What Happened to Offset’s Solo Album?

Michelle Kim
The Migos rapper’s solo debut was supposed to drop in December. A month later, it’s nowhere to be found

Last November, it was announced that Offset would be releasing his debut solo album on his 27th birthday, December 14, 2018. It was slated to be the last entry in the trilogy of Migos solo records, following Quavo’s QUAVO HUNCHO and Takeoff’s The Last Rocket, which both arrived last fall. But December 14 came and went, and the album never arrived. A month later, neither Offset nor his representatives have provided an explanation for the missed release date or confirmed a new one. So what happened?

A brief taste of the album arrived on November 30, when a new Metro Boomin-produced song called “Red Room” was released at midnight. It was mysteriously wiped from all streaming services by the following morning. Later that day, Offset tweeted “L E A K E D, S M H,” seemingly in reference to the song. However, “Red Room”’s release had been accompanied by an official press release and according to a representative, the song’s removal was due to a “tech issue.”

Before the new year, Offset reassured his fans that the album was still coming. On December 15, he took to Instagram to write, “It’s still on the way.” On December 29, he tweeted a set of question marks to indicate that there would be a new release date. He then asked his fans, “16 or 19 songs?” and “Should I leak sum????” (He didn’t.)

It’s unclear if Offset’s album delay has something to do with the drama unfolding in his personal life. On December 5, Offset’s wife, Cardi B, announced via an Instagram video that the two had split up. On December 14—the day his album was supposed to come out—Offset posted an apology video on Instagram directed at Cardi, asking her to take him back. Two days later, he interrupted her headlining set at Rolling Loud with a giant rose display that read: “TAKE ME BACK CARDI.” She looked thoroughly unamused, they exchanged a few words, and he walked solemnly off stage. (While it appears as though the couple reconnected over the holidays, it’s currently unclear if they are officially back together.)

In a New York Times profile of Offset, the album is described as being “introspective” and more revealing than his previous work. In November, Cardi tweeted that the project brought her to tears. When will the public get to hear it?

See the video.