Is Kendrick Lamar Releasing An Album On April 7?

Kendrick Lamar has been quite active lately, leading fans to believe that he is up to something exciting. Some fans are hopeful that this means Kendrick Lamar is releasing a new album on April 7, and there's some pretty reasonable explanations behind this theory. It might just be true! Well, we don't know for sure, and won't know until April 7 is upon us, but there's nothing wrong with being prepared, right?

First, we have to touch on whether or not Lamar is even working on a new album. And thanks to a March interview with New York Times' T Magazine, it seems like he definitely is. In the interview, Lamar said that in light of how "wayward things have gone within the past few months," his new album would be focusing on his community and "the other communities around the world where they're doing the groundwork." He also called the upcoming album, "very urgent," and my experience of the word "urgent" suggests that the artist would like it to be out soon.

But that's not the only hint the fans are pointing to. Lamar has also gotten into the cryptic social media game with an Instagram post shared on March 23 that has since been deleted. He also shared an image of a black background with the roman numerals "IV" in white letters, but K-Dot deleted the rest of his Instagram posts — clearing every single picture. It was a dramatic move, especially since "IV" stands for "four," and a new album would be Lamar's fourth. Huh.

While the above image could possibly be referencing a fourth album, it's probable that it means no such thing. Later the evening of March 23, Lamar released a loose track through streaming services, "The Heart Part Four," which features the very same "IV" artwork. This song is not only the fourth part of Lamar's "The Heart" song series but also carries a potential hint: The rapper finishes the track with the words, "Y'all got til April the seventh to get y'all sh*t together," which could very well mean something album-level is going on that day.

The other parts of "The Hearts" have been coming out since April 2010 when Lamar released "The Heart Part 1" as a loose track, then continued with Part 2 on the Overly Dedicated mixtape the same year, and then added to the set with "Part 3" alongside Ab-Soul and Jay Rock before the 2012 album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. None of the other parts of "The Hearts" have made it to an album, but that doesn't mean that this song won't.

However, if "The Heart Part Four" isn't a single from the new album, then it stands to reason that the April 7 release will actually be a single release. That is, unless Lamar's March 30 song, "Humble," is the lead single from the album, which is also still not confirmed but very possible.

If "Humble" is in fact the lead single on this album then it's pretty clear the record is going to be just as powerful as Lamar's other conscious rap albums. Get ready for tracks that are just as breathtaking as "Backseat Freestyle" from Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City or as inspiring as "Alright" from To Pimp a Butterfly, which has become the unofficial anthem of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Will April 7 bring a new single, a new album, or something else entirely? Stay tuned, friends.