Rappers have always had a bad habit of talking a big game and not following through. Whether it’s the amount of skill they possess, their hand skills, their movie plans or the next album they’re making, it is best to take it all with a grain or two of salt.
That said, here are 10 albums that artists talked about that will never be recorded and/or will never see the light of day. More importantly, 10 long-players that we would love to hear. In nine of 10 cases, they’re no longer even being mentioned. One, is just a prediction. And no, we’re not writing off Dr. Dre’s Detox, just yet. The joke’s on you.
1. Helter Skelter by Dr. Dre & Ice Cube
Shortly after Dr. Dre and Ice Cube reunited in 1994 to record “Natural Born Killaz” for the Murder Was The Case soundtrack, they announced they were making an entire album together. Bootleg t-shirts were everywhere, as was the hype. Dre soon left Death Row Records and became focused on Aftermath while Cube got deeper into his movie career, and began another super-group of sorts – Westside Connection with WC and Mack 10. Last year Cube couldn’t even get a Dre beat on his latest album, I Am The West.
2. Not Those Niggaz Again by N.W.A.
At the turn of the century there was a lot of talk about an N.W.A. reunion with Snoop Dogg replacing the deceased Eazy-E (DJ Yella was never mentioned in reunion plans). Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, MC Ren and Snoop hit the studio and recorded “Chin Check” for the Next Friday soundtrack in 1999. They followed it up the next year with Ice Cube’s “Hello” (without Snoop) and Snoop’s “Set It Off” (without Dre). By early 2002, after no progress, they conceded the album would not happen due to scheduling conflicts and endless red tape from all the labels involved.
3. 10 The Hard Way (produced entirely by Organized Noize) by Outkast
With the ATLiens’ careers drifting further apart in 2005, Big Boi and Andre 3000 planned to record their first album together in five years. The plan was to do a back-to-basics 10 songs album completely produced by Organized Noize. The album was still being mentioned with Idlewild dropped the following year, but all talks of an Outkast reunion these days makes no mention of this concept. Maybe they meant 10 years?
4. Make Up To Break Up by Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre
In the spring of 1998 when Snoop Dogg was in the midst of leaving Death Row Records, he stated a lot of plans for the future – none of which were signing with No Limit Records, which is what he did months later (in fairness, he did eventually make that mediocre 213 album with Nate Dogg and Warren G in 2004). After recently collaborating with Dr. Dre again on “Zoom Zoom,”* Snoop had plans to reunite with the good Doctor for another LP together, called Make Up To Break Up. Not only has this not happened in the 12 years since, but Snoop has released eight solo albums with just nine Dre beats. Speaking of Snoop projects that never happened…
* Snoop was replaced by LL Cool J when Death Row Records wouldn’t clear him, and the song ended up on the Bullworth soundtrack
5. Three The Hard Way by Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube & Kurupt
Another album Snoop Dogg was planning on making at that time was a group effort with Ice Cube and Kurupt. It was unclear whether the group would be called Three The Hard Way, or that would be the title of the album. In fact, the project never got past it being mentioned a few times. In fact, all three emcees have never even appeared on a song together. Coincidentally or not, the 213 album six years later was called The Hard Way
6. Likwit Crew Album by The Alkaholiks, King Tee, Xzibit, Defari, Lootpack, Phil Da Agony
If ABB Records had their way, you would believe that Defari and DJ Babu’s 2005 Likwit Junkies album was the long-awaited crew album. Shady label moves aside, we’ve never come very close to having King Tee, Tha ‘Liks, Xzibit, Lootpack, Phil Da Agony and Defari come together for a full length effort. In the spring of 2001 King Tipsy announced plans to release Likwit Crew compilation, but as details emerged it was going to be as much a vehicle to introduce new affiliates as it was to get the whole crew together.
7. The Coast Is Clear by Golden State Warriors (Ras Kass, Xzibit, Saafir)
The blame for this one lands squarely on Priority Records, who refused to clear Ras Kass as they made a hobby out of ruining his career. After multiple songs together (“Plastic Surgery,” “3 Card Molly,” “Harder,” “Bouce, Rock, Golden State,” “N.B.A.,” “Back Up Off Me”), Xzibit, Ras Kass and Saafir were ready to drop their debut on X’s Open Bar Entertainment in 2001. Ras was still in a legal battle trying to get his release from Priority, and they cock-blocked him again to leave the album dead in the water.
