Hykeem Carter, aka Baby Keem, shocked the rap world in February by announcing the release of his next album, Ca$ino — a project that’s likely to explore a more vulnerable side of Keem. While a couple of singles have brought him back into the spotlight over the past three years, including “leavemealone” with Fred Again and “The Hillbillies” with his cousin Kendrick Lamar, Keem hasn’t released a full-length album since dropping The Melodic Blue on September 10, 2021. Four and a half years isn’t a short stint, which makes the surprise announcement of Ca$ino even sweeter for hungry fans.
Baby Keem already has a Grammy under his belt, winning Best Rap Performance in 2022 for “Family Ties” with Kendrick Lamar, making him the youngest artist to win a Grammy in a rap category at just 21 years old. With his connection to pgLang and multiple collaborations alongside Kendrick, Keem has already evolved both his sound and lyricism since releasing his debut single “Orange Soda.” I can only imagine Ca$ino will dive even deeper, exploring a more raw side of the young artist who grew up in both Long Beach, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Before Baby Keem’s second studio album, Ca$ino, let’s explore the tracklist, release date, and history of the project.
When is ‘Ca$ino’ coming out?
Baby Keem’s upcoming album ‘Ca$ino ‘ is releasing on Friday, February 20.
‘Ca$ino’ Tracklist
1. NO SECURITY
2. CA$INO
3. BIRDS & THE BEES
4. GOOD FLIRTS (FT. KENDRICK LAMAR & MOMO BOYD)
5. HOUSE MONEY
6. I AM NOT A LYRICIST
7. SEX APPEAL (FT. TOO SHORT)
8. TUBI (FT. CHE ECRU)
9. HIGHWAY 95 PT. 2
10. CIRCUS CIRCUS FREESTYLE
11. DRAMATIC GIRL
12. NO BLAME
Background on ‘Ca$ino
Keem laid low for several years, releasing only the two singles mentioned earlier since the deluxe version of The Melodic Blue dropped in 2022. However, the young rapper did appear on his cousin’s penultimate album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, contributing to “Savior – Interlude” and “Savior,” while also producing one of the album’s biggest records, “N95.” Touring with K-Dot on The Big Steppers Tour, it’s clear Keem stayed busy, but there were no obvious signs he was building toward his own project.
That’s what makes Ca$ino so highly anticipated. Keem took the surprise factor a step further by releasing two mini-documentaries ahead of Friday’s drop: BOOMAN I | Ca$ino Documentary and BOOMAN II | Ca$ino Documentary. In them, Baby Keem shares an intensely personal chapter of his life through home videos recorded by his aunts, capturing early struggles and the people who helped shape him.
In BOOMAN I, we see a one-year-old Keem living in Long Beach, California, with his Aunt Connie and grandmother, residing in a one-bedroom apartment during the earliest stages of his life. Aunt Connie details the hardships Keem — “Booman,” as she calls him — and his family endured, including witnessing violence in their own backyard. She also recounts the family’s decision to move to Las Vegas, Nevada, in search of financial relief and a better future.
Across both documentaries, Keem reflects on growing up in Vegas surrounded primarily by the women in his family, while Aunt Connie explains why his mother was not the primary figure raising him. If we look back at tracks like “Family Ties” and “trademark usa,” Keem has already tapped into raw emotion, giving listeners insight into the struggles his mother faced as well as his estranged relationship with her, rapping, “Can’t get through to mama ’cause she’d rather drink, facing eviction by the age of 13.” Keem, and K-Dot, of course, have never shied away from personal trauma, and Ca$ino feels poised to continue that motif.
The vulnerability displayed in the Booman documentaries suggests the upcoming album will dive even deeper into Keem’s childhood in Las Vegas, using the “Sin City” backdrop to depict the violence, temptation, and overall gamble of growing up there at a young age. I expect Booman to rap about the challenges his family faced and the environment that shaped both his sound and perspective, and possibly explore his complicated relationship with his mother. If I had to predict a common thread, I’d anticipate hearing snippets from the documentaries woven throughout the project, along with recurring allusions to his time in Las Vegas.
Baby Keem’s unique sound — playful, animated flows contrasted with emotional, unguarded records — proves his impressive duality as an artist and his ability to transcend the rap game. I expect Ca$ino to lean into that contrast, blending mischievous, almost whimsical production with introspective moments, while layering in plenty of analogies to his Las Vegas roots.
Baby Keem’s Notable Past Albums + Singles
The Melodic Blue – 2021
EP: No Name – 2018
EP: Die For My B***h – 2019
“Invented It” – 2019
“Orange Soda” – 2019
“Family Ties” – 2021
‘Ca$ino’ Album FAQ
When is Baby Keem’s new album, ‘Ca$ino’, coming out?
Baby Keem’s second studio album, Ca$ino, releases on Friday, February 20.
What time can you begin listening to ‘Ca$ino’?
Ca$ino will officially be out tonight at 9:00 p.m. PT and at 12:00 a.m. ET on February 20. However, Baby Keem announced “Ca$ino Listening” on his YouTube channel on Thursday, Feb 19 at 8 p.m. PT:
How can I listen to ‘Ca$ino’?
Baby Keem’s new album will be available on Spotify and Apple Music, among other streaming platforms.
