JAY-Z fans are on high alert after a new social media post by a potential collaborator seems to indicate that the prolific emcee will be releasing a new album soon.
On Sunday (January 28), video director Hidji took to his Instagram Stories to update his followers on an upcoming production. After sharing a blurry video geotagged “Atlanta, GA” and soundtracked by the Outkast classic “Player’s Ball,” he shared a screenshot of a text exchange between himself and someone else.
Replying to his friend’s inquiry about who he was shooting, Hidji simply texted, “Jay z.” He then shared a photo of a clapperboard which had the production title listed as, “JAY Z – 2024 ALBUM.”
Like his wife Beyoncé, JAY-Z is notorious for keeping information close to the cuff until he is ready to have it out in the open. This would indicate that the posts by Hidji — whose most recent success was the clip to Young Nudy‘s 21 Savage-assisted “Eggplants & Peaches” — did not leak this information without prior authorization.
However, as the rumors began circulating on Sunday, Roc Nation’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) responded to one post, writing: “That’s news to us.”
HipHopDX has reached out to reps at Roc Nation for further commentary.
JAY-Z’s first album in 7 years looks like it could arrive in 2024 👀 https://t.co/52WCdDsvQrpic.twitter.com/rbqrYHja5I
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) January 28, 2024
That’s news to us https://t.co/19LGtkhtlN
— Roc Nation (@RocNation) January 28, 2024
Even if he isn’t working on his own new album, JAY-Z has already inspired another emcee’s highly anticipated 2024 release.
Earlier this week, Tierra Whack announced her long-awaited debut album World Wide Whack, which will be released on March 15.
The fittingly wacky cover art shows the Philadelphia native wearing a clown-esque outfit and sitting on a crescent stage prop in front of a giant “Joker” playing card.
Following the news, some fans traced the whimsical theme to quotes from an old Tierra Whack interview in which she revealed that JAY-Z once called her “the Joker of Hip Hop.”
Speaking to Apple Music in 2021 following the release of her Rap? EP, she said: “I had a conversation with JAY-Z and he was like, ‘Yo, you’re the Joker of the game.’ And I’m like, ‘What does that mean?’
“And he’s like, ‘You come off happy but there’s a dark side.’ And honestly it stuck with me. And I’m just like, ‘You know what? That’s exactly who I am. I’m the Joker. I’m the wild card.’”
Tierra was praised by people online for seemingly taking Hov’s shrewd insight and turning it into a full-blown album concept.
