as guest features on the album. Evidently, he wants to tackle his new sound on his own. He did say that Kanye West would be heavily involved with the album’s production, though. “He over here making beats and sh*t,” Playboi Carti told a Vegas crowd. “That album gonna be crazy, I can’t wait to show y’all n*gas.”
Tyler, The Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival is already one of the best festivals in the world. So, for the festival’s tenth anniversary, how could the rebellious Los Angeles native possibly improve what is as close to perfection as it gets? The only way he knows how: By focusing on the fans to give them the experience he would want for himself. While that includes top-down conceptualizing like the always-excellent curation of the festival’s lineup of artists Tyler actually enjoys, it also means ensuring that everything from the facilities to the food stands out, meeting the best-in-class standard Flog Gnaw has set for the past ten years — and will hopefully continue to do so for many more. Here are five takeaways from the tenth Flog Gnaw.
Philip Cosores
Getting To The Festival Is A Breeze
Tyler rarely puts out environmental messages or talks about civic duty — that would be at odds with his image as a devil-may-care, mischievous menace — but his priorities are plain from the moves he makes in support of the Flog Gnaw festivities. This year, the festival partnered with LA’s local public transit network to provide a free shuttle from the city’s historical Union Station to the festival grounds at Dodger Stadium, where the fest returned for the fourth year. While Metro itself sort of dropped the ball with this due to some needed improvements on one of the rail lines (specifically, the one I use to get to Union Station), necessitating an additional transfer, the shuttle service somehow managed to corral those hundreds of exuberant 20-somethings (and one grumpy 40-year-old) and keep things moving along fairly efficiently. There aren’t too many other local festivals as ideally situated, but I would love to see more of them duplicate similar services.
Philip Cosores
Dodger Stadium Is The Perfect Venue
In the four years since the festival moved to Dodger Stadium from Exposition Park, gradual improvements to its layout and grounds have made it the ideal venue for such an event. Last year, someone figured out that sticking all three stages in the north parking lots offered the best version of the layout, and this year, that stuck, with the Camp Stage situated in the center of the event space, flanked by the Flog stage to the west and Gnaw to the east. There’s still plenty of space to move around, and the landscape is dotted with even more rides and games, giving the festival a true carnival feel. While in line for the shuttle, I overheard nearby attendees discussing whether VIP passes were worth it, ultimately coming to the conclusion that there’s plenty of bang for your buck thanks to the VIP-exclusive rides, which had shorter lines — although only two stages have dedicated VIP sections (Gnaw is situated in such a way that it really wouldn’t make sense to add one there).
Themed Pop-Up Restaurants Even Make Eating Fun
While browsing social media posts about the festival, I saw quite a few posts responding to the MF DOOM’s MM..FOOD Diner menu with skepticism and derision. I assume most of these posts were just from commenters salty they weren’t at the fest and didn’t get to try the food for themselves. Consisting of items named after tracks from DOOM’s 2004 concept album, the menu was similar in price to the other concessions around it, and each item offered enough food to feed two people. My partner and I ordered the Rap Snitch Kniches, which turned out to be chicken and waffles with a twist — the chicken was INSIDE the waffle. This is momentous stuff. This needs to be a real restaurant, stat. Another artist-themed offering was Pusha T’s Grindin coffee, which cleverly tied into the artist’s persona in a similar way.
Meanwhile, even with the usual assortment of festival foods, we never waited in line for anything for longer than 10 or 20 minutes (the line for MM..FOOD was the longest, but the meal was in our hands almost as soon as we ordered it). The food booths are also ideally located to keep lines from overlapping any of the activations or stage crowds, so it was as close to a hassle-free experience as it gets. I would like to see more tables, but logistically, I understand potential safety hazards.
