The rap game and music industry is no stranger to delayed, mysterious release dates. Lil Uzi Vert released his debut studio album, Luv is Rage 2 on August 25, 2017, after its own set of delays. But the attention quickly shifted to what was set to be a paramount project: Eternal Atake.

The 25-year-old Philadelphia rapper first said the album was done on December 9, 2018, after originally being slated for a 2018 release. He would tweet again that the album was complete on May 13, 2019. Of course, inbetween these proclamations, the rapper said in January 2019 that he was “quitting music,” leaving fans to wonder if Eternal Atake would ever drop.

Then Lil Uzi Vert began hyping up the release of Eternal Atake in February 2020. Per Hip Hop by the Numbers, the best account out there on rap numbers, trends, and statistics, the album rollout was a monumental success on social media. Uzi even tasked followers with choosing the album’s cover out of three possible options. Fan interactivity is a great way to draw listeners closer to the music and the artist.

Eternal Atake had a projected release date of Friday, March 13. But even with the intense social media advertising, rap skeptics still could never be sure if the project would release on time.

Instead, the rapper pulled a surprise, releasing Eternal Atake mid-day on March 6, and not at midnight alongside other weekly releases.

The surprise drop was a huge hit on social media, as “Eternal Atake” was the #1 trend on Twitter within minutes.

There was initial confusion as the album released on all streaming services except for Apple Music, but the situation was quickly rectified.

Eternal Atake spans 18 tracks over one hour and two minutes. Only the final two tracks, listed as bonus tracks, were released ahead of the album: “Futsal Shuffle 2020” and “That Way.”

Have you listened to Eternal Atake yet? Does it live up to the hype and anticipation? What’s your favorite track from the album? To join the conversation, talk to me on Twitter @BSakHipHop.

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