It has been 1,353 days since Kendrick Lamar released his fourth studio album, DAMN., in 2017. Now, rumors are circulating that the rhymer could be dropping new music next week.
On Wednesday (April 28), Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith—the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Top Dawg Entertainment, the record label Kendrick Lamar is signed to—posted a cryptic message on his social media platforms, suggesting a wait is coming to an end on May 7, 2021.
Tiffith shared a 19-second clip to Twitter and Instagram earlier today with a loading bar symbol underneath TDE's giant logo, gradually loading to 100 percent. At the end, the video displays the date: "5/17/21." In the Instagram caption for the clip, Tiffith wrote, "5/7//21 THE WAIT IS OVAH!!!!!! #TDE."
Fans instantly jumped into Tiffith's Twitter replies to demand that Kendrick be the next TDE signee to drop a highly anticipated album. However, Isaiah Rashad, who hasn't dropped a project since releasing The Sun's Tirade in 2016, and SZA, who's been steadily releasing singles and videos in 2021, are also among the TDE artists fans want to hear from next.
One person responded to Top Dawg's IG post, which was also shared via Twitter, and said, "Kendrick not dropping. we need isaiah."
Another typed, "Y’all complaining about 'oh if it’s not Kendrick…. blah blah. Oh if it’s SZA….' Just shut up lol. Regardless of WHO on the TDE roster is dropping, just be happy were eatin’. Everyone on that label is incredibly talented and will drop some heat."
While the video posted doesn't mention Kendrick by name, the music executive confirmed back in May that Kendrick Lamar is returning to music in a social media post. Top Dawg wrote at the time, "Stay patient king Kendrick will return soon."
There have also been reports that Kung Fu Kenny is rumored to have completed a rock-influenced LP. Bill Werde, a columnist at Billboard, offered some insight into K-Dot's next project.
"Did anyone not named Beyonce release better, more meaningful back-to-back albums last decade than Kendrick Lamar? Are you interested to know that I hear from several friends that recording on the new album may finally be done? And that he’s pulling in more rock sounds this time?" Werde wrote in a tweet last January.
Scroll down to see more reactions stemming from Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith hinting at a new TDE release coming soon.
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