As one of mainstream hip-hop’s most prolific artists, Kanye West makes it easy to forget that his last solo album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” was released over 18 months ago. But work on Yeezy’s sixth full-length is apparently underway, and would follow his forthcoming GOOD Music compilation, “Cruel Summer.”

In a red carpet with MTV at the ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards last Friday (June 29), Chicago producer and Def Jam Executive VP of A&R No I.D. revealed that he has begun work on West’s next album. “I’m not working on [‘Cruel Summer’],” says No I.D., “I’m working on his album.”

When asked about the direction of the new material, No I.D. said of West, “He hasn’t missed yet. It’s what you expect, and everything you don’t expect. It’s gonna be great.”

“Cruel Summer” is due for an Aug. 7 release, one summer after West and Jay-Z dropped their collaborative album, “Watch The Throne.” West and the rest of the GOOD Music cohorts hit the stage at the 2012 BET Awards last Sunday to perform their single “Mercy,” while West later unveiled a new track, “New God Flow,” featuring Pusha T.

And when No I.D. says that West hasn’t missed yet, he’s right — at least from a sales perspective. All of West’s five solo efforts have moved 1 million U.S. copies, with “Dark Fantasy” carrying the lowest total at 1.3 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan. –Billboard