'ICEMAN': Drake announces May 15 release date after streamer cracks ice vault - WATCH

Drake has officially confirmed the release date for his highly anticipated ninth studio album, 'ICEMAN'.Taking to his social media handle, the rapper shared a post that read, 'ICE MAN MAY 15" in his caption, he simply wrote, May 15.Drake announces 'ICEMAN' release dateThe announcement followed weeks of cryptic teasers and an elaborate promotional stunt in Toronto, where he set up a massive 25-foot ice sculpture. The sculpture featured blocks of ice, installed in the city centre, drawing crowds and online attention. Fans were informed that the release date of the new album would be inside one of the blocks.While it is unclear if the blocks of ice were meant to melt away or if fans were challenged to find it, but news reports and online videos saw fans turning up by the numbers with implements and even blowtorches to break away and melt the ice to find the release date.Streamer finds release dateOn Tuesday, a Twitch streamer Kishka, successfully broke through the ice structure. Inside, a blue waterproof bag bearing the message read, "freeze the world" was discovered, containing a book of concept art along with confirmation of the album’s release date.In the video filmed outside Drake's house, the streamer suggested that the he was also rewarded with USD 100,000 in cash. ICEMAN will serve as Drake’s first solo full-length project since 2023 and follows his 2024 collaborative R&B album Some Sexy Songs 4 U with PARTYNEXTDOOR.While the official tracklist remains under wraps, recent livestream promotions have hinted at potential appearances from artists including Central Cee, Yeat, Sexy Red and more.As per the video shared by Kishka, the album art also featured a Pinocchio drawing, which many are interpreting as a dig at Kendrick Lamar following his diss track last year that created waves online.