Talented artists work hard on their new songs, only to have their unfinished tracks suddenly leaked online for everyone to hear. Recently, Lil Uzi Vert found themselves in this situation again, with a large number of their unreleased songs appearing without permission. The rapper from Philadelphia has spoken about how frustrating these leaks are, describing them as an unfair way for people to see his raw and unpolished work. In a recent chat with Pitchfork, Uzi shared a powerful analogy: “Leaks are not ready to be presented. So when y’all get leaks… Y’all basically watching me get dressed in my closet. And I ain’t got my clothes on yet. Y’all basically see me naked.”

This honest expression highlights artists’ struggles as they try to create and share their work. Unfortunately, Uzi’s experience is echoed by many musicians who worry that their unreleased songs could be exposed at any moment. Reactions from fans have been mixed. Some people understand Uzi’s frustration and recognize that leaks can feel invasive, while others have a different take. Some fans believe that if Uzi released music more regularly, there wouldn’t be such a strong desire for leaks. One fan even mentioned, “Maybe if you would actually release music, people would have no desire for leaks,” pointing out that the excitement surrounding Uzi’s unreleased songs creates this demand.

It becomes a complicated cycle, fans eagerly anticipate new music, artists tease upcoming releases but then delay them, and eventually, someone leaks the songs. Then, when the leaked music doesn’t quite meet fans’ expectations, the same people who want to hear it can turn around and criticize it. As Lil Uzi Vert continues to deal with these leaks and the high expectations from fans, how can artists protect their creative process when privacy is hard to maintain? Uzi is left to pick up the pieces, facing the fallout of music they never meant for the world to hear.

ASAP Rocky might have been turning heads with his fashion choices in Paris, but when the talk came to his long awaited fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb, the Harlem rapper was all set to duck the question with a chuckle. During his rounds this week at Paris Fashion Week, one reporter took the opportunity to pin Rocky down when fans might see his long gestating project. His response? A jokey sidestep that just left fans more hungry and a tad vexed.

“Don’t do me like that. I don’t need you to make me do that now. You about to get me beat up out here. “They on my head because of questions like that,” Rocky joked, clearly aware of the mounting expectation around the release of Don’t Be Dumb. As funny as his response was, others were not laughing. One person on social media wrote, “Ultimately I don’t expect him to say anything at Paris Fashion Week off a random reporter asking him about it, to be fair. But we need answers, and that’s what’s frustrating.” One fan took a harsher approach, stating, “If the album is not on Spotify within the next month, I’ll beat his ass myself.”

Rocky’s silence on when exactly we can expect to hear the album only adds to the intrigue surrounding Don’t Be Dumb, a project that’s been teased for a long time. The rapper has teased snippets, taken unreleased songs for live drives, and hinted that he is working with friends, but no firm date has emerged to mark the occasion. As fans keep pining for answers, Rocky seems to be playing with the suspense. His playful energy and sense of humor may help keep the mood positive, but ignoring the growing pressure on him to deliver is impossible. For now, Rocky would appear more interested in taking over the fashion world than sharing info about his album.