The undisputed king of hip hop, Kendrick Lamar, posted a simple roman numeral “IV” to Instagram on Thursday morning, leading many to believe he was hinting at a new upcoming album.  It all seemed to add up, being that Lamar has released three full-length studio albums in his career, and a fourth is imminent.  Fans all over the world were freaking out about what this cryptic message could mean; however, excitement and anticipation was in everyone’s mind.

Fans have been on the edge of their seats for over a year now, when Lamar dropped “Untitled Unmastered,” a collection of leftover tracks that did not make the final cut on his 2015 masterpiece “To Pimp a Butterfly.”  While this collection of eight solo tracks was better than most current rappers’ complete albums, it did not necessarily satisfy fans’ desires for a new concept album from Lamar.

Later on Thursday night, however, Kendrick answered all the questions behind the mysterious Instagram post, dropping a new single, “The Heart Part 4.”  “The Heart” is a series of singles that Lamar has released over the years, each consisting of a smooth beat while boasting thoughtful and clever lyrics, a staple of Lamar’s discography.  

Sonically, the single offers two different beats throughout its composition.  The first section displays mellow drums behind calming strings, backed by some unique and rhythmically diverse vocals from up-and-comer Khalid.  Kendrick says, “Don’t tell a lie on me/ I won’t tell the truth ‘bout you,” hinting to anyone who may confront him that he knows the truth about them.  

In the second section Lamar comes in a little harder, calling people out in typical Kendrick fashion.  This part of the song contains nocturnal bells ringing behind a deep baseline, with fast snare drums coming in at certain parts.    

While slightly disappointed that it was only a single that was released, I was reassured when the song ended with Kendrick saying, “Y’all got ’til April the 7th to get y’all sh*t together.”  This date is now widely considered to be the release date for his highly anticipated fourth studio album.