HIP-HOP What We Know About: XXXTentacion's Unreleased Music

Picking Up the Pieces

When the controversial rapper was shot and killed at the age of 20 in June, he left behind a vault of music he had been recording that will form the basis for future releases, beginning with his first posthumous album, scheduled for October on EMPIRE.

The "Blueprint"

Solomon Sobande, X’s manager, says his client recorded enough material for at least two albums -- but outside of rumored collaborations with Lil Pump and Lil Peep (and the artist’s own penchant for experimentation), what it might sound like remains a mystery. Sobande describes the songs as “iconic, chilling, brilliant and mature,” and says that while the estate (led by the late artist’s mother) will pick the tracklist, “X left a blueprint for us.”

Looking At a Legacy

The plan going forward, says Sobande, is all about “keeping X’s memory alive, preserving it the right way and getting the rest of his ideas out.” The rapper’s attorney, Bob Celestin, echoes that sentiment: “The most important feeling I have is doing everything I can to pay respect to who he was as a person and as an artist, and to help his vision flourish.”

This article originally appeared in the Sept. 15 issue of Billboard.