Casino (2026)

Casino (stylized as Ca$ino) is the second studio album by American rapper and record producer Baby Keem. It was released through PGLang and Columbia Records on February 20, 2026. It serves as the long-awaited follow-up to his debut studio album, The Melodic Blue (2021).

The album features guest appearances from fellow American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Too Short; as well as additional guest vocals from American singer-songwriters Momo Boyd and Che Ecru, while Bekon, Citizen Cope, Denzel Curry, and Mamii, provided additional contributions. Production on the album was primarily handled by Keem himself, alongside other record producers such as Cardo, Danja, Ojivolta, Scott Bridgeway, Sounwave, Teo Halm, and Yara Shahidi, among others.

The album was supported by one single, "Good Flirts" (featuring Lamar and Boyd), which was serviced to US rhythmic contemporary radio on March 6, 2026. Following the album’s release, Keem embarked on the Casino Tour across the US and Europe from April to September 2026.

Background

After previously revealed the album's initial announcement in 2022, Baby Keem guest performed a song, "Family Ties" (along with his cousin and fellow American rapper Kendrick Lamar) on his second concert of the Grand National Tour—in support to the release of GNX (2024)—at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 9, 2025. In January 2026, Keem was announced as a headliner for the June 5th opening date of the multi-day Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City, being held at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park for the fourth consecutive year.

On February 10, Keem announced the release via Instagram, revealing the album cover artwork and announcing the availability of a limited edition vinyl release. He also announced that the tour, called Casino Tour, will start on April 15. Casino marked as Keem's return after almost five years, following his debut studio album, The Melodic Blue (2021). Rolling Out described the time between the release of the two albums as "an eternity in modern hip-hop", considering this extended interval "a double-edged sword" for the rapper, between fan anticipation and skepticism about his return to the music scene. During throughout his absence, Keem has been teasing some new music with him mentioning about releasing a new album, titled Child with Wolves. The tracklist revealed that the album would contain 12 songs, with Lamar featured on a track, titled "Good Flirts".

Artwork

The album cover artwork is a photo of Keem as a baby, with Hypebeast interpreted this choice as "potentially pointing to a deeply personal and introspective audiovisual endeavor" that explores different themes and subjects from the previous album, writing that the themes of vulnerability and introspection are present in the associated YouTube teaser. The aesthetic of Casino echoes the vintage vibe of Las Vegas, Nevada and with Keem's social media profile having been redesigned to match this style.

Release and promotion

To accompanying with the album announcement, Keem shared a short documentary, Booman I, on YouTube. Keem is shown in the studio with his family, including his cousin Kendrick Lamar. The video was directed by Alexandre Moors and LaConnie Govan, and it was co-produced by Lamar, Dave Free, and the duo's label— PGLang—alongside with Eerie Times, in association with Good Company. The second short documentary, Booman II, was released via YouTube on February 16, four days before the album's release. The third and final short documentary, Booman III, was released via YouTube on February 19, a day before the album's release.

On February 19, just hours before the album's release, Keem held a listening party—from which where the album was played to its entirety—at The Lot at Formosa in West Hollywood, California. He also performed some of the tracks live, with surprise guest appearances by Momo Boyd, Too Short, Desmond Johnson from RDCWorld (who was portrayed as a mime), and Che Ecru. The event was directed by Mike Carson.

Singles

The music video for a song, "Good Flirts", directed by Renell Medrano, was released on March 5.

Other songs

The music video for a song, "Birds & the Bees", shot in Las Vegas, was directed by Jack Begert and was released on February 23. It stars Keem, alongside the mime portrayed by Johnson, and Lara Raj from Katseye (who was portrayed as Keem's love interest).