"June Eighteen": two words that set the music and tabloid worlds alight. Kanye's tweet, sent Thursday morning and retweeted over 10,000 times its first 40 minutes, only offered a date.
The date likely refers to either the release date for West's upcoming solo album or the due date for his and Kim Kardashian's baby. The couple has said the baby is due in early July, but rumors that the Kimye child is actually expected in late June have persisted (math, obviously, being the thing here).
We're inclined to believe the tweet refers to the record. West has been ticking the early stages of album promo off of his to-do list, including a listening party at Def Jam's offices and subsequent leaks that the album is finished and offers a "dark" sound. Collaborators have also begun speaking more freely about the project, with Pusha-T, 2 Chainz and even Daft Punk offering endorsements. Given West's ultra-strict no-press rules about projects in their early stages, it makes sense that those who went to Paris to work on the album are only now opening up about their experiences.
The as-of-yet untitled project is West's sixth solo studio album and follows 2010's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (he also released "Watch the Throne," a duet album with Jay-Z, and "Cruel Summer," a compilation of material from artists on his label, G.O.O.D. Music). West has never really disappointed with his solo material -- his previous five studio albums ("College Dropout," "Late Registration," "Graduation," "808s and Heartbreak" and the aforementioned "Fantasy") currently sit at 87, 85, 79, 75 and 94 percent ratings on MetaCritic, a reliable review aggregating website. That five-for-five streak is something few other rappers enjoy, as living legends like Jay-Z and Nas are commonly said to have released highly disappointing material over the course of their careers.
So, readers, what say you: Baby Kimye or album drop date? Let us know in the comments.
