In the midst of freestyle debates, festival announcements and video shoots, a few of the 2021 HipHopDX Rising Stars have still managed to drop projects this week.

2021 HipHopDX Rising Star Yung Bleu took to Instagram to announce his anticipated debut album Moon Boy, which is set to be released on Friday (July 23).

In a lengthy caption Yung Bleu wrote in all caps:

“Thank GOD ! “Moon Boy”  The Album 7/23/21 I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERY FAN THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE. EVERY PERSON WHO EVER BELIEVED IN ME. I OVERCAME SO MANY OBSTACLES THIS YEAR. SO MANY PERSONAL STRUGGLES. SO MANY LOSSES . IT FEEL GOOD TO DROP MY FIRST ALBUM AND TELL MY STORY . MASTERPIECE! MY DAY 1 FANS I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE YALL SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE AND SUPPORT LEADING UP TO THIS. KEEPING ME IN THE CONVO AFTER I LEFT MY MAJOR LABEL SITUATION I WAS LOST AND HONESTLY I DIDNT NO WHAT I WOULD DO. ALL I KNEW WAS I COULDNT GIVE UP ON MYSELF. EVEN IF I HAD TO DO IT INDEPENDENTLY AND LEARN AS I GO. THE SKY WAS THE LIMIT. SOMEHOW WE SURPASSED THAT AND WENT TO THE MOON . WE ACCOMPLISHED THINGS THEY SAID I COULD NEVER DO AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST. WE WENT TOP 20 billboard. WE WENT NUMBER 1 on every radio station in the nation ! Went platinum 3x ! We did songs with Drake , John Legend , Chris Brown ! THINGS THAT SEEMED UNREAL TO EVEN THINK ABOUT A YEAR AGO COMING OUT OF WERE I CAME FROM THEY REALLY THOUGHT I WAS DONE. EVERYBODY GAVE UP ! THIS MY TESTIMONY! IM JUST A STREET DUDE FROM MOBILE, ALABAMA THAT NEVER STOPPED GOING IN AND NEVER GAVE UP . SO I DONT CARE WHAT THE FIRST WEEK SALES ARE. I KNOW THIS ALBUM GOING PLATINUM. S/o to my team FOR BELIEVING U GOTTA REALLY LOVE YOUR SQUAD ! @empire @ghazi@happielikehappy @pusha_c @dionnalachelle @tina.davis @nima_empire @mamusicmanagement @teldricksmith @hitmaka @naterhoads and S/o BOOSIE AND THE THE WHOLE BADAZZ LUV YALL 4life . I can’t name everybody I MIGHT FORGET ! BUT U KNOW WHO U ARE ! ITS TIME  #MoonBoyAlbum #BleuVandross THE take Off

Speaking of leaving his prior label [Columbia], in an earlier interview with DX, Bleu clarified what the split meant for him and Boosie, whom signed him to Bad Azz Music Syndicate. He said, “We just understood that I wanted to go the independent route and he fully understood what I wanted to do. When I tell a lot of people that I’m independent that don’t necessarily mean that I don’t f*** with Boosie and his label.”

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Yung Bleu Says 'He's Badazz For Life' After Boosie Badazz Let Him Out Of His Deal To Get Bigger

Since Bleu’s leap of faith into full-on independency, he has gone on to accomplish notable things like collaborating with some of the biggest names in the game, to having his Drake-infused smash hit, “You’re Mine Still” go platinum.

Following his recent music video for “Baddest” featuring Chris Brown, the Alabama-native added to the promotion of the album by announcing a 38-city tour kicking off in Minnesota and concluding in Washington. The tour is coming just in enough time for fans to digest Moon Boy and learn every song before the tour hits their city.

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Bleu also followed up on Wednesday (July 14) with the official tracklist to Moon Boy.

A while back, Yung Bleu posted a picture of him and Chloe Bailey in the studio teasing that the two were “putting together a masterpiece project,” however, Chloe’s name isn’t found on the Moon Boy tracklist. To add, Yung Bleu also teased that he may have one of the last DMX features, but the late DMX’s name isn’t listed as well.

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Yung Bleu Explains Missing Chloe Bailey Song From ‘Moon Boy’

The 15-track album has features ranging from John Legend, H.E.R., MoneyBagg Yo, Kodak Black, Kehlani, Big Sean, Jeezy, Gunna, Davido, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and Chris Brown, 2 Chainz and Drake, of course. 

On another note, 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star Blxst dropped Sixtape 2 alongside Bino Rideaux on Friday (July 16)!

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The 12-track project follows behind the entertaining visual for the leading single, “Movie” starring Blxst and Bino as workers at a dysfunctional car wash ran by an equally dysfunctional manager.

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Listen to the project below and watch the visual for “Movie”  here.

In other news, 2021 HipHopDX Rising Star Sheff G was allegedly arrested on Saturday (July 17) for a gun charge, which is a second degree felony, according to a tweet from Akademiks.

Sheff G Arrested In New York City For 2nd Degree Felony According To Akademiks

His next court date is August 18 and bail has yet to be set.

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Star Bits

Flo Milli Joins GoldLink for “Raindrops” Jimmy Fallon Live TV performance. (watch here)

Toosii drops “Head Over Hills” music video. (watch here)

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Sleepy Hallow’s “Deep End (Freestyle) goes platinum! (look here)

Sheff G is 1 of 10 up-and-coming rappers named to HipHopDX’s 2021 Rising Stars! For more info on Sheff G and the rest of the talented Hip Hop bunch, read about them here.