After years of nothing but scattered singles, Chance the Rapper has finally released another studio album, STAR LINE, over six years after his last effort. Of course, there's good reason behind Chance taking as long as he did to drop.
His last record, The Big Day, was infamously met with universal scorn the second it came out. Chance, a feelgood rapper with a passionate fanbase built over the 2010s, had very high expectations in the album leadup. It was genuinely shocking how bad this album was, and Chance was basically bullied from his position in the limelight for years to come.
Chance's return offers us a moment to look back at the debacle his last album was, and also to consider other instances in which rap albums proved to be unequivocal bummers despite previous hype. Below are seven albums that fit this description perfectly.
7 rap flops that didn't meet the moment
Chance the Rapper - The Big Day (2019)
The Big Day was the turning point in Chance's career. Far from the beloved mixtapes he came up on, it's an absolute mess of an album, and a corny one at that. Overproduced but underbaked, this pop rap project is all over the place stylistically. It features some of Chance's worst bars, goes on for way too long, and is an absolutely grating listen.
Lupe Fiasco - Lasers (2011)
Lupe Fiasco established himself as a true talent in the conscious hip-hop field in the latter half of the 2000s. That's what made his third album Lasers so disappointing when it came out. Its safe, sanitary, and radio friendly sound was a notable departure from his previous work and definitely a downgrade. Lupe was out of his element, and it showed.
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter VI (2025)
Yes, Lil Wayne had put out bad projects before (See: Rebirth), but he had always come through on his Tha Carter album series. That is, until earlier this year with the sixth installment. It had so many half baked or bad ideas on it, and there was a clear lack of quality control. On Tha Carter VI, Wayne often played into his worst tendencies, and the results were a letdown.
Nas - Nastradamus (1999)
In a matter of five years, Nas went from dropping arguably the greatest album in hip-hop history, Illmatic, to this. The opposite of tasteful, Nastradamus was panned from the start, and rightfully so. Fans knew what Nas was capable of, and so many songs on here, like his cover of "Africa" by Toto and the trashy "Big Girl", fell well short of that mark.
Migos - Culture II (2018)
The first iteration of Culture was a genuine moment for Migos, thrusting them into the national consciousness and delivering hit after hit. The second was a rushed, bloated sequel that just didn't hold up. Culture II provided a handful of bangers, but they were sprinkled in an ocean of unimpressive filler that is a slog to wade through.
ScHoolboy Q - CrasH Talk (2019)
CrasH Talk wasn't awful, but it was such a nonessential addition to ScHoolboy Q's catalogue. Upon release, it was his shortest album by far, and easily his most unambitious. For a rapper like ScHoolboy Q, signed to a label like TDE, a high level of artistry is expected, and this simply wasn't that. It was painfully obvious that he was punching below his weight.
T.I. - T.I. VS T.I.P. (2007)
T.I. had a great run in the 2000s with multiple classics to show for it. T.I. VS T.I.P. is the weak link of that run. Its ambition as a double album showing two distinct sides of T.I. was unfulfilling in practice, and track-for-track it didn't hold up to his other output. This one underwhelmed, and it's pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of his career.