8. Chairmen of the Boards by Dr. Dre & Timbaland
In 2001 both Dr. Dre and Timbaland said they were going to make a joint album called Chairmen of the Boards (still a great title). It would feature artists from both Dre’s Aftermath and Timbo’s now defunct Beat Club label, both Interscope Records subsidiaries. Erick Sermon’s name was also mentioned (only by Erick) as was Jermaine Dupri’s (before the dust-up). After three years or so and no progress the album was officially scrapped so Dre could concentrate on Detox
9. The Standard by Q-Tip & Common
In the summer of 2007 Q-Tip said that he had formed a group with Common called The Standard. At the time they hadn’t recorded any songs together, but planned to on their upcoming tour. Aside from some Kanye West production, Tip would handle the beats. In the three years since the album, the two emcees have not appeared on a song together, though they’re still claiming this is happening.
10. Nas & DJ Premier album
In 2006, DJ Premier said Nas approached him a year prior about doing a full album together. Premo’s response was basically, “I’m ready when you are.” Since that time, Nas has released three albums with exactly zero Premier beats and both have petitioned the other at concerts to make the album happen (Premier did it as recently as two weeks ago). While there is a bit more hope to this one than the others on this list, we’re ready and willing to write it off as “never gonna happen.”
there are a hell of a lot of underrated albums/producers in hiphop its all about the hype shit thats the problem…for example the standout song on nas it was written was by trackmasters the shootouts but preemos i gave you power is the most remebered from that album
Nigga are you dumb? Shootouts wasn’t better than I Gave You Power. Hell Take It In Blood, Live Nigga Rap, If I Ruled The World, Watch Dem Niggas, The Message, Nas Is Coming > Shootouts.
Stop saying dumb shit on a hip hop comments list just to be heard. A fool is only known once the mouth is opened and removes all doubt.
Onion head nigga.
I gotta agree with Mr. Flamboyant on this one. “Shootouts” is definitely one of my least favorite songs on that album.
what mr said! I gave you power was Prems weakest Nas/premier BEAT! Song was crazy beat was ok. But from what premier said. he wanted to give it a feeling of sadness. Which i think he accomplished.
i agree, except nas is coming was garbage in my opinion
album numbers 1,2,4,7 & 10 would have all been heavy.
It’s wild that most of these are west coast albums, and I think a lot of them started when the west coast was really hittin’.
What about RZA & ODB ‘The Abbott and Crazy Monk’..Noooooo….why would anyone want to hear that when we could listen to Dr.Dre and Exhibit albums all day..SMFH…..
DETOX LEAKED….I DOWNLOADED IT AN HOUR AGO,ITS OFFICIAL……IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT,IM HYPED!! PEACE
Where did you download it from?
dirty lyin son of bitch
i tell you what, ain’t an album listed up there that i wouldn’t burn tires headed to the record shop to get boss
Just my opinion, but i think DJ Quik would’ve been a better replacement for Eazy-E than Snoop, if that album were to ever have happened
Quik’s been talking about that on the LA Leakers tape.
Yes sir! Quik is nice on the board and the mic.
Or shit , even Mc Eiht!
Chamillionaire album VENOM needs to be on this list.
Fuck off with that bullshit.
def venom
Detox..still not official!
RZA The cure!!
My thoughts exactly. Still waiting!
Forgot ALL about that one!
Notice how Dre’s on a lot of these. Lack of commitment! Canceling Detox would be his best option seeing as it’s so hyped up it WILL disappoint and ruin his impeccable credibility. Come on, 2 singles and not one Dre beat. What’s poppin’ son?
213 – the Hard way was in fact an excellent album, probably the best snoop dogg album apart from doggystyle.
R.I.P. Nate Dogg
best since doggystyle naw!!! blu carpet yea!!!
Besides DETOX, what about 2Pac’s East Coast/West Coast Unification album One Nation? It was supposed to feature Black Moon, Kurupt and the hottest MC’s at that time. To me, that’s the big tragedy. Dre’s just puts out stuff if he feels like it.
Man, fuck Dre! He never does what he says! FUCKING LIAR!
DON’T BUY DETOX!!!!
wonder what ever happened to Kool G Rap’s
Enter the Dragon
lots of emcees say they want or will do a full length with Premo.
Premo always says bring it!
then nothing. its the way most rappers are. LAME.
man if i could have Premo produce a full length album for me id get on that shit fuckin fast
Rakim’s album on Aftermath would’ve been hot.
Where did you download detox?
up ur mothers pooter
What about too $hort and E 40’s the history channel!
That was only announced last year, it comes out this year and it’s an EP.
yeah what about rakims aftermath release? everyone was waiting for that
“The Hard 10” or “10 The Hard Way” as they say here was going to be the shit!!
Man I wanted to hear Outkast back spittin on Organized Noise without no fuckin red wigs, shoulder pads, stockings or none of that shit
Where the f@k is 103??!!