Philip Cosores
The Merch Is Enviable And Actually Looks Great
Flog Gnaw has always presented enviable merch options in comparison to a lot of other festivals. While it’s likely that not everybody in the fest’s target demographic can justify the cost of a $100 sweatshirt commemorating their attendance, the designs are undoubtedly among the coolest I’ve seen at the 20 or so fests I’ve covered in my time at Uproxx. My partner came away with one that cheekily reads “Save The Bees,” which doubles as both another ironic-but-sincere environmental message endorsed by Tyler and a reference to the cover of his 2017 breakout album Flower Boy. I still have yet to come away with a stuffed Tyler toy (there are all kinds of different ones, from his ski-masked Goblin alter ego to more recent album era-inspired looks), but perhaps next year will be my year. Meanwhile, even the general stores dotting the grounds had some unexpected treats; I haven’t seen another festival selling collapsible stools before, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they started showing up at more events in the future — and let me tell you, they are lifesavers no matter how old you are.
The Music Remains The Star Of The Show
The thing that makes Tyler so distinctive as an artist is that he’s such a huge fan of music, in general. Too often in hip-hop, there’s this cool-guy mindset: “I don’t really listen to music.” And I guess it’s an effort not to look cringe or like you’ve been inspired by someone else — you’re a one-of-one, completely original — which is why T not doing that is so dang cool (and kind of ironic, considering his seeming abhorrence of anything cringe or too sincere). He listens to everything; you can experience a sampling of his personal playlist by hanging around the Camp stage between sets. And he knows that just because you enjoy the jazz styling of André 3000’s latest album, doesn’t mean you won’t also get absolutely wrecked to Playboi Carti or Denzel Curry’s approach to thrash rap.
Philip Cosores
The same crowd that vibes out to Omar Apollo can get roasted by Vince Staples (do not, under any circumstances, forget that rap is Black music). Syd and Orion Sun can offer dreamy R&B, Raye can demonstrate her vocal virtuoso, Earl Sweatshirt can get deeply lyrical, and Mase can bring out the hits — some of which are older than half of Flog Gnaw’s attendees — and all of them can resonate with the diverse, eclectic crowd (some more than others, true). The weekend’s standouts, in addition to the above-mentioned names, were Doechii, who continued her campaign for rap’s upper echelons, and Sexyy Red, who made believers of even the most skeptical listeners, according to the results of my recap-related ear hustling. Oh, yeah, Tyler performed a bunch of his new songs from Chromakopia, and I can’t wait for that tour. “Sticky” is a hit.
Undoubtedly, the coolest part for me was seeing a full orchestra paying homage to the masked man who unexpectedly inspired so many of the artists who appeared on this bill, MF DOOM. There’s no way to describe it for those who weren’t there, but the vibes were immaculate — and elevated by an appearance from Erykah Badu, fresh off her main stage set, to reproduce the interpolation from his signature hit “Doomsday.” Also, yes, there was an actual accordion. For me, the set encapsulated the best thing about Camp Flog Gnaw: acknowledging the past, enjoying the present, and imagining a(n Odd) future where both can coexist and complement each other. That future is always on the way, thanks to Tyler The Creator.
Philip Cosores
Check out exclusive photos from Camp Flog Gnaw 2024 below.
Daniel Caesar
Philip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Denzel Curry
Philip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Doechii
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Earl Sweatshirt
Philip Cosores
Philip Cosores
Erykah Badu
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Faye Webster
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Kaytranada
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Kenny Mason
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Laila!
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Lithe
Philip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Mustard
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Omar Apollo
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Orion Sun
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Raye
Philip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Sampha
Philip Cosores
Sexyy Red
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Syd
Philip Cosores
The Marias
Philip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Wisp
Philip Cosores
Yves Tumor
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
Playboi Carti
Philip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip CosoresPhilip Cosores
The fanbase of Playboi Carti may be the most left-in-the-dark group of people in hip-hop. There are other obvious ones like Frank Ocean, but they are certainly up there. They have been feverishly awaiting the Georgia rapper to drop his next project I Am Music for years now. There have been some spots of hope, and many let downs, but there’s some rumors floating around the internet that it could arrive in the next two months. But we are obviously taking that with a grain of salt, as the artist has done nothing to prove that it could drop at any moment.
