variety.com/2026/music/news/the-dream-love-hate-2-playboi-carti-exclusive-1236735172

You’re returning for the first time, essentially, in 13 years with a body of work that you’re acknowledging as a global release. What made this moment feel like the right time to come back?

I had to search for why I was having this inkling of the idea to do a record at a certain time, especially to call it “Love/Hate 2,” which is one of those things where it’s like, alright, you better have the goods or else. Even though “Love/Hate” came out in 2007, the year leading up to that run that hasn’t really let up since then, there was something special in that time and space for me. It was maybe the same way I felt back then. I could just feel it walking around, man. I needed to do an actual body of work where I go out and speak to people and see my fans and everybody that have supported me over the years. And I’m just happy that I’m able to do it because usually I’m tied down in my other friend’s basement making records with her. Laughs But it came from out of nowhere, man, just hit me.

The album sequel is very tricky. You’ve got to make sure that you get it right. What made you want to put out a sequel to that record in particular?

“Love Vs Money” was supposed to be that sequel in a trilogy of what those first three records were. And so what I was thinking was, let me just make sure I aim to please not only myself, but the people that supported me and understand what this sound is and understand what I’m saying as an artist and what I’m purveying, feeling-wise, regarding what the world is now. And so that last piece was a big deciding part, and why I named it “Love/Hate 2.”

From what I understand, the project has been gestating for quite some time.

I know how fast I can work. It feels like I went to work every day on my other job as a songwriter, and I only had so much time to dedicate to these things. But when I did it, I wrote it down, I jotted it, I know what I wanted to do. And I kept it there like notes. That would be the a***ogy to what I’ve experienced over the last maybe six years, thinking about just this particular moment of just a major LP. I was just collecting my data and my thoughts over time. And there were certain songs that were created right now, in the last three, four months. But there are records on here that date back to like 2018, 2020. But they all worked perfectly together.

How do you think that “Love/Hate 2” connects to “Love/Hate” sonically, lyrically, or however you may see a threadline through it?

What I tried to make sure of is that I sound the same as I did. My cadence is the same because after so many years of demoing these records for different artists, I’ve gotten mixed up in what my thing is. What is my thing for my own personal records? And so I wanted my vocal chain to be the same. That’s from mic to preamp, of course, nerd things. I was shaving off these new plugins. I was like, go back to ’06 and give me the same plugins that I was using back then. Find out which mic I recorded on. I really tried to nail down my part first. And then as we started to match it sonically from a production standpoint, I also didn’t want to repeat a thing. I didn’t want that snare to be just like the snare on “Fast Car.” And I understand what my tempos are. I understand what I like to do even on stage for my fans.

You mentioned separately that you have records lined up after “Love/Hate 2.”

One is “Love.” One is a “Nikki” album, though. There was a “Nikki” album ready to go and it’s really good, I’m not going to say great because I know I need to touch it with my 2026 mind. But the stories are really good. And people have been asking me for it for the longest, but I didn’t want to just throw something out and not support it. So I’m happy that this came around where, cool, I can make “Love/Hate 2” and then go into that.

instagram.com/thekingdream

His first album one of my fav albums

ALWAYS IN FOR KING TERIUS.

I'm a little confused by his "it's a 3 pack" reply tho, in that context it seems like he's saying it's 3 volumes like Sextape was?

Also, he doesn't consider Sextape Vol. 1, 2, 3 a studio album?

Yea seems like it. I'd prefer a more concise project tbh but curious what he delivers

Always in for a new album from him that 3 pack thing kinda sucks tho

In but where’s Nikki

Need that still

In

It’s been a long time before Dream blessed my ears with new music

go back to write new brent faiyaz!

Pusha feature

In.

But yeah.

Bold statement Terius

6 7 2011 imma drop that love affair

Aye bruh 😭😭

Need LOS/Tricky Stewart on most of the beats

Every time he go away from tricky it gets tricky

The Goat
Real niggas know

its time

She rocking that s*** like

Ooh thats my s*** so many memories attached to that song and era. Dream needs his flowers for how much he's done not just on the mic but behind the scenes for so many other artists as well

first 2

need another fancy