Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole album release date 2016: set backs to long-awaited collaboration but it's not cancelled

Kendrick LamarWikimedia Commons/Trijnstel

According to a report from the Ecumenical News, fans waiting for the collaboration album between rappers Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole will have to wait longer as the album is currently on hold as both artists are currently focusing primarily on their own solo careers. The album has not been cancelled.

This follows a statement made at the beginning of the year by Top Dawg Entertainment President Dave Free regarding the status of the album. 

"Everything's a possibility, but I'ma say this, too: Kendrick and Cole are in a place in their careers and in their lives where they have to keep going. Of course they're two of the biggest rappers out, but they still have to keep grinding. There's so much work that they have to continue to do," Free explained to MTV at the time.

Free also stated that both artists would need a lot of time and effort in order to make new songs together. This does contradict statements made back in 2013 when both artists claimed they already had several songs ready and just needed to get them recorded and polished.

Since then, there have been no official movements regarding the album and both rappers have begun working on their solo tours to promote their latest work. 

Fans speculate that the two already have several songs ready and are just waiting for free time to get into the studios and start recording while others point out that a collaboration album will only be released once the spotlight on their solo albums have dimmed a little in order to avoid a competion with their individual releases.

For the time being, J. Cole is currently preparing for his summer tour while Kendrick Lamar recently launched his "Untitled Unmastered" album, in past March, consisting of songs that did not make it to his "To Pimp a Butterfly" album.