Carti did say on his Opium burner account earlier this week that new music is dropping this coming Friday, November 22. He made this announcement via a screenshot of some text messages with an unknown contact. However, who knows if that will happen either because of the reasons mentioned. But there’s now even more skepticism thanks to that secondary Playboi Carti Instagram account being suspended out of the blue.
The “Timeless” collaborator shared the message on his personal Instagram Story. The message from the social media platform reads, “We suspended your account, opium_00pium.” It then goes on, “[You have] 180 days left to appeal or we’ll permanently disable your account.” It also tells us when this all went down, which was earlier today.
DJ Akademiks reposted the update and fans in his comments section are cracking jokes. “Prob cause bro kept postin false information Instagram tired of it” “My boi was more active on there then his real page, back to the opium dungeon i guess” another quips. Ultimately, it will be up to Carti if he decides whether or not to appeal or just speak on what happened. This was also the same account that shared multiple tracks such as “H00DBYAIR” and more. So, if he was planning on doing that again this Friday, he needs a new plan.
Despite what the rabid, terminally online, and obsessive nature of Playboi Carti fans suggests, he is not music’s only mystery. It’s been four years since his highly influential classic, Whole Lotta Red. In the meantime, the wait for its follow-up has been exhausting, chaotic, often exciting, frequently disappointing, but always fervent. A huge run of non-streaming singles poised 2024 as the Atlanta creative’s year, which itself followed multiple canceled tours, massive festival performances, tease after snippet after announcement after delay, and bare-minimum social media engagement up until some more frequent activity this year. As you can tell, it’s been a vicious cycle that both shrouds Carti in mystery and allows him to benefit from massive industry moves or get a bag whenever he feels like it. To be fair, you can say this about many artists today, so don’t think we’re singling out the Opium boss just to hate.
But his frequent collaborator The Weeknd knew this self-eating snake better than most. Abel Tesfaye’s rise in the early 2010s was wholly mysterious. People didn’t even know his face, while sheer Internet buzz opened the big label rooms and star-studded studio sessions. By 2015, the XO cofounder was a trailblazer capitalizing on his emerging pop appeal through his die-hard following’s ever-rewarded support. Today, he’s arguably the biggest artist in the world. Frank Ocean also knew this cycle, but his approach to his mystique runs opposite to Abel’s. The former Odd Future crooner was at a similar crossroads and instead doubled down on his mystery to make his trajectory all the more legendary… and infamous for its current flatline. Nevertheless, both artists did what Playboi Carti has yet to prove: they made a choice.
Frank Ocean and The Weeknd chose between secrecy and superstardom, and Playboi Carti still can’t seem to find his perfect balance. Of course, the dry spell of releases since Blonde doesn’t automatically make Frank an underground gem, and Abel certainly keeps his moves under wraps to reserve a bit of his sauce for some likes or brand deals. But the Die Lit rager seems to lose control of his ship every once in a while, whereas his soulful contemporaries position even their most mainstream or frustratingly silent movements as careful, intentional, and well-planned. There are a few different examples of this from 2024. After zero streaming support for fan favorites like “H00DBYAIR” or “Different Day,” “All Red” came out like a damp thud more than a big bang, pretty much sounding like Future as opposed to the icy and smoky IG drops that already captivated the vamps.
Playboi Carti is the premier set of any festival he attends, but when it comes to his Opium tours, their abrupt and unexplained cancelations don’t seem to respect their attendees’ time, financial commitments, or patience. He posts a lot sometimes and is all love with fans, but rarely says much and has a few cases of alleged abhorrent behavior. In the minds of fans, Carti’s probably holed up in a cave somewhere making hard rage with the lights off but he’s actually popping out for Camila Cabello collabs, scamming Adin Ross (no judgment call there), and getting bags for ComplexCon and Camp Flog Gnaw this past weekend. At the end of the day, none of this would be worth mentioning if he addressed it fully or not at all. But this “best of both worlds” approach feels raw, messy, but still visceral at best, and manipulatively fabricated at worst.
