You shouldn’t believe everything you see, or read, on April Fool’s Day. Annually on April 1, jokesters around the world pull pranks on unsuspecting folks and this year, the first prank of the day appears to have already gone viral.
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Jay-Z is currently trending on Twitter and upon checking out the trend, you’ll realize that it’s being reported that the rap legend is releasing a new album soon called Ascension. This news has not been announced by Jay-Z, Beyoncé, or anybody associated with the rapper. Instead, the rumor appears to have originated from Jay’s African fans, who are even sharing a presumedly fake tracklist for the album, which features popular African artists Sarkodie, Nasty C, Femi Kuti, and more. The joke tracklist also features Beyoncé, H.E.R., and Rick Ross.
It hasn’t necessarily been confirmed that this is fake but it shouldn’t take too long for people to realize there isn’t much truth to the rumors. The tracklist looks as though it could have easily been manipulated by anybody with a basic knowledge of Photoshop.
A few music news outlets have already taken the bait, reporting on Ascension as though it were the real deal. Only time will tell if this ends up actually materializing but, for now, it looks like a clear April Fool’s Day prank.
Check out some reactions below.