10 Signs a Rapper Is About to Drop an Album

Image via Complex Original

What better way to build buzz for an upcoming release than by revealing news without context? Big Sean did this recently for his album, Dark Sky Paradise, tweeting out "done," and then proceeding to post an Instagram photo of a cover. Was it an album cover? A new single? Fans weren't really sure, but it definitely got them talking.

It's pretty obvious that a rapper is in album promo mode when they start posting on social media more than usual. In the month of October, Lupe shared less than 20 posts on Instagram, before his release date for Tetsuo & Youth was set in stone. In January, 70 posts went up. See the difference? And don't even get us started on the infinite retweets on his Twitter feed.

The wheels are in motion once an artist and their label service a single to radio stations. Big K.R.I.T. released the street single "Mt. Olympus" to gain some traction for his sophomore album, Cadillactica, but it wasn't until "Pay Attention" that the reality of his project began to set in. 

Once the single is heating up the charts, it's time to capitalize with some national face time. Kendrick Lamar did just that for "i," which he performed on Saturday Night Live a few months after it was released. TDE and Interscope pulling the trigger for a major appearance means we're that much closer to receiving a Kendrick album.

Even with these new album promo options, there's nothing like the good ol' fashioned radio tour to plug an upcoming album. Rick Ross was on the road nearly all of 2014, as he dropped two albums in a year's span. The catch? Pretty much the same questions are asked at every stop, which means the rapper is giving the same responses. 

Locking in a cover with a major publication is proof that a rapper has momentum going into a project. Wale's The Album About Nothing has been in the works for some time, but after his recent feature with Complex, the D.C. rapper announced a release date, as well as an accompanying tour in support. 

As bad as it may sound, people love controversy, and even more when they can contribute on the sidelines. Lupe Fiasco taking sides with Iggy Azalea when the Australian rapper was getting dragged for her comments on hip-hop last month probably wasn't the best decision. But then again, he had an album dropping. So why not fuel the flames? The Chicago rapper said as much following the incident. "Oh, this is a game. Let's play this controversy-sells game. Let me just engage this fan and have people watch this conversation."

A rapper sharing an iTunes link to pre-order the album means the project is finished, packaged, and ready to ship. Kind of tough to turn back then, right? The announcement of J. Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive came with a pre-order link, so everyone and their mother knew it was real.