All this reminds us of Playboi Carti’s closest 2020s collaborator: Kanye West. We all know how hectic and unsatisfying Ye rollouts can be, and he also communicates through more secluded channels while enjoying his exorbitant fame. They share behavioral patterns, like posting DMs with associates and benefitting from “leaks” for more hype. Yet, as the VULTURES series, Donda 2, and the meager “All Red” proves, shadowy anticipation can flop. Glorifying these releases contradicts the counterculture they initially communicated, disappointing mainstream and cult fans for completely different reasons.
Winning that trust back takes time. There was a similarly secretive and electric fable around Whole Lotta Red bolstered by leaks and singles that weren’t the album’s eventual sound. Then it dropped, and many booed. But years passed, and eventually, Playboi Carti fans recognized it as an innovation from the underground to a mainstream stage. Now, “Different Day” is basically a year old, and we’ve heard “EVILJ0RDAN” to death.
It seems like Playboi Carti forces himself to reinvent his sound multiple times with each new album cycle because the preceding build-up is already old news by the time it drops. That’s a really enticing approach artistically, but it leaves a lot of missed opportunities in its wake. Those unfulfilled chances might be horrible music industry logistics and politics, or completely by his design. We hope King Vamp can overcome that in the former’s case. This new era is amazing; don’t get it twisted. But if the latter interpretation is true, and he keeps raising his ceiling higher than he can reach, then he knows his cult status and low efforts will get him paid superstar money either way. Wish we hadn’t solved that mystery…
Playboi Carti is an unpredictable artist. He’s ramping up an album rollout one week, and then going silent the next. It has looked like we were getting I AM MUSIC at several different points throughout 2024. And yet, we are still waiting on the rapper’s anticipated third album. At the risk of broadcasting the voice that has repeatedly cried wolf, Playboi Carti was filmed chatting with fans on November 18. The rapper spoke on the upcoming album, and dropped a huge piece of information regarding its creation.
Playboi Carti can be seen fielding questions from fans while sitting in the back of an SUV. The rapper asked fans whether he should release I AM MUSIC in 2024 or 2025. He decided to pose this question once more on social media. Playboi Carti was then asked which artists were set to appear on the album. The rapper gave a response that was surprisingly direct. “I’m tryna do this by myself,” he mumbled, while rubbing his nose. It may sound bizarre, the notion of an album without any features in 2024, but most of the snippets and leaks support Carti’s claim. There have been a dozen or so leaked snippets from I AM MUSIC dating back to 2021.
All of them feature Playboi Carti on his own, except for the Travis Scott collab “BACKR00MS.” Carti may be the only rapper who appears on the album, but he has recently teased the involvement of other iconic producers. Carti’s snippets include production from the likes of Cardo and SpaceGhostPurrp. The rapper also claimed that Kanye West has a hand in the production of I AM MUSIC. The Ye connection was hinted at in September, then confirmed during a recent live appearance in Las Vegas.
“Shout out to my n**ga Kanye, you know what I’m saying,” Playboi Carti announced to the crowd. “He over here making beats and sh*t. That album gonna be crazy, I can’t wait to show y’all n**gas.” Carti has also teased brand new music on November 22. The rapper has only released one official single from I AM MUSIC thus far, “All Red,” so it stands to reason that what we will be getting on Friday is the second single. Assuming, of course, the rapper makes good on his promise.
(@Jayyakamii) 
” another quips. Ultimately, it will be up to Carti if he decides whether or not to appeal or just speak on what happened. This was also the same account that shared multiple tracks such as