West Coast legend Dr. Dre received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 19th. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Dr. Dre himself dropped a huge bombshell: a new Eminem album is coming this year!

“Eminem is working on his own album,” Dre revealed. “He said it’s okay for me to announce it here. The album’s coming out, I got songs on it, and it’s fire. I haven’t heard the whole thing yet, but I’m gonna hear it tomorrow.”

The next day, Eminem himself fueled the hype with a studio picture featuring himself, Dr. Dre, and several collaborators. The caption simply read: “Nuthin 2 see here… plenty to hear!!!”

Adding to the excitement, music industry publication HitsDailyDouble hinted at the potential return of a familiar character: Steve Berman. Berman, a record executive, was last lampooned by Eminem on a skit on his 2009 album “Relapse.” HitsDailyDouble suggests Berman might appear again in a skit on the upcoming album.

Further fanning the flames, Eminem’s longtime collaborator Mr. Porter recently responded to a fan’s question about the album’s release date with a cryptic “soon come.” And DJ Whoo Kid, a well-connected figure in the hip-hop world, shared a photo of Eminem and Dr. Dre with the caption: “It’s going down for reals. Can’t wait to hear this new Eminem album!”

With Dr. Dre’s confirmation, cryptic messages from Eminem’s camp, and industry insiders buzzing, it appears a new Eminem album could be upon us very soon.