A$AP Rocky apologizes to fans for album delay due to leaks and sample clearances

Rapper A$AP Rocky has revealed that "leaks and sample clearances" have been causing delays in the release of his new music.

His fourth studio album, Don't Be Dumb, was anticipated to drop at the end of August, but that is no longer the case.

"I wanna make the best album ever. I'm sorry for the wait," he wrote on X, noting that it's been "six years" in the making.

The Wild for the Night artist's last album, Testing, came out in 2018, but he has continued performing at festivals and on tour.

There are rumors that his upcoming album will feature collaborations with J.Cole, Busta Rhymes, and his partner Rihanna, with whom he shares two children.

The issue of leaks has been a recurring problem for the rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers.

In an interview with Billboard, he suggested that leaks have repeatedly hindered the progress of new music over the years.

"They leak a lot of the music and it ruins it."

"Like my ‘Taylor Swift’ video," he says, referring to a visual for a song named after her that was leaked online last year.

In his post, A$AP also mentioned "sample clearances," which involves obtaining permission from the owners of copyrighted music to use portions of it in a song.

The rapper was one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2010s, achieving eight platinum singles in the US, including Wild For The Night, Everyday, LSD, and A$AP Forever.

He gained prominence after being endorsed by Drake and has collaborated with artists like Alicia Keys, Lana Del Rey, Skepta, Selena Gomez, and Kendrick Lamar.