Narcissist
Most mysterious Carti era by far. After the WLR Deluxe had been shelved, Carti announced his next album on Instagram, Narcissist, with a planned release date of September 13, 2021. The album, however, never dropped. A few days later, Carti posted a screenshot of a group chat with the message: "FORGET ABOUT SAMPLE CLEARANCES. DROP NARCISSIST." Despite the post, Carti never mentioned the album again. The project was scrapped due to sample clearance issues and a reported similarity to Future’s sound. Before the official name was announced, Carti posted a fit pic dressed in all white with the caption, "Lets drop this new album, we not done." Gunner Stahl, known for his close ties to Carti, commented on the post saying, "mollyworld >" For a while, fans speculated that Mollyworld could be the album’s new name, only for it to be revealed later that the album would be called Narcissist. No one truly knew what Narcissist would sound like. The hints of heavy sample use, coupled with beats that were previewed, suggested a futuristic and synth-driven direction. This marked a departure from the raw, punk-influenced sound of Whole Lotta Red. From the leaks and snippets that surfaced, it became evident that this was the last era where Carti used his iconic "baby voice" style. Around this time, Carti began developing a deeper vocal tone, which would later debut publicly on Travis Scott's "FE!N." Interestingly, during this transitional period, Carti experimented with combining his baby voice with a lisp, as heard in the leaked tracks "Go" by ASAP Rocky and "Hold Up" by Future. While it wasn’t exactly the same baby voice heard during the Whole Lotta Red V2 era, it was very similar, albeit with noticeable differences that reflected Carti’s evolving vocal experimentation. The project featured production from a roster of known producers who had previously worked with Carti, including Richie Souf, Art Dealer, F1lthy, KP Beatz, Lukrative, Ssort, Lil 88, and possibly many more. This combination of producers further hinted at the experimental and diverse nature of the album's sound. Carti even planned the Narcissist tour to support the album, with many fans expecting the album to drop alongside the tour's kickoff. However, as the album's release failed to materialize, the tour was eventually renamed the King Vamp Tour.
Early leaks like "Ready to Crash" by Homixide Gang showcased Carti’s initial attempts at his deeper voice, though it came off as awkward and unpolished. Other snippets, like "Remember Me" by Lil Unky and "Different Vibes," revealed Carti’s progress in refining this deeper tone. By the time of leaks like "Too Hot" (commonly referred to as "Two Out"), his new vocal style had started to take shape, signaling the transition into his current sound. Fans were understandably outraged by Narcissist never seeing the light of day, leaving behind a cloud of mystery. The racing aesthetic teased through promotional materials, along with Ye's rumored involvement, hinted at the album's ambitious potential. However, the only release tied to the project was the controversial Narcissist merch line, which wasn’t music-related. The confusion surrounding Narcissist deepened over time, as it became increasingly difficult to identify which songs belonged to that era. Carti had reportedly worked on the album for only a short time before scrapping it, renaming the project, and switching its aesthetic. In the end, many fans were left wishing for what could’ve been—a vision that remains shrouded in speculation and fragmented by leaks and snippets.