I desperately wanted the “Fab Five” album with Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C.
Shit i wanna hear that Krumbsnatchs / premier album that was suppose to happen back in 99 or so. Or the Madlib / E-Swift album that Swift told me about.
What about Detox? Dre must be joking about it for 10 years 😀
what about that Jay-Z, Trey Songz, and Jeezy album?
thank god that never happened
yo i’m a fan of those dudes but even in writing that idea looks like a mess.
^^^ lol for real
wow but anit it legendary albums not shit in post production
that NWA album could have happened if Dre was ready to share the big cake with others
The two records they did were really dope !
What about 2PAC One Nation ??
call me retarded, but i think 2pac is dead?
The One Nation album was planned and sort of recorded in 1996 shortly before Pac’s Death.
Correction: Q-Tip is on the “Come Close” remix with Common and Badu.
they are both on the ‘She wants to move’ remix by N.E.R.D with mos def and de la soul
yall got a lot of west coast albums on here…wat about eminem and royce bad meets evil been hoping on that forever…or twista and bone thugs album? cool countdown tho
and also 2PAC & R. Kelly – Best of Both World (originally was planned to be done with Pac, not Jay-Z)
And Big Boi at least has gone on record and said the “10 the Hard Way” project was going to be dropped because other rappers got ear of the idea and started trying to to mixtapes based on the concept. To deal with my disappointment with that, I just made a flyyy-ass Dungeon Family mix with an acapella version of “Dirty South”, Cool Breeze’s “Watch for the Hook”, Outkast’s “Mainstream” w/Good Mo-B, and other timesless classics.
Where the fuck is DETOX on the list
hahahahaha
haha. DETOX should be number 1!!
Let’s not forget about the CRS album, the HRSMN album (though it seems like it might actually finally materialize), the Bone/Twista collab, the Fugees Reunion album, the Hot Boy$ reunion album, I can go on forever lol
HAHAHA 7 of the 10 things that never happened involve west coast rappers… What about the Fab Five Album that never came out?
The Tupac One Nation album has been out, not officially, but it was Recorded, it didn’t get completely finished but a lot of it is around. and there is even a 2 disc bootleg of what was done at the time. with an East disc and a West Disc
Nas always comes full circle. There will be Premo & Nas album when Nas decides he wants to get back to straight rap.
NAS + AZ puls primo
People keep saying what about detox?, all of these potential albums listed are collab albums, HHDX fucked up the title.
If We’re gonna list solo albums that never happened then what about Black Thought’s “Masterpiece Theater”?
Early predictions off the top of my head:
CRS Album – Lupe, Pharell, Kanye
Watch The Throne – Kanye & Jay-Z
T-Wayne (Luv Songz) – Lil’ Wayne & T-Pain
I Can’t Feel My Face – Wayne & Juelz
What about the all city chess club with lupe and b.o.b. and all them?
a lot of pete rock projects that could be added to this, his albums with the Dogg Pound and Planet Asia come to mind. MF DOOM also has his share of albums, to this day im disappointed by the lack of Ghostface/Doom album (not to mention the new Danger DOOM, King Geedorah, KMD and Madvillain albums)
I feel you on this DOOM ish…
You might as well just get it over with and throw anything involving jay elec on there based on his current track record. Rappers talk bullshit so much its ridiculous.
The Last Emperor’s second album he’s talking about since 2005 or so.
Funny thing is most of these projects had a lot of the same people.
so basically yall made this to say a bunch of wack west coast rappers that haven’t been relevant in 10 + years promised albums they never delivered on? Cool. Shoulda left it at Outkast and Nas
On the OutKast front…there was an actual “Pimp Trick Gangsta Clique” set recorded..they did it just for fun and never released it…a damn shame, woulda been fiyah!
I remember that. They were making fun how almost every rapper during that time period was being pimps and gangtas through their music.
Center edge territory (Mos, Jay Elec, Curren$y) is probably dead as well.
Yall get inspired by that dude Justin’s article on KN.com?
http://kevinnottingham.com/2010/12/14/missed-opportunities-top-10-groups-that-never-released-an-album/
Take a notice at how many involve Dre, lol.
They are missing another involving Dre.
Rakim’s “Oh My God”
LOL…Didn’t even peep that. Dre is the Omen for release dates…Seems like everything Dre and Snoop get ready to do, falls apart
blackstar’s second album. never gunna happen.
MF DOOM + GHOSTFACE KILLAH. SWIFT & CHANGEABLE.
