Lil Uzi Vert released the surprise eight-track EP Maverick “Almost Forever” on 31 July, their 31st birthday, after weather forced the cancellation of their scheduled Lollapalooza performance in Chicago. The release gave fans new music in place of the festival appearance and marked the Philadelphia rapper’s first project in two years.

The EP’s cover shows a young Uzi with their grandmother, and its release fell exactly a decade after The Perfect LUV Tape, which later received RIAA gold certification. Lollapalooza cited weather issues amid heavy rain and storms, with Zara Larsson moved into Uzi’s slot; Uzi has previously achieved three Billboard 200 number ones and a diamond-certified hit with “XO Tour Llif3”.