So Is This Kanye West/Jay-Z 4th Of July Thing Happening Or Not?

Speculation has been rampant for days that a collaboration between Jay-Z and Kanye West was going to be dropping on America’s birthday, July 4th, just as the Lord ordained it.

Reports Pitchfork:

At the beginning of this year, Kanye West stated that his collaborative LP with Jay-Z, Watch the Throne, was set for a March release. We’re about to close out June, and, well, Watch the Throne didn’t make that deadline. However, we may be getting to hear the record pretty soon– as in, next Monday, July 4.
Rolling Stone reports that it is “heavily rumored” that Watch the Throne will hit digital retailers on the Fourth of July; a report from The Source published earlier this month is cited, as well as claims from AllHipHop that the initial digital-only release is to combat leaks.

Adding fuel to the fire, Kanye associate CyHi the Prynce stated in an interview on MTV’s Rap Fix Live yesterday that Watch the Throne is “ready to go. Right now, all the music and everything is done. But you know my guy — we over here with [Kanye], so ‘Ye is gonna add his last little pizzazz, and it’s going to be ready for you guys soon…You never know what they gonna do and how they gonna put it out. They might put it out yesterday.”

No, I have no idea what the hell “they might put it out yesterday” means, but whatever. Now others are saying that that’s not happening, and America haz a sad, as it should.

Reports VH1:

Contrary to reports earlier today that speculated that Watch The Throne, Kanye West and Jay-Z‘s highly anticipated new collaborative album, would be released on July 4, VH1 can exclusively confirm that the record will NOT be dropping on our nation’s birthday. We spoke to sources close to Jay-Z‘s management team earlier today who have direct knowledge of the album’s release plans, and they confirmed that the rumored July 4th release date is “not happening.” Sorry to ruin your holiday, folks!

Well dammit! I guess we’ll just have to spend our 4th of July drinking beer and grilling burgers, just as we were going to do in the first place. I can’t wait.

(Photo via the chillest dude I know, Matt T)