Hip-Hop's 10 Best Surprise Projects

Ever since Beyonce’s eponymous album took the world, and subsequently the internet, by storm, the concept of the surprise release has been a trend that a wide span of artists have adopted. From David Bowie to Kanye West, the unexpected drop has proven to be beneficial for a buzzworthy artist to make a big splash. Not just a splash, either. Usually, these surprise releases wind up being incredible instalments of quality music.

Even Miley Cyrus has now given it a go with the release of ...And Her Dead Petz fresh off the heels of her VMA hosting gig. But since the surprise album truly was innovated by hip-hop’s first family, with Beyonce and Jay-Z’s back to back 2013 releases, let’s recognize real and take a look at hip-hop's best surprise projects.

Magna Carta...Holy Grail by Jay-Z

One has to assume that Beyonce’s release of her own self-titled album, a mere five months removed from her husband’s release of Magna Carta Holy Grail, was a killer move in a game of inter-marital one upmanship. Getting the upper hand on her husband isn’t an easy feat because Magna Carta Holy Grail is no push over of a record. A lavish and decadent collection of tracks, MCHG is a welcomed addition into the Hova discography packed with re-listenability that makes it easy to forget the weird Samsung app promotion that came along with it.

2014 Forest Hill Drive by J. Cole

Given just three weeks notice, fans were treated to J. Cole’s masterpiece 2014 Forest Hill Drive. Dropping at the very end of the year in the first week of December 2014, 2014 Forest Hill Drive is a quality record front-to-back, that we’re still listening to close to a year later. In a classic case of the internet ruining something that could have been even more special, leaks regarding 2014FHD plagued the record in the month preceding its inevitable release.  

C’mon guys, no spoilers.

Yeezus by Kanye West

Kanye West’s upcoming SWISH is expected to be a surprise drop, but will it one-up its predecessor? No press release, no singles before its drop. Yeezus came in quietly and then roared like a lion. In classic Kanye fashion, the album polarized critics. But Ye loyalists found meaning in the gospel of Yeezus and were rightfully wowed. With its immersive and innovative production value alongside trademark braggadocio, Yeezus not only is one the best surprises of all time but is up there with the best albums, period.

If his passionate speech at this year’s VMA’s upon receiving the Vanguard award is proof of one thing, it’s that Kanye always outdoes himself. We’re sure SWISH will belong on this list when it finally arrives.

If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late by Drake

If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is yet another record that puts the term “instant classic” to good use. Since this surprise mixtape dropped in January, Drake has been untouchable. The wave of momentum incited by If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late has brought on the OVO Music show on Beats Radio 1 and has got Drizzy all ‘charged up’... so to speak.

Whether it’s accusations of using a ghostwriter on some of his most popular verses, or gossip surrounding his potential romance with living tennis legend Serena Williams, the sheer quality of music on IYRTITL seems to endure and plow through all of that noise. In fact, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is so good that when someone mentions the Champagne Papi, the first thing you think about is probably something about how good "Energy" is, not Quentin Miller or making out with a tennis Queen.

Not to mention the fact that the album went platinum without even having any physical copies out, an unmatched feat in the internet age or before.

Compton by Dr. Dre

Compton-- the surprise companion album for Straight Outta Compton-- had the film and music industry buzzing in a collective unison that is still making our speakers vibrate. A surprise announcement made on a previously unscheduled edition of The Pharmacy (Dr. Dre's Beats 1 Radio show), Compton serves both as an "inspired by" piece in tandem with the NWA biopic, as well as Dr. Dre's final studio album. An immersive look into the highs and lows of the city that bred him, Dre and company let loose on what is arguably the most dynamic album in years.

Black Dollar by Rick Ross

After a crazy successful 2014, Rick Ross had been mostly low-key in 2015 save for some guest appearances on a couple of bangers that fell right in his wheel house. By the time September rolled around, that uncharacteristic quiet abruptly ended when the Boss started to roll out track after track-- proverbial breadcrumbs that led to the release of his newest mixtape, Black Dollar.

Rick Ross' surprise mixtape, made to hold his audience over until his next bonafide studio record, impressed fans and critics alike, a perfect compilation to succeed his previous releases like Hood Billionaire and last year's number one album Mastermind, which didn't receive as rave reviews.

While it wasn't earth shattering, it certainly quenched our thirst for the champagne laden lyrics of Ross in 2015. 

SURF by Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment

It's funny how anticipation can change people. The wait for the long rumored/awaited SURF was so anxiety-inducing that fans started to get disgruntled. 

Well, their negativity was hastily and collectively absolved by the persistent optimism of Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment's SURF, once it was released this summer. 

The collaborative effort was a perfect summer soundtrack for hip-hop fans and offered up some of the best featuring roles any record in 2015 had. From big names Busta Rhymes, to impressive showings by newcomers like NoName Gypsy, everyone showed up ready to go for SURF. 

It's diverse sound makes it unlike any other record on this list, and perhaps unlike any other hip-hop album before it. 

Dirty Sprite 2 by Future

With just a week of promotion leading up to its eventual release, DS2, the sequel to Future's debut Dirty Sprite album, didn't fail to deliver. With killer production from Southside, Sonny Digital, Metro Boomin and Zaytoven and a sole (but still dope) feature from friend, tour mate and rap mega-star Drake, DS2 is the best showcase of Future's talent, while satisfying older fans with a return of form. Out of all of his three efforts in his young career, it's the Dirty Sprite sequel that proves that he's ready to "Fuck Up Some Commas" for years to come. 

Black Messiah by D'Angelo

Despite his R&B expertise, D'Angelo's Black Messiah gets a special shout out on this list for not only being an album with little notice ahead of time, but the first instalment in the enigmatic D'Angelo's discography of this millennium. And it didn't disappoint, with D'Angelo's trademark musicality coming to the fore for the first time in fourteen years helping him rise from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix.

Beyoncé by Beyoncé

Although her hubby Hova's Magna Carta...Holy Grail preceded her, Beyoncé wasn't intimidated to make her own surprise album. The self-titled Beyoncé took her music's recurring themes of feminism, sexual empowerment and squad goals to a whole new level with hits like "Partition" and "Drunk in Love." The standard for surprise albums was set with this one, which garnered a record breaking 828,773 albums sold in its first three days on sale with no prior announcement or publicity. Additionally, it may be one of the most 'surprising' albums on this list, as we had absolutely no advance warning, not a hint whatsoever. It was also unique in the fact that the album came with a music video for each record on it; and was coined thus as a visual album. We haven't really seen anyone attempt to mimic the surprisingness and magnitude of Beyoncé's release, yet.