As J. Cole has largely handled his own production for the majority of his career, there are countless producers that the Dreamville lyricist has yet to work with — many of the legendary variety. With The Off-Season due out on May 14th, confirmed by Cole himself in an announcement tweet yesterday, speculation has ensued regarding the project’s production credits. The main question of course being: will Cole be outsourcing the production responsibilities on this one?

Though many have assumed that Cole’s recent right-hand man T-Minus will be present, a new name has entered the chat, sparking additional hype in the process. Timbaland, known in many circles as “The King,” has come forward to tease his own potential involvement in The Off-Season, taking to Instagram to spread the good word.

J. Cole

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“I told y’all the king has returned !!!!!” he captions, alongside Cole’s foreboding and majestic Off-Season album cover. “@realcoleworld @beatclub watch me work!!!!” It should be noted that back in January, Timbaland previewed a smooth-sounding beat and actually tagged Cole in the caption, suggesting his willingness to collaborate with the Dreamville leader. While unconfirmed, perhaps his attempt to reach out to Cole actually manifested in an upcoming Off-Season selection.

Check out Timbo’s latest IG update below, and sound off if you’re excited to see Cole join forces with one of hip-hop’s greatest musical minds. If so, look for The Off-Season to drop on May 14th — do you think this will be Cole’s most collaborative album yet? As per Cozz, it’s certainly his best.