Watch the Throne 2 is happening, people.
On Saturday night, Kanye West announced the long-awaited follow-up to his and JAY-Z’s 2011 album.
The project has set the standard for all subsequent rap collaborations, and has also been lauded as one of the best joint projects in music history. And for good reason, too. This album delivered hits like "Niggas In Paris," "Otis," "H-A-M," and "No Church In the Wild."
Watch the Throne was both a commercial and critical success, landing at No. 1, securing multiple platinum certifications, and earning seven Grammy nominations. Fans, of course, were eager to hear more and immediately called for a sequel. About a year after the album dropped, super-producer Mike Dean announced Watch the Throne 2was on the way; however, as years went by, Kanye and Jay's relationship became increasingly strained—on both a personal and professional level.
During his 2016 Saint Pablo Tour, 'Ye told a Seattle crowd that Watch the Throne 2 would never happen due to "political shit." He interrupted his performance to tell the crowd why Ye and JAY didn't appear on the official version of Drake's "Pop Style," insisting it all came down to business conflicts between Apple and JAY's streaming service Tidal.
"There will never be a Watch the Throne 2. You know why? Because that’s the reason why I wasn’t on the song. I wasn’t on the song 'cause of Hov, 'cause of this Tidal, Apple, bullshit. And this shit be getting me tight every time I perform this motherfucker. Y'all didn’t get what y'all was supposed to get with me and Drake on this because of this Tidal, Apple, bullshit."
At this time, there are still a lot of questions surrounding Watch the Throne 2: When exactly will it arrive? Will Hov return for the follow-up? And, if not, who would take his place?
Keep it locked as we wait for more information. Until then, check out some of the best reactions to the news below.