During a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, the crew discussed Drake's long-awaited ninth studio album, ICEMAN. They debated whether or not the LP will live up to the hype, and the rapper-turned-podcaster revealed that one of the Canadian hitmaker's most notable collaborators could be involved.
"I'm hearing that 40 is back. That gives me a different level of anticipation and excitement because I'm a fan of what they do together," he explained, as heard in a clip shared by @SeewhyChels. "I think recently [...] Drake has just gotten a lot of fans of whatever he's been doing outside of 40. But 40 coming back, if that's happening, then I think he steps up to the plate and does what he's supposed to do."
"I would be disappointed if whatever we hear sounds like something we've heard," Budden added. "'Cause he's in a space, I'm assuming, where he went through some sh*t he never went through before. [...] High expectations."
News of The Joe Budden Podcast's ICEMAN discussion comes just a day after the release date for the highly anticipated project was finally revealed.
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Drake ICEMAN Release Date
It's slated for release on May 15, 2026, meaning it's only a few weeks away. The release date was hidden within an enormous ice structure that Drake placed in his hometown of Toronto this week. Twitch streamer Kishka ended up finding a bag with the date inside. It also included a blurry Drake selfie, jewelry, an image of a t-shirt that says "2026 will be my year," and much more.
The bag also contained various pages of concept art. They featured phrases like "DRAKE IS ICEMAN," "FREEZE THE WORLD," "SNOW WITHOUT WEATHER," and "SAVE OUR CLUBS," among others.
Needless to say, fans can't wait to hear what's to come. They're even dropping ice cube emojis in Kendrick Lamar's comments sections on social media already. This indicates that they believe this album could finally offer the vindication Drake has been waiting for since their infamous battle.