Where is Rakim and Dr.Dre’s project named “Oh My God”
that should have been number 1, I was so sad when they decided not to release it. and as Nas put it “the album was dismantled due to creative differences”
I think it would have been epic! tear tear
Hi peoples my name Jacques, i live current in Afghani fighten the war with Americaned and I cann not wait 4 the bone thugz if harmonica album with eminems
WORD keep that spirit
I just hope that the Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole album doesn’t end up on this list
What about Ghost & DOOM, that will probably never happen.
good. DOOM sucks dick. Anyone who releases a concept album about food really has no place in music. (and before you ask, yes i do have MM Food, and yes i have listened to it.)
Have we forgotten the 3rd installment of the Art Official Intelligence series by De La Soul? The first 2 installments were fire! They opted to release The Grind Date (which was a good album by the way) in place of the 3rd AOI album, which was supposed to be “on some DJ shyt” as Maseo put it. I’m still waitin on it!
you notice dre and snoop is on the list alot, and almost all these are westcoast albums..that says something
Don’t forget that original Murder INC album wit Ja Rule DMX and Jay-Z that was supposed to happen when they ran the game back in 98-99!! Don’t know about now but back then that shit would have been crazy cuz they was killin shit together all the time.. Man the good ol days!!
really doe
And most importantly put DETOX on that bitch… dre be droppin some new tracks but he has been doin that for years. Detox was supposed to drop 7 years ago and in xxl dre promised it would be out by feb. what a lazy ass nigga! He aint doin shit as you can teall by da list.
What about The CURE from the RZA?
JAy-z is gonna do an all perm album
Nas is goin to do an all dre album
Add these:
Watch The Throne
Center Edge Territory
T-Wayne
Weezy + Juelz Santana
Child Rebel Soldier
All City Chess Club
AND (all lupe)
Actual L.A.S.E.R.S.
The Great American Rap Album
Food and Liquor 2
LupE.N.D.
already half way done man.
GOOD AZZ JOB????
that was just a working title before it became My beautiful dark twisted fantasy. the fcc wouldn’t let him use the title like they wouldn’t let him use the cover.
I heard that dj quik and eazy -e were going to do a album in the ninety’s called quick and easy!
that list was dead on point….and I will add my name to the ones thirsty for a full LP of Nas and Primo….and add my name to the list that will never ever ever ever see it come to light cause for some reason Nas keeps doing the exact opposite of what he should when it comes to beat selection. I am a Nas fan but sorry it dont take a chimp to know Nas+Primo is a classic album and certified platinum…
Forgot. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony & Twista collaborative album. Knowin’ bone, it’ll be some years. We still haven’t heard speed of sound.
Rza the Cure..thats all im sayin
I don’t know what the album would of been called. but Common, Black Thought, Absolute & Pharoahe Monch where gonna form a group called The Unstoppable Force…..that would of been tight.
$WonDough$ is going to be legendary and fuck whoever gots to reply with some negative
you guys forgot to mention the oh my god album the album Rakim and dr dre was doing together
you dumb ass…everyone knew it was scrapped…it wasn’t just talked about and that’s it. Everyone knew what happened. Not a good statement for this article’s subject
Still waiting on that Nas/DJ Primo album. I truly feel that is still a possibility.
WHAT ABOUT THE SCARFACE AND 2PAC ALBUM??????????????????
nobody gave 2 fucks about that shit…would rather hear Scarface rhyme dolo rather than hearing him rhyme circles around 2pac (r.i.p.)
it would b a fuckin dream to see Kast drop a album TOGETHER and actually b on the traks TOGETHER instead of how they did Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. old heads yall kno wut im talkin bout! like a 2012 Atliens or Aquemini album or sum’n! either way im foreva a supporter of real music
there’s so many of these promised collaborations that just never happens. Wu-Tang got a whole bunch of them, RZA/Ol’ Dirty album was announced in 1999 (this would probably happen if it wasn’t for all the trouble ODB was going thru and then of course his death, RIP god).
DJ Premier/Royce Da 5’9″ album was announced in 2007 on “The Bar Exam”. i think he said they was even forming a group. Preem had 3 beats on “Street Hop” in the end lol.
and with your last mention i came to think about 2002 when Nas and Large Professor was featured in TWO magazines about their future project together, one of the mags had them on the cover even. they was out in a studio in Miami working together i believe. the project turned in to “Gods Son” and by the time it got released it had exactly zero LP beats like wtf Nas. Nas has prolly made more stupid decisions than any other MC ever. every single one of his album (except “Nastradamus”) could’ve been a CLASSIC more or less, but he always deletes the best songs, adds a lot of filler and has mad trouble with sample clearancing. shame…
the two Nas/Extra-P tracks for “Gods Son” that we know of was “Stay Chizled” (Nas solo version) and “Star Wars” but we probably never get to hear the rest. sometimes I really hate Nas.
