In a recent series of Tweets, internet personality Justin Laboy claimed that Kanye West played a new album for him and pro basketball player Kevin Durant over the weekend (July 17/18). Laboy also claimed West's album would drop sometime this week.

“The production is light years ahead of its time, and the bars sound like he’s broke & hungry trying to get signed again. Any artist who plan on dropping soon should just push it back,” Laboy wrote, suggesting the return of the 'old Kanye' many fans have wanted.

Laboy also shared a photo of West playing the album for the two.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR. DONT @ ME pic.twitter.com/baaL9fHKOv

— Respectfully Justin (@JustinLaboy) July 19, 2021

Kanye West album is really done. When it drops this week, we probably not going to listen to anything else for a while.. Let me go enjoy all the current artist I’m listening to until then. God bless✌🏾 #Respectfully

— Respectfully Justin (@JustinLaboy) July 18, 2021

Rumours of an exclusive listening event for the new album in Las Vegas have also appeared online.

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A post shared by @dondasplace

Pictures of long queues of people outside the venue where the party allegedly took place on Sunday (July 18) evening have surfaced on social media.

Doors are almost open for @KanyeWest’s album listening party in Vegas tonight!

(📸: @_ovoeric & @dondasplace) pic.twitter.com/bnqjF3aOLM

— Photos Of Kanye West (@PhotosOfKanye) July 19, 2021

Teddy Walton, a producer who has worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott, appears to be involved in the album's production. Walton Tweeted saying he "can't wait" for the LP to drop and that he's "glad to be a part of history".

Honestly can’t wait till @kanyewest drop. & im glad to be apart of history 💿🐻💿🐻 see y’all soon.

— TEDDY WALTON (@teddywalton) July 19, 2021

Speculation about West's collaborators on this album is also brewing – footage emerged on social media on Saturday (July 17) of Tyler, The Creator supposedly collaborating with West in the studio. The video sees the two in front of a whiteboard with what appears to be a track list written on it.

pic.twitter.com/Og4xpp6uAh

— diegopugaescobar!👨‍🚀 (@ohhpuga) July 17, 2021

West's album, Donda, was initially set for release in July last year but never materialised.