Drake's For All The Dogs and other heavily delayed album releases from the past

Canadian rapper and singer Drake's eighth studio album 'For All the Dogs is upon us after much hype over the summer. The album has endured a heavily protracted release period but fans are finally set to get their hands on new music from Drizzy.

The rapper posted on Instagram last night to confirm the album's tracklist and that it would be released more than six weeks after it was initially touted. It's not the first time one of his releases has been delayed and it's nothing new in hip-hop or rap either.

In his Instagram post, Drake said the album would be released at '6am on Friday, October 6. Given he is a native of Toronto, that is likely to be around 11am BST.

As fans prepare for the reaction to one of the year's biggest music releases, NationalWorld takes a look back at other delayed albums from the past.

Drake, 'For All the Dogs' (2023)

According to the internet, this album was initially supposed to be released in late August. Drake spoke to fans at a show on August 25 as part of his 'It's All a Blur Tour' where he said: "I know everybody's upset ’cause I didn't drop the album last night. I didn't say it was dropping last night. So don't be mad at me."

With the release said to be 'weeks away' back then, Drake then delayed the album once again when he said on Instagram: "“Okay my dilemma I am faced with either cancel shows to finish the album or I complete the mission and drop the album before the last show.”

“I owe you all these memories. We are building and anywhere we have missed to date we will be spinning back for sure.”

“For all the dogs October 6th it's only right...”

Guns and Roses, 'Chinese Democracy' (2008)

Guns and Roses' sixth studio album - and their first of original material since Use Your Illusion I and II in 1991, was another delayed release. It was first slated to be released in 1999. Facing a protracted recording process and personal and legal issues, fans were left waiting for an album where the band cited label interference and wanting to perfect it. Some fans have long speculated that frontman Axl Rose was behind the delays as he is rumoured to have clashed with producers who were also working on the project.

Kanye West 'Yandhi' (2018)

The Kanye West - or Ye' - album we never got. Despite a heavily promoted release on his social media, it appears Kanye decided against dropping Yandhi in September 2018. It came at a time when the rapper was becoming more involved in gospel and non-secular music, so perhaps the content of Yandhi no longer matched his personal views. Some tracks were leaked and made their way onto future projects, but it remains a mystery as to what exactly happened to the illusive Yandhi album.

Kanye West 'Donda' (2021)

Another delayed hip-hop album here. Kanye West's album dedicated to his mother Donda West was uniquely largely recorded while he was living at the Mercedes Benz arena in Atlanta.

A much-hyped release, Donda was supposed to be on streaming services weeks - if not months - before it came out on August 29, 2021. Kanye's 10th studio album's release was just the latest to stray from industry norms.

Drake & 21 Savage's 'Her Loss' (2022)

This collab album between two of last year's hottest rappers was expected ever since the released the music video for Jimmy Cooks from Drake's 'Honestly Nevermind' album

Drake announced in October 2022 that the album was delayed ahead of its eventual release on November 4 due to his producer Noah '40' Shebib contracting Covid-19.

It eventually dropped a week late after months of speculation.

Jimi Hendrix, 'Black Gold' (intended for a 1970 release)

Few albums have endured a wait quite like Jimi Hendrix's Black Gold. This concept album was supposedly one where Hendrix drew on his life experiences with all solo acoustic recordings.

It's still not been released despite Janie Hendrix saying it would be with us by the end of the decade in 2010.

Who knows if it will ever see the light of day.