Detox.
That’s all.
Dr Dre’s name appears 4 times on that list…Just sayin’
Dre is full of shit but alot of artist are like that, they lose interest. Example If Paul Mcartney and Ringo Starr and 2 other artist like Clapton did a new Beatles album. that would sell 2 mill the first week, but he hasn’t so..who knows
no ghost/doom? that shit would’ve been amazing.
yea that was the one I was thinking of when i saw this list, were they not on the cover of mas appeal announcing it?
http://lexrecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2005/09/mass_appeal-ghostface_doom.jpg
UHHHHHHHH the top of that list needs to be the AZ and NAS album! I can’t believe that’s not even on here.
Nas AZ ablum never came to be mainly because of Nas.
Dre & Snoop have got to be two of the most full of shit cats on this earth… With all the broken promises they should either become politicians or clergymen
Honorable mention to Cube… though I could care less if he makes any more music…
wayne and juelz or wayne and tpain. Baby and Rick Ross.
Nas and AZ album would be classic.. bring back the Firm!!!?
GOOD ARTICLE should do a Part 2
Nas & DJ Premier album would be a dream. Oh and you forgot the album that Rakim was supposed to do with Dr Dre… which also would have been amazing
…I Can’t Feel My Face
i remember the 10 the hard way OutKast were talking about. it would be un-fuckin-believable if they are still planning it.
Great article. The two albums that seem to make the most sense are the Outkast album “10 The Hard Way” and the Nas and DJ Premier project. Unfortunately, the albums will never ever, ever, ever, happen. Andre 3000 is on some bullshit right now and Nas just isn’t relevant as he was before. Actually, I would rather see a DJ Premier and Jay-Z album and opposed to a Nas collabo album. No artist in the game wasted their talent more than Nas and he should have been just as large as Jay-Z is right now.
Detox will never come out. It’s been in the works for the better part of a decade. With all the time and talk that has happened it would be impossible to live up to the hype. Therefor i don’t believe it will ever happen
As hiphop artist are getting older I really would like to have seen a Nas DJ Premier CD or Jay-Z and Nas right after they smashed the beef they would have shut it down. Oh and I always wanted to here Rakim over some dope beats and thats where Nas failed me and will go down as one of the dopest laziest M.C’s to rap over consistently subpar beats.
The cd Tupac was making with Boot Camp Click which never happened was to me more of a let down then anything on this list… Cannot believe it wasn’t mentioned.
yeah the east to west double cd with busta,greg nice, boot camp, then when it didn’t come out they started to lift the lyrics and put them on songs pac would never rap on. but there are songs that are floating around that i had on bootleg. one song called “birches” with Greg Nice
oops the song was called “Bitches”
bone thugs and twista were supposed to come out with one. what happened to that?
i thought the same thing reading this article. twista was suppose to be the 6th member of bone. also i heard krayzie and twista say they were going to do duo album that would have been sick!!1 the mid-west really need that album
good article….yall remember when murder inc was going to be a group project with Jay, Ja, and DMX?who knows where x and ja would be right now if it went as planned….
I remember when Scarface retired he said hed only come back to work with Jay and Cube or sumthing like that.
speaking of face, him and Pacs album….
Or jeezy and wayne with Boyz N the hood.them 2 plus jody breeze woulda have been nice in that time period
and oh yea lupes Greatest Hip Hop Album Ever lol. think i saw the tracklist on this site lmao
track1
track2
track3
” ”
the best hip hop song ever
track 10
and whatsup with the lupe kanye pharrell joint?
What about the Bleek and Beans album? That would have been insane
They did, it was called The Dynasty, Jayz jumped on that album last minute
In 2002, there was talk of Black star and Binary Star doing an album together…
would have been amazing
man nas and dj premier doing an album together would be sick.
Chairmen of the Boards is the one I remember clearly, I had a picture in my head of what the album clover looks like, who would be in it and so forth. That would have been something to have, and that bring back the firm with nas, az, foxy, cormega and with dr.dre and some other top producers. Man so many great collab that probably never have a full length, maybe it’s for the best.
GHOSTDOOM MF DOOM and Ghostface
Forgot the commission…
That Don’t Count, Biggy Died.
There was supposed to be a full SQUADRON album too. Back when the EPMD camps will still hot. And WTF happened to Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth reunion??!! We’ve been waiting for longer than Detox! Black Thought, PLEASE DROP MASTERPIECE THEATER!!!
Theres also Child Rebel Soldier (Lupe, Pharrel, and Kanye)