Is Rihanna's "R9" On The Way? A$AP Rocky May Have Revealed The Answer

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Rihanna Cooking R9 Studio ASAP Rocky
Mar 12, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Rihanna performs the Oscar nominated original song "Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" during the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The hype for "R9" continues, as Rihanna fans hope she will soon end the drought that has kept them hungry since 2016's "Anti."

Rihanna has been the subject of new music rumors for years and years, for which we sadly don't have any official announcements or updates at press time. However, according to her boo A$AP Rocky, fans just need to be patient. He claimed she's putting in studio work these days and actively putting her R9 album together, as fans have called it over the past near-decade.

Rocky made these claims during his interview with Jason Lee on his self-titled show, denying he's the reason RiRi hasn't come back with new material. "Yo, she in the studio right now," he remarked. "Yeah, I said it. Sorry, babe. Like, bro, she working. She cooking, bro. No funny s**t. Damn, I’ma get in trouble for this."

Elsewhere, A$AP Rocky spoke on his relationship with Rihanna. "She really is a strong Black woman, and she held me down even when I was at my lowest,” he expressed. "When my dad died... She was there for me. When I got locked up Sweden... She was there for me. When the Relli s**t happened, she was there for me. Every time I’m at my lowest and darkest place, rather if we’re friends platonically or we’re in a couple relationship, she’s always f***ing there for me, bro.”

Is Rihanna Dropping An Album?

Sadly, this hint from Rocky did not come with any official timeline announcements or any other details. He did shoot down the idea of a collab album from the couple, but we'll have to wait for more concrete details. At least we know the album is on the way... Supposedly.

Rihanna's last album was 2016's ANTI, whose hits and deep cuts still resonate with a whole lot of fans. While she's dropped a few songs, collaborations, and movie tie-ins since then, she's seemingly been more focused on her business ventures and, of course, her personal and family life with Rocky, their kids, and their loved ones.

Rihanna recently hit the stage again for the Yankee Stadium shows from Jay-Z, giving more hope to fans about a soon-to-come LP. But nothing has changed as of writing this article. As such, we will just have to wait for this studio time to manifest into something truly special.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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