[Locke.]

Are Kanye West and Jay-Z plotting a surprise album release on Monday? The pair have long been hyping Watch the Throne, a full-length collaboration that was originally due to be released in January. But six months after the release of their single H.A.M., there's still no sign of the rest of the record. Now, though, rumours abound that hip-hop's leading lights have fireworks planned for US Independence Day.

There are "heavy rumours", as Rolling Stone put it, that Watch the Throne is to drop on Monday. The story was first reported by the Source, and now AllHipHop has expanded on the story with the suggestion it will be a digital-only release, at least at first. The aim is allegedly to avoid the kind of leaks that plagued West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Beyoncé's 4.

Speaking to MTV this week, West's protege CyHi the Prynce said Watch the Throne is ready to go. "Right now, all the music and everything is done," he said. "'Ye is gonna add his last little pizzazz, and it's going to be ready for you guys soon." Although CyHi said he didn't know the logistics of the release, West could "just put it out tomorrow if he wanted to".

"You never know what they gonna do and how they gonna put it out," he added. "They might put it out yesterday."

Earlier this week, West announced his Good Music label had inked a major deal with Def Jam. Future releases by Good artists, including the debut album by Big Sean, Finally Famous, will be issued jointly by Good and Def Jam. "There is no one who has made a greater impression on the game than Kanye," said Def Jam's CEO, Barry Weiss. "We look forward to working closely with the new and established artists that he will be bringing to Good Music, which is already off to an impressive start with Big Sean."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011...tch-the-throne

Hope this is true