Despite the momentum burst from Isaiah Rashad’s triumphant return with the Duke Deuce-assisted “Lay Wit Ya,” it feels premature to declare it anything close to TDE season. At least, not yet. The legendary label has been in the midst of a lengthy lull, with many of its biggest artists having taken some serious time off. Last we heard, from Ab-Soul was 2016, while Kendrick and SZA’s latest albums came in 2017. Jay Rock blessed us with Redemption in 2018, while ScHoolboy Q dropped off CrasH Talk in 2019.
On the topic of Q, the rapper actually teased a quick follow-up to CrasH Talk, prompting fans to assume he’d be coming through with a proper back-to-back. Unfortunately, the months quickly passed with no word of a new Q album, and soon enough his once-teased album became part of the TDE purgatorial pause. At least, until recently. It would appear that Q has decided to hit the reset button, seemingly beginning work on an entirely new project.
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In fact, all signs suggest that Q’s motivation is at an all-time high. He recently shared a promising Instagram story, which can currently be seen right here, that provides insight into his work ethic. “I been walking str8 to the booth lately,” he states, alongside a clip of himself doing exactly that. “3 hrs at a time.” Though not much to go off, it certainly suggests that Q has been focused on his craft, a promising sign that he’ll be plotting a proper return before long.
Though it’s likely Isaiah will be the first TDE artist to drop something new, as The House Is Burning is certainly overdue, perhaps we’ll be receiving a new Q project before the end of the year. It would certainly go a long way in reasserting TDE’s dominance, as many fans have been eager to see what hip-hop’s most esteemed golf connoisseur has been cooking up. Are you among those excited for some new Q?