Drake fans think ‘Iceman’ album delay is about Kendrick Lamar - here’s why

17 April 2026, 13:09

Drake has been teasing fans with the pending release date for his new album ‘Iceman’ for ages, and fans hope for a world tour. But now recent reports suggest Kendrick Lamar is set to drop his first album post the ‘Not Like Us’ era. So is it true? & What does it have to do with Drake?

Drake has been holding off on his delayed ‘Iceman’ release date, with the new album still not here, but now, it looks like Kendrick Lamar could beat him to it, and fans are now speculating this could delay ‘Iceman’ even more.

The Canadian rapper has been teasing the newest album since as early as August 2024, with fans expecting it to be released before the start of 2026, but alas, fans are still waiting.

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Whilst there hasn’t been a reason given by the rapper himself, it hasn’t stopped fans speculating as to why.

Some fans initially thought it was delayed because the anticipation was so high that Drake was being a perfectionist about it, whilst others just think this was always the plan.

Although it‘s not yet clear why the rollout has taken so long, fans are now speculating that Kendrick Lamar’s release could have been the reason after all.

According to an insider, DJ Akademiks, the L.A. based rapper has a new album on the way, following the success of his 2024 album ‘GNX’, which ultimately won the Best Rap Album at the Grammys.

DJ Akademiks said: “[Kendrick] has got some s**t cooking up.”

While not confirmation of an impending album, it would make sense, following the scathing feud both Drake and Kendrick engaged in last year, that Drizzy is waiting to see what shade is thrown first, before making amends to his own.

The reason that ‘Iceman’ is so important to both the 6 God and his fans is that it is the rapper's first solo project following the Kendrick beef, which ended with the scathing diss track, ‘Not Like Us’, sung by thousands at the 2025 Super Bowl.

So, while just a rumour at this stage, fans are trying to soothe their impatience with reasons, and this might just be it.

One fan commented: “If Kendrick drops this year (which would make sense), then this is the best year in rap in my lifetime. Better than 2024, I’m sorry.”

Another said: “I don’t care how bad Kendrick or Drake will be when they do something, JUST DO SOMETHING. I'm getting bored…”

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