It's been a rough year for August Alsina, for the most part. He hasn't really delivered much music for the most part and has been faced with some difficulties in both his professional and personal life. However, the fact that he hasn't delivered much music has less to do with him and more to do with a much bigger issue: Def Jam.

Alsina took to Twitter today to air out exactly why his third studio album hasn't dropped yet. He hasn't dropped an album since 2015's This Thing Called Life and his fans have been curious as to when they could expect a project from him. One fan in particular tweeted at him, asking when he'll drop. He replied to the fans inquiry, stating that he's been waiting to drop it but Def Jam has held him back from doing so. He said that he'll be releasing music soon but says that the label's held him hostage.

"I would love to put my album out but DEF JAM is holding it/me hostage because the system is not up & running until next year so they basically dont exist. The label is just TRASH .. I will release free music soon but that has been the hold up. Tell Them to FREE ME & the Album," he tweeted Monday afternoon.

Since then, his fans have been tweeting at him and Def Jam records with variations of the hashtag #FreeAugustAlsina.  

The singer's already dropped off a slew of singles in anticipation for his upcoming project including "Drugs" and "Don't Matter." 

This is just the latest issue he's had to deal with. Earlier in the year, he reportedly flashed a gun to a group of fans that approached him at a grocery store. The report said he told the fans that he wasn't feeling well, likely due to his liver disease, but the fans continued to harass him which led him to show then butt end of the piece to them. He wasn't charged with anything and based on the fact that there was no physical evidence, the police didn't go after him for it.

About The Author

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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